TechViz - Blog - AR / VR for engineering

You want your teams to use augmented reality or virtual reality in their daily work? Immersing yourself in a VR environment to work collaboratively on the same 3D CAD model offers many advantages to professionals. But unless you create the proper VR space, the immersive magic of using AR glasses, a VR headset or a VR CAVE will be lost.

No one wants to trip on a misplaced cable while walking around your future building, or hit a LED display while turning a 3D model upside down.

Augmented Reality has appeared in many of our daily uses, at a personal and professional level. We’ve come a long way since phone games like Pokemon Go in 2016. AR is not a passing trend. Especially in business. Adding a layer of information to the reality we experience offers many use cases in a wide variety of sectors: automotive industry, aerospace, healthcare, education, construction…

Imagine that you are in the market for a new equipment, but instead of looking into catalogues or websites, you want to see how it fits in your workplace. Layering virtual objects and other digital mediums into our daily lives can sound like something out of a Science Fiction movie. But with smartphones and other devices becoming a huge part of our daily lives, Augmented Reality (AR) has already changed our daily lives, and our businesses.

Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are two innovative technologies that are in high demand today. In fact, a recent report notes that the AR and VR market is poised to grow to $140.1 billion by 2026, thanks to a high CAGR of 38.4%. As various industries such as manufacturing, automotive, shipbuilding, and education continue to find ways to creatively leverage said technologies, the market for professionals who understand how to develop them will become more competitive. It is important to remember that the VR technologies and strategies used for engineering differ from the one used in gaming. In gaming, developers are more focused on providing quality entertainment in a VR world. On the other hand, VR for engineering is set on delivering 3D models and visualization techniques to enhance the design process.

Pursuing an engineering career in AR and VR can provide you with job security and a stable income. However, breaking into the industry can be difficult, especially if you’re just starting out. Here, we’ll discuss how you can launch   your engineering career in this particular field.

More and more engineers are relying on Augmented Reality (AR) and  Virtual Reality (VR) in their jobs. Yet, to do so, you need to choose a software and a deployment that fits your use of these technologies, internal skills and budget priorities.

The choice usually boils down to On-Premise versus SaaS (Software as a Service), but it covers various dimensions:

- Budget: Subscription model versus permanent license 

- Location of rendering servers: local versus Cloud

- Remote accessibility and collaboration

Let’s take a look at these different dimensions to help you determine which is best for your business.

Many opportunities and challenges were brought by Industry 4.0 to the manufacturing industry. The new technologies connect digital and physical assets, which changes all the business processes. To embrace this radical change, companies must understand and master all the steps from product conception to selling. However, only Digital Champions have adopted these technologies today, and others will likely struggle to keep competitive. So far, only a few companies have emerged as Digital Champions and gotten all the benefits from Industry 4.0.