HoloLens 2 validates and expands AR for business

The arrival of Microsoft’s HoloLens 2 signals a tipping point for AR and wearables. This is a second-generation headset that introduces massive improvements in gesture recognition, larger field-of-view, and overall ergonomics. But what’s most significant is who it’s not for, primarily: gamers or consumers.

AR and VR hardware development—and what sometimes seems like an insane amount of venture capital—has followed video games and immersive entertainment concepts.

Microsoft flips that with the HoloLens 2. Microsoft is squarely taking aim at the enterprise market, betting big that developers will create applications and find use cases that will put AR in a broad range of workflows. The company obviously knows how to create entire business ecosystems at an enterprise scale. Expect a bevy of Fortune 100 businesses and even the U.S. military to make waves with HoloLens 2 AR use cases this year.

Who will throw their hat into the ring in 2020?

The arrival of HoloLens 2 will also open the floodgates in the wearables market. You’ll see new AR/VR devices from more blue-chip device manufacturers, and we saw no shortage of hardware-related announcements coming out of CES 2020. While we may have to wait a bit longer for the long-rumored Apple glasses, there’s no way that other electronics powerhouses will stand still. Expect competitive, next-gen AR/VR iterations from Samsung (who already teased the early stages of their AR glasses), Google, Lenovo, Toshiba, and more as they’re pushed to innovate or get left behind. Along with the HoloLens 2, competition and ubiquity will further expand AR’s potential in the enterprise business and beyond.

Niche AR players: Time to take the leap

With 2020 poised to be the year Big Tech gets heavy into AR, what’s going to happen to the smaller players? In tech, we’ve seen this movie before—industry consolidation and intellectual property acquisition. For start-ups, niche firms, or dreamers in AR and wearables, 2020 is the year to prove their technology is viable and compelling enough to compete with the established manufacturers. Launch a compelling offering, get your devices on the heads of business users, and get ready to innovate faster than the giants to prove real ROI. There’s an $80+ billion market out there for AR/VR maturing in the next few years. 

Ready to incorporate AR into your business? What to look for when choosing an enterprise AR device

While many enterprise organizations already implementing AR are seeing great success with the use of smartphones and tablets, there is no question that a hands-free experience is a holy grail, particularly for industrial workers repairing complex machinery or manufacturing products on the factory floor. When trying to determine which head-mounted device is right for its workers, enterprises must think through several factors including use case, the environment in which the device will be worn, the device’s power source and battery duration, security concerns, mobile device management, and more.

First—a word of caution. Enterprises should not dwell too much on the types of hardware used when engaging with AR initially due to the rapidly evolving market. Rather, it’s more important to ensure the viability of the AR content being created and enterprises should look to engage with a software vendor who is dedicated to supporting the best of breed hardware and continuing to update their software when new devices launch. This allows enterprises to take advantage of the software platform that can store their data and content and maintain its long term investment. This also prevents organizations from being pigeon-holed into a particular set of hardware as use cases will evolve and AR deployments often scale beyond the initial scope.

There are generally two categories of wearable displays on the market, each with characteristics that will impact the suitability of the device based on the task at hand: monocular displays such as Google Glass, RealWear and Toshiba’s dynaEdge AR Smart Glasses, and fully immersive displays such as Microsoft’s HoloLens 2 and Lenovo’s ThinkReality A6. Monocular displays boast a longer battery life and allow for lighter-weight applications, such as field service applications. The drawback to this category is that use cases are limited—monocular displays typically only support basic text-based work instructions or limited see-what-I-see remote assistance applications.

Fully immersive hardware such as the HoloLens 2, have much more varied applications of use cases such as field service, immersive training, remote support using shared real-space annotations, remote collaboration, manufacturing work instructions, and maintenance work instructions. With the ability to support more sophisticated use cases, these devices tend to be bulkier and consume much more battery life, which means the headset can’t comfortably be worn as long.

Finally, there are concerns around data privacy, security and device management that should be taken into consideration. Enterprises today, and manufacturers working on sensitive equipment in particular, should evaluate what data is being stored on these devices, how the data is protected, and how the devices themselves are managed and protected. Each enterprise AR device has its own strengths and drawbacks and while one type of wearable may be a perfect fit for the needs of one organization, it may not be suitable for another based on how they plan to leverage AR for their business.

As enterprise AR continues to gain momentum and transform the workforce, expect people to become more comfortable with wearing a device as part of their daily routine. In the years ahead, we believe the underlying technology involved with creating a positive user experience—technical aspects such as processing speed, user experience, available compute power and rendering – will continue to mature. This will usher in a new era of devices that boast a smaller form factor, an increased level of wearability and more sophisticated video display, allowing workers to explore a new set of applications where AR can help them do their jobs better than ever before.

Paradigm Shift

Now more than ever, manufacturers are using AR and MR technology in production environments  and bringing it to frontline workers to be used for more sophisticated and demanding tasks, such as quality control, production control and actual manufacturing in assembly lines.

This is especially true when it comes to mixed reality, where improved hardware and software capabilities enable hands free interaction and compliance with safety requirements.

The main improvements on the hardware side compared to previous-generation devices include a wider field of view, better performance and better calibrated optics for improved alignment accuracy–a critical aspect when it comes to production.

In addition, a specialized, production-targeted mixed reality device can address safety requirements like hardhat integration and bone-conduction headsets that keep the user aware of the surroundings. 

Significant improvements on the software side include two-hands interaction as a natural, more efficient interface, eye tracking, and advanced features such as sequencing for improved context-based interaction.  

The market has also matured to the point where technology is being more widely adopted and is expanding to the production floor. Until now, most digital transformation has consisted of changes in the office.

Engineers have embraced 3D modeling solutions and mixed reality for the design and evaluation of projects and products in the office, but workers in the manufacturing facility were still using paper drawings or interacting with models or 2D representations on a computer screen for production. This painful gap motivated companies to look for solutions to improve efficiency by extending the use of mixed reality on the production floor.

Mixed reality can directly translate the time invested in the 3D digital content during the design stage to the production side to improve efficiency. Manufacturers can justify their investment by using the digital data—such as 3D models—not just for the design phase, but also for the manufacturing phase.

New Use Cases

The combination of market maturity and technology innovation has enabled a new set of use cases for the manufacturing industry. including:

Employee Training: Rather than reading a set of drawings or flipping through a manual for passive learning, workers can immerse themselves in the training material while physically interacting with the assets needed for the job. This is especially useful with spatially complex products were traditional training methods take time due to the high cognitive load.   

Visual Sequencing: Visual sequencing provides step-by-step instructions of an assembly process delivered to the line worker during assembly. For complex assemblies, 3D views of each step with accompanying instructions help even experienced workers to avoid potential errors. As an added benefit, the wearable devices allow them to keep their hands free while working. A concrete example for such a scenario is an assembly of rebar cages in a prefab factory. The ability to filter the displayed information based on production sequence helps both novice and experienced team members avoid costly errors.

Quality Assurance: Blending digital information into real world views enables on-site teams to validate the quality of their work, identify discrepancies in real-time, and benefit from a short communication loop with the office team. Mixed reality can help embed the quality assurance in the production process by enabling real-time visual analysis of the assembled product.

Production Control: Prefabricated construction elements are becoming more complex. Mixed reality provides manufacturers with the ability to monitor the production process in the context of the physical assembly and determine whether production is ahead, according, or behind schedule.

Look for integration of mixed reality with advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, computer vision and machine learning to further increase its value.

But this kinesthetic one-off pairing approach can be expensive, taking experienced workers off the production floor to train. Also, paper-based work instructions may make training outdated or ineffective.

The article’s author states that Augmented reality can help resolve these challenges and provides four ways AR delivers information throughout the learning and development lifecycle, and the advantages of each, including a case study.

These are:

1. Visualization & demonstration for training: Interactive guided instructions, procedures, and digital content are delivered in 3D within a simulated context.

•      Lowers material and prototype overhead costs through digitally delivered content

•       By delivering only relevant content on demand, it reduces cost of worker downtime and ramp-up time.

•       Captures expert workflows to educate and quickly on-board junior-level staff with augmented instructions using AR headsets or a mobile device.

While learning management systems have made relevant information digitized, training through AR provides a 3D format and kinesthetic-friendly approach, which capitilizes on a mix of learning methods that improve knowledge retention. AR is also more cost-effective than planning downtime for training on real-world equipment or using physical materials for training prototypes.

Case Study: GSI (an AGCO brand), a manufacturer of grain storage systems, found it unfeasible to bring its massive equipment to its weeklong training class for new hires and, instead, presented hundreds of slides. It combined this with paper manuals to deliver information to its field workers, including new features and models. By moving to augmented reality for immersive training of its field workers, GSI reduced installation time of new grain system designs by 60%.

2. On-the-job work instructions: Overlaid in-context digital information including step-by-step sequences and work instructions.

•       Increases productivity by delivering accurate necessary guidance

•       Improves retention with 3D content in context

•       Reduces paper bottlenecks to improve scalability and lower cost

•       Improves manufacturing processes, including assembly, machine setup and  changeover, and maintenance, by getting accurate and up-to-date hard metrics and other work information to the right worker.

These updateable and scalable digital capabilities are increasingly valuable to be flexible and agile and manage the information overload from rapidly changing markets and product/service complexity.

Case Study: Volvo Group is accommodating for custom configurations and customer requirements while maintaining the highest quality of its engines by equipping its quality assurance (QA) operators with on-the-job work instructions through AR. Each engine requires 40 QA checks, with 200 possible information variants, to be completed in eight minutes. AR gives Volvo flexibility to manage this complex process and its workers agility by providing operators the accurate ‘just-in-time’ quality checklist in context.

3. Remote assistance: Instantly connects remote experts to field personnel through a live video feed for over-the-shoulder support where both the expert and end user can collaborate in real time and quickly solve complex or unexpected problems.

•       Reduces travel costs for experts

•       Increases scalability and accessibility of expertise

•       Reduces cost of worker downtime

•       Helps quickly solve complex or unexpected problems

4. Expert Capture and Knowledge Transfer: Content creation by capturing expert workflows enables rapid documentation (such as standard operating procedures) to new or existing workers for hands-on training or task guidance.

·         Increases scalability and accessibility of expertise

·         Can improve training on-ramp times and knowledge retention

·         Helps ensure safety and compliance in regulated environments

Remote assistance and knowledge transfer both present an effective way to capture and scale worker expertise residing in industrial companies.

Case Study: GlobalFoundries was plagued with production bottlenecks due to a lack of detailed standard operating procedures across its facilities. This inhibited worker productivity and drove up training costs. The semiconductor manufacturer implemented augmented reality as the standardized and scalable platform to deliver work instructions. This implementation reduced scrap and rework by 25%, accelerated training on-ramp time by 40%, reduced documentation authoring time by 50%, and decreased unscheduled downtime by 25%.

Augmented Reality for the Learning Lifecycle

People are pivotal assets on companies’ financial statements, yet empowering them through technology hasn’t proliferated for many organizations. With organizations facing substantial macroeconomic issues like rapidly changing markets, the aging workforce and looming skills gap, they must consider how to best teach and enable their employees. In an increasingly complex world, learning and skills development is more an ongoing progression and less a checkmark on an HR competency sheet.

According to Gartner, by 2022, 70% of enterprises will be experimenting with immersive technologies for consumer and enterprise use, and 25% will have deployed them to production.* DXC is using AR, VR and MR technologies today to transform the future of work, and the company is seeing widespread implementation to improve safety, connect remote workers, assist with complex tasks and enhance training and collaboration – all in ways that drive business results and profitability.

“Digital transformation in the workplace is edging towards an inflection point as enterprises are incorporating immersive solutions that connect the real world with the virtual world,” said Maria Pardee, DXC’s senior vice president and general manager, Workplace and Mobility. “DXC is using the power of AR, VR and MR to align the next-generation digital capabilities employees want so they can be more mobile and independent, with the critical security, production prowess and agility that today’s businesses demand.”

DXC Deploys Mixed Reality Employee Training at Water Treatment Leader Ixom

A market leader in water treatment and chemical distribution in Australia and New Zealand, Ixom turned to DXC to develop a custom training and assessment application using mixed reality on Microsoft HoloLens.

In the past, Ixom training and learning assessments were conducted at customer sites, requiring travel, scheduling and employee resources to mitigate safety risks. Now, using DXC’s mixed reality application for Microsoft HoloLens — custom built for Ixom — employees can participate in the required training and learning assessment at any Ixom office or remote location. The resulting increase in flexibility, autonomy and mobility has reduced Ixom travel costs, minimized employee safety risks and essentially eliminated the potential for exposure to hazardous materials during training at treatment facilities.

DXC is named a Leader in Advanced Digital Workplace Services Overall in the NelsonHall Evaluation & Assessment Tool (NEAT) Report 2019. DXC is also an official partner in the Microsoft HoloLens Mixed Reality Partner Program, a status that reflects the company’s commitment to designing, developing and deploying solutions that help customers accelerate their digital transformations using mixed reality technologies.

The following DXC offerings enable immersive solutions using AR/VR technologies:

• DXC AR/VR services consist of AR/VR consulting, custom application development and system integration for a range of AR/VR devices including Microsoft HoloLens. DXC is also a Distributor Managed Partner for HoloLens 2 and provides services for MR business applications such as Microsoft Dynamics 365 Guides.
• DXC Remote Expert is an innovative AR solution that enables field workers in various industries (automotive, energy and utilities, manufacturing, travel and transportation, and healthcare) to display work instructions via a hands-free interface on their wearable or mobile devices and connect to experts at other locations when they need guidance.
• DXC Unified Endpoint Management enables enterprises to manage and secure mobile, PC, internet-of-things (IoT) and wearable devices in a single pane of glass. DXC’s collaboration with industry-leading technology partners, combined with DXC transformation, delivery and support services, provides users with secure and seamless access to enterprise applications, data and services independent of operating system, device type or location.
• DXC Workplace IoT enables enterprises to securely deploy and manage smart connected devices by combining IoT solutions, best practices, and market-leading platforms and technology partners to improve production, operational and human outcomes; automate processes with analytics; and gain situational awareness.
• DXC Open Health Connect creates a connected ecosystem that optimizes services for patients, healthcare providers and payers, using AR to provide better patient outcomes.

AR as the next big computing platform

Augmented reality could be the next big computing platform. Ultimately, AR glasses may replace the smartphone as the primary connected device that users carry around with them. Apple, the world’s most profitable smartphone maker, is potentially the most vulnerable in the longer term.

AR cloud

AR cloud refers to a real-time 3D virtual map overlaid onto the real world. It promises to enable persistent content for use by multiple users, either individually or collectively. For example, AR cloud can create an indoor navigation system for a retail outlet, allowing a customer to be guided along a virtual path.

Real-time tagging of virtual content to physical locations will propel AR beyond the boundaries of devices, and make AR experiences more natural and intuitive. Following the release of Android 10 in September 2019, Google introduced an update to ARCore that allows users to generate, share, and save persistent AR content in public places for multi-user experiences.

WebAR

WebAR allows users to experience AR content through web browsers. For example, Sony’s Spider-Verse WebAR Experience lets users interact with Spider-Man and share the experience on social media, while Google’s Scene Viewer allows developers to embed 3D models into websites and search results.

With all major browsers gaining AR capabilities, content developers can see an opportunity to reach millions of devices. 8th Wall has introduced a cloud-based authoring and hosting platform that allows developers to create in-browser AR experiences and get them up and running quickly. Instant visibility, faster targeting of prospective customers, effective tracking of marketing activities, improved online visualisation of physical products, and reduction in volumes of digital storage spaces are some of the benefits of WebAR.

5G

The bandwidth limitations of current telecom networks are a major factor restricting AR’s growth. AR gaming requires latencies of less than 20 milliseconds. Samsung’s Galaxy S10 5G smartphone promises graphic-rich AR with minimal latency issues. Qualcomm collaborated with Acer, LG, and Sprint, to bring phone-powered AR headsets with 5G network capabilities to the market by the end of 2019.

Machine learning

Machine learning is an application of AI that gives computer systems the ability to learn and improve from data without being explicitly programmed. Apple’s CoreML 3 enables developers to run ML models on iOS devices, improving object recognition in photos and gesture recognition. Like Apple, Google too offers ML tools to help create AR content. As mobile AR develops there will be greater demand for ML systems to be smaller, faster and more accurate.

Conversational platforms

Smartphones today typically come with virtual assistants integrated into the operating system. AR headsets and smart glasses are beginning to incorporate similar capabilities. Microsoft’s Cortana in HoloLens 2, Amazon’s Alexa in Focals by North, and Google Assistant in Bose AR smart glasses are just a few of the early iterations of voice capable AR devices. In-game voice control is expected to arrive for many AR apps over the next three years.

Data visualisation

Data visualisation is an emerging enterprise use case for AR. IBM introduced Immersive Data for iOS, an AR visualisation tool that allows scientists and executives to visualise data in interactive 3D formats. Virtualitics is working on 3D multi-user visualisation, where users can see, interact, compare, and manipulate data collectively.

Custom silicon

The smartphone ecosystem has played a critical role in the evolution of AR. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon XR1 chip is the industry’s first AR-specific processor. Google’s adoption of the XR1 for the Google Glass Enterprise Edition 2 was driven by the power of the chipset, which incorporated computer vision and machine learning capabilities. Microsoft, on the other hand, features a custom holographic display unit on its HoloLens 2 headset that processes data from the device’s onboard sensors.

Contact lenses

AR-capable contact lenses are being developed and could turn AR into a more natural, intuitive, and accessible utility. Samsung gained an AR contact lens patent in 2016, with Sony moving into the same in 2017. Microsoft is also reportedly investing $2m in this technology.

A new study suggests that using an augmented reality surgical navigation (ARSN) system in a hybrid operating room (OR) environment can minimize occupational radiation exposure.

The surgical procedures were performed in a hybrid OR using the ceiling-mounted Philips Allura Clarity Flexmove robotic C-arm, with the aid of an integrated ARSN system.

Read details of the study.

AR has proven useful for industrial and professional applications, such as providing interactive guidance in manufacturing, for reference in system repair, as an aide in medical training as well as in the practice of medicine; and in similar situations where a professional can benefit from access to all kinds of reference data. MR and XR, meanwhile, still tend to be invoked only in special cases.

The article discusses the key definitions of and differences between VR AR MR and XR in a table.

The market for VR and AR gear is projected to grow to $18.8 billion by the end of this year, according to Statista. That includes mostly headsets and glasses, but also handhelds, wearables and body cameras.

Research-And-Markets has a more expansive view of AR and VR. It takes into account enabling technologies such as 5G, artificial intelligence, edge computing, and robotics. The firm points out that advances in those areas are going to pave the way for VR and AR being adopted in a number of different areas, including media, gaming, telepresence, retail, medicine, and education.

Microsoft and Intel have been investing heavily in AR and VR and have yet to commercialize their technology.

Intel, for example, has been working on a set of technologies that capture live activity, and then replay it in such a manner that the viewer can review the action from literally any angle. The demonstrations of True View are almost always of sporting events, and after several years they are still astonishing. At CES, company executives said they might have the processing power necessary to cost-effectively commercialize the technology in two or three more microprocessor generations.

The original article has links to other use cases of immersive technology in industry.

According to Deloitte Consulting Managing Director Allan Cook, “Every ten or 15 years, there’s an impactful shift in the way people use and interact with technology and data… Mixed reality is going to be the fourth shift [after the PC, the internet, and mobile], and it will be as big as each one of those earlier shifts.”

On the surface, that statement may seem like a stretch. But the business impact of these technologies, which are well documented across numerous industries and enterprise use cases, support such a bold claim.

For instance, using VR for employee training improves pass rates and significantly reduces training time compared to traditional classroom lecture models. Likewise, when directions and data are provided in AR across field guidance and maintenance scenarios, human error can be eliminated entirely.

These impressive results have led many enterprises to test the waters, yet few have fully taken the plunge. A recent Harvard Business Review Analytic Services study found that 87% of large companies are currently exploring, piloting, or deploying mixed reality, but the vast majority are still in the exploratory or proof-of-concept stages.

Enterprise XR grows up

XR has proven to be a paradigm shift for enterprise in terms of boosting productivity, cost-savings, and learning and development, particularly in relation to highly skilled and specialized areas ranging from surgery to spacecraft engineering. Yet where so far we have seen pioneering companies work largely on an experimental trial-and-error basis, this next decade will see research catching up to meaningfully support this deployment on the ground.

Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, enterprise stakeholders will increasingly have the information and expert guidance at their disposal to tailor and customize solutions optimized for their specific industry, goals, and needs.

As more studies are conducted, and more use cases are shared among enterprise stakeholders across an expanding ecosystem of different industries, we will move on from the heady days of experimental exploration and marveling at the power of immersive technologies towards more targeted, considered, evidence-based and industry-specific approaches.

In other words, enterprise XR is about to enter its grown-up phase.  AREA Members Taqtile, NVIDIA and PTC are mentioned in the report.

“It’s a good time to be a software engineer. And it’s an even better time to be a software engineer who can build virtual or augmented reality.”

In the past few years, major tech companies like Google, Facebook, and Apple have been investing in virtual reality (VR) and its sibling technology, augmented reality (AR). Google just released a new “Live View” option in its popular Maps app that uses AR tech to superimpose information onto your field of vision as seen through a smartphone camera. We’ve seen similar examples of simple AR use cases, like the Ikea Place app, which works with your smartphone camera so you can see what certain pieces of furniture might look like in your house. Google is also continuing to improve its ARCore platform so that almost any phone can do things like measure depth.

Better hardware will undoubtedly unlock a lot of transformative potential for virtual reality — but even more so with augmented reality. Rumors suggest that Apple will release its first AR headset in 2023. Facebook, which sells its own line of Oculus virtual reality headset products, is also betting on augmented reality. Mark Zuckerberg has said he thinks there will be an AR “breakthrough” in the next decade on the technology, and Facebook is investing heavily in the field to be the company to do that. And Microsoft’s new HoloLens 2 is being used for industrial applications like training Airbus cabin crews in virtual airplanes as well as, more controversially, military applications, including helping US soldiers prepare for combat.

The rise of AR

When it comes to the potential of virtual reality technology versus augmented reality, it’s increasingly obvious that AR is where there’s broader popular appeal. While the reach of VR is limited to gamers who wear headsets, major tech companies see VR as a gateway to more wide-reaching possibilities of AR technology. The idea is that AR can reach widespread adoption in our everyday lives, as it does with the new Google Maps feature.

As it stands now, popular AR is app-centric — think Pokemon Go or the Ikea app that lets you envision new furniture in your living room. Both are popular apps, but they’re experiences that you must consciously log into and experience through a smartphone screen. A true AR revolution would be one where the technology seamlessly integrates into our lives without any effort. But the hardware isn’t quite there yet. The gadgets that exist now, like Magic Leap or HoloLens, may be getting closer to the dream of effortless AR, but so far they’ve been proven imperfect for the average human.

It should be noted that anticipation for AR’s big breakout moment has been building for the better part of a decade. Google tried to make AR for everyone — or at least those who could afford a $1,000 gadget — nearly six years ago with Glass, a wearable device that put a small display in front of the user’s eye. The product never reached widespread adoption, though the headset has seen some success in enterprise applications.

Many think Google Glass was ahead of its time, although the technology wasn’t advanced enough yet to justify wearing a Matrix-looking set of glasses on your head all day. With its focus on design and usability, Apple could revolutionize the AR headset space if it indeed builds a product. Others like Microsoft and Facebook are racing to do the same.

Facebook currently has more than 3,000 jobs on its career page with the term “AR/VR.” Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, and Google have a total of about 1,000, depending on what variations of AR/VR keywords you use. A Facebook spokesperson said it currently employs “thousands” of people who work on AR/VR and plans to move its AR/VR teams to a new campus that will seat approximately 4,000 employees

“Demand is outstripping supply,” Hired CEO Mehul Patel told Recode.

There’s been a 1,400 percent growth in interview demand for AR/VR engineers in the past year, according to Hired. The company conducted a study that analyzed thousands of listings and companies in its annual state of software engineers report.

The average salaries for these positions in major US tech hubs range from $135,000 to $150,000.

While the growth for AR/VR jobs may seem extreme, Hired said it mirrors the 517 percent annual growth in demand for blockchain engineers in 2018. Last year, however, the demand for blockchain engineers had slowed to 9 percent.

But while the blockchain craze may have slowed down, the number of AR/VR projects is only expected to increase in the years to come. In terms of the promise of big growth, software engineers tend to agree. Some 74 percent of those surveyed in Hired’s report said they think we’ll see the full impact of AR/VR within the next 5 years.

Meanwhile, plenty of other data points show how the technology industry is betting — and spending big — on AR and VR.

In Austria we find a landscape of companies, research institutions and communities that work with these technologies. In order to provide a comprehensive overview of these different organizations, PwC Austria has published the booklet “Austrian XR Landscape”.

In principle, the locations of the XR organizations are spread all over Austria. Geographically, the focus of the XR activities is in Vienna, followed by Upper Austria and Styria. Carinthia, Lower Austria and Salzburg are equally represented. There are no organizations in the booklet that operate in Burgenland, Vorarlberg and Tyrol.

The XRVienna community is located in Vienna, as are two of the four research institutions mentioned in the booklet. The other two research institutions are located in Carinthia and Lower Austria.

The areas of application of immersive technologies are very diverse. Our preliminary flash survey on this topic identified the most relevant areas of application for companies: customer experience, employee training, data analysis and visualization, and sales support. All of these areas can be used in different industries.

In terms of the industry, the focus of nine companies listed in the PwC booklet is on “Development & Consulting”. Six of the companies specialize in real estate applications and four in creative & media.