Industrial Revolution 4.0 – VR is changing the rules of the modern business game

• Mechanization, electrification, digitization, and currently the phase of system integration and networking. Modern industry must constantly develop and rely on neoteric technologies, including VR.
• Not only VR goggles! Smart glass is a new tool to support the industry!
• VR training not in just theory. Key skills in the industry can also be transferred through engaging VR technology.

Can VR be of assistance to the modern industry?

Evolve or perish! It’s a pretty brutal but absolutely true slogan for employees and businesses. Changes evoke different emotions. Some see it as an exciting new beginning. Others are horrified at the thought of them. No matter which group you are in, in times when the industry is based on newer and better technologies, changes are inevitable.

In an industry based on the virtual world, VR technology is not only a help for employees but also for all businesses that prefer to evolve rather than perish.

VR is a future solution in Industry 4.0.

It all started with the steam engine. After there was mechanization, then electrification, and later digitization. Now the industry is entering the phase of systems integration and networking.

Modern industry (i.e. the so-called Industry 4.0) introduces changes aimed at shifting the emphasis from classic technology to digital. This aims at a kind of unification of what is real, e.g. production machines, with what exists in the virtual world.

Although for some, especially those who do not like changes, it sounds terrifying, the solutions introduced as part of the concept of Industry 4.0 are not only helpful but also the key to the success of a modern business.

The process based on the connection of the physical and virtual worlds makes it possible to integrate people and digitally controlled machines while using such technologies as e.g. the Internet. This way, employees have access to any information they need, at any time and in any place. But dynamic communication is not everything!

So where and how can VR technology find its place in this industry? In the article on the use of VR technology in veterinary education, we wrote about how VR provides a much-needed bridge between theory and practice. And in an industry that relies on the integration of people and machines, VR is not only a supporter of changes, but also the key to their proper implementation.

VR training is an ideal solution for the industry!

We have written about VR training many times. There are VR courses for those who want to be safe online or educational apps that teach children about ecology and waste segregation. Also in the case of industry, it is very easy to access VR training that teaches the correct behavior without exposing the new employee to danger.

This is exactly what the VR training module on risk evaluation does. Thanks to the use of VR technology, participants can observe both accidents and safety procedures from different perspectives. This allows them to experience the threat firsthand without actually being exposed to it. All accidents take place in the virtual world, and the factors that caused them are analyzed and explained. This way, knowledge about safety in the workplace is not only easily assimilated, but also stays in the participants’ heads for longer than when it comes to standard courses. And they said if you don’t fall you won’t learn…

However, virtual training in the industry is not only about learning how to be careful. VR technology is also an engaging way to acquire the necessary practical skills such as the inspection of a cargo semi-trailer or tanker service. VR training in the industry is a substantively adequate path of use, and their effectiveness is confirmed not only by research but also by the growing interest of global companies.

Smart Glass – a combination of VR and AR with real aspects of the industry

Engaging training is not the only way VR can advance Industry 4.0. There is a lot of talking about VR glasses or goggles. Meanwhile smart glass begins to conquer the modern industry. How is it working? Let’s see an example.

After completing the VR training on the inspection of the cargo semi-trailer, the employee faces real-life practice. Thanks to the engaging training, the knowledge was saved in his head. Is it enough? Yes, but an employee can help himself and his company by wearing a smart glass. In addition to showing the real world, smart glass also shows messages in the form of a checklist. This way, the employee is always sure that he will not forget anything and that the entire procedure will be carried out in the right way.

In addition, smart glass allows you to digitize reports, display both additional and useful comments in this process, and, perhaps above all, freedom of use. A real range of possibilities in today’s industry.