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Top 8 VR & AR Trends for 2022

Augmented and Virtual Reality are starting to take off. Where a few years ago it was still a nice gimmick for companies that were looking for something innovative, today it is a real addition to reality. In this blog we list a number of VR/AR trends that we expect to see again in 2022.

According to research by Statista The global AR and VR market is predicted to grow to 9 billion by 2022. In addition, global AR and VR application sales/downloads are expected to grow to .5 billion.

In recent years, AR and VR applications have been increasingly applied to practical use cases. Think, for example, of virtually walking around a house, or virtually trying on new sunglasses using your phone camera. When more (and especially better) applications are developed, the total AR and VR market will automatically continue to grow.

Here are the Top 8 AR & VR Trends for 2022:

1. VR Workout

In Virtual Reality it is possible to practice realistic scenarios in a safe environment. This saves costs and time. For example, a Virtual Reality training does not depend on a complicated training environment, but you only need Virtual reality glasses and a place to put them on.

A good example of this is the ONERO-X Flashover case. This VR training case includes a built-in Computer with touchscreen and 4 Oculus Quest 2 glasses. Software is installed on the Computer with which firefighters can practice putting out a fire. In addition to the VR equipment, there is also a realistic-feeling fire hose in the case (this takes into account with the weight and dimensions of a real fire hose). For example, the firefighters in Virtual Reality can practice with to put out a fire, without running the risk of a real fire drill themselves.

2. AR Product Previews

Nowadays you see it more and more: you can download an app on your phone and when you look through the camera of your phone, something is projected in the real world. This can be done in a fun way (like a Augmented Reality Christmas surprise) but can also have a very practical application for companies and shops.

For example, home furnishings stores can use this application by, for example, scan the bank in the virtual environment. If you are looking for a new sofa for the living room, you can with place the sofa virtually in your living room using your phone. This way you can immediately see whether the color fits well with the wallpaper, and whether the dimensions fit well in the room.

3. VR Showrooms

A showroom is often a large space where a wide range of the supplier is displayed. Firstly, you need a large space for this, but of course you also need all the equipment to put in the showroom. with Virtual Reality it is possible to make the showroom completely virtual. You are then no longer dependent on the physical space, and you can (virtually) show all the articles that you have in the range.

Car manufacturer KIA is already well on its way with this application. This is how they offer virtual showrooms for their latest car models. Without the new car being physically in space, it is still possible to see the car, view the color, see the interior and walk around the car. And do you like what you see? Then you can of course make an appointment to physically view the car.

4. AR Navigation

with Augmented Reality navigation, something is projected that makes it easier for you as a user to reach a goal. This can be done via the camera of your mobile phone, but can also be done, for example, via a projection on the ground.

Perhaps the best-known example of this is IKEA. Most will recognize it: when you walk through the IKEA you see all kinds of arrows on the floor. These are very simply projected onto the floor via a small projector in the ceiling. This is a very efficient way to ensure that people know exactly which route to take through the store.

At locations you've never been before (for example, a big airport) an AR navigation can also be useful. For example, look through your phone's camera and see on-screen directions - or a route - where you need to walk to get to your destination.

5. AR Try-Ons

More and more shops offer the possibility to try on something online. From t-shirts and trousers, to glasses and watches. The camera of your phone or laptop is often used for this. This makes a scan of the head or body and can then place the product to be fitted on you. This way you can immediately see whether the shape of those sunglasses or the color of the t-shirt suits you.

For example the online eyewear store Charlie Temple uses this principle on their webshop. They don't have a physical store where customers can try on the glasses, so they have to rely on online sales. In order to reduce the number of Returns, it is possible to put on the glasses or sunglasses beforehand (online) to see whether they fit well with the face.

6. VR House Tours

with a Virtual Reality house tour Is it possible to walk around a house using VR glasses? This prevents a lot of travel time by driving up and down to a house. with a realistic scan it is possible to record the house in great detail in the virtual environment.

A Virtual Reality house tour can be made in two ways: a complete Virtual Reality simulation where the user can almost physically move through the room and also touch stuff, or a more static 360 degree photo/video where the user can "teleport" through the room (this way is also used with Google Maps). with the software Matter port it is very easy to with using a 360 degree camera, such as the Insta360 Pro 2, to take a 360 degree photo/video of the room. This 360-degree content can then be played on Virtual Reality glasses, giving you a very realistic representation of the space.

7. AR Filters

Augmented Reality filters are becoming more and more popular. with The Snapchat and Instagram mobile apps in particular use filters in addition to photos and videos. This can be done in a subtle way (e.g. getting rid of wrinkles that make photos look nicer), but it can also be done in the craziest ways. For example, there is a Snapchat filter that shows in an (almost scary) realistic way how you will look later when you are old comes out. These filters have been developed in such a way that they can give a particularly realistic representation based on the physical data of the face (for example, the eyes, cheekbones and shape of the mouth).

Take this a little further and you will soon arrive at deepfakes. This technology uses a smart algorithm that allows a photo or video of a person to take on a life of its own. For example, it is possible with deepfakes to make someone say something he or she has never said before, for example the deepfake speech by Mark Rutte about the climate crisis.

8. In-store VR Experiences

What do you do when you have an exclusive new product and you want as many people as possible to try it out? Then you can also get the product to Virtual Reality. This way, many more people can see, touch and try the product at the same time. And again the following applies: you try it in Virtual Reality and do you like it? Then you can of course also try the product in real life.

An example of this is the new Dyson hair dryer. with with Virtual reality glasses it is possible to try out the latest hair dryer. The application has been developed in such a way that the hair dryer looks realistic and that what you are blow drying moves in a very realistic way.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What are the VR and AR trends of 2022?

    In this blog you can read everything about the expected VR trends of 2022. These are: VR training, AR Product Previews, VR Showrooms, AR Navigation, AR Try-Ons, VR House Tours, AR Filters, In-store VR Experiences.

  • Why are these the VR trends of 2022?

    We see that these trends have arisen in previous years and expect that these trends will develop further in the following years.

  • What is the most popular VR headset?

    At the moment, the most popular VR glasses are: Oculus Quest 2, HP Reverb G2, and HTC VIVE Pro 2.

  • Which Dutch stores use Virtual and Augmented Reality applications?

    There are a lot of stores that already use a Virtual or a Augmented Reality application right now. For example, IKEA, Dyson, Charlie Temple, KIA and many other stores use Virtual Reality to improve their customer experience.

  • What is the total VR market value?

    Research has shown that the total (expected) market value of Virtual and Augmented Reality will grow to $ 20 billion by 2022.

Diederik Hermsen- XR Product Specialist

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