Qwick Takes: How will virtual reality change the way we shop, travel and communicate?

This week, Talking Biz News Deputy Editor Erica Thompson reached out to Qwoted’s community of experts to inquire about the current trends in virtual reality. How will virtual reality change the way we shop, travel and communicate?

Check out some of the top commentary:

Amir Bozorgzadeh, Co-Founder & CEO at Virtuleap

The pandemic served as a catalyst for both consumer VR, as well as for enterprises across not only the commercial sectors, but also healthcare and education, the two sectors that serve as a sweet spot as arguably the only critical use case for spatial computing. What makes VR so special is that it intersects with other emerging technologies like big data, machine learning, and perhaps most important, biometrics and biosensors. The latest generation of VR headsets are integrated with pupil eye dilation tracking, heart rate variability, face tracking, and even soon skin conductivity.

The AI-learning systems designed by manufacturers like HP and their Omnicept division leverage these physiological sensors in order to calculate your focus levels, your cognitive load, and even your stress levels, so that the immersive content can understand your emotional state and adapt the conditions of the environment, or the messaging, to your maximum user comfort. Ultimately, the applications that stem from this intersection of so many emerging technologies will invariably stand to unlock and unleash a myriad of new use cases, applications, and ways in which interaction with content can be made more meaningful than ever possible before.

Jonathan Ovadia, CEO at AEXLabs

VR makes the impossible possible. Virtual Reality is an incredible medium, where anything is possible and has tremendous potential to change the way we shop, travel, and communicate. With VR, people can fully immerse themselves in digital worlds and experiences with no limits. The coolest part about all of this is that VR gives you the ability to experience connections and feelings, inevitably building trust the same way we do in real life.

You can take an African Safari in New York City, explore the pyramids of Egypt or ski down the Alps in New Zealand. It really blurs the line between reality and technology and allows us to feel like we’re truly there. From shopping to socializing, traveling, and dating, VR will one day be the way we live our lives. In addition, you’ll be able to try on VR clothing in the comfort of your home. This further ties into the blockchain and NFTS, where you’ll wear your digital assets on your VR avatar. Additionally, brands will send you the physical assets to wear in reality- this is how you can express yourself in both the physical and digital worlds! VR opens up a digital realm with no boundaries; it is absolutely limitless.

Kevin Cornish, Founder and CEO at Moth + Flame

Virtual reality is quickly becoming a standard tool for workplace training across a variety of industries. What was once used mostly for entertainment purposes is now being developed as a vital tool. Virtual Reality is changing the way we recruit, train and upskill our workforces. It is incredibly effective for training because it allows learners to practice competency while they are being trained. We know that very-senior leaders in organizations get superstar training through one-on-one role-play scenarios, but that is not scalable to large workforces. Virtual reality is a way to get that superstar on-on-one coaching in a scalable simulated environment.

Because of that scalability, VR is going to change the workplace environment. There are so many effective and helpful use cases for VR beyond “virtual meetings.” From technical applications like pilot training to addressing key societal issues like diversity, equity and inclusion, VR puts people in environments that drive effective learning and retention. At Moth+Flame, we are currently developing a marketplace of virtual reality trainings for corporations from brands they already trust.