All around the world, jobs are evolving thanks to technology such as virtual reality
Technology is all around us. So much so that some people are fearing for their jobs. The perception is that their skills will be replaced by robots and they’ll find themselves out of work.
While many jobs are now relics from days-gone-by (think the ice delivery man, the vinyl record manufacturer and the switchboard operator), what technology does do is create opportunities for new jobs. For example, the aforementioned jobs have given way to the refrigerator repair man, the digital sound engineer and the online customer care consultant.
An article recently published by Forbes about whether or not technology will be responsible for economic turmoil caused by job loss concludes that “Technology doesn’t create new jobs for people to do. It frees people to go off and invent new jobs to do, ones which meet some other human desire or want.”
So what kind of jobs will technology allow us to have in the future? These are some professions that will increasingly be in high demand.
Aerial Drone Technician
With the use of drones on the rise, the people who service and operate them will also increase. Drones are useful for a lot more than fancy wedding photography… they are already being used to survey disaster areas, to help with insurance claims and even to transport human organs high above the busy streets of a city.
As the concept of self-flying, passenger carrying dronesinches towards reality (prototypes have already gone on show at tech conferences), a career in drone supply, management or maintenance is well worth considering.
Artificial Intelligence Developer
With the influx of Siri, her pals Alexa and Cortana as well as countless chatbots, artificial intelligence is quickly integrating with our lives. But as smart as these systems appear to be, right now someone does have to be at the wheel.
Artificial Intelligence offers a range of employment opportunities, including software developer, trend researcher, and data analyst. These jobs will be in high demand in the near future until we figure out a way to automate the automation process!
Virtual Reality Designer
While we’re preparing to step into virtual worlds via our fancy Oculus Rift headsets, somebody has to create these worlds for us to step into. These designers don’t just have to understand technology, but also interiors and vast outdoor landscapes. They will have to have a deep knowledge of how humans interact with their environment in order to create believable, compelling virtual worlds that will completely surround us.
Quantum Computing
Quantum computing is being described as the ultimate disrupter. In a nutshell, it creates a complex system that is able to process exponentially more information than the computers we use now. A basic explanation of this technology is that today’s computers have to solve problems in sequence, whereas in the future they will be able to solve countless problems at once. Quantum Computing is fledgling right now, with labs being set up around the world to investigate the possibilities that this new science can contribute. The more minds that are on deck, the faster we will be able to develop and test new drugs, accelerate space exploration and even more accurately forecast the weather.
360 Degree Videographer
Filming in one direction at a time? How turn of the century?
Modern videographers are adding 360degree cameras to their equipment swags, making the most of this latest way of capturing all the action. 360 video can be used for tourism videos, museum and educational tours, shopping experiences and immersive gaming. The best videographers will be experts at capturing everything in intricate detail and in a way that feels as realistic as possible.
This exciting event brings together the IT, telecommunication, electronics and manufacturing industries, while inviting representatives from the health care, entertainment and education sectors. The idea behind Convergence is that technology is blurring the lines between these once very separate businesses, evolving them into one ecosystem. The products and services on display will demonstrate how technology can improve efficiency, reduce costs and boost profits across industries.
At this year’s conference, a diverse group of professionals will come together to hear insights from speakers, technology brands and thought leaders. Topics covered will include exciting new technologies in wearables, robotics and virtual reality.
Delegates will be able to choose from attending presentations by world-class keynote speakers, listening and engaging on interactive panels, joining workshops and learning from ‘expert huddles’ throughout the day. They’ll also have the chance to get up close and personal with new technologies with exhibitor stands.
An array of futuristic providers will be exhibiting their wares at this fascinating event, including software development platforms, robotics suppliers and drone specialists. Some of the leading brands that will be on show at Convergence include:
IBM
Microsoft
Adobe
University of Technology Sydney
And of course, 360dgrees.com will be there! Our stand will demonstrate to visitors that virtual reality has very much arrived. Forward thinking professionals will be able to see just how 360 degree video can revolutionise the way their audience sees and engages with their product or service.
On the day, we’ll be shooting a 360 degree video of the event, which will be uploaded to the Convergence website. This awesome video will have an interactive layer on top that lets users click on different exhibitors to find out more about their product. We’ll also be doing live 360 degree interviews and a live stream of the Immersive Symposium that will show you first hand just what 360 degree video can do.
This exciting event is not to be missed for business development managers, marketers, entrepreneurs, trend forecasters, digital strategists and anyone interested in how technology will change the future of business.
What’s the first idea that comes to your mind when you think about “virtual reality”?
A good 80% of you will tie VR to gaming.
The truth is, as technology progresses, VR is evolving and more applications surface every day.
The list of uses of virtual reality is long and it is becoming longer and longer day by day. I refer to “virtual environments”, new fields where this new technology is proving to be useful in a way which we had never been considered before.
There are a variety of applications for virtual reality that many industries are starting to use for job training, a better customer experience, to optimize time, to save money or to be more competitive.
The benefits provided by virtual reality are endless.
Which industries?
A few examples of the companies that are using virtual reality and how they are incorporating it to bring their business to the forefront.
Health care and surgery
Rehabilitation and treatment of phobias
Space
Museums and Art
Automotive manufacturing
Courtrooms
Shopping
Military
Entertainment
Education (I have already talked about it)
Entertainment
If it is true that gaming is the first connection with VR, it is also true that entertainment and gaming generate jobs for many workers.
When we consider “entertainment”, it also includes theatre and cinema where you can enjoy 3D shows and movies feeling deeply immersed in these experiences. You can transport users to see a Cirque du Soleil performance or watch a movie, creating an illusion of exclusive preview for the viewer.
Same goes for sport and music fans. Virtual Reality give us the chance to watch a concert from the very first line, or next to the singer, or to enjoy a football match with your friends, from the comfort of your couch, experiencing the same thrill of the game as you were seated in the stadium.
Even the tourism industry (read the article link …) has started to use virtual-reality platforms, promising to take people all over the world. For example,you can go with a click to Honolulu in 50 seconds or visit the Giza pyramid from the top.
Remember to not consider all these just from a user’s point of view, but also from the perspective of employees who are choosing to adopt VR to make their business more effective and competitive.
Health care
Health care and surgery are widely adopting virtual reality tech for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation. Thanks to VR simulations, it is possible to build 3D models of a patient’s anatomy and see inside the human body. Moreover, VR serves as an effective and engaging tool for rehabilitation of injury victims that practice virtual exercises and receive real-time feedback, making them more motivated and reactive.
For all these reasons, medicine is one of the biggest beneficiaries of Virtual Reality since the development of surgery simulation and 3D models.
It is also used as a training aid, as a diagnostic tool that provides a more detailed view of the human body compared to X-rays or scans.
Virtual Reality has also an innovative application for psychiatrists and cognitive behavior therapy to treat patients with phobias and social anxieties. The patients are exposed to simulations that give them the chance to cope better with their feelings.
Space
Scientists use cutting-edge technology to control robots and to help astronauts to de-stress. NASA has been using VR for years, especially in training situations.Researchers can simulate a walk on the Moon to prepare astronauts to potential human landing or experience what it is like onboard various spacecraft.
One recent use is connected to the mental health of astronauts on long-term missions: it is called “Virtual Space Station” and consists of a set of interactive behavioral health training and treatment programs with NASA support.
Museums and Art
Another alternative use of Virtual Reality for professional jobs is related to art and culture. Virtual Reality can add a lot of culture in our lives. Students, tourists, and normal people can be transported in few seconds to the MOMA in New York City, to the National Gallery in London or to Placa Major in Madrid.
The great number of museums have tied up with developers to create VR projects and virtual spaces. Through this people get to “experience” the artist’s works in a very different way or can take a tour of the museum with a smartphone and a Cardboard VR headset.
The e-commerce world is growing day by day. Virtual Reality will add more value to online shopping websites and completely change customers’ experience. How? There are apps on the market that provide a virtual tour of the store and the opportunity to try on clothes, shoe and bags and finally, do real-time shopping even with your friends.
The next step will be a partnership between developers and big online retail companies. Buying something there will be as easy as drinking a cup of coffee.
Courtrooms
In a short time, crime scene evaluation will be revolutionized by Virtual reality. Crime scenes will be analysed through 3D tours replacing bi-dimensional photos. This will help jurors to understand the details of the case and to visualize how people and objects were moving in at that point in time and space. They can also track the path of the bullets in the air! The results will be faster and more accurate than using the traditional techniques. It will also allow jurors to make right decisions regarding a suspect’s innocence leaving no room for speculations or errors.
Automotive Industry
For car industries, virtual reality is a consolidated technology they have been using for a while. Ford, for example, has made virtual reality central to its automotive development. You can inspect the prototype of the car inside-out before the car exists for real. This process allow engineers and designers to test their products, inspect different elements, check potential problems and make modifications.
Another benefit would be to make all the product development process faster, without having to wait for the physical prototype of a new model.
Moreover, virtual reality applied in car industries is useful to educate teenagers and parent about distracted driving, thanks to the distracted driving simulator. Such an unforgettable experience!
Military
Military often handles virtual reality to train soldiers before they are deployed, preparing troops for combat. Through VR simulators the team can practice and work together in a very realistic environment with real equipment too. This kind of training is also more effective than the traditional one because what you learn from a “real” experience is easier to remember, training sessions can be repeated as many times as needed. Thereby you know better how to avoid mistakes.
What is the impact of Virtual Reality on business? What will it mean for enterprises?
The Benefits of Virtual Reality at work
Good VR will have a huge impact on business.
Firstly it is a way to differentiate themselves from the competitors and secondly a means of creating connections with customers, making them feel that they are trying out a product, a car, a dress, a smartphone, before they actually purchase it.
Third it is a better way to work with employees that are located remotely.
“Think about employees being able to work from home , at the same time, working from virtual offices, surrounded by their virtual peers,” said Enderle.
“This could make the worker feel more like a part of the meeting or a part of the team,” leading to possible productivity boosts.
“If you are more tightly coupled, it can be instrumental to make your boss more confident that you actually are working and not just goofing off at home,”Enderle said.
What will that mean for all those employees who generally work in their jeans or sweats? Well, if they use an avatar, they won’t need to change their attire at all.
Another advantage of use Virtual Reality at work is connected to business travel. Instead of taking a flight to go to Melbourne for a meeting, business managers and officers can use VR videoconferencing.
That means you can make it seem like a manager is talking face to face to you in the same room, while you are alone in the office. This is an effective method to save time for workers, money for the company that can reduce costs in business travel and pollution as well (less flights). VR helps scientist and health care professionals, like dentists, to do periodic updates for their work and to keep relationships with workers and engineers remotely. As we said before for “Shopping”, Virtual Reality can completely change the customer buying experience.
Thank to this technology, you can compare two different products before buying one, after testing them both. The same advantage can be applied for all the goods like car, mobile phones, dresses, rings, bikes, and houses. With Virtual Reality, the buyer can really experience what they are going to buy and make the best decision without regrets. Virtual Reality is not just in the shops, but in restaurants too. Imagine doing your order not on the phone anymore, but via a 360 video. With this you can see the list, choose your dish and see the food before it arrives on your plate. Probably in few years, we will be also able to smell the food. The key of this example is to give more value to the customer thanks to VR and improve the level of your business through a real investment in technology. The possibilities are endless. How it could change and improve your business will depend on how soon you embrace and adapt it.
Most people think 360 videos and virtual reality are a fad.
It is a trend destined for failure in a couple of years, maybe before.
On the other hand there is an important number of people that consider virtual reality and 360 degrees videos as an innovative and exciting way to play or entertain in an era defined by technology.
We don’t know what it is going to happen in the future, but we can do some predictions about what we think it is going to happen, in a realistic way.
The problem for virtual reality and 360 degrees videos is people’s attitude. They often consider VR primarily for gaming and entertainment, however, there are different aspects that they must take into consideration right now which can completely transform our society, our lifestyle and our education too.
Yes, education.
I am pretty sure you are wondering what is the connection between virtual reality and education. They seem so distant to you, Correct?
You are wrong.
One year ago, Michael Bodekaer Spoke in Ted program about how a virtual laboratory could revolutionize science class.
In his talk, Bodekaer highlighted how important virtual reality would be as a teaching instrument which will be 20 times more effective than traditional methods. Below the introduction of his talk:
Virtual reality is no longer part of some distant future, and it’s not just for gaming and entertainment anymore.
Michael Bodekaer wants to use it to make quality education more accessible. In this refreshing talk, he demos an idea that could revolutionize the way we teach science in schools.
According to Michael Bodekaer, virtual reality can be a new way of innovative teaching.
How?
You can experience working in a laboratory before going in a true lab, or you can do dangerous experiments before doing them for real, you can better understand what the teacher is explaining because you can “see” the lesson with your eyes.
Virtual reality is not just a different way to teach students, it is also more effective than a traditional frontal lesson.
Students are more engaged using virtual reality and they can improve faster with better results.
Google has been working for a long time on virtual reality program, called“Expedition”.
With this video on You Tube it shows us the impact virtual reality will have on education.
“I would like to go to the moon” said one child at the very beginning of the video.
Why not?
There is no place where virtual reality can’t take you.
Seeing the world with your eyes help to better understand what the teacher is talking about during the lesson and when you explore different places you have the chance to learn something new.
On the other hand the teacher has the role to drive this innovation technology in the right way to show the kids that there is something outside of their community they can experience and from which they can learn.
Is it not true that travelling is an amazing source of learning for everyone?
Google plans for virtual reality to be accessible for everyone, that means “not expensive”.
Thanks to google cardboards and smartphones we are able to create a simple and cheap headset suitable to everyone at school.
This sort of devices can actually revolutionize the learning process not just about the amount of information available, but about seeing and doing something, live an experience that the students can remember and assimilate.
With virtual reality students can bring the lesson to themselves in a very different way.
Remember when you were young. You spent a lot of time to prepare a test, and then the day after you completely forgot all what you had studied, sound familiar??
What about a school trip?
Learning is not just about gaining information, it is a matter of experience, about doing something or, at least having the right environment of learning to transform theory into practice.
So, why is VR and education are a really good match?
Because virtual reality is a kind of technology that is easily applicable and allows for the transfer of real knowledge to users, in this case, students.
There are endless applications to use Virtual reality for education: you can go a field trip to Verone in Italy, to see the place where Romeo and Juliet lived, you can experience a trip under water or see the Great Wall of China and understand how long it would take to walk its length.
We know that learning is something more than getting information. Seeing with your eyes something new, experiencing the feeling to do something you have never done in your life before make your level of knowledge more effective and persistent.
I believe this new technology won’t be just a fad.
It is an innovative instrument that can give the world more than just entertainment, it can make the difference between two different concepts of teaching, the traditional one and the futuristic one.
It can change the world, because young generations are the future.
What is the connection between innovation, promotion, and entertainment?
Andrea Guanci, MSC marketing director, announced MSC Cruises has just launched aVR immersive brochure as a new promotion technique and revealed how to boost the company using innovative technology and virtual reality entertainment.
The word “innovation” comes from latin “innovatio” which means to change, renovate, or make something new and improved.
In his article on Linkedin, Andrea Guanci writes how few innovative products are found in the market today. Although new ideas are introduced regularly, they often lack concrete results in reality. It is tough to make an innovative idea stick, but Guanci has an answer: take a project that already exists and mix it in an innovative way, redevelop it into an original idea, and create a new experience.
How can technology affect my life?
Andrea Guanci offers a concrete example of how a huge company like MSC Cruisesuses innovation to change the way it promotes itself and entertains its customers.
The travel industry has completely changed in the last ten years: right now everyone can book a flight from a computer, make a reservation for a hotel, hire a car, and book tickets for their itinerary upon arrival.
The era when customers went into a travel agency and left with a binder full of thick brochures is over.
Today clients want to be entertained and impressed.
They are excited for their holiday, their travel plans, or their honeymoon and they cannot wait to arrive. Shouldn’t planning the trip reflect that excitement? How could MSC build anticipation while making the planning process more enjoyable?
It is not a coincidence that the word “entertainment” was the incipit of a press conference last March in Milan launching the first MSC Cruises virtual brochure in the travel industry. When Leonardo Massa, MSC Cruises’ country manager for Italy, announced this new brochure for 2017-18, he pointed how this is offers a tailor-made approach to understanding the needs of all potential customers.
The key elements of MSC Cruises will be an expanded fleet, new itineraries and, above all, experiences presented in both print and virtual brochures, as he reported.
Thanks to social media
and the official hashtag #MSC360VR on Twitter, this event has become a massive success in a short period of time.
How to change a promotional system and why?
Advertising and branded content already try to make their activities more enjoyable and attractive. Emotional advertising informs the viewers not just about the products, but about the feelings associated with that brand.
Travel agencies need to utilise these emotional techniques. Customers should feel the sensations they seek from travelling through the advertising. Whether they seek relaxation, adventure, or education; the travel agency should strive to capture that feeling of wanderlust in each advertisement.
MSC Cruises offers the perfect example of innovation, promotion and entertainment combining to put their customers in the front row with 360degree videos.
For the first time, viewers can experience a taste of their holiday before they book.
The goal for the enterprise is to double the number of customers
But where the idea of an immersive catalogue start?
In the words of Andrea Guanci: “This is a world premiere in term of promotion and information for clients; we want to launch the new immersive catalogue with this sentence: Entertainment is the new step for promotion”.
MSC has made its catalogue, its primary promotional content, come alive as a true entertainment platform with integrated virtual reality technology.
MSC exports this of technology throughout their travel agencies and in their online catalogues making it something interesting, attractive, and enjoyable.
How can everyone experience virtual reality?
Imagine an MSC catalogue in your hands, shuffling it while seated in your favourite armchair.
Got the image? Hold it in your mind.
Imagine the brochure all around you, brought alive through virtual reality. You hear the Pacific Ocean breeze, see the snowcapped summits in the Alps, all while seated in your favourite armchair. Through the use of a simple cardboard device, anyone with a smartphone can access this virtual world.
Every MSC customer receives a free copy of the MSC immersive catalogue and a cardboard cutout to launch them into their sometimes first virtual reality experience. They then can download the company’s app, MSC 360VR (available on the App Store or Google Play Store), or read the QR code printed on every page and enjoy the experience of walking aboard one of the most beautiful cruise ships they have ever seen before. They look around to see the swimming pools, the spa, the restaurants, the theatres and soak up the indescribable experience of stepping aboard an ocean liner.
Thanks to this “immersive” catalogue, customers will become true participants in MSC Cruises’ virtual world with 360 degrees videos.
Leonardo Massa is firmly convinced the program will revolutionise the travel industry. He said, “The catalogue lets everyone experience the atmosphere and the sights and sounds of the cruise in advance”.
MSC Cruises chose to invest in virtual reality and completely transformed the traditional customer travel planning experience.
Conclusion
The goal for the enterprise is to double the number of customers in eight years to from 1.7 to 3.4 million. It is a zealous goal, but it is based on the previous results MSC has obtained over the course of the last year. With their innovative culture and desire to make the customer experience the best it can be, it will be no surprise when this goal is accomplished.
Communication is one of the reasons why MSC is so competitive and successful. It communicates with a new and amusing approach while using powerfully innovative technology to set themselves apart from the coloured catalogues and glossy brochures of the past and forge a future in virtual reality.
This is just one example of how much virtual reality creates experiences in advance and building anticipation before the real thing.
360dgree.com does more and gives the users the opportunities to interact with a video and participate in a proactive way while watching. Virtual and augmented reality are engaging instruments to place your customers in midst of the action, not behind it.
360dgrees.com is a full service production and development company based in Sydney, Australia. It uses the latest technology to create panoramic video, giving users a front row seat from the comfort of their home.
Like a frameless film, viewers are not in front of a screen, but smack bang inside it. Born as a venture of Lakeba, 360dgrees.comis specialised in 360-degree video production, immersive virtual reality video content, and the development of web and mobile solutions.
What everyone considered as a “futuristic experience”, is now real. 360dgrees.com can be created for events, tours, branded product experiences, and much more.
Put your customers in the action with 360 degrees videos and our team.
How was this company conceived, and when?
This project started one year ago. As Lakeba, we were asked to be an “innovation partner” of Kitkat to develop an innovative virtual marketing campaign.So we created an opportunity for them to download a 360 video app with their mobile phones and view it with cardboard VR goggles, or through a computer.
How exactly does it work?
Imagine you are sitting on a very comfortable swivel chair, and can turn around in all directions, and see every single angle. Nothing is hidden.
Basically, this is what you can watch with a 360-degree video: thanks to six cameras, called GoPro, located on a stable support, it is possible to record every angle of a specific space. The video can be dynamic or static, but they are always 100% original and unique.Then our team is ready to “stitch” each, single video, and make it a new one. A 360-degree video.
Probably the hardest part of this process is just trying to explain in basic terms what you can watch with your eyes and experience with your body, your head, and your heart.
Virtual reality and Augmented reality are more than just videos. We are talking about emotions, we are talking about feelings, we are talking about producing something that is the result of innovation, creativity and technology, of course.
Which people do you think are interested in 360-degree video?
Our potential customers are media agencies, well known brands, small and medium enterprises, government and education organisations.
In general, I can affirm that every business that really wants to improve itself and capture attention among every social media platform could be our customer, or should be, in my opinion.
So what makes 360dgrees.com “special”? What is the difference between this company and all the others’?
Ok, so we are not the only ones (unfortunately), but we have something special, that makes us different from everyone else. We give your customers the chance to interact while they are watching the video, or immediately after it.
So while they are watching a 360-degree video, they can book a table, they can buy tickets for a show or visit a museum, play a game, answer trivia questions and much more. Interaction with connection are the right keywords that make us “different”, because 360dgrees.com really takes care of our customers users, and we desire the best experience for them.
When we say “Put your customers in the action”, we visualise exactly that. You, in the action, surrounded by real animals, real people, real environments, in the real world.
Tell me a real situation in which you recorded a 360-degree video in an original and innovative way?
Just few days ago we recorded a press release with a 360-degree video to promote the partnership between the Cronulla Sharks and Lakeba as their innovation partner.
The New York Times has recently opened an internal division dedicated to 360-degree videos; I believe It is a new way to share information, a way to make the spectator more interested, involved and engaged. That is the concrete proof that 360-degree videos are flexible and open source, reactive to what the users really want and able to immediately change based upon their feedback.
Like every start-up we follow the lean-model; even though we are able to do some forecasting and prepare some reports to improve our work, we are always ready to change following market trends.
I firmly believe technology is an instrument, the answer to a question.
What are your plans for the future? What will be “the next level”? what is challenging for 360dgrees.com?
We are planning to establish a relevant presence among our competitors.
We would like to build new partnerships and promote our vision with more efforts than before. Our short-term goals are to get meaningful results and build a solid identity.
What is the idea of technology for you?
When we think about “technology”, we often visualise mobile phones, computers, robots, 3D printers and other sophisticated technologies, but there is more than that. I firmly believe technology is an instrument, it is a point of view for users, it is an opportunity for people to make life easier. In conclusion, it’s the attempt to fill a void. It is the solution to a problem, the answer to a question.
