Virtual Reality You Can Feel (w/ Greg Bilsland, HaptX)
Future Commerce · with Greg Bilsland · December 27, 2017 · 52 min
Summary
This episode explores the transformative potential of haptic VR technology for retail and commerce. By enabling realistic touch in virtual environments, businesses can create immersive shopping and training experiences, reduce physical footprints, and enhance brand engagement. This technology is poised to revolutionize how customers interact with products and how employees receive practical training.
Key takeaways
Haptic VR can significantly reduce the need for large physical retail spaces, allowing businesses like Lowe's or Home Depot to offer comprehensive product experiences in smaller footprints.
Initial consumer interaction with haptic VR will likely occur in experience centers, VR arcades, and branded experiential marketing events, rather than immediate in-home adoption.
Marketers can leverage realistic haptics to create deeper immersion in branded experiences, allowing customers to virtually "try on" products or experience scenarios like ascending Mt. Rainier with gear from REI.
Haptic technology offers significant potential for professional training, especially in fields requiring precise manual dexterity, such as flight simulation or surgical procedures, by providing realistic tactile feedback.
The challenge with AR and haptics lies in achieving the high level of precision needed for realistic tactile feedback, as AR tracking currently presents technical hurdles for perfect alignment of virtual objects with physical sensations.
We're joined for a special interview with Greg Bilsland of HaptX to talk about VR for Commerce and how touch in VR isn't as elusive as you may believe. Impossible technology worth paying attention to now: how realistic haptics will add another dimension to our immersive experiences in retail and training.
What does this episode say about retail & omnichannel?
Haptic VR can significantly reduce the need for large physical retail spaces, allowing businesses like Lowe's or Home Depot to offer comprehensive product experiences in smaller footprints.
What does this episode say about brand & content?
Initial consumer interaction with haptic VR will likely occur in experience centers, VR arcades, and branded experiential marketing events, rather than immediate in-home adoption.
What does this episode say about ai & automation?
Marketers can leverage realistic haptics to create deeper immersion in branded experiences, allowing customers to virtually "try on" products or experience scenarios like ascending Mt. Rainier with gear from REI.
What does this episode say about retail & omnichannel?
Haptic technology offers significant potential for professional training, especially in fields requiring precise manual dexterity, such as flight simulation or surgical procedures, by providing realistic tactile feedback.
What does this episode say about retail & omnichannel?
The challenge with AR and haptics lies in achieving the high level of precision needed for realistic tactile feedback, as AR tracking currently presents technical hurdles for perfect alignment of virtual objects with physical sensations.
