We have to be careful, here, lest we deter our fine readers away with just two letters: VR. Yes, virtual reality is something many toss in the bucket with the failed 3D TV and other purported technological gimmicks. But its current power shouldn’t be underestimated. Just look to Modus VR design.
They’re a company we just bumped into at CEDIA 2018 – which Ken Brueck, their co-founder, says happened a lot when people saw what they were up to in their booth.
If you were there, you saw integrators with mouths agape, exclaiming in no uncertain terms how cool the technology was. But it’s more than “cool.” It’s pragmatic, and it could make AV sales a lot easier.
“It’s super powerful for the sales person to finally be able to communicate all these years of experience to a client that typically struggles to even interpret a blueprint,” Brueck says.
What Is Modus VR?
VR doesn’t have to be complicated – and in the case of Modus, it’s really quite simple.
Their software allows an integrator or sales rep and a client to both enter a virtual space representing the client’s project and make real-time decisions about the project before construction even begins.
“Saying VR is only a toy is like saying a projector can only be used for watching TV” — Ken Brueck, Modus VR
It allows a sales person to re-size a screen option, or the placement of a projector, piece of furniture, etc., all within the confines of the actual room’s dimensions.
When you have multiple stakeholders contributing to a project, or multiple people peaking at a blueprint, chaos often ensues.
False flags are often tossed towards hypothetical details.
But if everyone is viewing an identical, virtual space in VR, it’s a lot easier to just show all of these clients the critical details as they’ll appear in their space.
VR Design Could Be The Future of AV Sales
This idea sounds great in concept… but VR does have a reputation for making people sick. You wouldn’t want a client upchucking after trying to figure out where to put a display.
But what makes Modus VR design different is the use of high-end hardware and best practices that gives users 100 percent control of their movement, which eliminates the possibility of sickness. [related]
The important thing is to see VR design as a tool — not a toy — for AV sales.
“Saying VR is only a toy is like saying a projector can only be used for watching TV,” Brueck said. “Changing [elements of AV design] after the fact can be pretty painful, so I think the AV space should gobble up everything VR does because it solves so many everyday problems.”
When Modus VR started designing their software a couple of years ago, their focus was originally on residential, home-theater jobs.
But Brueck says the primary focus, while remaining residential for now, is slowly expanding towards spaces such as conference rooms.
Visit their website for more information on VR design.