Virtual reality (VR) is a simulated model of reality where people can interact within 3D environments, feeling as if they are truly inside them. It is used both for entertainment (video games) and for so-called serious games (learning or training games). With the rise of Industry 4.0, it has become a technology of great interest for training, industry, and other sectors.

---

What is Virtual Reality

Virtual reality is a computer-generated environment of scenes and objects that appear real. The user, through VR glasses or a headset and other devices (controllers, gloves, suits, or other tools), experiences a sense of immersion in the environment and can interact with it as if it were real.

---

How Virtual Reality Works

Typically, virtual reality creates immersive environments where the user feels “present” in the space. However, due to lower costs in recent years, non-immersive technologies have been developed that achieve a similar purpose, albeit in a less realistic way for the user (though the visual appearance may still be convincing).

Non-immersive VR is most similar to traditional video games, where reality is displayed on screens and the user interacts mainly through controllers. It is used, for example, to train complex vehicle maneuvers or pilot testing; in both cases, its effectiveness increases when combined with elements that make the experience more realistic, such as airplane cockpit simulations or sound effects.

Immersive VR mainly uses VR glasses (like HoloLens) or headsets, along with other tools that allow the user to move and interact in a 3D environment. The realism and freedom of movement make the user feel truly inside the environment, as if it were a parallel reality.

---

What is Virtual Reality Used For

The ability to transport a user to a fully realistic environment without actually doing so opens up numerous possibilities across different areas. For instance, in education, VR can simulate environments to test physical laws safely or conduct virtual tours of historical events.

These applications can be used across countless sectors, from medicine to entertainment, for testing, training, simulations, inspections, modeling, and more.

In industry, beyond training workers, VR is highly effective for creating models or aesthetic tests without needing to manufacture a physical prototype.

---

Benefits of Virtual Reality

The main benefit is cost savings. For example, in training processes where previously multiple people had to travel to a training location, VR simulators and tools now make travel unnecessary. Cost savings also come from the ability to conduct highly realistic tests before creating prototypes, testing new products, performing performance evaluations, or simulating the appearance of a material.

Another key benefit is increased safety. Conducting fully realistic training without endangering people, materials, or machinery is highly advantageous. Likewise, mistakes during testing are less harmful, both in terms of resources and personnel.

At a corporate level, VR is also useful for adopting gamification as a training strategy and for enhancing teamwork and motivation. Gamification has a strong capacity to improve employee performance and team cohesion.

---

Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, and Mixed Reality

Virtual reality has been developing for several years, but recently it has evolved further. One of its most successful transformations has been in augmented reality (AR).

Augmented reality overlays the real world through a device with additional information. In this way, virtual information complements reality in real time.

Mixed reality (MR) is a hybrid of AR and VR, where virtual information and objects in real environments are interactive, just like in virtual reality.

Virtual, augmented, and mixed reality are now enterprise-ready. Is your company ready to take full advantage of them?