Beyond the Blueprint: How VR is the Future of Trades 

You’ve seen the commercials. Meta and Oculus have taken the world by storm as some of the most popular VR sets in the tech industry, and we’ve recently seen an influx of its use in manufacturing. But what is VR, and what can it do to make workers’ lives easier? 

Virtual Reality is a headset that covers the eyes to immerse someone in… well, you’ve guessed it, a virtual world! What started as a vision to create a new way of gaming became a tool for all sorts of industries, including real estate and the medical world. In manufacturing, it’s a device that can significantly improve safety, allowing technicians to train and learn in a safe and regulated environment. They can handle dangerous or monotonous tasks without the risk of real-life consequences. 

As we’ve previously discussed, the trade industry has seen a significant decline in employees for decades; however, within the past few years, there’s been a boom in the return of trade jobs. VR has made training more efficient: For example, large numbers of trainees can be guided step by step on how to assemble a product or repair a machine without the need for a trainer to be physically present.  A 2020 study by PwC, even showed that VR students learned quicker, were more engrossed in their studies, and felt more prepared to apply their skills in real life, compared to the classroom learners that were in the same course.  

Virtual Reality has also revolutionized factory design. Through digital copies of factories, engineers can test layouts, equipment placement, and even worker movements before building anything. This can help fix and predict problems that might arise because of production, comfort, and safety issues without disrupting real-world operations.  

While VR is a helpful tool, that’s all it really is—a tool. It’s something that can make lives easier, but there is truly nothing like hands on learning in a collaborative environment. There’s no substitute for the expertise of an on-the-job trained technician, so let our experienced team diagnose and resolve your equipment’s problems. Contact us today to schedule a repair!