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Open your eyes to VR
» » WHEN SPECIFYING ACCESS
solutions, usability and security should
be carefully considered to ensure that
the right system is installed. Here, Jenna
Higgs, Head of Marketing for the UK
and Ireland at dormakaba, explains the
benefits of using virtual reality during
the specification process and how this
technology is beginning to be used within
the industry.
According to Statista, the augmented
(AR) and virtual reality (VR) market has
grown substantially in recent years, and by
2022, the market size is predicted to reach
$209.2bn USD (£162.05bn). Advancements
in VR have enabled consumers to
experience far more, both in terms of
recreational and professional use.
CURRENT TECHNOLOGICAL
CAPABILITIES
Prior to any building development, it is
vital that the access solution is carefully
considered – this is not only for aesthetic
purposes, but also to ensure suitability
for the project and optimal usability and
safety for those who will ultimately be
using the premises.
Technology such as BIM has proven
incredibly useful when it comes to ensuring
that products are suitable for individual
projects. BIM objects enable the specifiers
to drag and drop chosen products into a
fully digitised plan of a building. This, along
with the detailed product information
available with the object, enables the
structure to be built digitally – with
any issues being identified prior to the
construction phase, and the margins for
error being reduced once on site.
Although a useful (and now widely used)
tool, other modern technologies could
provide greater insight for specifiers. VR,
for example, could enable users to fully
immerse themselves within a computer-
generated world. Although the full
capabilities of VR are still being explored,
the technology is currently being used by
a number of industries to assist with the
likes of HR and training – it is also being
introduced by leading companies within
the construction sector to inform people
about products and enable current and
potential customers to see them in use.
dormakaba, leading manufacturer of
access solutions, has created its own Virtual
Design Centre, which can be accessed using
dormakaba’s 360º City app, and will soon be
updated to include full VR capabilities. The
Virtual Design Centre enables dormakaba
customers and partners to explore a virtual
city, comprised of an airport, industrial
complex and private residences that all
feature the dormakaba products. Currently,
the city can be explored in either 2D or 3D
and using smartphones adapted into VR
headsets, offering a more immersive way of
experiencing dormakaba products.
Those who enter the Virtual Design
Centre can therefore explore dormakaba’s
product range and gain more information
about the products’ inner workings from
short films, images and data sheets.
Having this additional access can ensure
that specifiers make better informed
decisions at the specification stage.
dormakaba is also looking to further its VR
offering, by extending the virtual city to
include hospitals, hotels and universities
and enable greater user freedom within
the virtual reality.
LOCKSMITHJOURNAL.CO.UK | JAN/FEB 2019
LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
Access solutions should be able to
withstand the level of use required
- for example, larger commercial or
office buildings will need to withstand
heavier foot traffic compared to smaller
commercial or residential buildings.
Although technology, such as BIM, is
incredibly useful, newer technologies
can further its application. For example,
combining BIM software with VR could
enable specifiers to walk through their
building, before construction has even
begun. This would give them the opportunity
to better ensure that their designs are not just
aesthetically pleasing but also functional.
This testing process could be taken
further, to ensure that a building is fully
suitable for the desired use. For instance,
virtual models could simulate visitor flow
to test whether the chosen access solution
can withstand the level of predicted use.
This would be particularly beneficial
for commercial or office spaces, which
can receive high quantities of visitors
each day. With VR, almost everything
that happens within a building could be
reflected on screen – a real test of whether
a building will be suitable for its end use.
VR is expected to boom over the coming
years, which is little surprise given the vast
opportunities that it can provide for both
recreational and professional use. Although
still breaking new ground, the opportunities
provided by this technology are almost
endless – it is therefore vital that companies
look to the future and consider how it could
assist them and their offerings.
www.dormakaba.com