VR Applications in AV Design
VisionPoint is always exploring new ways to push the envelope and add more value for our customers. Our latest discovery is applying the use of virtual reality applications to design spaces in real-time. Apart from VR being a neat technology for video games and entertainment, we thought we would consider how it can be applied to our industry.
Why VR?
Unlike most design-build integrators in the marketplace VisionPoint strives for the right-fit solution. By maintaining a product agnostic approach, we can remove bias in design and recommend products that provide the right solution for an organization’s culture, and workflow. Modus VR helps us do exactly that.
Modus VR is an Oculus application built for advanced 3D rendering for AV technology. This application allows us to pull from a large library of manufacturer products, and display them in real-time, or even swap out technology on the fly to compare these products.
These products can be compared by exploring viewing angles of displays, visualizing sound wave dispersion, and even microphone array pick up patterns in a space.
Real-World Applications
Modus has several built-in features that can assist with design. This includes the ability to explore common problems such as acoustics, viewing angles, microphone array coverage, and more.
Using the Reverberation Burst, we can visualize how sound is being dispersed in a room, seeing how soundwaves interact with the environment. This can help us see right off the bat if acoustical treatment may be necessary. We can also show this to our client, and help identify trouble-spots before going onsite and doing a thorough acoustical analysis.
Another notable feature is the ability to visualize Microphone Array coverage in products like a Ceiling Array Microphone, and a Table Microphone. Using this feature, we can set up a conference room with 10 chairs, select a ceiling array, and place the lobes over each chair; showing the client how the ceiling array would provide the right amount of coverage for the space.
Making Smarter Decisions, and Speeding up the Design process
Because spaces are unique in their own way, designs must consider numerous variables, and a delicate balance between price, feature, and placement of these solutions. Sometimes it’s not always easy for us to show a customer why we have selected certain pieces of technology over another. Bridging the gap between a proposed design, the function of technology and how it operates in a space is key to earning trust with our clients; Modus does exactly that.
Instead of spending weeks of back and forth to perfect the design, we can perfect it in minutes.
Less Guesswork
In most situations when we propose a design, we are often faced with changes and modifications to the original designs we propose. Although it’s just a part of the process, sometimes it’s better to work out changes visually with a client to show them why we would recommend one array microphone, or speaker over the other.
One amazing features of Modus is the ability to visualize sound wave dispersion. Because the size of our spaces, the surface materials and furniture all play a key role in the acoustic profile of our rooms, sometimes visualizing reverberation and sound wave dispersion can show us problem areas, and how we can tackle issues with acoustics.
Ability to share spaces with various decision makers.
With Modus VR, instead emailing over a PDF proposal we can now show our clients the proposed design and walk them through it.
Physically putting our client in a certain perspective to show them the viewing angles of trouble spots in a room, like the intelligibility of a 75” display from the farthest spot in the room, or the viewing angle from the closest seat in a boardroom. We may have to illustrate to a client why they would need an 85” display instead of an 80”.
This can be exceptionally powerful when sharing the designs with additional stakeholders such as a board, or end-users. We can record a walkthrough of the design.
Creating unique experiences for our customers before installation
Finally, Modus gives us the opportunity to set ourselves apart from other integrators. Providing greater transparency, and a unique experience for our customers. As an added bonus, our Technology Consultants continue to have more powerful tools at their finger-tips, and this can give our customers greater confidence in choosing VisionPoint as their go-to integrator.
Project in mind? Considering an upgrade at your organization? Want to see Modus in action for your space? Contact VisionPoint at anytime, and we would be happy to answer any questions that you may have. We love to talk AV, and our lines are open.