reality, as well as augmented reality (where virtual elements are overlayed against the real world), have opened up the biggest world of possibilities. The technology and developer talents are now so good that they can safely replicate the hands-on training needed for many high-risk jobs, including operations of heavy machinery, and precision tasks in manufacturing. Having employees train on virtual cranes, for example, is not only safer but also more productive. It means not having to take an actual crane, or any expensive piece of capital equipment, away from its key productive task.
A rare taste
HRM Asia’s advisory committee – made up of senior HR professionals, academics, and advisors from throughout the region – dedicated its most recent quarterly meeting to the topic of virtual and augmented reality. With an exclusive session at Virtual Room Singapore, it was able to experience firsthand the value that these technologies can bring to business in Asia-Pacific. Across multiple sessions and break-outs, it looked at examples of virtual reality as used in team building, training, and sales and marketing activities. 12 members of the committee, along with HRM Asia staff, began the morning event with an immersive teambuilding activity. Unlike many virtual reality gaming applications, Virtual Room offers an experience based around Escape-Roomstyle challenges. The game required teams of three or four to work together to reveal and then solve a series of different problems in different historical eras. Whether it was throwing objects to each other, or even starting a virtual fire from virtual rocks and kindling, the challenge brought out the best communication and cooperation skills in the high-level HR leaders involved. It also gave them a taste of how the technology could be applied in their own organisations and workforces.
High set-up costs, but big returns
The committee was also able to connect with some key corporate-level providers in this fast-growing space. Through concurrent sessions with leaders of Virtual Room (which provides hardware, technology, and space for corporate virtual reality projects) and the Manzalab Group, (which offers the software design and development) participants were able to clarify the key steps, risks, and opportunities on offer. Cost is certainly a significant factor. Virtual Room Asia-Pacific director Rebecca Assice says the technology is still in an early adoption phase of its commercial life –
Members of HRM Asia’s advisory committee got a taste of virtual reality at their latest quarterly meeting
Virtual Room Singapore offers one of the world’s only collaborative or team-based virtual reality experiences and was the first of its kind in Singapore (and Asia) when it opened in 2017. For up to 45 minutes, each of two different adventures can be played by between two and four players, making it ideal for fun with friends and family, as well as corporate and teambuilding events. Each player has their own dedicated room, equipped with the latest virtual reality gear for a seamless experience. They each have the ability to search for items, manipulate objects, and collaborate with their fellow team members. Location: Basement 3, Lucky Chinatown, 211 New Bridge Road Singapore 059432 Contact No.: +65 6966 8060
which makes the hardware and set-up of any virtual reality project an expensive exercise. This may fall over the coming years as more and more businesses adapt the technology to different parts of their activities. But the cost of content, including animation and programming a vast array of different outcomes for every different user movement or action, is likely to stay high. Likewise, development times can be measured in months, if not years, for the more complex worlds to be created. ExP’s island is continually being developed, but took several years from project initiation
FEBRUARY 2019
to the first useable version was available. But the potential returns of successful projects can more than justify these significant costs. For example, Manzlab Group Asia-Pacific CEO Gildas Coldeboeuf says the company works with a number of large, international organisations – including oil and gas companies – to provide virtual reality training for high-risk and hazardous work environments. The savings from travel, instruction, and risk insurance, as well as the substitution costs of equipment, multiply with every year of operation.
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