VR is Like Superheroes: “With great Power comes great Responsibility”

by Vito Ferrero, Architect-Designer/vr-immersive.com

For the ones that are superhero fans, virtual reality may be just another superpower. And it is indeed. The ability to immerse others in your self-created world and convince them that things are possible, imaginable and even tangible, has never been greater. VR technology is developing fast enough to make us feel the pressure of a new zeitgeist that apparently moves in two opposite directions. On the surface the need for illusions, to alleviate the pain of absurd life situations, frustrations, the crumbling and shifting sands of worn out social systems that lead us to evasion, drugs and all kinds of meaningless entertainment. But on the other hand, beneath the surface, I sense that a great amount of people is searching new life paths, more personal, more fulfilling and coherent with their abilities and passions. So, as with any other great power, when VR is put into our hands it comes with a tag that says “great responsibility”. It comes with the potential choice of being truly creative, truly innovative and constructive.  As Abraham Maslow would put it, it could be a tool for self-actualization. We often see crap movies with huge budgets making epic FX sequences that last almost all the two hours. But when the movie ends people could say: Did you understand what was going on?  In some cases, senseless characters, devoid of real interest, poor performances and lack of story sentence the movie to failure. So, for design it can be the same, if we do not keep up our conceptual level to the opportunities given. Sometimes we need to turn back to the basics of life, learn to read and write, then create a compelling story and then, only then it will deserve to have some epic sequences hopefully expressed with taste and a sense of balance.

VR can be abused, used for frivolous things, like simply boasting the possession and usage of technology  devoid of meaningful content. Also it can be used to enslave the mind, and to transmit negative content -but hey, sacred is free will, and we must respect it- . Nevertheless VR can also be used for learning, for development, for problem solving, for sharing, communicating, collaborating, and for the healthy enjoyment of life. So… what kind of Superhero would YOU choose to BE given THAT superpower? VF.

About VR-Immersive.com: We are a German-Spanish start-up, which develops virtual reality content and a proprietary platform, operating system and hardware agnostic, applicable in sectors such as real estate, tourism, yachts, design, edutainment, health, etc. This is how we do it - follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube oder Xing.

The Design World Will Gain Spectrum, Connectivity and Maturity with VR Technology

by Vito Ferrero, Architect-Designer/vr-immersive.com

The impression that architecture and design is progressively going into an “effect driven” industry or as a “mediatic art” is to me, not a sign of degradation of the discipline but only a logical and transient stage in the maturity process of a global culture that now has these wonderful new tools to express itself. This proliferation of images, spectacular buildings, vehicles, outrageous forms that amuse the eye is perfectly natural when not long ago we were bound to the limits of 2D representation through ink and paper or to the slow and full of sacrifice world of unassisted craftsmanship. 3D technology including 3D printing and VR technologies, have a liberating effect that also has its growing pains in the competitive mind, but on the other hand, enhances the potential for collaboration and problem solving in graceful ways, like in no other time in history. We are indeed very lucky to be living in a time were such flourishment of opportunity is expanding.

Digital resources as VR can expand our capabilities as designers, to attract and convince clients, to better inform and coordinate with developers and entrepreneurs. Innovation in the application of this technology is on its verge and anyone with enough vision can sense we are on the top of the wave to make bold moves to promote research and development in any possible VR application. 

Back in time, the development of CAD and BIM software expanded the paradigms of design when they came. In parallel, 3D and render apps expanded the paradigm much more. So now we find that 2D plans are not enough to convey the complex ideas of generative architecture, freeform surfaces and other interesting and complex manifestations, relatively new expressions of architectural art nowadays.

But even for the convenience, practicality, speed and ease that VR technology has to communicate design ideas, especially in architecture and industrial design, its  applications take hold on more conventional, not-so-spectacular architecture as well, and can be oriented at the market of real estate and tourism as well passing through interior design and decoration.

The meaning of the word architecture is broadening, to an art-less rigid, more interconnected and interpenetrated with other disciplines, like plastic art, sculpture, product and service development, sustainability, energy, invention, business, or even high-tech engineering. 

Also on a technical level the potential is tremendous. The use of virtual conference rooms, where avatars of distant people can meet over the internet and discuss about modifications of complex 3D models, part assemblies, project management, timing, costs and implications of different options and also communication with clients, potentially gives a flexibility unsurpassed in any other time of history. Also the effectiveness of consultations, coordination, explanation and approval of projects can speed up the curve of completion to a great extent.

The cost of these technologies also is going to be progressively affordable, coming in a wide range and variety.

It’s only a matter of time for all the pieces to take place and interlock, realizing all these applications and more. And to foresee, and then learn and implement this opportunities is going to be a key to success in the future of design and industry. VF.  

About VR-Immersive.com: We are a German-Spanish start-up, which develops virtual reality content and a proprietary platform, operating system and hardware agnostic, applicable in sectors such as real estate, tourism, yachts, design, edutainment, health, etc. This is how we do it - follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube oder Xing.

Opportunities of VR

by Vito Ferrero Architect-Designer/vr-immersive.com

Envision yourself in your new office. It has a wonderful view over the financial district and you can see ships in the harbor, some helicopters passing by from time to time…  The traffic far down the 40th floor doesn't bother much. The telephone rings and your secretary reminds you about a meeting  in 15 minutes with the board of directors and some foreign advisors… 

Waiting for that moment you relax and gaze upon the façade of your company’s new building. The green facade and sun seeking solar panels remind you how your building is making you money while you sell energy to the grid. The nature of ambience sound reflects the silence provided by the noble materials that surround you. Yes, sounds great for a CEO but hey… The building is not built yet! You realize it is in plans over your architect’s desk. The site is on works and the previous old buildings are just being demolished. You have just realized you are wearing and Oculus Rift (or HTC Vive, Samsung Gear VR, Google Cardboard), the VR device that lets you tap into these convincing sensations. 

But beyond what can be seen....

Does the building stand for the values of the company?

Does it really convey the image and meaning of the services you provide, in which you believe?

How do you feel sitting there, walking there? 

This is how Virtual Reality can help you stay connected with your future goals and dreams. So with VR the word Vision, is added a new dimension, and a new instrument. Those sensations and emotions you feel while immersed in the close future can be the fuel to keep you navigating on course. Virtual Reality can be an instrument not only to change the color of a wall, but to really feel what is like to live in a favorable future for a moment and send those beneficial signs to the universe. 

Signs of progress, growth and why not…  Pleasure and adventure…   

 VF.  

About VR-Immersive.com: We are a German-Spanish start-up, which develops virtual reality content and a proprietary platform, operating system and hardware agnostic, applicable in sectors such as real estate, tourism, yachts, design, edutainment, health, etc. This is how we do it - follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube oder Xing.

The VR Era is Here

by Vito Ferrero, Architect-Designer/vr-immersive.com

The use of Computer Generated content in every industry  indicates we are in a digital age revolution. We see it in every field and more and more the boundaries between disciplines are dissolving into a single vital organism through the internet. In a sense we already have been working in a virtual reality since computers came to our homes and offices. We tap into virtual objects that appear to be buttons, we see through virtual windows and watch virtual faces telling stories through YouTube.  

 

Could it get more virtual?

The “touch technology” deepens our illusion that those moving and dancing 2D objects are there but people don't usually talk about how virtual it is already. The fact that all abstraction, -including reading an old fashioned book- is virtual reality can be a very philosophical matter. The mere character appearing in screen pixels, is virtual appearance. The letter is not there: It appears to be there. But even when you have ink on paper, the sound represented is not there, it is in your head. So in the screen we got what they call:“Virtual ink” . Nevertheless the advent of bigger and faster hardware lead us to the viability of more immersive and intensive technology. The term “Virtual Reality” which is the immersion through interactive audio and visual technology, is then a consequence. The representation of objects and environments in a way so exact, so vivid, that resembles reality to an extent that almost completely tricks the senses.

In our busy lives, we do not often take the time to deeply think about implications and consequences of technology use. The fact that tech it is progressively easier and easier to use, seamless and accessible -as it should- put us as a global culture in front of ourselves. Our power of representation has increased, so our responsibility and maturity as a species is currently under a naturally accelerated curve of development, beyond this kind of “cultural adolescence”.  

But hey, since Guttemberg, is that so new?

I personally see technology as liberating, fascinating and as a profound game changer. Instead of being fearful that big brother or a dreadful “all seeing eye” will enslave humankind in a dreamlike world, I prefer to envision a world were incredible power is given to us, to free ourselves from meaningless efforts and concentrate on what really matters. Things like beauty, sharing, living fully can be the result of the good use of technology. Making a better world -In the realm of architecture and design as in any other- starts with a plan, and what better than testing the result first in Virtual Reality to see if it works? 

What do YOU think? 

VF.

P.S. If you would like us to post future articles in your blog, just drop us a line.

Spanish business daily "Cinco Días" mentions VR-Immersive.com's real estate & tourism solutions

Spanish business daily "Cinco Días" mentions VR-Immersive.com's real estate & tourism solutions
http://cincodias.com/cincodias/2016/03/17/tecnologia/1458246328_037345.html

Spanish Daily El Mundo writes about VR-Immersive.com

Spanish daily El Mundo writes an article about our start-up, commenting about how we will disrupt the traditional real estate sales process using virtual reality and 3D visualizations. Thanks very much to El Mundo for this article!

Deloitte Spain Interview

Gracias a Deloitte España, Maite Garrido y Carlos Martín por la entrevista sobre mi start-up de realidad virtual. Les conté como fue el inicio de este nuevo desafío profesional, como pensamos revolucionar el sector inmobiliario y los valores de Deloitte que me han acompañado en mis proyectos.

Thanks to Deloitte Spain, Maite Garrido and Carlos Martín for the interview about my virtual reality start-up. I told them about the beginnings of this new professional adventure, how we plan to disrupt the real estate sector and the Deloitte values that have accompanied in my projects.

Danke an Deloitte Spanien, Maite Garrido und Carlos Martín für das Interview über mein neues Virtual Reality Start-up. Sie sprachen mit mir über diese neue berufliche Herausforderung, wie wir die Immobilienbranche revolutionieren und die Deloitte Werte, die mich bei meinen Projekten begleiten.

http://www2.deloitte.com/es/es/footerlinks/Alumni/martin-supancic-revoluciona-el-sector-inmobiliario-con-la-realid.html

Our sixth article: Your Best Property Sale Could Come by VR

Real estate agents are “frequent travellers”, spending a lot of time on the road, visiting objects with clients, getting stuck in traffic (consequently accumulating or having to reschedule meetings), burning fuel (depreciating cars) and devoting a significant amount of their available daily time to tasks that do not necessarily generate value to the customer.  Many times, their services are limited to a geographical area due to costs, i.e. imagine how a Northern European real estate or yachting agent tries selling a property or vessel located in the Iberian peninsula or elsewhere.  In our new Spanish blog post, “Your Best Property Sale Could Come by VR”, we underline the benefits of using VR to generate new business and added-value service. Extrapolate this to the world of the cruise boat-yacht design and shipbuilding industry, architecture, and tourism, and the opportunities are infinite.

Los agentes inmobiliarios (o de bienes raíces, como se denominan en Latinoamérica) son "viajeros frecuentes", que pasan mucho tiempo en la carretera, visitando las propiedades con los clientes, a menudo quedándose atascados en el tráfico (en consecuencia, la acumulación o tener que volver a programar las reuniones), consumiendo combustible (desgaste del vehículo) y dedicando una cantidad significativa de su tiempo diario a disposición a tareas que no generan necesariamente valor al cliente. Muchas veces, sus servicios se limitan a una zona geográfica debido a los costos, es decir, imaginaros cómo un agente del norte de Europa intentaría vender una propiedad o un barco situado en la península ibérica o en otro lugar. En nuestro nuevo artículo de blog, "Su Mejor Venta Inmobiliaria Podría Venir por Realidad Virtual", subrayamos los beneficios del uso de RV (o VR en inglés) para generar nuevos negocios y servicios de valor añadido. Extrapolando esto al mundo del diseño y construcción de cruceros-yates, la arquitectura y el turismo, y las oportunidades son infinitas.

Makler (insbesondere Immobilien) sind "Vielflieger", verbringen viel Zeit auf der Straße, besuchen Immobilien oder Yachten mit Kunden, stecken im Stau (folglich sammeln sich oder müssen Termine verschoben werden), verbrauchen Kraftstoffe (verschleissen Ihre Kfzs) und widmen einen beträchtlichen Teil Ihrer täglichen Zeit in Aufgaben, die nicht unbedingt Wertschöpfung für den Kunden generieren. Oft werden Ihre Dienste, aufgrund der Kosten, auf ein geographisches Gebiet begrenzt. Stellen Sie sich vor, ein nordeuropäischer Makler versucht eine Immobilie oder Schiff auf der iberischen Halbinsel oder anderswo, zu verkaufen. In unserem neuen spanischen Blog-Post, "Ihr bester Immodeal könnte durch VR zustandekommen", unterstreichen wir die Vorteile durch Verwendung von VR, neue Geschäfts- und Mehrwert-Service zu generieren. Extrapolieren Sie dies in die Welt der Kreuzfahrtschiff-Yacht-Design und Schiffsbauindustrie, Architektur und Tourismus, und die Möglichkeiten sind unendlich.

Our second article: Consciousness Propelled by VR?

En el segundo artículo, como parte de nuestra colaboración con el blog COSAS DE ARQUITECTOS, Vito Ferrero, co-fundador de VR-Immersive.com, se pregunta: ¿La Consciencia Propulsada por la Realidad Virtual? “El hecho de que las personas con frecuencia se queden sin palabras tiene que ver con que la experiencia de la inmersión virtual está más allá de las palabras, más allá de la descripción.” Puesto que la experiencia es tan real que es difícil describirla, mejor experimentarla. En la planificación de exposiciones y presentaciones de proyectos, éste medio visual es un “socio” muy potente.

In our second article, as part of our collaboration with the Spanish-language architecture blog COSAS DE ARQUITECTOS, Vito Ferrero, co-founder of VR-Immersive.com asks himself: Conscience Propelled by Virtual Reality? “The fact that people frequently are left speechless has to do with the experience of a virtual immersion beyond words, beyond description.” Given that the experience is so real, it is difficult to describe, so better to experience it directly. In the planning of exhibitions and presentations, this visual medium is indeed the most powerful “partner.”

In unserem zweiten Artikel, als Teil unserer Kooperation mit dem spanischsprechendem Architektur Blog COSAS DE ARQUITECTOS, Vito Ferrero, Mitbegründer von VR-Immersive.com fragt sich: Bewusstsein Projeziert durch Virtuelle Realität? “Die Tatsache, dass Menschen öfters sprachlos bleiben hat mit der virtuellen Immersionserfahrung zu tun, jenseits von Wörtern, jenseits von Beschreibung.” Aufgrund der so “reellen” Erfahrung, ist es schwierig diese zu beschreiben, besser ist es diese zu erleben. In der Planung von Exhibitionen und Präsentationen, ist dieses visuelle Medium ein sehr mächtiger “Partner.”

La Era de la realidad virtual ha llegado

El jueves, 3 de septiembre, 2015, VR-Immersive estrenó una primera colaboración con el blog COSAS DE ARQUITECTOS, publicando el artículo titulado “La Era de la realidad virtual está aquí”. Durante las próximas semanas, nuestro socio y co-fundador, Vito Ferrero y otros miembros del equipo de VR-Immersive, compartirán sus visiones, oportunidades pero también riesgos y preocupaciones alrededor de la realidad virtual y su aplicación en distintos campos, primordialmente en la arquitectura, diseño e inmuebles. Vito repasa en su artículo las distintas fases de la revolución digital hasta llegar a la experiencia más inmersiva. Nos encantaría intercambiar opiniones con nuestros lectores.

Last Thursday, Sept. 3, 2015, VR-Immersive initiated its first social media collaboration with the Spanish-speaking blog “COSAS DE ARQUITECTOS” (literally translated: “Architects´ Things”), publishing the article titled “The Virtual Reality Era is Here.” An English translation is found in our blog. During the coming weeks, our partner and co-founder, Vito Ferrero and other members of the VR-Immersive team, will share their visions, opportunities but also risks and concerns surrounding virtual reality and its application in different fields, particularly architecture, design and real estate. Vito briefly reviews in his article the different phases of the digital revolution until reaching the most immersive experience. We would be delighted to exchange views and comments with our readers.

Letzten Donnerstag, den 3. September, 2015, initiierte VR-Immersive die erste soziale Medien Kooperation mit dem spanischsprachigen Blog “COSAS DE ARQUITECTOS” (wörtlich übersetzt: "Architekten Dinge"), durch Veröffentlichung des Artikels "Die Virtuelle Realität Era ist hier". Eine englische Übersetzung könnt Ihr in unserem Blog lesen (“The VR Era is Here”). In den kommenden Wochen wird unser Partner und Mitgründer, Vito Ferrero und andere Mitglieder des VR-Immersive Teams ihre Visionen, Chancen, aber auch Risiken und Bedenken rund um virtuelle Realität und ihre Anwendung in verschiedenen Bereichen, insbesondere Architektur, Design und Immobilien, teilen. Vito verschafft uns in seinem Artikel einen kurzen Überblick über die verschiedenen Phasen der digitalen Revolution bis zum Erreichen der bisher immersivsten Erfahrung. Wir würden uns freuen, Ansichten und Kommentare mit unseren Lesern auszutauschen.

The VR Era is Here

by Vito Ferrero Architect/vr-immersive.com

re in a digital age revolution. We see it in every field and more and more the boundaries between disciplines are merging into a vital organism through internet. In a sense we already have been working in a virtual reality since computers came to our homes and offices. We tap into virtual objects that appear to be buttons, we see thorugh virtual windows and watch virtual faces telling stories through YouTube.  Could it get more virtual?

The “touch technology” deepens our illusion that those moving and dancing 2D objects are there but people don´t usually talk about how virtual it is already. The fact that all abstraction, -including reading an old fashioned book- is virtual reality can be a very philosophical matter. The mere character appearing in screen pixels, is virtual appearance. The letter is not there: It appears to be there. But even when you have ink on paper, the sound represented is not there, it is in your head. So in the screen we got what they call:“Virtual ink” . Nevertheless the advent of more immersive technology lead us to the term “Virtual Reality” wich is the representation of an object in a way so exact, so vivid, that resembles reality to an extent that almost completely tricks the senses. In our busy lives, we do not often take the time to deeply think about implications and consequences of technology use. The fact that tech it is progressively easier and easier to use, seamless and accesible -as it should- put us as a global culture in front of ourselves. Our power of representation of abstraction has increased so our responsibility and maturity as a species will naturally develop beyond this kind of “cultural adolescence”.  But hey, since Guttemberg, is that so new? I personally see technology as liberating, fascinating and as a profound game changer. Instead of being fearful that big brother or a dreadful “all seeing eye” will ensalve humankind in dreamlike world, I prefer to envision a world were incredible power is given to us to free ourselves from meaningless efforts and

concetrate on what really matters. Things like beauty, sharing, living fully can be theresult of the good usage of technology. Making a better world -In the realm of architecture and design as in any other- starts with a plan, and what better than testing the result first in Virtual Reality to see if it works? What do YOU think?

VF.