For the few in power in the Information Technology industry, augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) have become ubiquitous, increasingly used in everything from entertainment, e-commerce to healthcare. However, many communities are yet to experience the true impact of these transformational technologies because of the slow pace of innovation that has created the digital divide between us, which is far. There are two concrete ways to help bridge the digital divide and digital inclusion in economies: Establishing an enabling environment for digital transformation and fostering digital innovation systems. collaborative digital solutions to “Main Street” problems. This Tech Town article will discuss these issues with you.

AR/VR is mainstream – but only a small part of the digital world

For newbies, virtual and augmented reality can be thought of as a simulated experience in which a scenario is created in a digital environment and the user can interact with the virtual world using computer-based operations.

Young people when asked about AR or VR, they will be very knowledgeable about the latest gaming headsets on the market. Maybe you’ve experienced the technology yourself without really realizing it (virtual clothing shopping, virtual apartment visits, virtual travel, or even high-end industrial solutions like professional flight simulators) … The potential of AR/VR systems is limitless – but for now, their reach and impact is limited by very few communities that can afford it.

According to ITU statistics, an estimated 3.7 billion people are still offline as of 2019. That is the majority of people without internet connection in less developed countries, where on average only 10 people. two people can be online. The United Nations Broadband Commission (UN Broadband Commission) recognizes that more than half of people who are “online” are still not enjoying the full digital experience, due to slow speeds and equipment or bandwidth costs. high. COVID-19 has shown that we need to work harder to change this situation quickly, and this is where embedded technologies like AR/VR can play an important role in delivering value. connection.

An enabling environment to stimulate digital transformation

As with many IT solutions, AR/VR requires a combination of software and hardware along with the support of many other technologies, including 5G for connectivity, video standards for display, artificial intelligence for software algorithms and more. One technology depends on another, creating a layered environment that needs careful management. It is therefore very important to implement and build an enabling environment, to ensure that local reformers can address the right problems in their communities.

While the basic knowledge associated with a technology may be widely accessible, the right strategies, policies, and programs are not necessarily in place. An enabling environment that allows talent to thrive, invests in R&D in technology, rationally accesses the market, and encourages private investment.

Louis Pasteur famously said: “Opportunity is only beneficial to the prepared mind”. So, in order to make AR/VR popular, it is important to establish the right vision, develop the right strategies and policies, thereby enabling different platform technologies to work. dynamics, including 5G. Without these technologies, the conditions necessary for immersive AR/VR experiences will fall behind. New infrastructure also needs to be resilient and digitally secure for the entire target population.

In short, achieving Sustainable Development Goal 9 requires developing the right environment to support digital transformation.

A collaborative system that focuses on “Main Street” issues

Policymakers in every country need to ask: Will local reformers focus on the real problems facing their communities and extend their solutions to efficiency level?

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us that the education industry needs to rely on robust digital frameworks. The digital divide has never been more apparent than when communities struggled to keep children’s education alive with school closures. The lack of digital networks has also caused widespread disruption of public services and shut down entire economic sectors, leaving millions unemployed.

Most schools are completely unprepared for a crisis of this scale and rush to provide a limited educational experience that relies heavily on video conferencing. However, a district that is well prepared using widely available technologies will develop a strategy to incorporate immersive courses into its curriculum, immersive virtual classrooms. also brings more interaction between content, students, teachers, and parents.

The use of AR/VR to enhance education in schools is nothing new, the world already has big players in this field. Currently, however, their solutions are not reaching many of the communities that need them. In our digital systems there is too much distance separating the communities at issue from the resource owners (such as donor or private foundations), the innovator or solution owner.

Going AR/VR mainstream requires new hardware, software, and partnerships. In some communities, solution owners may face serious barriers to developing a prototype – such as lack of prototyping units, lack of educational programs, opportunities, and resources. resources that pioneering innovators could leverage to develop their ideas before moving on to commercialization.

Innovators, resource owners, and problem owners need to access each other’s resources, know-how, and opportunities. Collaboration in fragmented systems can be resolved by stakeholders who share a common idea and agree to a transparent governance model. This is one of the reasons ITU and UNICEF have launched the Giga project to accelerate digital transformation in education, including connecting all schools with relevant content, including AR/ Immersive VR.

Is your business ready to use AR/VR?

Young people in some developed countries may think that VR has become mainstream, but the reality is quite different. AR/VR is a collection of technologies that can act as a powerful aid. However, to realize its transformational potential, it needs solutions to real-life problems, for the greater good of society as a whole.

To bring AR/VR into the mainstream, policymakers, technologists, innovators, small and medium-sized companies, and large organizations must collaborate. Doing so has the potential to be a powerful driver of progress for all 17SDGs and to create inclusive, complete, digital societies that empower all.

Hopefully the information Tech Town brings above will be useful for businesses. If your business is looking for a reputable AR VR application development company, a team of highly qualified engineers with reasonable costs, Tech Town is confident to become the right choice for your business.

Tech Town is a technology company from Vietnam, with representative offices in the United States, Japan, Canada, the Netherlands,… We provide AR & VR application development services for businesses, optimize content delivery with immersive technologies, enhance the performance of decentralized systems, enhance customer experience, and delight next-generation users. In more than 4 years of operation, Tech Town has become a reputable technology partner trusted by startups and enterprises from many countries around the world such as the US, Canada, the Netherlands, Japan, the UK and other countries. other developers.

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