360-degree videos in industry and business

Conquering the market with moving animations

Until relatively recently, 360-degree videos were primarily popular in the leisure and entertainment sector. Extreme sports enthusiasts and nature filmmakers frequently used them for spectacular videos, and they are also becoming increasingly popular in the gaming scene. However, since 2016 at the latest, this new form of storytelling has also been spreading into industry and business. This is due, on the one hand, to the ever-increasing prevalence of playback devices such as virtual reality headsets (in all price ranges: from Google Cardboard to Oculus Rift or Microsoft's HoloLens), and on the other hand, to the fact that the diverse possibilities of this relatively new technology are slowly being recognized in the professional world as well.

Because the videos offer a full 360-degree view, significantly more information can be conveyed vividly. And unlike traditional videos, the user of 360-degree videos often has complete control over what they see. They alone determine the flow of the animation. This new technology therefore requires 360-degree video producers to adopt entirely new storytelling approaches: It's now less about the WHAT (content) and more about the HOW (experience). For the animation to have the greatest possible impact, the viewer should be immersed as deeply as possible in this new world.

This opens up entirely new possibilities for companies to visualize their content, services, and products. Animations are ideal for interactive tours and walkthroughs of companies, their assembly halls, or laboratories. They can also be used in public institutions such as government offices or hospitals to give users a good preview of their premises. Museums and galleries are another example, as they can provide potential visitors with detailed information about upcoming or current exhibitions and offer a wealth of additional information.

VR apps for integrating 360-degree content

A dedicated app offers companies additional interaction possibilities. Through gestures or head movements, users can independently (e.g., via gaze tracking) access different animation scenarios or additional information about the simulated content. The advantage of this function: By controlling the sequence, users experience the content much more intensely than with passive viewing, thus engaging more deeply with the depicted product or process (immersive reality).An app also has the advantage of granting interested parties access to the animated content regardless of location or occasion. For example, a manufacturer's app, designed for a trade fair appearance, can be made available to a broad user base by uploading it to the Android or iOS app store. With the growing interest of businesses in these applications, the number of developers and providers of corresponding VR solutions, leading to a steadily growing variety of apps.

360-degree animations as a presentation and planning tool for plants and objects

Among the first industries to recognize the potential applications of this technology were real estate and project developers. Whether it's the construction of a complex new manufacturing plant, the building of a new house, or the presentation of an apartment: all these projects can be presented so realistically with 360-degree videos that viewers can make informed decisions.

The advantages of using 360-degree technology in the planning and construction of industrial plants are obvious: Developers can present a project extremely clearly in a virtual 360-degree space and easily incorporate customer change requests into the animation as needed. Coordination is faster and more efficient. During construction, clients can see the progress of the work live, without having to be on-site. This is particularly advantageous for international projects, as monitoring can literally take place at the desk.

Personnel planning and press conferences with 360-degree videos

Another area of ​​application for 360-degree videos is personnel recruitment, where applicants can be given a first impression of their future job with a potential employer through a virtual tour. Liebherr, a renowned manufacturer of refrigerators and freezers, is already using 360-degree videos as an innovative tool for attracting new employees. This gives interested parties the opportunity to take a closer look at the company and learn about the career opportunities within the group. The target audience for the presentation is students interested in an apprenticeship at Liebherr. During a virtual tour, they can observe apprentices from various departments and thus gain a better understanding of the company's working environment.

360-degree videos are also well-suited for use at press conferences. For example, chip manufacturer Intel a event for 250 journalists at CES 2017. As a precaution—only partly meant ironically—sick bags were distributed beforehand (which fortunately weren't needed). The presentation featured action scenes such as a parachute jump over the Nevada desert. From there, the viewer was taken live to an on-site solar power plant. According to Intel, this was the largest industrial 360-degree live inspection using 4K video to date. To immerse 250 people simultaneously in virtual reality, several kilometers of cable had to be laid. The enormous amount of data to be handled also presented a challenge. The demo video reportedly required three gigabytes per frame, which, at 60 frames per second, equates to a storage requirement of approximately 180 gigabytes per second. The limiting factor, therefore, is not the ideas or playback devices, but—as is so often the case—the processing capacity for the immense data volumes.

Use of 360-degree films at trade fairs & conferences

Instead of laboriously installing their products at their exhibition stand, exhibitors can use 360-degree videos to present their offerings to visitors in an animated and interactive way . Besides saving space and costs, a key advantage lies in the diverse design options available, allowing for customized content creation. The presentation can be viewed on desktop computers or on mobile devices such as VR headsets, tablets, or visitors' smartphones. It is crucial that on-site technical support ensures the smooth operation of the systems. Nothing is more frustrating and damaging to an exhibitor's image than presentation technology that doesn't function flawlessly.

This opens up many new applications for 360-degree films in the business world, and the potential is far from exhausted. It will be interesting to see what ideas companies and software developers will surprise us with in the future. We'll be watching with interest!