eTourism and New Media


Augmented and Virtual Reality in Tourism

Jasmin, Marianne & Sina 

The 16th of October 2017 Dr. Elena Marchiori, professor at the USI (Università della Svizzera italiana) in Lugano was in Chur and held a presentation about the topic of “augmented (AR) and virtual reality (VR) reality in tourism”.
Figure 1: Augmented Reality vs Virtual reality (Kudan, 2017)
Augmented reality and virtual reality will be explained in more detail in the following chapters but in order to have an idea of the two a short description will be given underneath.
Augmented reality: is a computer based technology which is used in combination with an existing reality in order to enhance the user experience and make it possible to interact with it. (Augment.com, 2017) In this situation the user is still in the real world but can experience an augmentation of it.
Virtual reality: is an artificial computer based technology which is able to immerse the user in a simulated a real life environment. In order to be able to experience VR the user has to wear a headset. (Augment.com, 2017)
Augmented and virtual reality, have emerged more and more in the past years and have already become part of our daily life. Mr. Ray Kurzweil’s prediction in 2003 was:
“By the 2030s, virtual reality will be totally realistic and compelling and we will spend most of our time in virtual environments.” It is not yet possible to state if it will be the truth but evidence show that already in 2017 more than 2 out of 5 people are interested in VR headsets and numerous investments has already be done into it. It has been predicted that by 2022 AR, VR and MR (mixed reality, is the combination of real and virtual objects) will be a US$ 150bn market. Since AR and MR are yet easier to install (because of lower investments for user and supplier) and still nearer to our reality they will account for ¾ of the total market but this will change in the future when the VR technology becomes better and when there are no thresholds anymore. (Lynch, 2016).
According to Lynch, AR and VR can reach 250 to 300mn users by the early 2020s and be an integrative part of the following industries: education, entertainment, financial services, gaming, healthcare, leisure, media and retail. Moreover this technology will not only impact the user but also the companies in the form of how they will communicate, do marketing, design, manufacture and sell products in the future. In the study of the Bank of America it is stated that AR has the potential to boost productivity because of a 30% faster assembly, reduce costs since it is possible to save 25-60% on installation and maintenance and to improve output because of the 40-90% higher accuracy.
The early adopters of technology, which bridges physical and digital world will be the Millennials (born 1981-1997) and the Gen Z (born 1998-present), by gaming since it is the most developed industry regarding this topic. 

Augmented reality (AR)

Definition: Augmented reality (AR) integrates digital information into the user’s environment in real time. AR takes not place in a totally artificial environment, but rather it is using the existing environment to overlay new information on top of it. (Rouse, 2016)

AR - Which devices?

In this section an overview of the available devices to use AR is given. There are several possibilities to use AR, the devices can be divided into video see through and optical see through.
  • The video see through
    With a handheld display, such as the smart phone display, the user can see artificial extras, for instance restaurant recommendation or further useful and entertaining information. (Marchiori, 2017)
  • Optical see through
    Eye taps or glasses bring the AR to the user. Until now, the headsets are still not for the everyday use. On one hand the devices are rather expensive and on the other hand, the design of the glasses is very futuristic and not adjusted for the daily life. (Marchiori, 2017)
For AR developers the Microsoft HoloLens is a sophisticated hardware. Multiple sensors, high definition see-through lenses and an advanced optical projection system to generate holographic objects are the features of this device. With costs between EUR 3’300 (developing edition) and EUR 5’500 (commercial suite) it is in the high price range and until now, there are apps required which are developed for AR. (Piltch, 2016)

AR Types

The AR Types can be divided into three main topics. All types need a webcam, whereas the geolocalization also depends on GPS/compass data. Following the AR Types will be explained.
  • Quick Response Code (CR Code)A code which consists black, square dots in a square pattern on a white background. The QR code is simple to generate and costs low money. This matrix barcode has a large storage capacity and is able to encode the information fast. Links, pictures or other data can be put in the code. With a QR Code reader application, the user can open the code and has access to the data behind the code. (Marchiori, 2017) 
  • Marker less tracking (AR tool kit)QR Code and the relative position recognition of a marker are marker less tracking. These applications involve the overlay of virtual imagery on the real world. (Marchiori, 2017)
  • GeolocationA location based service is offered. Virtual geofence is built around a point of interest. Texts, images and videos are geonotes which are placed in a geofence. (Marchiori, 2017)

Facial recognition

Facial recognition means that a computer application can relate a face to a person. This is connected with some risks and threats. The privacy concerns have to be considered. With facial recognition the application provider gains a lot of new data and it is a touchy topic, who will have access to this data. 

Virtual Reality (VR)

Definition: Virtual Reality (VR) is a technology that enables a person to interrelate in a computer-generated environment. The environment is three-dimensional and therefore perceived as a part of the reality, with the possibility to act and interact within this ‘virtual reality’. The aim of virtual reality devices is to stimulate our senses, or at least certain senses, so that the virtual experience resembles our perceived reality as closely as possible. (Virtual Reality Society, 2017)

What is it

A person entering a ‘virtual reality’ is usually aware that she or he is using a device and not experiencing the virtual reality for real. If the stimuli in the virtual reality scenario are especially high and convincing, the person might forget that the experience is not happening in the ‘real’ world. This state is called immersion and represents the state a person is in, when they start thinking that their experience is real. The degree of immersion can reach a state that is called ‘presence’. In this state, the virtual reality user is not aware of the virtual reality existence anymore. (Wikipedia, 2017) To reach a high degree of immersion, the virtual reality experience has to be as close to the reality as possible. For example by including a 360° vision, since a human being can see nearly 360° of his environment by moving his head. Another important sense is the hearing. The sound of the virtual reality experience has to match the seen, since a human being reacts quicker to what it hears than to what it sees, and for it to be a ‘real’ experience the two senses have to be connected and should correlate. (Jackson, 2015)

How it is used

But how is virtual reality actually used? There are multiple options, and multiple devices that enable the use. The devices vary from quality and get optimized by the minute. One of the cheapest options is the Google cardboard, that most people are able to afford. The more pricier models are for example the Oculus Rift or the HTC Vive. While a few years ago, virtual reality was still in the beginning, thanks to developments and products like the Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive virtual reality has now reached the potential to create value for various companies working with the technology.

Sectors that use it

Today, most of the virtual reality usage is in the gaming industry. Many of the options of virtual reality devices that are sold to private individuals are meant to enhance the gaming experience. But slowly the rest of the world is starting to see the advantages of virtual reality. For example, pilots can train their flight experience in virtual reality cockpits instead of costly flight simulators, medicine students can train their operational skills and the military can train their combat tactics with virtual reality. (Jackson, 2015)Virtual reality also opens the possibility for marketers to use the technology to their advantage. If your are interested how, you can get an impression of marketing videos using virtual reality under the following link: https://www.forbes.com/sites/michellegreenwald/2016/06/15/6-of-the-best-marketing-uses-of-virtual-reality/#1f52e55e65cf

Tourism

The technology can also be used in the tourism sector. Since one of the main characteristics of a tourism products is its intangibility, marketers have the task to make their product more tangible by providing information and pictures. What better way than to show the potential customer how the actual product looks and feels like? For example by providing 360° videos of the destination. (Marchiori, 2017)

The effects of AR and VR

Why to measure the effects of AR and VR

As already mentioned before, in a few years AR and VR will become an integral part of our daily life which means that the user will be using the technology and expects the best possible experience in order to be able to enjoy it. Poor performance will affect negatively the user by causing sickness and nausea, which can lead to an innovation failure. (Optofidelity.com, 2017)
As for any other product constant controlling and measurements are needed to:
  • Increase quality and meet the users expectations
  • Facilitate procedures
  • Being able to provide personalized services
  • Achieve customer satisfaction
  • Be innovative
  • Gain competitive advantage
  • To have a good brand image
Only so the suppliers can improve the experience and usability of AR and VR as well as guarantee a future success of this technology. (Marchiori, 2017)
The success factors in order to have satisfied users are to have an “easy navigation, updated information, low error rate, packing advanced technology into a practical and portable wearable device, ensuring that the environment continues to look good as the user moves around an to provide user engagement”. (Marchiori, 2017. P. 36)

How to measure the effects of AR and VR

To measure the effects of AR as well as VR and to understand how users asses the usability the following tools can be used:
  • Questionnaires
  • Interviews
  • Inspection methods
  • User testing
    •
  • OptoFidelity VR Multimeter(Marchiori, 2017 and Optofidelty, 2017)
OptoFidelity VR Multimeter is a humanlike robot, which can be used to analyse VR performance such as motion-to-photon, pixel persistence, refresh rate and audio to video synchronization and the motion-to-audio-latency in order to then maximise VR experience.

Sources

Augment.com, 2017. Virtual Reality vs. Augmented Reality. Visited the 21th October 2017.http://www.augment.com/blog/virtual-reality-vs-augmented-reality/

 Bofaml.com, 2016. Bank of America Merrill Lynch. Future reality: Virtual, Augmented & Mixed Reality (VR, AR & MR) Primer. Visited the 21th October 2017.https://www.bofaml.com/content/dam/boamlimages/documents/articles/ID16_1099/virtual_reality_primer_short.pdf

 Jackson, B. (3. June 2015). What is Virtual Reality? [Definition and Examples]. Visited the 22th October 2017.  https://www.marxentlabs.com/what-is-virtual-reality/

 Marchiori E., 2017. Virtual and Augmented Reality in Tourism. Lecture at HTW of the 16th of October 2017.

 Optofidelity.com, 2017. VR Performance Testing with OptoFidelity™ VR Multimeter. Visited 22th October 2017.https://www.optofidelity.com/test-solutions/rd-testing/virtual-reality-performance-testing/

 Piltch, A., 2016. Microsoft HoloLens: Everything We Know So Far. Visited the 23rd October 2017. https://www.tomsguide.com/us/microsoft-hololens-faq,news-20866.html

 Rouse, M., 2016. augmented reality (AR). Visited the 23rd October 2017. http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/augmented-reality-AR

 Virtual Reality Society. (2017). What is Virtual Reality? Visited the 22th October https://www.vrs.org.uk/virtual-eality/what-is-virtual-reality.html

 Wikipedia. (2017). Immersion (virtuelle Realität). Visited the 22th October https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immersion_(virtuelle_Realit%C3%A4t)

Illustration

Figure 1: Kudan, 2017. Augmented Reality vs Virtual reality. Visited 21th of October 2017.https://www.kudan.eu/wp2015/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/AR-and-VR-which-one-will-prevail.png













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