HTC VIVE has this week released a report on the use of extended reality (XR) technology by U.S. manufacturers across 10 different industries titled “The State of Extended Reality in Manufacturing.”
The report was based on a survey carried out by the company among 400 professionals across different industries in the U.S., including automotive, electronics, chemical, and energy. HTC VIVE reported that 75% of those who implemented XR (extended reality) witnessed a tangible benefit on their investment, and 63% described the experience as “smooth” or requiring minimal assistance.
The report also highlighted that XR technology shows particular promise in employee training, with 95% of respondents feeling safer on the job after learning the ropes in an XR-simulated environment.
, the adoption rate of smartphones has been steadily increasing over the past few years. Mordor Intelligence the XR market is poised to grow from USD $105.58 billion in 2023 to USD $472.39 billion by 2028. HTC VIVE noted that XR offers a compelling solution for businesses of all sizes seeking to optimize operational processes, increase efficiency, reduce costs, and mitigate risks.
According to a survey conducted by HTC VIVE, half of the manufacturers surveyed were using XR technology to address various challenges in design, quality control, prototyping, inventory management, assembly processes, and employee training. For the manufacturers who have not yet adopted XR technology, 59% plan to do so within the next five years, and 74% plan to incorporate it within a decade, as per the survey results.
The report also includes other important discoveries.
- Among manufacturers already using XR, 70% have implemented it in training, decreasing the need for costly and potentially dangerous in-person exercises;
- XR’s use cases in manufacturing are still being discovered; 40% of respondents said they see future potential in areas such as inventory management and maintenance and repair;
- Enhanced training serves as a strong incentive for adoption, as does enhanced efficiency. 67% of companies have implemented XR for this purpose.
Daniel O’Brien, GM of Americas at HTC VIVE, stated that there has been strong growth and interest in XR solutions within the manufacturing and industrial sectors. According to their latest report, widespread adoption of XR in this industry is inevitable, rather than uncertain. XR not only enhances training for manufacturing professionals and improves safety measures, but it also leads to considerable savings in time and costs. Therefore, manufacturing firms that embrace XR technology will gain a competitive edge, both presently and in the future.
