Australian Company to Test Samsung Gear VR for Employee Training
Virtual reality technology has come a long way in the tech industry, and now it has got another practical application in terms of a business context. AGL Energy Limited, a publicly-listed Australian energy company, will be rolling out the Samsung Gear VR headset for its latest initiative on employee training. With the Gear VR, AGL will enable its trainees to simulate real work scenarios with the aid of virtual reality. This training initiative is what the company calls “practical existence”.
Sam King, product creation manager at AGL Energy Ltd, told an Australian publication that the company will take advantage of the virtual reality technology for its potential usefulness in the business sector. Further more, the VR technology will have its advantages in several business activities such as business meetings, in-situ (on site) training and development, and essential communication within the company. According to King, the company will be introducing the Gear VR to its training employees on its upcoming AGL Welcome Day. With this, the employees will be able to see the work nature of their assignments, as well as the ambience of life in the company.
Employee training is the initial main focus of the company in bringing VR to its initiatives. By providing a whole new way of support for its employees, AGL is able to push initiation to its new employees by giving them a reduction of the traditional training materials such as video presentations and self-guided courses. King added that his team have created a virtual reality environment of the workplace that was made possible by mounting 12 GoPro Hero cameras to a custom-built 3D printed camera mountain installation.
In the nature of AGL’s business practices, virtual reality becomes a new tool for investment prominence. Thanks to VR, the company will be able to provide virtual tours of its company operations to potential investors. AGL has been working to capture aerial footages of their day-to-day operations, including their hydroelectric plants and wind farms, which are quite difficult to achieve without the help of aerial drones equipped with cameras. These drones capture video that is then processed to be viewed in a virtual reality environment.
The company is also seeking the future of VR in its potential use for virtual meetings. The so-called “practical existence” will be working its magic made possible by VR headsets such as the Gear VR. As of now, AGL is fast-tracking on working for this possibility, as virtual meetings can have a great use for investors who will be able to make their virtual presence in such meetings even if they can’t personally attend on a moment’s notice.
For more information about the Samsung Gear VR and its use in AGL Energy Ltd, please visit the following websites:
http://www.techworld.com.au/article/566044/agl-tests-virtual-reality-employee-training/
http://www.agl.com.au
http://www.businessinsider.com/samsung-gear-vr-2014-9
