Prepare your company for the metaverse

Virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), metaverse: these technologies will revolutionise not only our social relations but also our economy and professional practices. How can businesses prepare for this revolution? That’s the topic we discussed recently with Matthieu Bracchetti, CEO of Virtual Rangers. Our exchange took place via videoconference – but are we destined to meet up in the metaverse?

Meetings at the virtual worksite

Matthieu Bracchetti founded Virtual Rangers in 2017, focusing its activity exclusively on AR and VR technologies. That was a pretty big gamble. “At the time, this was a nascent market,” he says. “It was still difficult to compellingly present the concept to our customers.” Since then, things have changed significantly. With its 50 clients and 114 developed projects, the company is now exporting beyond our borders. Although immersive technologies can be used in all sectors, so far they have developed primarily in fields such as professional training. “Thanks to virtual scenarios, it is possible to practise delicate manoeuvres in a context that simulates reality.” That’s a crucial advantage for managing risk. “Virtual reality makes it possible to train for critical situations and acquire the proper reflexes.”

Another sector undergoing total transformation is the construction industry. “Meetings are now held at the worksite at different stages in the building process long before the actual works have even started. And by creating a digital twin of the project, we can simulate the building process to anticipate potential organisational problems.”

The “motion sickness” trap

AR/VR technologies are increasingly accessible. They are now found in real estate, for example, where virtual visits have become commonplace. “Here, the intervention of a specialist is no longer necessary: a 360° camera, a few on-site captures and that´s it.” However, certain obstacles do justify calling on a specialist. For Bracchetti, mastering the user experience is a major issue. He mentions motion sickness, that unpleasant combination of headache and nausea: “This is the number one enemy of immersive technologies, because it can ruin all our efforts,” he says. To overcome this, there’s nothing better than experience acquired through practice. “Over time, we have developed processes and methodologies to avoid this problem.”

Two pieces of advice for the price of one

”We started out in a field full of geeks and with few professional applications. But in just three years, everything has changed. With his ‘metaverse’ project, Mark Zuckerberg has triggered a revolution whose effects are already visible. There are huge expectations in the business world. You can sense that something important is going on and that we have to be ready.” We asked Matthieu Bracchetti what he would say to entrepreneurs who are ready to take the plunge. “My first piece of advice is … ask for advice. There’s no point in imagining an application without talking about it with a specialist. They will help you identify the possibilities and give your project the proper framework.” His second piece of advice: “Buy a headset today. This will immediately make things more concrete. It was when I first put on a VR headset that I knew I would create my own company one day.”