Virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality (MR) are rapidly growing in popularity. It’s easy to see why: they’re proven to enhance team collaboration, design capabilities and training reach across various industries.
In a CCS Insight survey commissioned by Meta, titled “Survey: VR at Work, 2023”, 500 employees – 300 from the US, 200 from the UK – were asked about their use of headsets at work. Here, we run through the key findings and take a closer look at the different sectors making use of VR and MR.
Employees in the aerospace and defense sector are the most experienced users of VR and MR—89% of respondents in the industry have used the technology for a year or longer.
On the other hand, those working in construction and manufacturing are the least experienced, at 71%. Despite this, the industry is clearly benefiting from adopting VR and MR headsets. Organizations like Mortenson saved tens of thousands of dollars using Meta Quest to build immersive walkthroughs of construction sites.
The survey also reveals that employees in the US have more experience than their UK-based counterparts., In the US, just under a third (32%) have been using VR and/or MR for 18 months or longer, compared with just 19% in the UK.
The US is home to many technology companies and innovation centers, which have helped to create a tech-savvy culture, encouraging early adoption. But the disparity could also reflect the higher proportion of aerospace and defense respondents in the US.
The construction and manufacturing sector mostly uses VR for learning. A third (33%) of respondents gave training and education as a main use for VR and MR at work.
One possible reason for this is that VR and MR provides a safe, realistic and cost-effective way to train workers, removing the need for visits to hazardous or difficult to access environments. For example, Pfizer was able to manufacture their COVID-19 vaccine with the help of VR training modules, which resulted in 40% faster learning.
Those working in aerospace and defense, however, mainly use VR and MR for design and creation (41%). The extra dimension presented in VR and MR headsets allows professionals in the sector to innovate complex equipment more intuitively. Meanwhile, the hospitality and recreation industry uses VR and MR for onboarding and skills training – 31% reported this as the main use of the technology.
VR and MR headsets enable employees in each of these industries to practise and refine their skills in a controlled environment without the risk of real-world consequences.
For hard skills training, the technology sector uses VR and MR the most out of any industry – 68% of respondents use headsets for technical training. Aerospace and defense professionals come a close second, at 63%.
This shows that VR and MR works very well when simulating technical scenarios and using complex machinery. For example, Vehicle for Change have shown the positive effects of this innovation in action— training formerly incarcerated to become auto-mechanics.
Predictably, those working in education rank ‘education’ as the most popular use of VR and MR (67%). But intriguingly, so did employees in aerospace and defense (44%) and transportation (45%). Education is vital to each of these industries, as employees require very high levels of technical expertise and skill.
The future looks bright for VR and MR in the workplace. The CCS Insights survey finds that 89% of all respondents expect the technology to be used more in the future. Most significantly, 100% of employees in the communications and hospitality sectors expect to use MR in their roles going forward.
As for the future of MR and VR at work , a range of possibilities could help shape its reception and further implementation in businesses. The ongoing development of industry-specific applications will help to increase awareness and understanding of VR and MR's potential in the workplace.
Educating organizations about the practical applications of VR and MR, and dispelling any misconceptions, will also help to foster a positive attitude toward its integration.
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“Survey: VR at Work, 2023” by CCS Insight (Meta-commissioned study of 500 UK and US respondents using VR at work), Feb 2024.
