What Is VR Conferencing? How to Elevate Business Meetings

Attending conferences as an animated avatar is now possible.

So it’s 6:00 AM. You slept through 3 alarms and finally woke up, startled. You have that extremely important board conference today. And you’re the one presenting to the team!

As you prepare, it strikes you that the meeting is a VR conference. You put your hairbrush away and let out a sigh of relief. It’s not you, but your VR avatar that has to look presentable now.

Virtual reality (VR) has taken the world by storm, successfully carving out another world in the space-time continuum, where digital co-existence persists.

VR conference is a digital spin on traditional video calls that can be brought to life with VR collaboration software.  So the next time you compromise your sleep for a meeting, send in your avatar.

VR conference calls or VR meeting is a 3D representation of a real-life meeting where people come together to discuss a common agenda. The scenes and transitions of a VR environment replicate office premises, where everyone is seated right next to each other and viewing slides on a projector.

In a VR workspace, you can discuss your ideas, brainstorm strategies and be more involved in conversations without letting your shyness or nervousness overpower you.

How does VR conferencing work?

VR conferencing is an outcome of a functional VR hardware and software system. It requires edge services, 3D modeling, and game engine technology to run these systems.

Look at the different types of VR hardware tools you need for flawless digital collaboration.

VR hardware for VR conferencing

VR hardware tools are handheld or head-mounted displays or controllers that users wear to experience hybrid personal interactions. It is worn in bulk by all the employees of an organization to meet and greet in VR.

VR hardware comprises several components listed below:

1. Spatial audio

Spatial audio or 3D audio powers your auditory senses in a virtual environment. You can hear and understand your peers, video, and other audio during meetings. In the case of seminars, all-hands, or group meetings, 3D audio breaks through the noise clutter and helps you pay attention to individual voices. 

2. VR headsets

VR headsets are either wired or standalone head-mounted displays (HMDs) that users put on to view a virtual environment. They track facial expressions, skin temperature, and eye muscles to mimic and display the wearer’s verbal and nonverbal gestures during a virtual meeting. Users can interact with other avatars, clap, hi-five, hug, and walk around in VR. Preferred VR headsets that companies are investing in are Oculus Quest 2, Microsoft Hololens, Samsung Odyssey, and HTC Vive.

3. Keyboard trackers

Keyboard Trackers capture the coordinates of a flat surface and convert it into a makeshift keyboard. Users can enable “digital pass-throughs” through VR collaboration software if they don’t have keyboard tracker functionality. 

Bluetooth-enabled keyboard trackers can follow hand movements and send signals to VR headsets to display information on a virtual screen.

4. VR controllers

VR helps you navigate around in your virtual space. It gives directions to your avatar to reach a particular location. By operating VR controllers, you can walk, jump, shake hands, and perform other functions via your digital avatar. It also controls your mobility and initiates human-like actions in a workroom.  With VR controllers, you can lift your hands to design project briefs and prototypes, attach Post-it quotes, or hold a paintbrush to sketch out doodles and graphics.

5. Treadmill floors

Treadmill floors  are omnidirectional platforms that act as virtual flooring. Users can move or act inside a fixed area’s floor. It enables left, right, side-to-side, and up-and-down movements.

VR hardware is a gateway for employees to connect to their cohorts in the immersive space. These interactions are also fueled by VR software, cloud computing, and edge services within a particular IT infrastructure. 

How to build a VR conferencing app

VR software, specifically VR collaboration software, is used to design, code, and test immersive environments. If you want to experiment with whether virtual reality meetings work for your company, use software vendors that offer VR services. If you want to personalize the experience according to your organizational settings, building a VR app is the correct decision.

The entire software development life cycle of VR goes through the following stages:

• Ideation of the project: Deciding and setting your IT budget aside for VR investment is the first step in building a VR application. Assign a project lead, developers, and software engineers to build the project framework from documentation to completion.
• Coding: Begin the coding process for your app. Set a framework, allot characters, and build a design module. Across different platforms, you can use different SaaS platforms to encode your application. For web VR or desktop VR apps, use the platform as a service (PaaS) as a low code development platform for basic app interface. To create a mobile app, you can use a mBaaS platform, which creates device-independent apps. 
• App design and user experience: Once you nail your coding requirements, figure out how your design and user experience stand out from other VR apps. Run a trial or alpha test of your app and look for flaws and inconsistencies in the existing interface. Check whether it offers a seamless conference room experience or not.
  
• VR software development kits: VR SDKs build a solid foundation for foolproof VR experiences. They can design, build, and test VR scenes and 3D simulation graphics. Integrating VR SDKs with your existing hardware or software prototype can create customized VR experiences and strengthen your employee network and productivity quotient.
• Database services: Database services tailor a VR platform according to company data. Adding your company database gives easy access to data and visualizes several details in a hybrid environment. By uploading your project details, documents, and reports, you can generate work-worthy agendas, view team progress and efficiency, and adjust work assignments according to task queues.
• Test automation: Apps in this stage are tested against the sole aim of the VR project. If the aim were to create a VR application to support individual or group meetings, the testers would use that goal. The testing has to ensure that input and output parameters are defined, 3D graphics are functional, and users experience a sense of immersion. 
  
• 3D modeling: 3D modeling integration develops a game environment in your VR application. You can use it to create avatars, turn flat content into 3D, and upload different scene transitions and themes to your conferences. 3D modeling engines can also help create different avatars, set themes and background illumination, and mobilize the avatars.
  

Creating a VR app may temporarily take a lot out of you, but in the long run, not only will it increase the knowledge retention of your employees, but it will encourage them to outperform their tasks. It can also reduce implicit expenses like travel, accommodation, or other rental and tax charges.

Features of VR conferencing 

VR is a surreal experience for employees as they look up to something different every day. It reduces boredom and charges their mental strength. The constant flow of interactive media,  gamified elements, and sleek graphics hooks employees and increases retention.

Let’s look at a few features of VR conferencing software:

• Pre-recording: Instead of watching a meeting clip on a desktop, replay the pre-recorded virtual meeting and experience it all over again. You can revisit the meeting room, rewind the session, and stay updated with company news.
• Flat content: Access content from a much more familiar device, like a browser or mobile. Many VR apps also have launched a desktop version, so you don't have to fiddle between a VR headset and a browser. Uploading browser-based content or 2D designs within a virtual conference puts the complete picture in front of everyone.
• Digital avatars: Design a full-body digital avatar of your real self through a VR application. As you launch the app, it prompts you to set your digital avatar by uploading a photo. The app uses machine learning as a service to create a lifelike 3D representation of a human. Your avatar attends meetings and socializes with others in your place.
• Themes and locations: Set different locations for your teams to connect in. A rooftop patio, a breakout sitting, or at the top of the Burj Khalifa! With 3D modeling integration, different themes and transitions can be added to a routine board conference. 
• 360° videos: Users can view 360° videos in a confined virtual space. The videos are shown through large projector screens in the VR conference. The presenter walks the audience through different project locations.
• Scene transitions: With a low latency and high frame rate, transitions between virtual scenes are quick. Users can switch between meetings, roam, have a coffee break, or speak to any other co-employee freely in the virtual location.
• Cloud computing and edge services: VR software utilizes cloud computing and hybrid storage services to manage, store, and upload documents. It hosts a broad
  range of documents, images, and videos ready for upload to your VR app.
  
• Blockchain: This technology acts as a virtual passport, making it possible for you to exchange virtual objects for real-world currency.

Pros and cons of virtual reality conferencing

When we think about working from home, VR conferencing isn’t the first thought that comes to our minds. Even though immersive tech has been commercialized, it’s too soon to predict its success rate for business conferences and meetings. 

Pros of VR conferencing

For companies that have already implemented VR, a few immediate benefits were evident.

• Setting up a virtual reality system was far simpler and more cost-effective than in-person gatherings as there were no costs like transportation, office lease, or venue rental.
• It eliminated the sedentary meeting approach by pulling team members into an interactive 3D world.
• The tasks were completed before the set timelines as VR powers an “all-time productive” environment, letting teams work at the best times for them.
• Employees look forward to taking up more responsibilities and owning more projects in VR than in real life.
• Attendees can join or leave a VR space whenever they want, starting from where they last left. This provides the ultimate ease of multitasking to employees with large work queues.
• VR meetings don’t consume external wiring or power, so they’re regarded as “green” video calls. Using VR instead of offline setups reduces carbon emissions and promotes a greener environment.
• Enhance team collaboration with lesser iterations between project turnarounds and quarterly goals. 

Cons of VR conferencing

With every new tech breakthrough come possible limitations. In the case of VR, a huge chunk of business capital is spent on buying VR hardware and storing it. Other common challenges that early adopters have discussed include the following.

• Putting on a VR headset for hours can lead to immense digital fatigue, brain drain, and lightheadedness, after which you might not want to take up any more work.
• VR systems aren’t foolproof, so you might experience lag between virtual scenes and graphics pixelation in the metaverse. The interruptions break the flow of concentration.
• VR headsets are costly and bulky. Even with the wireless options, it suspends your head and eyes in a restricted way, leaving you open to muscle pain.
• Most VR headsets run for 120 minutes, which is insufficient to maintain an immersive user experience. The battery backup is limited, which encourages more downtime.

Examples of VR conferencing platforms

VR collaboration tools bring users in remote locations together to create. It offers a common social platform where you and your teams conduct meetings, workshops, and seminars in virtual reality. It renders high-resolution 360-degree videos and photorealistic visuals in a virtual space.

Not every VR collaboration app can recreate meeting scenarios. A few offer gaming experiences, while others are more like social media. To understand which apps would be the best for your business, look at the following solutions.

1. Facebook Horizon Workrooms

Facebook Horizon Workrooms is a virtual co-working space created by Meta. It offers mixed reality experiences by grouping physical and digital worlds into one environment. It brings you and your teams together virtually on the same physical roundtable with high-motion 3D graphics.

With tactile technology, you can move and arrange documents, images, or videos on a plane or a flat surface.

2. Spatial

Spatial creates photorealistic visuals and graphics within a completely virtual environment. The app has intuitive chat rooms, 3D sketching and design support, virtual speech, digital passthrough, screens, reporting dashboards, and project timelines. You can saunter through different meeting rooms in the virtual space, change the themes of the meetings, give speeches, or interact with your coworkers.

Spatial’s high-end digital support comes in the form of an easily accessible library of digital content. Users can download a web or desktop version of spatial VR to store and upload content. Whether looking at a construction site video, project brief, or go-to-market launch checklist, everything can be done via intuitive screens in VR.

3. EngageVR

Engage VR  is a business-focused metaverse app used by corporations, educational professionals, and event organizers. It provides AR, VR, and XR meeting experiences.

With Engage VR, you can attend office meetings, 1:1s, or virtual happy hours from your home. It manages documents across content collaboration platforms like Jira, Asana, Confluence, and PDF Viewer. Users can toggle between these platforms and integrate their documents into work agendas with a simple drag-and-drop!

4. hubs

hubs is an online community platform that uses virtual reality to simulate offline events. It recreates concerts, events, off-work gatherings, and seminars. Mozilla hubs is powered with high-resolution displays, spatial audio, and location preferences.

hubs is a VR meet platform launched by Mozilla. Users can access web versions or desktop applications of hubs to store, upload and retrieve VR content and documents. However, a synchronization of wired system and headset is imperative for the app to load.

5. FrameVR

FrameVR is an online community platform that takes your old conference calls to a new level. You can host up to 30 team members in one setting, initiate video and audio calls, send in-meeting text, and raise hands. FrameVR is also a VR  tool for staff training and product walkthroughs.

FrameVR gives you access to chat rooms, live videos and 360° images, and a myriad of other multimedia features. It elevates your social interactions and maximizes your productivity. It’s compatible with web browsers, smartphones, and VR headsets.

6. MeetinVR

MeetinVR is a virtual reality platform with isolated voice zones and different remote location themes to give personal space to employees.. MeetinVR offers a range of room templates to choose from based on the nature of your meeting. 

It has voice zones, whiteboards, and session recording. If you must leave a session immediately, you can jump back in and start from wherever you left. You can draw and paint in 3D, dictate commands, and build 3D prototypes or draw in 3D. It even has self-work zones where you can work without external distractions.

Share a falafel with your teammates in VR

VR technology is a less stressful way to schedule and run meetings and bring your team closer, no matter how far from the office everybody is. In the future, VR will completely replace video conferencing and become the biggest video revenue market. But more than that, making work friends and building professional relationships in VR is easier than ever!

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