Welcome to Expand Reality. We're specialists in extended reality (XR) headsets and glasses, as well as the software you need to make the most of this transformative tech.
Since we've just launched our brand new website, we thought we'd fill you in on who we are, what we do, and how our technologies can supercharge your workflow.
Consider this your "XR 101". If you've got a question about XR, chances are you can find the answer right here.
And if you can't, feel free to get in touch. We're always happy to talk about our products and discuss new ways to put them to work in the field.
Why Expand Reality?
For two reasons.
Firstly, that's exactly what our technologies do. From empowering frontline workers with easy-access, hands-free documentation, to conjuring up lifelike 3D models in real space – our devices expand on reality in all sorts of useful and exciting ways.
Secondly, our mission is to support businesses in communicating, collaborating and solving problems like never before. Nowadays, it's normal for workforces to be spread across different countries – or even continents. Our solutions help you expand your horizons, so everyone – from remote experts to on-site engineers – can work together seamlessly and efficiently.
Ready to discover a new frontier of productivity and cost savings? Explore our full range of XR devices now.
What is XR?
Extended reality, or XR, is an umbrella term for several technologies that alter or enhance our perception of reality. These include assisted reality (aR), augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR).
You can visualise XR as a sliding scale, ranging from least immersive to most immersive.
Virtual reality: total immersion
VR devices sit at the "most immersive" end of the scale. VR headsets like the Oculus Quest and HTC Vive aim to transport users to exciting simulated worlds.
This means users almost totally lose situational awareness. As a wearer moves their head, the headset responds by changing their simulated view to match. As they raise their hand, their virtual hand moves with it. It's very easy to become completely entranced by this simulated reality – and, indeed, that's the very point.
Assisted reality: minimal immersion
At the opposite extreme, you have aR devices from brands like RealWear, Vuzix and Iristick. These function like powerful wearable computers, delivering valuable assistance to frontline staff – hence the name assisted reality. For instance, workers can use these headsets to access expert guidance via video call or bring up important schematics or repair documentation.
Despite looking superficially similar, aR and VR headsets seek to achieve very different things. While VR shoots for total immersion, aR devices actively avoid it.
The idea is that workers access assistance only when they need it. Otherwise, the devices fade into the background, allowing staff to continue their jobs safely and without distraction.
Augmented reality: some level of immersion
AR devices – and their close cousins, mixed reality (MR) devices – sit right in the middle of the scale. As you might imagine, these technologies blend elements of the real and the virtual.
Generally speaking, AR and MR headsets let you maintain total awareness of the world around you but overlay virtual elements on top. For instance, you might see floating schematics that "latch" onto real-world machinery, or a 3D model of a coffee cup on your not-so-virtual desk. A popular example of AR is the smartphone game Pokémon Go, in which players aim to catch virtual monsters that appear to inhabit local parks, streets and the like.
You might be thinking, "what's the difference between AR and MR?". The two technologies are very similar but do have their distinctions. You can think of MR as an extension of AR, where 3D objects don't just seem to exist in our physical reality, but can be "touched" and interacted with.
At Expand Reality, we specialise in assisted, augmented and mixed reality devices. We believe these technologies offer the most practical applications for modern businesses.
Let's explore some of those applications now…
How businesses are using XR today
We can't stress this enough. XR isn't an "emerging technology" or a mere novelty. It's a thriving industry – the global XR market is worth about $31 billion today and is set to grow to nearly $300 billion over the next couple of years.
And businesses are getting on board, fast. Take the manufacturing sector, for instance. Already, nearly a quarter of UK engineering and manufacturing firms are using XR technologies to conquer all sorts of real-world challenges.
What kind of challenges are those? Well, let's look at health and safety, for a start.
Engineering giant Solentanche Bachy used aR devices and our best-in-class video conferencing software to enable remote site inspections during the coronavirus pandemic. This wasn't a simple "quick fix", though – the company is planning to continue using the tech in future, remarking that "managing safety will be easier and better than before".
We also helped Ørsted – the world's most sustainable energy company – rehearse safety drills in real time, even as staff were separated by great geographical distances. And we empowered refurbishment specialist Overbury to conduct remote building tours for clients – a solution that "transformed the way [its] clients perceive [its] service", in the company's own words.
What's more, organisations as diverse as Boeing and Goodyear are using AR headsets to speed up product development and slash production times. Boeing saw manufacturing error rates fall to nearly zero after adopting the tech.
XR doesn't just promise a bright future – it's making a valuable difference, here and now.
SimplyVideo: our XR-ready video conferencing software
We don't just sell hardware here at Expand Reality. We've also developed SimplyVideo: a powerful video conferencing application, built from the ground up for XR devices.
Here's the thing. While our hardware supports a wide range of video apps, most are simply off-the-shelf copies of smartphone or desktop apps. They're simply not optimised for XR.
That's why we created SimplyVideo. Because it's built specifically for XR, businesses can unlock the full power of their devices, right from the get go.
SimplyVideo comes pre-loaded with best-in-class collaboration features, such as voice commands and real-time, in-call annotation. And – crucially – it's built to perform in low-bandwidth locations. In other words, the sorts of places where wearable tech is most needed.
And this is just scratching the surface. Discover SimplyVideo's industry-focused features for yourself.
Thanks for reading. Remember, if you can't find the answer to your question here, just get in touch and one of our XR experts will reply as soon as possible.