What is virtual reality? Definition, how it works, and industrial uses

Virtual reality places the operator inside a computer-generated three-dimensional environment. A headset covers the field of view, sensors track the movements of the head and hands, and software redraws the scene in real time. The wearer sees, moves, and handles objects that have no physical existence.

Manufacturers use it for one reason. Some situations stay too rare, too dangerous, or too costly for a team to rehearse on site: a critical failure, a line stoppage, a repair on equipment that sits idle. Virtual reality rebuilds these situations on demand, without taking production offline.

How does virtual reality work?

Three mechanisms run in one continuous loop.

1. A 3D environment built by software. A 3D engine generates the scene: geometry, materials, light, and the behaviour of objects. The scene reproduces an existing workshop, or stands in for equipment still at the digital-model stage.
2. Motion tracking. Sensors read the position of the head, the hands, and sometimes the whole body. They pass each movement to the 3D engine.
3. Real-time updating. The engine recomputes image and sound several dozen times a second, then returns them to the headset. Haptic feedback sometimes adds a sense of contact.

The cycle repeats without a break: movement, calculation, display, movement again. At this rate, the operator feels present in the scene rather than seated at a screen.

What a virtual reality setup is made of

A virtual reality setup relies on a few components.

• The headset, or head-mounted display (HMD). One or two screens, depending on the model, with lenses that widen the field of view and create the sense of depth.
• Position sensors. Built into the headset or fixed around the room, they track movement in space.
• Controllers or hand tracking. Hand-held controllers, or cameras that recognise the fingers.
• The computing machine. A PC fitted with a graphics card, or a standalone headset that carries its own processor.
• Spatial audio. The engine places sound within the scene: an alarm set behind the operator reaches them from the rear.
• Haptic feedback. Optional. Controllers, gloves, or vests that vibrate to simulate contact or resistance.

Levels of immersion in virtual reality

The term "virtual reality" covers several degrees of immersion.

• The classic screen. A 3D scene shown on a monitor and steered with a mouse. No headset, so no sense of presence.
• 360° video. Real footage the viewer looks around in any direction, without moving or interacting.
• Virtual reality 3DoF (three degrees of freedom). With a headset, the operator looks around but stays fixed on one spot.
• Virtual reality 6DoF (six degrees of freedom). The operator moves through the scene and handles objects. Industrial training and simulation projects run at this level.

Unlike a virtual tour or a 360° video, virtual reality 6DoF lets the operator move and act on objects. The viewer watches a tour or a 360° video from one fixed point.

When is virtual reality relevant?

Virtual reality is useful when the real situation is hard to stage:

• a full-scale exercise stays too costly or too risky to run;
• a gesture needs many repetitions before an operator masters it;
• several teams need to work on the same 3D scene, sometimes from different sites;
• a design needs sign-off before any physical prototype exists;
• the company wants to measure and record a skill, not only pass it on.

Industrial uses

Beyond industry, virtual reality serves healthcare, architecture, classroom teaching, and culture. This page stays with production uses. Three of them account for most projects: training, maintenance simulation, and design review.

Immersive training for operators

Training an operator on a rare or risky gesture takes a machine out of service and ties up a trainer. It leaves a margin for error on live equipment. The virtual scene reproduces the workstation and its machine. The operator repeats the procedure as often as needed, including fault cases no one would trigger on a running line. The trainer reviews and marks each session. On its training projects, Myxed sees the time to competency fall by around 60%.

Maintenance and repair simulation

A major job on costly equipment often starts on paper, because the machine itself is out of reach. In virtual reality, the technician takes the equipment apart piece by piece, tests the order of operations, and marks the hard-to-reach points before travelling to site. Maintenance is one of the longest-standing uses: back in 2018, a Capgemini study found that 29 to 31% of firms working with augmented or virtual reality applied it to repair and maintenance.

Design review

Checking a product's ergonomics and footprint has meant a physical prototype, built late in the project and expensive to change. Teams study the digital model together, at 1:1 scale, before machining starts. They catch assembly and access faults at an earlier stage. Myxed has run this type of review on a vehicle boot and an aircraft cabin, with no physical prototype in between.

Limits of virtual reality

• Physical sensations remain approximate. A simulated scene reproduces effort, temperature, and vibration only in part.
• The development of the application has a cost. Scenario writing, 3D modelling, and data integration call for a dedicated budget.
• Adoption requires support. Without change management, field teams leave the headsets on the shelf.
• The simulation is validated with the field. Operators pick up the wrong reflexes from a scenario that strays too far from the shop floor.
• Cybersickness affects some users. Users notice it in the first sessions, when movement through the scene is fast.

Virtual reality, augmented reality, mixed reality: what is the difference?

Virtual reality replaces what the operator sees with a simulated scene. Augmented reality adds information to the field of view without hiding the surroundings. Mixed reality anchors virtual objects in real space and lets the operator handle them. The choice follows the job gesture: rehearse offline, guide work on the machine, or overlay a model onto the real world.

To compare these technologies point by point, see virtual reality versus augmented reality and what mixed reality is.

Go further

See the industrial uses of virtual reality for a detailed look at the use cases, the limits, and what adoption takes in the field. To frame a project, Myxed builds custom virtual reality applications for industry.