Commercial Integrator + Security Sales September 2024 - 16

OP-ED
When AV and XR Fell in Love
You don't need to know everything; you just need to know enough to explain
what you need to the people who do. By Adrian Rashad Driscoll
THE PAST HANDFUL OF YEARS
have given the entertainment industry
a new form, from the world shutting
down due to COVID-19, which promoted
the massive utilization of technologies like
virtual production, to the meteoric rise of
artificial intelligence and how it directly
integrates into production workflows.
Undoubtedly, Hollywood looks very
different these days. Amidst the chaos
of the opportunity for creators and the
ethical concerns surrounding GenAI, it's
easy to get lost in the minutia. This poses
the question, " If everyone is just going to
use AI for everything, how do I stick out? "
Well, the oversimplified answer is: Tell a
better story.
For far too long, AV integrators have
jockeyed for position to get the best tech
in the hands of their deserving clients.
Unfortunately, that isn't always the most
profitable solution, as AV companies are
dependent on the manufacturer's price
point as a baseline to set their margins.
This is why you're doing yourself a
disservice by not offering XR (Extended
Reality) integrations to your clients. XR is
the umbrella term that covers VR (Virtual
Reality), AR (Augmented Reality), and MR
(Mixed Reality). I won't dive into what each
of those terms means, as you've likely had
at least a taste of each by now.
Now, before you go and say that XR is
a bubble, or that not enough people have
headsets, or any of the other excuses that
come to mind, consider this. Apple just got
in the game with Apple Vision Pro (MR)
and even though there isn't nearly enough
content, people are still addicted to this
headset. In addition, Pokémon Go (AR)
still has over 150 million monthly active
users. Also, the Meta Quest 3 (VR/MR)
has sold over a million units and there's a
cheaper version currently in production.
According to MarketsandMarkets, the XR
industry is expected to grow to $463 billion
by 2026. I bring up all of this to say that XR
is a big deal.
XR might seem like a lot, and that is the exact reason more people haven't added it to
their arsenal. But soon, this will be one of the most explored technologies in the world.
Monetizing XR Technologies
As we have that out of the way, let's
explore some of the ways you can
monetize these technologies. To begin
with, we have the low-hanging fruit of
AR. Let's face it - we're in the business of
screens and sounds, and AR lets people
utilize the screen that they carry in their
pocket. Imagine how much more money
you can save your client (subsequently
putting some of it in your own pocket)
by reducing the number of screens they
need to purchase and supplementing it
with an AR experience. This is becoming
increasingly popular in areas like retail,
wayfinding and events. At concerts and
sporting events specifically, people are
already watching their phones so adding
augmented elements that help tell the
story just makes sense.
Exploring VR and MR
Next, as we explore VR and MR, the lift
becomes a bit greater but so does the
opportunity. With the decreasing costs
16 Commercial Integrator+Security Sales & Integration | September 2024
of XR headsets and the higher fidelity of
mobile GPUs, soon we will be able to reach
photorealism within a micro-form factor.
This could eliminate the need for additional
screens altogether. Designing these
experiences for XR saves time, money
and resources, while creating unmatched
visuals. As form factors get smaller and
technologies like WebGPU become more
prominent, these technologies won't just
be cool - they will become the go-to.
Of course, we don't want to completely
abandon the screens and devices that we
have come to know and love. So, incorporating
technologies like motion tracking
to make those displays interactive is going
to give you a competitive edge. Ultimately,
this is all for your client's audience, so
providing new and exciting ways for their
audiences to engage is going to make all of
the difference.
OK, all of that is cool, but how do you
get started? I'll again reference the line
from before: Tell a better story.
The most frustrating part of the indusSITTIPOLIS/STOCK.ADOBE.COM
Commercial Integrator + Security Sales September 2024

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