2017VRAR报告（英文版）_32页_7mb

Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality: Hype or Serious Business?

Core Content

This report, published in 2017, evaluates the development of the Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) markets since the first survey in 2016. The goal is to determine whether VR/AR is a hype or a technology with real business potential. The survey was conducted with 613 respondents, primarily developers and users in the engineering, manufacturing, and industry sectors, across the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany.

The report explores the current state of VR/AR, the value chain, and the challenges and opportunities facing the market. It draws parallels with the early stages of the Internet and smartphone markets to highlight the potential for growth and adoption in VR/AR. It also provides a comparative analysis of 2016 and 2017 forecasts, highlighting discrepancies and the need for standardized terminology in market research.

Main Viewpoints

• VR/AR as a Potential Revolution: VR/AR is expected to change the way people work, communicate, and interact with technology, leading to new business models and applications.
• Horseless Carriage Syndrome: A common challenge in adopting new technologies, where users initially stick to familiar methods. As the market matures, this behavior is expected to change.
• Market Development Parallels: The current VR/AR market is likened to the Internet in 1995, indicating it is still in its early stages with limited content and infrastructure.
• Infrastructure and Tools: The availability of VR/AR hardware is increasing, but the tools and platforms for content creation remain limited and costly. The report suggests that future developments will likely make content creation more accessible and affordable.
• Content Limitations: Both consumer and business content for VR/AR is still limited, and the value proposition is not yet fully realized. Companies like Facebook are investing in content to drive mass adoption.
• Industry Applications: VR/AR is expected to have significant applications in engineering, manufacturing, and industry, particularly for training, maintenance, and product development.

Key Information

Market Status

• The VR/AR market is still in its early phase, with limited content and infrastructure.
• In 2016, the total VR revenue was €1.719 billion, only 65% of the original projection.
• The PC platform generated the highest VR revenue (€680 million), followed closely by the mobile platform (€650 million).
• The console platform underperformed, generating only €389 million in revenue, significantly below expectations.
• The AR market was less developed, with limited data and infrastructure, but showed promising potential through events like Pokémon Go.

Value Chain

• The VR/AR value chain consists of three segments: infrastructure, tools & platforms, and content.
• Infrastructure is the hardware required to use VR/AR, which is evolving rapidly.
• Tools & platforms for content creation are still limited, requiring extensive coding knowledge and resulting in expensive content.
• AR is expected to have broader applications than VR, especially in operations and industry settings.

User and Developer Insights

• 86% of respondents believe AR/VR is useful for their businesses, a slight decrease from 91% in 2016.
• 14% of respondents indicated no use for VR/AR, likely due to increased familiarity and skepticism.
• The majority of users and developers are in the industry sector, with a notable increase in the industry segment for users and a shift in the developer segment.

Market Projections

• Hardware shipments are expected to increase significantly, with the most explosive growth in 2021.
• The software market is projected to grow more than 20-fold from €1.1 billion in 2016 to €24.3 billion in 2020.
• The largest software markets are expected to be in entertainment, healthcare, and engineering.

Industry Case Studies

• Océ / Canon: Uses VR/AR for training service technicians on machines still in development, offering benefits like cost reduction, 24/7 access, and increased efficiency.
• BlueTea: Developed VirtualStudio® to create smart 3D models, aiding in training and simulation.
• Gemvision: Provides a platform for augmented reality that supports on-site technicians with real-time data and video conferencing.
• Apple: Investigating AR/VR for over a decade, with rumored development of AR glasses and integration with iOS.
• Google: Launched Tango, a native AR platform for Android, and partnered with Lenovo to create AR-enabled smartphones.
• Microsoft HoloLens: A mixed reality device launched in 2016, currently in a developer version with plans for a consumer version.
• Magic Leap: A stealth startup with significant investment, expected to launch a revolutionary AR product in 2017.

Conclusion

The report concludes that VR/AR is not merely a hype but has real potential for business and industry applications. While the market is still in its early stages, with limited content and infrastructure, the trajectory suggests that as these challenges are addressed, VR/AR could become a transformative technology. The need for standardized terminology and consistent data reporting is emphasized to improve market understanding and forecasting.