TechViz is exhibiting at Laval Virtual on April 12-14, 2023 on booth B37.
Crédits photos : TechViz
TechViz is a virtual reality software company specialized in 3D visualization. Its ambition is to improve its customers’ production cycles and reduce product development time. Its solution allows CAD data to be visualized in virtual reality, without conversion, directly from the design software. TechViz then offers a space for design and collaboration in a fully immersive and interactive environment. TechViz will be exhibiting at Laval Virtual on April 12-14, 2023, on booth B37. Interview with Sandrine Lasserre, Digital & Content Manager.
Can you present your company?
TechViz is a software editor specialized in augmented reality and virtual reality. Our company was created in 2004 by Alexis Vartanian and Alberto Gabaï, in order to allow all engineers to easily integrate virtual and augmented reality into their processes.
Our software allows industrialists to visualize in XR 3D data from more than 200 compatible industrial applications (Catia, Creo, Revit…), without data conversion. Thus, it is possible to modify its own model in real time, directly from its CAD software.
TechViz is a universal solution that adapts to all companies, regardless of their CAD software and their VR/AR display system. The software can display the largest models in a fluid way. With a powerful data security system, it is easy to collaborate in XR with several people on a given model.
What will you exhibit at Laval Virtual 2023?
This year, our company is focusing on multi-system collaboration in augmented and virtual reality. On our booth shared with our partner STE Antycip, we present two VR/AR collaboration workshops.
The first workshop features a product design example that brings together a team of engineers and industrial designers. All participants in the meeting have VR compatible equipment and can intervene at the 3D model level. This will be one of the first demonstrations of VR/AR collaboration with new products from our partner Lenovo.
The second workshop illustrates a product presentation in virtual reality in front of a large audience. Here, the master of ceremonies wears a VR headset and manipulates the 3D model in real time. Any changes made are immediately visible on the connected LED wall – and in the native CAD application.
We’ll also be offering to come and test Lenovo’s new VR headset, the Lenovo VRX, in collaboration with TechViz.
Laval Virtual is celebrating its 25th edition this year. Do you have any memories to share since the first edition in 1999?
TechViz has not missed any edition since 2007 (including the fully virtual version in 2020). Laval has always been an essential meeting point for VR professionals. It’s a big family that warmly welcomes newcomers every year, and we always enjoy getting together. Virtual Reality systems and solutions are multiplying and diversifying, making the exhibition even more interesting every year. It’s always worth coming!
The world of immersive tech was shaken up by the rise of the Metaverse and virtual worlds. What is your opinion on these?
The Metaverse is an evolving concept, and there is much discussion about what it will entail and how it will work. The case of the commercial failure of Mark Zuckerberg’s Metaverse also shows that there are many challenges ahead, including regulation and security.
We believe that overall, it will enhance social interaction, collaboration and content sharing on a 1:1 scale. There is a big potential for new business models, and new revenue streams in the XR market. For SMEs like TechViz, the Metaverse offers many opportunities. As TechViz is one of the first players in the virtual reality solution, it will increase our brand awareness and set us apart from our competitors. Exposure to virtual reality will allow us to reach a wider audience than current marketing channels allow – new prospects and new partnership opportunities. The investment of the tech giants in better and more affordable hardware may ultimately improve the overall experience with TechViz.
However, we believe that the Metaverse needs more development and investment. It is still a buzz-word used by marketing teams following the success of the movie Ready Player One that has helped feed the collective imagination around the metaverse. For example, the need to use external hardware and the number of applications to launch does not make it easy to use. There are still too many constraints for the average person to access it, like accessing a social network on his smartphone.
Despite the media buzz around this new concept, few people seem ready to spend hours with their head in a headset. In conclusion, although the concept of Metaverse still raises questions, it represents a fascinating field of research and development that promises to disrupt many industries in the future.
How do you see the VR world in 10 years?
The virtual reality industry is a rapidly evolving field, and predicting its future can be difficult. But given the state of the art, here’s what we can assume. There will be significant advances in VR/AR technology. XR headsets will be lighter, more comfortable, more capable and with better battery life. They will also be more affordable – making them more accessible to consumers. In addition, we can expect improvements in visual fidelity and processing power, which will enable more realistic and immersive VR experiences. We can also imagine that headset displays will fully encompass the user’s field of view, both direct and peripheral, with bendable and deformable displays allowing for greater immersion.
XR will continue to expand into new markets and industries. While video games have been the main driver of virtual reality adoption to date, we can expect to see broader applications in areas such as education, healthcare and engineering. As more and more industries recognize the potential of virtual reality, the demand for virtual reality products and services is likely to increase. Massive adoption may be made by the general public depending on the price of these solutions and their usefulness (even, one can imagine the “Apple addict” buying this type of hardware no matter what it costs).
AR glasses (and other AR systems invented in the meantime) could take precedence over XR headsets in terms of consumer use, as they are more easily portable and more discreet in everyday life – especially if the content displayed can be associated with notifications, emails, social networks…. VR would still be used for video games and industrial activities.
Overall, the virtual reality industry is likely to continue to grow and evolve in exciting ways over the next 10 years. As new technologies and applications emerge, mid-sized software companies like TechViz will have the opportunity to contribute to this dynamic industry.
