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TopThe lab is equipped with the latest VR technology including the Omnifinity treadmill (top right) and motion-capture camerasOppositeVisualisation Team Lead Martin Pett demonstrates a vehicle simulator(a VR simulation) with colleagues across the country, allowing them to coordinate on projects without the need to travel to a physical meeting point. Body-scanning equipment that enables people to try on clothes in a virtual environment could be so disruptive, according to Martin Pett, that it changes people’s shopping behaviour, potentially negating the need for high-street outlets.By 2020 the VR and AR industries combined are estimated to be worth $120bn. The challenge now, says Pett, is to ensure that British industry is equipped to capitalise on that potential. He suggests that the main barrier to the adoption of VR as a tool for industry is likely to be a talent gap. “Our concern is that when these industries pick up, there will be a shortage of skills. For graduates of games development courses, working in a ‘serious’ non-gaming application is not necessarily high on their agenda.” To help meet this potential shortfall, the TSC has been working with Innovate UK’s Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN) and has co-founded immerseuk.org, a networking site through which individuals in the “immersive” industries can share knowledge and explore opportunities collaboratively. Launched in January 2017, it already has 600 members. This focus on collaboration is reflected in the TSC’s Visualisation Lab. While the resource can assist companies in developing their own business models, it also acts as a matchmaker between innovators, SMEs, and investors. This allows small businesses and start-ups to develop immature technologies ‒ and take them from proof-of-concept stage to a commercially viable product that solves a transport industry need.The full spectrum of opportunities offered by VR and other immersive technologies is still emerging, but Martin Pett is in no doubt about their potential. “VR is going to accelerate good decision-making. It will make the process of creating and selecting new products faster, which will mean greater productivity and greater profitability for UK companies, and, crucially, better products for end users.” 29IMAGINE