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Virtual Reality (VR) has weaved itself into every industry, proving itself to be useful in different capacities. Springwise has covered the technology in length, analysing the multiple ways in which it is changing businesses and sometimes even people’s lives. One VR tool used in hospitals shows paediatric patients a 3D tour of their body, helping alleviate fear in a stressful situation. Elsewhere, the technology has proved useful in business settings by connecting employees via a teleconference to analyse data. Who knows how VR will expand next, but it is inevitable the system will reach the forefront of many business strategies.

VR has been applied in a practical sense by New Zealand’s Transport Agency (NZTA) to help learner drivers. The Drive VR app was developed to help people learning to drive to gain experience. It can also be used to boost confidence in everyday driving skills such as observation tasks. The app is free to download on the App Store or Google Play. It can be used with the Google Cardboard VR headsets for a more immersive experience. It is hoped the platform will help learners gain experience and knowledge for their theory test through to the practical exam.

App users will get the chance to practice spotting hazards, checking blind spots and mirrors and looking out of windows at the right time. Observation skills are tracked, so learners can keep track of their progress rates. Drive VR was created by NZTA and ACC in collaboration with external partners Strategy Creative, Mixt Studio, and Flying Saucer. The platform has had more than 30,000 people sign up and almost half a million total users. These leaners have completed 52,000 online road code chapter tests to date.

This innovation has also been featured in the report ‘The Future of Immersive Content’, which was inspired by recent research conducted by our partner Digital Catapult, the UK’s leading advanced digital technology innovation centre. Download the full report here.