Chris O’Connor, Executive Director of Technology at ZeroLight, answers everything you need to know about the latest innovative capability added to ZeroLight’s omnichannel configurator solution, Palette SDK.

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‍What is Cloud XR?

Cloud XR is a technology developed by Nvidia that allows for the streaming of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) content from the cloud. It enables users to view high fidelity visuals without the need for restrictive wires or a high-end gaming PC as the visuals are streamed via WiFi or 5G directly to the VR or AR device. 

At ZeroLight, we’ve adopted this technology and added it as an exciting new mode to Palette SDK, our omnichannel configurator solution, giving our customers the opportunity to extend the reach and engagement of their configurator with metaverse-style immersive experiences.

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How can Cloud XR be used in customer buying journeys?

The technology is flexible and lends itself to a number of applications, such as in-retail configurator experiences or a shared ZeroLight Concierge™ experience, where a product expert guides a user through a space in VR, potentially from the opposite side of the world. 

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What are the best bits about the Cloud XR user experience?‍

With an XR experience, users are much more immersed in the 3D experience, enabling them to have both a visual and spatial experience of the product being shown. This level of immersion helps create a strong emotional connection, which is essential when marketing and selling premium products. 

Users can also explore the product in a natural way by moving themselves around the virtual environment, crouching down to get a closer look at a vehicle’s wheels, or peering into the cabin to discover where the USB ports are located. 

What’s more, Cloud XR enables experiences that aren’t possible with physical products in the real world. Brands have the opportunity to create innovative product demonstrations and simulations with instant configurability, environment changes, x-ray modes and more. These elements enrich customer experiences beyond what’s possible in reality, which is how we recommend designing and building XR experiences.

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What makes Cloud XR possible behind the scenes and what headsets is it compatible with?

To make Cloud XR possible, high-end compute instances such as AWS G5 instances, wireless VR headsets, and ZeroLight's global scalable cloud platform are required. 

In terms of headsets, it can work with HTC Vive Focus 3, HTC Vive Elite XR, Meta Quest 2, Meta Quest Pro, Lenovo Think Reality VRX and Pico Neo 4.

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What does the demo experience at MWC 2023, alongside Ericsson and Nvidia look like?

At Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2023, Ericsson is showcasing the Cloud XR mode of ZeroLight’s ZLX car configurator experience. Users can explore the VW ID.4 in different environments, including the ability to sit in the vehicle and inspect every intricate detail of the fabrics and interior design. 

Ericsson has been refining its 5G network solutions to provide reduced latency and optimised quality to the connected headset. This headset is connected to the network using the Motorola 5G neckband, which enables current generation VR devices to have the connection flexibility that we will start to see built into the next generation of headsets.

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To find out more or schedule a Cloud XR demo, please get in touch.