INTERVIEW / VR project: We believe that VR technology will come to life in the near future and become our everyday life

The Digital Innovation Incubator is an online project in which students of all faculties learn about creativity and innovation, connect with leading companies in the region and develop applicable innovative solutions in selected industries. Through task cycles, feedback meets and mentorship of the Institute of Innovation, pupils and students solved various, real problems presented by five companies – Hrvatski Telekom, PIK Vrbovec, Jamnica, Polikinika Bagatin, Pevex and Ericsson.

We talked with the team members, 5 of them, about their expectations from VR technology in the future, and about the VR project that successfully mastered the first steps in the market.

Can you introduce us to the team?

VR project: The team consisted of a team of 5 students from the Faculty of Economics and Business in Zagreb: Antonija Orešković, Jozo Pavlović, Marija Pavković, Mirna Perić and Tea Olivari. We are studying Business Economics together and have just successfully completed year 2. What brought us together is primarily creativity and the desire for success, and then the good energy that all five of us radiate.

Do you have any previous experience from the competition? What drew you to the competition?

VR project: This is the first competition we've participated in, but definitely not the last. As a fundamental understanding of the market is necessary in marketing, as part of the course Basics of Marketing, we had to create a group project that identifies and analyzes the challenges of individual industries. We could choose whether to do a group project independently or in a competitive context, competing with colleagues from all over the Republic of Croatia through the Digital Innovation Incubator competition, which we chose. We wanted to test ourselves, see what challenges we would face and ultimately create wonderful memories and a life experience. We hope that such projects and the effort and commitment we have shown from the first student days will bring us new opportunities and open numerous doors so that we can achieve our goals and build a quality career even after college.

Can you tell us about the VR project?

VR project: As a generation of modern times, we are faced to live in an everyday life that is full of information, events and various experiences that give us the enjoyment of life, but it often happens that we find ourselves unable to go to the desired event, and the reasons can be all sorts of things. Our team tried to design a project that would try to solve this problem and bring closer and facilitate the enjoyment of experiences that would make our users' lives better and richer. Inspired by the new technology and the 5G internet speed option, our team has created a project based on a package of VR glasses and the associated platform – an app, with which consumers can experience a completely new experience.

In cooperation with a professional IT team, we would like to offer 2 packages: IN THE WRIGHT PLACE, AT THE VRIGHT TIME and VR PREMIUM – VRIGHT NOW.
 
With the first package, consumers could follow the desired events from the comfort of their home. They would pay for it with a monthly subscription or pay per view method depending on their preferences and capabilities. Through the specially made Platform of HT and with a pair of VR glasses, viewers could follow the events almost as well as live and save them in their video library.

The second package would target consumers of better financial condition, who are already at the event live and on site with the help of drones, modern shooting modes and 5G internet would offer them additional content and values such as the 12th player, live broadcast from the backstage or the like. With this, we have created added value.

How did you decide on VR? Where did the inspiration come from?

VR project: We believe that VR technology hides in itself a huge potential that has been reduced to a minimum in this project and that it offers countless new possibilities that we are not even aware of. We consider this project and the potential opportunities it opens as a diamond in the development of technology and we wanted to explain to people more closely all the benefits of VR.

Do you have any previous experience with VR technology and what kind?

VR project: We don't have much experience, only 2 team members have surface encountered VR technology so far, but that hasn't stopped us from creating our project. Information was not easy to come by, we mostly searched articles and watched videos on Youtube, and your portal was of great benefit to us.

Can you imagine using a VR device often as a cell phone in a year's time?

VR project: Technology is advancing day by day and cell phones have become necessarily good for us, even though they were pure luxury dozens of years ago. We also believe that VR technology will come to life in the near future and become our everyday life. While this may seem far and hard to imagine now, we are sure that there will be a rapid integration of this type of technology into our lives. The main difficulties are uneducatedness, poor promotion of VR technology and high prices.

Do you have roles or responsibilities on the team?

VR project: We did each of the four tasks together, via audio and video calls or online meets. This was the first project we worked on together and with the numerous obstacles we encountered, we thoroughly and successfully created the whole, finished product. Although we are all five very different characters, at the end of the day we were bound by the desire for success and the potential that we recognized in the idea itself.

What was most interesting to you during the development of the project?

VR project: The idea proposed by colleague Jozo (a combination of VR technology and HT) seemed very good and innovative to us and it gave us additional motivation. We had a great desire to elaborate the project as best as possible and for the founders of the competition to experience the idea and recognize the potential that we felt. It was challenging to answer all questions during official online meetings with Mr. Filip Vrhovnik and members of Hrvatski Telekom. They often "lowered us to the ground" and explained with a lot of patience in which direction we should go and what is (un)possible to realize.

What was the hardest thing for you? Did you have any problems making it?

VR project: Since Mr. Filip was always available to us for all questions and concerns, we had no major difficulties. The hardest thing was to harmonize all the conditions in order to create a profit for each member of the business model. We do not know so much only business, but as a difficulty we would single out the achievement of profitability.