23 Feb Immersive VR interior designing and artificial intelligence

Immersive VR interior designing.

It may sound like science fiction but it’s already a reality.

Though still in development, virtual reality, augmented reality and artificial intelligence seem to have unlimited potential implementations.

Naturally, one of its implementations is within the interior design, furniture, and decoration field.

At Yecla Furniture Fair, we are really aware of the digital transformation process our sector is going through.

That’s why we’ve devoted this article to carefully analyse these technologies: their applications, their possibilities, and what they bring to companies. We’ve also sought out some examples of software that are already using them.

Let’s get to the heart of them together.

Immersive VR interior designing and new experiences

The impact of immersive VR interior design on our field is huge.

It has brought about a true revolution.

These technological advances have brought great advantages to firms and designers alike, who have incorporated them into their process, offering new experiences to their clients.

Currently, it’s feasible to view and navigate through virtual environments and spaces before even putting them together in real life. This results in cost savings as well as time and resource optimisation for the manufacturer.

Using the cloud —and with assistance of AI— we can now project spaces, furnish them, and even place clients inside them.

This technology will greatly shake up the concept of the showroom as we know it.

Large displays of furniture or extensive warehouses containing exact replicas of different spaces to show are no longer necessary.

With just an internet connection and a suitable device, we can travel to any environment and fill it with three-dimensional hyper-realistic projections of our favorite furniture.

Finished look, materials, textures – all of them presented with high fidelity.

3 software and apps for immersive VR interior design

Nowadays, professionals can access a wide array of programs and apps to help them use virtual and augmented reality in their businesses.

Let’s see a few of them.

SketchUp, free 3D software

The most complete option available to anyone.

SketchUp offers two versions: a free option, ideal for interior design enthusiasts and a paid version, aimed at professionals.

Its powerful engine provides a 3D immersive experience that allows you to fully plunge yourself into the design of any space you choose.

Going from the early planning stages to the materials and finished look, you can adjust lights, modify the surroundings and design your own furniture pieces.

You can download the trial version on their website and decide if you want to explore any of their paid plans further.

Jump into Design ®, real-time interior design

This app was developed by the technological start-up Jump Into Reality.

The app is a SaaS (Software as a Service) tool that allows us to create, share, and customise hyper-realistic 3D designs in real-time.

Linda Facchinetti, CEO and creator of the software, in an interview with the technology and innovation specialised media Innovaspain put it into words: “It’s a simple, affordable, and attractive way to improve designers’ workflow, that is meeting a great deal of acclaim.”

One of the best things about it is that it allows the creation of interactive environments that can be modified in real-time.

SmartDraw, the option for experts and enthusiasts alike

SmartDraw offers an extensive catalogue of furniture items, materials, textures, templates and designs to plan different spaces.

Picking it up is totally intuitive, making it fully accessible to amateurs, but at the same time, it’s advanced and deep enough for it to be very useful to designers and interior designers.

The tool is free for the first 7 days of use, and afterwards, it requires a paid subscription.

But once you’ve started, there’s no going back.

CETEM: Technology for our field

Of course, if we’re talking about technology and innovation, we can’t leave one of our strategic partners, CETEM, The Technological Center for Furniture and Wood of the Region of Murcia, out of the article.

This pioneering institution has been developing technological innovation projects for 30 years and applied the results to the furniture, wood, and related industries sector.

With a regular presence at our fair, CETEM develops a number of collaborative projects year after year with institutions from all over the world and makes them available to our companies, as well as offering specialized training and education. In this article, we wanted to take the opportunity to mention some of the projects they are currently working on:

• XR4CRAFTS Project: This project is focused on the development of educational material based on the use of extended reality (XR), which, through haptic gloves, allows the simulation of manufacturing and construction processes such as carpentry, floating floor installation, or wall painting.

• 3D Simulation Service: This 3D simulation software is a service developed by CETEM and offered to companies, enabling VR simulation of 3D products in real-time. The app is connected to an online database that ensures products and materials are always up-to-date.

• DRUMS Project: DRUMS is a future project scheduled to begin in December 2024 which will extend until 2026. It focuses on the democratisation and dissemination of Deep Tech and robotisation to create productive systems that prioritize workers’ well-being.

As you can see, immersive technology is already a reality in our sector.

We hope you found this article interesting.

Continue keeping up with innovation and development in the furniture sector at the next edition of our Yecla Furniture Fair, from May 28th to May 31st.

Download your invitation to attend here.

Come and grow with us.