NBI VR custom App

THE CHALLENGE:

National Broadband Ireland (NBI) required a cutting-edge training solution to onboard new engineers and enhance the skills of existing staff. Their goal was to create an engaging and effective training experience that could also be used to communicate the nature of their work to stakeholders.

 

However, several challenges emerged:

The training process often required stakeholders to be physically present on-site, which posed safety hazards, especially in roadside environments.

 

Traditional training methods lacked interactivity and realism, limiting engagement and retention.

Some tasks, such as fiber splicing, required highly detailed instructional visuals that could not be effectively captured using standard VR approaches.

 

Off-the-shelf video players on the Meta Quest headset were inadequate for their training needs, requiring a custom playback solution.

 

Adaptas provided training materials to suit the diverse tasks - and approached The Immersive Agency to build a custom VR app for playing on demand.

 

 

THE SOLUTION:

Adaptas collaborated with NBI to develop a hybrid immersive training program incorporating both 2D video (16:9 format) and 360-degree video across eight training modules. 

 

 

Features included:

• Thumbnail gallery for easy navigation.
• Automated video format recognition, ensuring that videos played in the correct format without manual adjustments.
• Seamless user experience, making training sessions more intuitive and effective.

 

 

FEEDBACK and RESULTS:

 

Enhanced Training Efficiency: Engineers can now access high-quality training modules in a safe and controlled environment, reducing the need for on-site visits.

 

Increased Engagement: The combination of 360-degree video and high-resolution 2D footage provides a more immersive and effective learning experience.

 

Scalability: The custom video player ensures that training materials are easily accessible, allowing for future expansion and integration of additional content.

 

Improved Safety: By reducing the need for in-person site visits, the solution minimizes potential hazards for both engineers and stakeholders.

 

Through this innovative approach, National Broadband Ireland successfully modernized its training program, combining immersive video technology with a tailored digital solution. The collaboration between Adaptas and The Immersive Agency showcases the power of immersive media in creating safe, engaging, and effective training experiences for technical professionals.

 

 

 

 

The Challenge

DLL, a global finance company, wanted to modernize how they trained customer service reps across the Nordics. Traditional training wasn’t engaging, wasn’t scalable, and didn’t reflect the reality of live customer interactions. They needed something more hands-on, practical, and accessible across locations.

 

The Solution

The Immersive Agency built a fully custom VR training app, designed for low-cost cardboard headsets and accessible from anywhere. In collaboration with Adaptas Training, we delivered a modular, scenario-based experience that dropped employees into realistic customer service challenges.

 

Key Features

Virtual Coach: A guided training avatar (modeled after a real employee) helped staff navigate each module.

Interactive Scenarios: Employees practiced real-world tasks like invoice processing and IT asset handling through gaze-based interaction.

Gamified Learning: Trophies and badges rewarded progress, boosting engagement.

Designed for Scale: Lightweight enough to run on basic hardware, flexible enough to train teams across multiple countries.

 

 

The Results

 

Higher engagement and stronger knowledge retention

Positive pilot feedback from teams in Sweden

Clear path for future expansion into new modules and hardware

 

What We Delivered

A custom-built VR app, fully tailored to DLL’s needs—built for scale, grounded in realism, and ready to evolve.

 

Carlow Arts festival vr hub

The Challenge

As COVID restrictions lifted but social distancing remained, Carlow Arts Festival faced a unique problem: how to bring back the festival atmosphere without in-person crowds. Festival Director Jo Mangan approached The Immersive Agency to create a virtual experience—not a replica of the physical event, but something that could capture the feeling of being there: connection, energy, and a bit of chaos.

 

The Solution

We developed a social VR experience hosted in AltspaceVR that recreated the festival’s vibe while staying within extreme technical constraints—low polygon budgets, strict texture limits, and accessibility for users on aging hardware like the Quest 1.

 

Key Features & Creative Workarounds

 

Bespoke World Design: Using photos of past festivals, local landmarks, and tents, we built a stylized “cardboard” aesthetic—photo textures on low-poly models with neon grid overlays—to make visual constraints part of the identity.

 

Immersive Audio + Interactive Video: Spatial audio zones recreated key festival experiences (like a virtual orchestra split across tents).

Interactive video installations triggered sound and visuals as users approached.

 

Festival Feel Without Fake Crowds: Rather than add NPCs, we used animated cartoon characters (like dancing wrestlers) and kinetic sculptures to imply movement and energy without breaking immersion.

 

Two Connected Worlds: Budget limitations forced a choice—art gallery or social hub. We did both. By building two separate worlds and linking them via a portal, we doubled the polygon budget while maintaining performance.

 

Artist Collaboration: Artists could either collaborate on optimizations or opt out if they didn't feel the piece would work with the constraints. One reworked her entire sound piece to fit the medium. Another’s video played on a virtual screen with audio proximity triggers.

 

User-Centric Design: Flying was enabled. Custom wings and interactive toys (like sparklers) gave new users a playful, memorable intro to VR. Events included artist talks, flying tours, and an opening night dance.

 

The Results

 

Successful opening night with global visitors—even appearing on AltspaceVR’s front page

 

Positive feedback from VR newcomers and skeptics

 

International engagement, with spontaneous social interactions and discovery

 

A creative, technical, and cultural win—delivering atmosphere, not just content

 

What We Delivered

A playful, interactive VR experience built under serious constraints—but designed with intent, style, and purpose.

Not a clone of the real world, but something that recaptured its spirit.