5 Types Of Virtual Tourism

5 Types Of Virtual Tourism

Virtual tours may be relatively new but they have been around long enough to develop different types to offer to the public. There are types of virtual tourism that can be whipped up with just a computer or a smart device. On the other hand, some types require a complex setup of technology to produce. Get to know a bit about all of those and discover the beauty of each of them.

 

  1. Try Before You Buy

In the beginning, virtual tours were mainly used as a marketing tool. Businesses that offer products or services that come at a steep price would offer virtual tours for customers. Basically, it is to sample or experience what they have to offer so they can decide if they want to proceed and buy.

In fact, it’s been a very effective marketing technique that a survey done by Planet Home Study, shows that 75% of buyers agree that a virtual home tour is a major deciding factor whether they would buy a property or not. Aside from that, some airlines like British Airways have implemented this as well. They now offer a virtual tour of their business class only aircraft operating between London City Airport and New York. Interested customers can now see and experience, virtually at least, for themselves what it’s like inside and decide if the cost of the ticket is actually worth it for them.

 

  1. Virtual Tours Of Real Places

It’s no secret that travelling is a fun activity many people chase all the time. However, even before the pandemic happened, not everyone had the luxury to just go.

Good thing modern technology has made virtual tours possible! Sure, it’s not the same as being able to physically visit places, but for the general public and avid vacationers, it helps. Google earth for that matter has made it possible to explore places you’ve always wanted to visit or even revisit your favourite locations in the comfort of your own home. Whether it’s the Louvre in Paris or the town next to yours, Google earth can now take you there ticket-free as long as you have an internet connection!

 

  1. Virtual Tours Of The Past

Who needs a time machine if you can visit places or attractions that existed in the past? If you’re a huge geek who has always been fascinated with history and have wished to be born in the Victorian era or something like that, then you’d enjoy this type of virtual tour!

Modern technology has allowed it so developers can use current images along with computer generation projections to develop experiences that can tour the past. Some programs can now virtually transport users to any time or place that they want to see. Cool, right?

Aside from that, if you ever wanted to take that interest to another level, there is actually a course free for anyone to sign up at The University of Reading. The course aims to educate and shed light on ancient Rome which many people, especially broadcasters and journalists, are still interested in. This award-winning and ambitious digital model of the entire ancient city was developed by Reading Classicist Dr. Matthew Nicholls.

 

  1. Visit Areas That Are Inaccessible

You’d think that in today’s world, every corner of the planet can be visited. But apparently, not really. Many places are still off-limits due to various reasons like not having enough resources to actually travel there, too remote or being entirely closed-off to visitors.

But who said you need to physically go to those places anyway? Virtual tourism has made it possible for people to reach those areas through their fingertips! So, if it has always been your wild dream to climb Mt. Everest but know for a fact that you’re not cut out for that kind of challenge, Google it instead! There are virtual tours of it now that you can take that will allow you to enjoy the view without sweating—or in this case, freezing.

 

  1. Fantasy World Virtual Tour

Ever thought what would happen if you were minding your own business one day and then all of sudden you get sucked into a whole different world? Yes, I know, too much anime. But seriously, you can actually do that without really being transported to another world.

You can visit places that don’t exist in the real world through a popular platform called Second Life. This virtual tour lets you live that fantasy where you can create your avatar and then just roam around different places and connect to different people who are on the same platform.

frequently asked questions

Matterport is an American based SaaS company that provides a platform for creating 3D Virtual Tours. Professional tour creators use the platform to deliver high-quality products to clients.

Matterport is an all-in-one solution that has unparalleled quality and is easy for your customers to use. With secure model management & cloud servers, it’s always available when you or your customers need it.

3D Virtual Tours are included on your website through the use of an iFrame. An iFrame is a bit of code that allows the tour experience to be embedded in your website, eliminating the need for users to click a link and be redirected to another website page. Matterport provides these codes with limited functionality, SmartView Media provides custom iFrame codes to our clients that allow a great level of control and customisation for how the tours are displayed on your website. These options can easily be turned on and off by customers in our SmartHub platform.

Our tours using an Embed code to connect seamlessly with your website, regardless of how your website is built it will be able to display one of our 3D Tours.

Scanning will take at least 1-2 hours depending on the model or the space being scanned. Some spaces with difficult geometry & scan points require for more time to process. Normally our team can have a completed 3D Tour back to you in 48 hours.

A typical 360 Tour is a combination of 360 panoramic images, these images are then added to 3rd party software and use a button in each image to link to the next image in the sequence. This allows the user to move from one image to the next.

A Matterport 3D Virtual Tour is a combination of 360 panoramic images and infrared scan data. The images and IR data are combined using photogrammetry & AI to make a digital 3D model. This 3D model is accurate to within 1% and allows the user to view a Floor Plan, Dollhouse & take measurements all while moving freely around the location.

This really depends on several factors, from the size and complexity of the location that is being captured down to the level of desired detail. The more 3D Scan points a Matterport Tour has, the better the final result will be for the end user experience, as the scan points are the locations that a user can view the space from. A typical home can range from 90mins to 180mins depending on it’s size, room & furniture layout. An office location of 1000 sqm can take around 120mins to 180mins for the same reasons mentioned previously.

A Matterport 3D Virtual Tour is created by capturing a combination of infrared data & 360 panoramic images. This combination is called a 3D Scan. A Matterport 3D Virtual Tour is the combination of these 3D Scans, which are captured at regular intervals throughout a location, this information is then combined to create an interactive 3D Mesh which allows the user to move from point to point to view the model.

No, it currently isn’t possible to download a Matterport 3D Tour. The tours can be embedded on your website, but as the tours are stored in the cloud they will always require an internet connection in order to access them. It is not possible to download them and put them on a hard drive or USB memory stick.

In order to capture the most detailed 3D Virtual Tour experience possible for your location, it is best that as few people as possible are around. This prevents any unwanted captures of people moving through rooms.

Matterport Pro 2 cameras use infrared to assist with 3D mapping the surrounding environment, as a result the platform is best suited to capturing indoor areas. However, we can utilise 360 images combined with the Cortex feature to capture external areas in the right circumstances.

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Matterport 3D Tours – Get Your Quote Today

Ready to showcase your space with an immersive 3D virtual tour? Get in touch with our team today! Whether you’re in real estate, construction, retail, or hospitality, we’ll create a high-quality 3D experience tailored to your needs.

Fill out the form below, and we’ll get back to you with a custom quote.

Get Your Qoute Today

Ready to showcase your space with an immersive 3D virtual tour? Get in touch with our team today! Whether you’re in real estate, construction, retail, or hospitality, we’ll create a high-quality 3D experience tailored to your needs. 
Fill out the form below, and we’ll get back to you with a custom quote.