Virtual reality gains a small foothold in the enterprise

Medical device companies, for example, are among the early adopters, says Jeremy Duimstra, a professor of user experience at University of California San Diego and CEO and creative director at San Diego-based MJD Interactive, which counts Disney, Red Bull, P&G and Titleist among its clients.

"Being able to virtually interact with a device in the design phase, without having to build physical objects ... allows for more innovation," he says.

Plus, there's the cost savings of materials and manpower of physically mocking up hundreds of prototypes. "Build the product virtually, test it, iterate, and only build when you know it's right," he says.

Environments that are physically dangerous for people are also ripe for going virtual.

"Our oil and gas clients are definitely interested in this space," says Mary Hamilton, who heads up the digital experiences research and development group at Accenture. Immersive virtual reality allows people who might be in different locations to visit a difficult-to-reach facility, to get views such as X-rays or schematic views that might be impossible in real life, and enables low-risk, lower-cost training for new employees.