Oculus Rift Tech News: HOYA, a leader in technology-based sales support tools, introduced its latest innovation, the HOYA Vision Simulator. HOYA has a history of introducing advanced in-store solutions. At Silmo 2008 in Paris, it was the first lens supplier to use virtual reality head-mounted displays to demonstrate the quality of its Hoyalux iD MyStyle progressive lens design.

Oculus recently announced that Oculus Rift will be ready to ship to consumers in the first quarter of 2016. Virtual reality is the future of entertainment, with Facebook's $2 billion purchase of Oculus, Google's investment in Magic Leap, Microsoft's HoloLens and others making headlines.

The HOYA Vision Simulator provides a highly accurate, 3D vision experience, visualising the optical effects of the various lens designs and treatments. HOYA erases the line between virtual reality and individual reality, giving wearers the opportunity to choose the lenses and treatments that work best for them.

The HOYA Vision Simulator is easy to use, hygienic and ready for high-traffic usage. It is controlled by an application downloaded onto a smartphone that is placed into the headset. Wearers look through the headset and see a virtual environment. Opticians apply the wearing parameters and exact prescription and adjust for accurate pupil distance. A tablet serves as a remote control. Opticians decide what wearers see and experience, and can demonstrate and explain the different options available.

The simulator enhances customers' shop experience by offering the opportunity to 'see before they buy'. This makes the final choice for lenses and treatments simple, accurate and tangible, increasing trust and overall satisfaction. Hoya promises that every prescription type and cylinder is accommodated. Opticians are invited to be among the first to use the HOYA Vision Simulator in their stores.

At Opti 2012 in Munich, HOYA pioneered fully interactive augmented reality with HVC Viewer, one of three apps introduced at the time. The apps received significant local and European media coverage, driving download numbers.

HVC Viewer went on to become the bestselling app in Germany's app store and was recognised as a 'top innovation' at Expo Optica in Madrid, Spain. The app was also nominated for a Silmo d'Or in the Vision category and won the prestigious SMAU Mob App Award at the Italian Information & Communications Technology exhibition in Milan. Today, augmented reality is regarded as a highly effective sales tool and more than 8,800 optical stores actively use the HVC Viewer app.