The choice of immersive solution depends on the need and intended use. Some examples of application fields:

• Cave is for example used by automotive designers to experience the surroundings or the interior of the vehicle from within the car or truck. Check out the  cave at Airic and the cave at Volvo Cars Corporation. Another area of application is for example within construction, as at Reynaers Aluminium in Belgium.
• Powerwall in stereo mode is e.g used to view a projected model in 3D. Check out these powerwalls where 3D-glasses are used at: AstraZeneca in Gothenbrug, CMIV in Linköping, Airic, Umeå University HUMlab-X, Skanska, Volvo Cars, Visual Arena at Lindholmen Science Park in Gothenburg, KTH in Stockholm.
• Powerwall in stereo & tracking mode is e.g used to virtually handle the projected model. Check out the powerwall used at the European Spallation Source ESS in Lund, at Airic, at Skanska and the one at Volvo Cars where both 3D-glasses and tracking system are used.
• HMD, head-mounted display formerly mainly used by gamers to step inside games and virtual worlds. Nowadays a paramount tool for design, architecture, engineering and construction as well as for training & simulation.
• Semicircular, three-quarter-circular and circular displays are e.g. used to immerse the audience in educational documentaries, air traffic controllers in realistic airport environment as in Riga, Latvia.
• Fishbowl display is e.g. used to fully immerse pilots in a projected air scenery.
• Octagonal display is e.g. used in air traffic controllers’ practice.
• AR using eyeglasses is e.g. used in the gaming industry projecting virtual environments. AR using iPads and tracking system is e.g. used in industrial design to visualize and modify a part of a car model. AR is otherwise used in education, design, in the medical field, as task support, etc.

Compared with NANCO’s Cave solution or NANCO’s Powerwall solution (in stereo mode or in stereo and tracking mode) an HMD is a less invasive alternative to fully immersive needs. With its simple setup demanding one HMD and its flexibility in being both portable and space efficient, a head-mounted display fully immerses the user quickly and easily. The user does only need to put an HMD on the head to get immediately immersed in the virtual environment. This solution is totally construction free, while a cave, a powerwall or a circular/fishbowl/octagonal display demand large installations.

Whereas a cave or a powerwall can have an audience, the HMD provides immersion to only one user per head-mounted display.

Being able to look limitless in all directions with an HMD and experiencing the virtual world as natural, can make the inexperienced beginner feel motion sick or even fall to the floor. Sitting on a chair while immersed is therefore highly recommended. This immersive experience differs from the immersiveness in a cave or in front of a powerwall. With an HMD the user is entirely in the virtual environment, while the user in a cave or at a powerwall still can sort of turn around and perceive the real surroundings.

An HMD provides usually approximately 100° field of view, a limited color palette and an overall limited resolution. Recent developments in HMD products have though resulted in an improved color palette and a higher resolution where the eye focuses on.

In comparison, semicircular, three-quarter-circular, circular, fishbowl and octagonal displays provide an extended FoV, feature an extended color palette and display the highest-possible resolution just as  NANCO’s immersive Cave solution and non-immersive Powerwall solution do.