Can you briefly introduce yourself?
I’m Jeroen Schiphorst, 27 years old. I completed my graduation project at Recreate Solutions and continued working there as a Technical Consultant. I’m involved in many subsidy‑funded innovation projects. In these projects, Recreate Solutions focuses on exploring whether Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR) or Mixed Reality (MR) can add value to processes, projects or specific themes. The E‑PLM project is one example of this.
What does Recreate Solutions do?
In one sentence: Recreate Solutions develops industrial applications for Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality and Mixed Reality.
At our core, we are a software development company specializing in AR, VR and MR solutions. Software development is always the foundation of these different realities. To successfully apply AR/VR/MR in a company, we often need to start by setting up other systems or processes first. These initial steps may not involve VR/AR/MR directly, but they are necessary prerequisites for implementation.
What is your vision on VR, AR and MR?
We focus on optimizing and improving customer experiences, processes and tasks within an organization. We see VR, AR and MR as valuable additions, not standalone solutions. Many companies still treat AR/VR/MR as something separate from everyday operations. We want to explore how these technologies can be integrated into the workflow. And if integration doesn’t add real value, or requires more effort than it’s worth, we say so openly. We regularly take on projects that ultimately do not result in an AR/VR/MR solution.
What are Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality and Mixed Reality?
Virtual Reality (VR) - Virtual Reality simulates a digital environment inside a headset to immerse a user through various senses (such as sight and sound). In theory, you can experience any location in the world or in the universe. You are essentially shut off from the real world.
Augmented Reality (AR) - Augmented Reality means parts of the real environment are recognized (via camera images) and digital content is placed on top of it. You see the real world, enhanced with extra information, literally an “augmented” reality.
Mixed Reality (MR) - Mixed Reality merges the real and virtual worlds so that physical and digital objects coexist and interact in real time. The difference from AR is that AR overlays content on a 2D screen, while MR lets you look through a device and place 3D content anywhere in your surroundings.
What types of VR or AR applications can we think of?
A maintenance technician can complete a VR‑based maintenance training beforehand. This is ideal for machines that are built in a factory and immediately shipped to customers. When you produce a one‑off machine, there may be no opportunity to train technicians on it before installation.
If a technician encounters something unexpected on site, they can use AR/MR, for example through video calling with an expert. That person can give verbal instructions and annotate the streamed image. The technician then sees the visual highlight directly overlaid in their real 3D environment. This avoids misunderstandings.
AR can also be used for marketing. For Skantrae, we created a smartphone application that allows users to place virtual doors in their real environment, helping them judge whether a new door fits their home.
What advice would you give companies making their first choices?
It’s good to think big, but always start small. Be prepared to adjust your original plan and incorporate feedback. These technologies are new and develop quickly, so flexibility is essential. But don’t wait until next year. It never feels like the “right” moment to start. There is an initial learning curve, but if you wait too long, a smaller competitor who does start may quickly overtake you.
Finally, it is crucial to experience VR/AR/MR to truly understand their value and potential. Reading about it is just a beginning, watching videos helps a little more, but the true insight comes only when you try the technology yourself.
We would like to sincerely thank Jeroen for this interview! For more information about Recreate, visit recreate.nl.
Warm regards, Maaike Otten
m.otten@eluxis.com
Linkedin: Maaike Otten
