Benefits of Test Automation in XR Development

Learn how test automation has the potential to introduce many multi-faceted benefits in XR development and across XR projects.
This is a contributed article by content marketing expert John Pattee game driver.

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Innovation in the XR industry is growing exponentially, and the technology is being used for increasingly risky tasks. Surgical simulations, energy sector training, use by defense contractors, and many other examples require high levels of quality and reliability. These diverse examples are part of the reason XR will contribute Contribute $760 billion to the U.S. economy by 2035According to a recent Deloitte study.

Taking all these factors into consideration, quality assurance may take on greater significance in this field in the future. However, development environments using game engines have not fully embraced one key tool: test automation.

A test automation solution has the potential to bring multiple benefits in any XR project. Let's review some of these benefits and assess how this shift in testing practices can prepare any XR developer for the rapidly changing industry that adopts XR.

Save time on manual XR testing

Manual testing remains a critical part of build validation. On the other hand, in many cases, automated testing can reduce the burden on testers in critical sprints. automation is start into the foldBut it's still important to highlight use cases that can be replicated for immediate impact.

Regression testing is a typical example. As new versions become available, this testing is essential to ensure that no new content negatively impacts the functionality of existing content. Given that there is not much subjectivity in this verification, test automation can be deployed to run basic test scripts that track key objects against a large number of variables and instances.

As more and more basic test scripts are established during development, the time and resources available will start to increase, freeing up testers for manual work where it matters most. This is the factor that can account for nuances such as sensory feedback and the subjective "feel" of a product.

Combining these methods can produce excellent results without sacrificing XR product quality.

Retrievable test scripts for security compliance

Different kinds organizations are emerging To standardize security measures for VR, AR and other mixed reality technologies. Whether working in the broader metaverse, or specific to an industry such as manufacturing, XR developers can expect various governing bodies to validate their work from a security and functionality standpoint.

With test automation, the ability to meet these criteria is made much simpler through retrievable scripts. As opposed to tracking manual tests, the QA team can compile a database of various scripts that perform basic checks and show how many times each script was run.

This provides a reliable, measurable approach to security compliance, which may prove critical to a variety of industries in the future.

Reduce VR motion sickness

One difficulty worth considering is motion sickness experienced by manual testers. While VR is only one part of the broader XR ecosystem, it's a notable one. In fact, 91% Enterprise Are using or planning to take advantage of VR or AR technology. This means that software and hardware output will continue to increase substantially. Given roughly 1 in 3 people suffer from motion sickness When using VR, this means that the QA team needs to plan accordingly for this artificial barrier.

Thankfully, some test automation tools offer simulated XR input support, which means that the headset and its corresponding input can be replicated during automated testing. This is another way developers can save time on functional verification while avoiding difficulties or brief delays caused by motion sickness.

Facing the ever-evolving XR industry head-on

Manual testing should always play a role in validating XR products. But with the growing importance of quality, rising XR adoption, and more money entering the market, all quality professionals need to consider implementing test automation.

At the end of the day, XR hardware and software are built by humans for other people to use. Manual testing will always be required to verify the "human touch," but emerging test automation capabilities can help with rigorous, repetitive forms of testing. If more XR products of better quality can be produced in less time, the technology can realize its potential to save lives, innovate and transform businesses.

Image/Video Source: GameDriver/YouTube