Virtual reality system for retail store design

A method of streaming microphone audio data in a virtual reality system for retail store design, the method comprising:

• providing a plurality of computing devices coupled to a network and a virtual reality server each having a display assembly configured to render virtual reality spaces and objects, wherein at least one of the computing devices comprises a virtual reality headset configured to be worn by a user;
• providing at least one microphone and at least one speaker associated with each computing device;
• sensing, with one or more tracking cameras associated with the headset, a position of the user's hands relative to the headset worn by the user;
• and
• streaming microphone audio data from the microphone associated with the headset to speakers associated with the other of the plurality of computing devices when one of the user's hands associated with the headset is located a threshold distance from the tracking cameras associated with the headset.

A virtual reality system for retail store design comprising

• a network;
• a virtual reality server coupled to the network;
• a plurality of computing devices coupled to the network and the virtual reality server, each computing device configured to be operated by a user and including a display assembly configured to render virtual reality spaces and objects;
• and
• wherein the virtual reality server is configured to render a virtual palette containing a plurality of available product assets in virtual form and to render a virtual retail display unit, the rendered virtual product assets being dimensionally accurate digital representations of real world products and the rendered virtual retail display unit being a dimensionally accurate digital representation of a real world retail display unit so that the user is configured to fill the space on the rendered virtual retail display unit with a limited quantity of rendered virtual product assets;
• and
• wherein the user operates the computing device to select one or more rendered virtual product assets to virtually merchandise the rendered retail display fixture;
• and
• wherein location and position data associated with the virtual product assets virtually merchandised on the virtual retail display unit are exported into a data file for use in reproducing real merchandising of a real retail display unit in the real world.