RISE OF THE ROBOT
By Fiona Scott , Features Editor
We all know how important technology , software and automated processes are to us in life and in business these days . From paying car tax , through to getting cash from a hole in the wall , a 3D TV at home , to getting information instantly online – we now have much higher expectations of technology when it comes to our everyday behaviour .
Evidence shows the dominance of technology is set to grow ever more bewildering or exciting over the coming years – depending on your point of view .
From robot boats currently being used by the British military and defence contractors , to driverless cars through to the anticipated use of AI – artificial intelligence – in the finance sector .
Indeed a survey by the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants recently showed 83 per cent of 1,628 members support the idea of more automation if it saves time and money or helps with indecision in their organisations .
Rendermedia
Technology is advancing at an amazingly fast pace and here in Wiltshire we ’ re not immune to it . In our county , we have exciting entrepreneurs who are working at the forefront of emerging and developing tech – especially in the fields of VR , virtual reality , AR , augmented reality and MR mixed reality .
Two companies which have embraced these technologies and are excited about the future are Rendermedia - a virtual and augmented reality studio in Swindon and Curiscope , with bases in Wiltshire and London , which is also using VR and AR to produce ‘ wearable tech ’ with its first product , a T-shirt with a difference , launched in September .
A company based on the Groundwell Industrial Estate in Swindon , Rendermedia is run by husband and wife Mark and Nadine Miles .
Mark has a background in educational software and children ’ s television but has naturally gravitated towards 3D and VR . During his career he ’ s worked for Gerry Anderson at Pinewood Studios where he worked on the Captain Scarlet series in CGI which aired on the Ministry of Mayhem on ITV . He ’ s gradually built up his own Wiltshire business with Nadine and a growing team of passionate developers and designers .
Mark said : “ Over the past three years we have seen the hardware and software platforms mature to a point where we can exploit and bring to life the types of experiences we have had on the back burner until the hardware was ready .”
Among their customers is Airbus where the team have delivered a series of VR scenarios allowing Airbus visitors , clients and staff to experience their major products in a VR environment . This allows the user wearing the technology and be ‘ inside ’ or ‘ outside ’ a product such as a plane or a helicopter . It allows a user to look around inside , outside , find out more technical detail and become immersed in the experience .
Mark said : “ With VR the user or visitor is placed at the centre of everything . They are completely enveloped , and have a real feeling of immersion in the story , product , business and ultimately the brand . This experience triggers emotions and senses and can form a lasting and strong association which is very powerful for marketing , selling and training in any business .”
For manufacturing , aerospace and aviation sectors , Nadine believes virtual reality allows companies to overcome the challenge of ‘ showcasing ’ expensive or made-to-order products .
She said : “ Our work helps overcome such challenges . For an aircraft manufacturer we answer the question ‘ how can we allow someone to feel the sensation of flying across the Welsh Valleys at top speed without actually placing the individual there ?’ The technology we work can create a portable experience at a fraction of the cost .”
But what of the future ? Where is this tech taking us ? For Mark , it ’ s a time of great change .
“ I think it ’ s still very early days to say at the moment there are several players vying to be the go to provider for hardware . I see the next year or so as an interesting one . We saw the same back in the 90s when Internet Explorer , Netscape Navigator and AOL were seeking to be the number 1 internet browser .
“ Today there are many different headsets out there . I think it may split into a home market and more commercial applications . Today we have relationships with hardware manufacturers in this space and work closely with them to be able to help advise , guide and learn as the technology develops .”
For more info : www . rendermedia . co . uk
@ rendermedia
Curiscope
Curiscope is also a VR company which has offices in London and Wiltshire and is run by two entrepreneurs Ben Kidd and Ed Barton . They moved to the Wiltshire area about a year ago .
With a background in CGI and advertising , they decided they wanted to do something different , especially for the education sector . As a consequence they came up with the idea of a Virtuali-Tee – a t-shirt which coupled with an app – allows the user to ‘ go inside ’ a human body .
With the app , the T-shirt shows the inside of a human chest and using a VR headset , a user can have a 360 degree experience of the body . They hope their MR learning app will fire the imagination of schools and children across the world , to make the learning of science more interactive and exciting . They describe their target market as ‘ anyone who is a fan of Pixar ’.
Ben and Ed funded their Virtuali-Tee by raising $ 100,000 on the crowd-funding platform Kickstarter and their first product was launched in September ( Sept 24 ). The T-shirts sell at £ 22 each or $ 30 .
The team have also received global recognition for a 360 degree video placing the viewer underwater in the company of two Great White Sharks . It won an award from the campaigning animal organisation PETA UK for the film which allows users to also see the inner workings of the shark . More products are currently in development .
CEO Ed said : “ We ' re looking forward to advanced 3D recognition technology being made available on mobile phones . When this happens , you remove the need for a physical tracking marker and the opportunities for AR open up exponentially .”
He said at the core of MR / AR / VR is the ability to experience anything , anywhere . In the case of AR , it might be to let anyone design and prototype a model virtually , wherever they may be .
In the case of VR , it might be to put someone in space and give an entirely new perspective on the world .
“ These kinds of developments are fundamental improvements to us as a species . They ' re going to change how we think , they ' re going to change how we learn and ultimately , they will probably change our perception of what it means to be ' present ' somewhere ,” Ed said .
For more info : www . curiscope . com
@ curiscope
16 THE BUSINESS EXCHANGE 2016