NEWS RELEASE Monday June 1, 2018
STRICTLY EMBARGOED TO 7AM, TUESDAY 19 JUNE
University of Hull and VISRlaunch the Mixed Reality Accelerator - the world's first Microsoft HoloLens summer school
The University of Hull and graduate tech company VISR are developing revolutionary ‘mixed reality' (MR) technologies for business.
From Monday, 18 June, the University of Hull will host the world's first HoloLens summer school, a programme specifically formulated to help industry to fast-track the adoption of hugely disruptive mixed reality technology and build the participating students towards being experts in this new field of computing.
The Accelerator will see 24 of the University's brightest computer science and digital media students working alongside high-profile global companies to develop revolutionary industry applications through the capabilities offered by Microsoft HoloLens and VISR's cutting-edge spatial computing development environment VERTX.
Over nine weeks, culminating on 17 August, the students will work on projects that trail-blaze the development of new technologies that have the potential to radically change the way in which businesses operate in the future. Ultimately, the combined technology could make life easier for millions of workers and reduce cost to industry by improving communication, efficiency, safety and product quality.
Microsoft is a key advocate for the programme. Leila Martine, Microsoft's Product Marketing Director, said: "The launch of the ‘Mixed Reality Accelerator' by the University of Hull and VISR, is a landmark programme that is specifically designed to enable enterprises to fast-track the adoption of new technologies.
"In this era of profound digital disruption, the majority of industries will experience significant change within two years. It is therefore vital that technology partners and universities come together to create a streamlined approach for the creation of meaningful proof of concepts, which can be quickly tested and return-on-investment (ROI) validated in a way that can then be taken forward by an organisation and integrated into their existing business processes.
"The University of Hull and VISR's Mixed Reality Accelerator is a clear example of this and is a genuinely important partnership as it brings together Microsoft HoloLens, VISR's VERTX, our Azure Cloud platform and the best and brightest university students, with the express purpose of working with world-class enterprises on real challenges. As a result of the programme, I expect to see ground-breaking spatial computing experiences with demonstrable impact.
"Critically, the practical digital skills training that University of Hull students receive will not only help their employability prospects but also ensure that UK companies get state-of-the-art talent to transform the way we create, collaborate and explore in the future."
Recognising the enormous potential of the combined Microsoft and VISR technology, the University of Hull has invested in the Mixed Reality Accelerator and the creation of a first-of-its-kind specialist facility for HoloLens application development, based at its Enterprise Centre.
John Hemingway, Director of ICT at the University of Hull, said: "As a University, it's important for us to not only lead from the front when it comes to cutting-edge technologies, but also to look at how those technologies allow us to create ever more skilled and work-ready graduates.
"We believe strongly in the potential offered by programmes that involve not just education, but also industry and private business as well. The Mixed Reality Accelerator is a great example of this.
"To accomplish this world first, we have invested in new facilities to host the accelerator, including HoloLens devices and a specially tailored working environment to drive innovation and collaboration between students and industry.
"We're excited to move further into the emerging field of spatial computing and establish the University of Hull as a centre of excellence for this kind of innovation."
Louis Deane, a University of Hull graduate who co-founded VISR, one of the earliest Microsoft Mixed Reality partners in Europe, used the example of a car workshop to explain how the technology could impact our working lives.
"The car engineer of the future is going to work very differently to the way they work today. It's exciting because, fundamentally, the task of repairing vehicles has operationally been the same for decades and we have an opportunity to change it.
"The engineer can now work in an environment where, as they approach a vehicle, the HoloLens can recognise where the work has to be carried out and provide direct visual instructions overlaid on the car. Pair this with intelligent devices, such as robots that bring the exact required parts and tools so they're at hand and work with the technician to make them more efficient, and suddenly you're looking at huge increases in cost savings and productivity.
"In order to make this a reality you need three key things: devices capable of providing this kind of smart data, a platform powerful enough to do something meaningful with it and people skilled enough to author such a system. In Hull we have all three!
"The shift we are going to see as a result of this technology over the next 10 to 15 years is going to be astronomical and we are running this programme to allow a group of carefully-selected companies to be first to grasp the opportunity this technology represents," added Louis.
"It is exactly this type of innovative disruption that has made global businesses really sit up and take notice. The fact that it also perfectly aligns to Industry 4.0 and its principles only adds to the excitement around it."
Companies already signed up to the Mixed Reality Accelerator include car maker Audi, global drinks brand AB InBev, energy companyCentricaand India-based digital learning experts,LearningMate.
Audi is looking to use technologies like VERTX, and visual and spatial computing, to improve context awareness and workflow in order to support its technicians.
"For us, it is a great opportunity to bring our experience and vision of future use cases in contact with the experts in the different fields, added with the creativity and knowledge of the team at the University. The intention and goals of the initiative are a perfect fit for our activities and we are looking forward to working together," said Jan Pflueger, Coordination AR & VR, Center of Competence AR & VR at Audi AG.
Centrica's aim is to develop an initial use case to deploy HoloLens capability within Centrica Storage, which produces and processes gas from the Rough gas field located 18 miles off the coast of East Yorkshire. It plans to use the technology to develop 3D modelling of the Easington gas terminal to improve safety and efficiency.
Gus Carroll, Chief Engineer for Centrica, said: "As a leading energy and services company, we're always on the lookout for new innovations that will drive safe, reliable and efficient activities, both for our customers and to continuously improve how we operate as a business.
"In the first instance, we see great potential for HoloLens technology in terms of driving operational excellence, but we also see many opportunities for it across the entire,
end-to-end business to meet the changing needs of our customers."
AB InBev, meanwhile, is looking to explore, create and get user feedback on a mixed reality use case linked to business areas including supply chain, commercial, marketing and people.
Darren Armitage, Innovation & Analytics Dir (Europe), Solutions, said: "AB InBev is excited to support an innovative and unique initiative like this that exposes us to new ways of working and new partners."
ENDS
Notes to editors
●Who are VISR?
Founded in 2015 by Louis Deane and his business partner Lindsay West (who has a background in high-volume manufacturing), VISR is based at the University of Hull's Enterprise Centre and specialises in developing commercial applications for Microsoft HoloLens and spatial computing.
VISR combines the University of Hull's extensive experience in exploring virtual reality with Managing Director Louis' skills as a veteran Xbox games developer to leverage the application of 3D games development techniques and apply them to the rapidly growing mixed reality industry.
The company's flagship product, VERTX, is a space-aware operating system designed to allow users to manipulate and model the real and digital aspects of an environment with the same tool. This capability, when combined with the HoloLens, creates a powerful system that allows HoloLens wearers to manipulate not just designs and 3D assets, but also physical devices such as cameras, Internet of Things devices and programmable logic controller (PLC) systems. This allows users of VERTX to bring machine intelligence to otherwise inanimate objects with ease.
Featuring a powerful web-based design surface, a state-of-the-art Cloud-based file management system and the ability to create bespoke mixed reality experiences at the click of a button, VISR's VERTX environment can benefit multiple sectors, from healthcare to defence.
Importantly, as a unique, ‘off-the-shelf' MR development environment, VERTX lowers the entry point for smaller companies wanting to explore mixed reality solutions without them having to develop from the ground up or get their heads around bulkier, less streamlined tools that weren't established in a world with mixed reality, but only as a reactive afterthought.
VISR is accredited within the Microsoft For Startups and Mixed Reality Partner programmes as a result of the innovative solutions and technical capabilities that it offers to its customers.
Microsoft is a key advocate for the partnership between the University of Hull and VISR and sees significant benefit due to the ability to expedite wider industry adoption of its HoloLens technology.
●The Mixed Reality Accelerator will run from June 18 to August 17 at the University of Hull Enterprise Centre
You are welcome to attend the launch event, which takes place on Tuesday 19 June from noon to 3pm, and includes lunch and networking (12pm-1pm). Presentations will be given by John Hemingway, Director of ICT for the University of Hull; Lorraine Bardeen, Microsoft's GM Studio Manager, Mixed Reality; and Louis Deane, Managing Director of VISR. There will also be demonstrations of HoloLens/VERTX technology and a tour of the new specialist research facility. Representatives from the partner companies involved in the first Accelerator programme will be in attendance. If you would like to come along, please RSVP to Tracy Fletcher, contact details below.
●For more information aboutMicrosoft HoloLens, visit:https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/hololens
●For more informationabout VISR and the VERTX spatial computing environment, visit:https://www.visr-vr.com
●If you have questions about this release, would like to arrange an interview or have any other request related to the Accelerator, contact Tracy Fletcher on 07983 633385 or emailbytracyfletcher@gmail.com
Please note, photographs and a video showing the HoloLens/VERTX technology in action will be made available - please email Tracy to request copies if required.