MEDIA RELEASE                                                         

Mixed Reality Accelerator equips the workforce of the future with ‘fourth industrial revolution’ skills

A first-of-its-kind Microsoft HoloLens summer school has helped train participating students in the pioneering technologies that will characterise the next generation of industry.

Hosted by the University of Hull, the Mixed Reality Accelerator began on 18 June and has seen 24 pioneering students working with leading tech company VISR, Microsoft and major companies including AUDI AG, AB InBev UK (the world’s largest brewer and maker of popular beers like Budweiser, Corona and Stella Artois); Centrica and Indian training innovator LearningMate, ongroundbreaking proof of concepts.

The results could mark the start of a revolutionary shift in the way billions of workers operate, as part of a borderless global economy fueled by intelligent systems.

Stephen Willis, Chief Finance Officer at the University of Hull, said: “It’s not every day an opportunity presents itself to be at the forefront of such a step change and play a part in building the capabilities tomorrow’s workers need to make it happen.

“The Mixed Reality Accelerator has offered exactly that. The students involved have learnt from world-leading experts in Mixed Reality and spatial computing, including Microsoft; have privileged access to cutting-edge technology and the opportunity to develop their work-related skills by applying that to real challenges in collaboration with some of the biggest companies in the world.

“The blend of skills and hands-on experience they have gained makes them uniquely employable and in the future they will be able to go out into our regional, national and international economies and act as catalysts for the large-scale adoption of this game-changing technology.

“We are delighted to have been able to provide this world’s first experience for our students and in particular to do it in partnership with VISR (a company created by one of our graduates) using their groundbreaking platform VERTX.”

He added: “The fact all of this is taking place here at Hull opens up a multitude of opportunities for new applications to boost industry in the region, attract fresh inward investment and kickstart fresh global trade opportunities.”

‘Team Audi’ member Cosmin Dragu, who is a University of Hull Computer Science graduate, said: “Ours is an ambitious project that has seen us combining technologies in ways that have not been done before, involving both machine learning and image recognition to create an interactive user experience, showing them how to construct an engine from scratch.

“For me personally, this is a new area of research I have wanted to get into for some time now and I’m excited because I’m also having the chance to use technologies I’m familiar with in new ways.”

University of Hull Computer Science student Sijan Shrcosh Rana, from ‘Team LearningMate’, added: “Having the opportunity to develop  applications in this field and work with Microsoft and so many other major businesses to create something that could have massive implications across industry, is something that will really stand out on my CV.”

Jan Pflueger, Coordination AR & VR, Center of Competence AR & VR at Audi AG, said: “For us at Audi, innovation and using leading edge technology is a key to success. Mixed Reality will have a big influence on our future way of working.”

Michael Codd, AB InBev’s Digital Marketing and Innovation Lead for Europe, said: “We’re looking at using the technology in the future to empower the pubs by targeting and optimising their activities, benefiting us as a supplier, the outlets themselves and, importantly, the end consumer, whose needs will be better served.”

Greg McKenna, Managing Director of Centrica Storage Ltd., said: “There are a number of potential benefits for us. This technology will enable us to achieve greater cost efficiencies in engineering projects, as well as enhancing safety, which is our top priority.”

LearningMate’s Santosh Vishwakarma, Technical Architect, and Design Specialist Swapnil Nilajkar, said: “We’re very excited to be among the first companies of our kind deploying such Mixed Reality capability to the teaching and training industry.”

*See Notes for Editors below for further details of the individual company projects

VISR Founder and MD Louis Deane added:“Being involved in the change curve that is Mixed Reality development is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the students involved in our accelerator and they’ll be able to look back in 10 or 20 years’ time and say ‘I helped create that’.”

If you have questions about this release, would like to arrange an interview or have any other request related to the Accelerator, please contact Tracy Fletcher on 07983 633385 or email bytracyfletcher@gmail.com

PHOTOS: New images will be available on request after the closing event on Friday August 17. Attached images show Louis Deane, and some members of the student team.

Notes for editors

The projects

The University of Hull and graduate tech company VISR devised the ‘Mixed Reality Accelerator’ as the first initiative of its kind to bring together leading global companies and some of the brightest students, to work on cutting-edge new industrial applications for this type of technology.

Boosting technical excellence – Audi

The challenge

In the case of Audi, their concept could further enhance its reputation for outstanding automobile technology, by using Mixed Reality and machine learning technology to build its mechanics’ skills.

Solution and approach

Using Microsoft HoloLens and the machine vision capabilities of VERTX, the students have created a 3D rendition of an Audi V6 engine and its component parts. They have used thousands of captured images to teach a computer to recognise each part using the latest machine learning techniques for Artificial Intelligence (AI) pattern recognition. This immersive solution could help guide Audi’s new engineers in each step they need to take, using which part, to perform a task in real time, increasing efficiency and minimising human error.

Jan Pflueger, Coordination AR & VR, Center of Competence AR & VR at Audi AG, said: “We’re delighted to have started exploring the potential of this technology early and the Mixed Reality Accelerator was a great opportunity to work with an experienced partner and an excellent team of students.”

Where Mixed Reality will truly transform the experience

The solution could enable Audi to enhance user interactions in nearly every scenario, from automating even complex processes such as repair or mounting guidance, to optimising planning and supporting early design stages, all in support of their ultimate goal of maximising customer satisfaction.

Empowering pub owners – AB InBev

The challenge

AB InBev’s team have focused on helping the brewer, and the bars that serve its beers, better understand and meet customer needs. Pairing the capabilities of Microsoft HoloLens with data analytics, the proof of concept could bring fresh insights and opportunities to their sales forces in serving pub owners.

Solution and approach

The accelerator team have been using a combination of software tools to develop this solution, which will enable the company’s sales representatives to use Microsoft HoloLens to access real-time sales data from connected Internet of Things devices, providing insights into beer quality and wastage on beer pumps, on a product-by-product basis.

Michael Codd, the company’s Digital Marketing and Innovation Lead Europe, said: “We want to use data analytics on everything from customer behaviour and preferences to beer flows and wastage, to help bars better plan their product stocks and promotions.”

Where Mixed Reality will truly transform the experience

It will provide an essential link between data and the physical world, demonstrating how IoT devices, spatial computers and spatially-aware operating systems can support workers in the field, with essential visuals and information available to them in real-time, and hands-free.

Boosting efficiency and safety – Centrica

The challenge

Their team has focused on a Mixed Reality solution that could reduce the time and cost involved in designing and building new engineering solutions, while ensuring the safety of the company’s plants and onsite technicians.

Solution and approach

It centres on using Microsoft HoloLens to create a 3D replica of a unit at the company’s gas processing terminal, Easington in East Yorkshire. The terminal is able to produce enough gas for more than one million homes per day. The team used VISR’s VERTX spatial computing platform to link it to other, real-world information like operating conditions and temperatures, which can reach up to 270 degrees Celsius. This could allow Centrica’s multidisciplinary team of engineers to collaborate, plan and prepare to make modifications without even having to be together in the same room.

Where Mixed Reality will truly transform the experience

Greg McKenna, Managing Director of Centrica Storage Limited, said: “This will start to move our teams away from working on paper plans and slideshows, and towards being able to visualise and remotely collaborate on 3D models from sites across the country, for greater efficiency and safety.

“Our engineers will be able to see and plan for the job and the environment before they enter it, right down to the best access routes and what temperature each part of the equipment is running at to help them prepare for even the most hazardous environments.”

Experiential training – LearningMate

The challenge

This team have forged a new learning solution that has the potential to change the way we all learn, forever. Their proof of concept focuses on helping trainee technicians to maintain an electrical fuse box in live situations, and what they have developed could have infinite implications for any situation in which human beings need to figure out how to perform a task safely and quickly. It also facilitates effective communication, collaboration and mentoring in learning settings, using remote assist technology.

Solution and approach

Working on a real fuse box, the students have used the combined technology of the Microsoft HoloLens, VISR’s VERTX spatial computing platform and Internet of Things (IoT) devices to develop their virtual teaching tool. There are four aspects to their solution: the provision of on-the-job, live information (such as fuse box properties and present status); an interactive guide; remote assistance capability via video calling, and collaborative experience (the potential for two learners to collaborate, virtually, on assembling the box from different, remote locations).

When a technician approaches the box, a credit card-sized computer (a ‘raspberry pi’) inside the box relays specific instructional data regarding regarding the box to his HoloLens headset, giving him step-by-step instructions in the form of a Mixed Reality pop-up. The solution also gives them the ability to collaborate with colleagues where necessary, all with access to real-time and historic data about the installation.

Where Mixed Reality will truly transform the experience

LearningMate’s Vikrant Parab, the company’s Business Analyst, said: “Such immediate, hands-free, interactive learning solutions have huge potential to boost efficiency and save organisations time and money.”

Further background

● For more information about Microsoft HoloLens, visit: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/hololens

● For more information about VISR and the VERTX spatial computing environment, visit: https://www.visr-vr.com