As the Pokemon Go craze continues to sweep the world, Highland firms are being offered the opportunity to find out the benefits augmented reality technology could bring to their business.
A week-long event in Inverness will showcase equipment that can bring a new dimension to a range of sectors, from digital tours, to virtual welding.
As well as offering a chance to try out the technology, there will be a series of sector-specific seminars for businesses during Augmented Reality Week.
Development agency Highlands and Islands Enterprise’s #hellodigital unit has teamed up with Scottish firm Soluis, which specialises in visualisation and 3D animation, to stage the event An Lòchran, on Inverness Campus, from 29 August to 2 September.
Following seminars, running from Monday to Thursday, focusing on the food, drink and tourism, energy, architecture and engineering and health sectors, there will be a showcase open to the public on the Friday.
In addition to the array of augmented and virtual reality equipment available to try, visitors will have the opportunity to enter a computer-generated environment with Soluis’ 4.5 metre immersive dome.
Fergus Bruce, strategic communications manager at Soluis, said: “We are delighted to be working with #hellodigital in delivering Augmented Business Week, as it both relates directly to our industry-leading work in bringing AR and VR to our clients and also offers an excellent platform for local businesses to learn how these technologies are being deployed commercially.
“Augmented Business Week will bring speakers from a number of different commercial, research and innovation disciplines together with businesses from across the Highlands and Islands, and we will see how augmented and virtual reality platforms are set to create a sea-change in how huge numbers of people engage and interact with the world.”
“We very much hope that our audiences will leave with exciting ideas for how they can also activate the value AR and VR undoubtedly offer.”
Expert guest speakers will offer unique insights and real-life case studies during daily seminars, each of which will focus on a different business sector.
April Conroy, HIE’s project manager at #hellodigital, added: “It’s going to be a fascinating week and we look forward to welcoming businesses of all shapes and sizes, and from across the area to see what these technologies can do in practice.”
Full details of the event are available on HIE’s website.
