Once again, the Smart Government Innovation Lab in Hong Kong has come through with a new solution, developed by one of its incubated tech firms. The solution is now ready for acquisition by other firms, government agencies and academic institutions.
Solution Description
The solution is called AR/VR/Interactive Design & Development.
It was developed by a company that has been heavily focusing on creating new experiences with Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) technologies that add in a whole new dimension of sight, sound and interactive connections to brands and products.
Virtual Reality (VR) lets users place themselves into a Virtual World isolated from their surrounding environment through wearing a Head Mounted Display (HMD) over their eyes.
VR is ideal for training that aims to provide an environment for error-less learning, train the procedural memory, and provide priming for a repetitive learning environment.
Augmented Reality (AR) is a powerful tool that combines elements of the Virtual World such as videos, computer graphics, and 3D models into the Real World.
Application Areas
The solution can be applied in areas of Development, Education, Employment and Labour, Environment, Health, Housing, Infrastructure, Recreation and Culture as well as Social Welfare.
Technologies Used
The solution employs a variety of technologies, mainly Artificial Intelligence (AI), Augmented Reality, Blockchain, Cloud Computing, Data Analytics, Machine Learning, Mixed Reality, Mobile Technologies and Virtual Reality.
Use case
The company has been designing and developing a wide range of VR projects for use in areas such as health and safety training, operation training, driving simulation, customer service training, entertainment and occupational therapy.
The firm has also been adopting AR technology into a wide range of creative projects, such as a brochure, annual report, exhibition, children toy, product directory, colouring book and maintenance.
AR/VR innovations in Hong Kong
OpenGov Asia has covered the rise of AR/VR technologies in Hong Kong.
In December 2019, we reported that a team at the information technology company of a renowned local entrepreneur has been hard at work developing a virtual reality application that enables designers and their clients to walk through different versions of their home or office without having to physically move a single piece of furniture.
From the colour of the walls to the style of fixtures and fittings, the app caters to all personal tastes and design ideas.
The company has customers who are interior designers or furniture retailers. The virtual reality application brings their sketches to life. Designers in the past needed weeks to produce sketches. Now they can make designs instantly.
Up to 40% of the application was developed at Smart-Space 8 in Tsuen Wan, Cyberport’s first co-working space outside its main Pok Fu Lam campus.
Later, in February 2020, OpenGov Asia reported that as a result of the Covid-19 outbreak, the Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering (IMSE) of the Faculty of Engineering at The University of Hong Kong (HKU) has deployed an innovative interactive platform based on internet technology and virtual reality (VR) to deliver online teaching and learning, to reduce contact among students.
At the beginning of February, after the Chinese New Year this year, the Department completed the setup of the interactive platform.
Two courses, including one from the Industrial Engineering curriculum and an HKU Common Core course, have made use of the online video communication platform Zoom and the imseCAVE VR technology.
This is based on research and development from HKU researchers at the Department of IMSE with support from the Innovation and Technology Commission and Industrial collaborators.
The platform enables teachers and students to communicate and exchange knowledge in an interactive virtual environment over the Internet.
About the Smart Government Innovation Lab
In 2018, the Government established the Smart Government Innovation Lab to explore hi-tech products such as AI and relevant technologies, including machine learning, big data analytics, cognitive systems and intelligent agent, as well as blockchain and robotics from firms, especially local start-ups.
The Lab is always on the lookout for innovation and technology (I&T) solutions that are conducive to enhancing public services or their operational effectiveness.