This year, Lethbridge College’s fourth annual Merging Realities will take a deeper dive into the usability of VR/AR for businesses of all sizes. It is a free multi-faceted program to be hosted over both Zoom and AltSpace platforms on June 8.
“For the past few years, Lethbridge College has trained students in virtual reality, yet many people aren’t fully aware of the value it can bring to their business,” said Kris Hodgson-Bright, Digital Communications and Media instructor and Merging Realities organizer.
“This conference will help people gain a greater appreciation for the incredible opportunities it creates and the ways it can be used in tourism, health care, architecture, and training for all sectors.”
The emerging technologies, including AR & VR, present many opportunities for organizations to create realistic and interactive scenarios that fulfill countless purposes. This year’s event will feature four presentations discussing ideas that can benefit businesses, such as:
The team from Economic Development Lethbridge will outline how the college has helped bring its events to companies and organizations through AltSpace virtual platform.
Alvin Fritz will share how VR/AR has helped modernize his architecture business.
Those involved in the CareGiVR project, which helps train health care professionals to care for people with dementia, will give an update about the Winter 2021 semester.
College researchers involved in a collaborative project with Lethbridge Police Service will discuss the partnership, which explores how VR can be used to help police recruits develop communication skills to deescalate difficult situations.
Last year, the Virtual Reality program deployed 360-degree video and VR to bring realistic training scenarios for students in the Criminal Justice program.
“The demand for VR/AR solution development is dramatically increasing,” said Mike McCready, President’s Applied Research Chair in Virtual and Augmented Reality. “The Spatial Technologies Applied Research and Training (START) initiative at Lethbridge College is working with partners, alongside students and grads, to solve industry challenges with immersive technologies. With our expertise in curriculum design and applied research, we are uniquely positioned to support our partners as they dive into the next computing revolution.”
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