Augmented Reality Is Coming to Inverness

17th August 2016

Whether it's immersing your next customer in a digital tour, testing your design concepts before investing in production, or developing ways for patients to receive medical advice virtually, technology is opening up new opportunities for business.

#hellodigital has teamed up with Scottish firm Soluis, which specialises in visualisation and 3D animation, to bring augmented and virtual reality technology to Inverness. ‘Augmented Business Week' will be taking place at the #hellodigital demonstration centre at An Lòchran on Inverness Campus from 29 August - 2 September.

There will be an array of augmented and virtual reality equipment available to try out and experience first-hand, and the unique opportunity to step inside a computer-generated environment with Soluis' 4.5 metre immersive dome.

Sessions are being designed for different sectors on each day - with food drink and tourism; energy, architecture and engineering and health all featured, and a showcase open to the general public on the Friday.

During this week long exhibition visitors will be able to explore a world of cutting edge technology and see how augmented and virtual reality can offer fantastic opportunities for businesses across all industries and various areas such as training and education in healthcare, simulation and three-dimensional design in architecture and construction, and remote tours of heritage sites and environments that would otherwise be inaccessible.

Fergus Bruce, Strategic Communications Manager at Soluis, commented: "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.

“Soluis is focussed on using digital visualisation to help our clients communicate with their clients and stakeholders more effectively. We do this through a diverse, integrated skills base that includes computer generated imagery, animation, motions graphics, virtual and augmented reality, and interactive software, hardware and application development. 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.”