While virtual reality technology has been around for over 50 years, its application to everyday life has been slow to catch on.
But that's not to say that it can't be useful – rather, we are just learning the extent of its usefulness.
Kris Holland, Sudbury entrepreneur and president of Pure Realism, a VR content creator that digitally archives real-world spaces, believes that content is key.
“If you don't have content, the technology is meaningless,” he said. “So how do we go about creating and capturing that content?”
In May, Holland was approached by one of his business partners with a problem: How do you connect with businesses around the world without all the necessary travel? Businesses spend thousands of dollars on travel expenses every year, not to mention, the steep carbon footprint left in their wake.
Holland began exploring remote meeting options.
He ventured into VR because his partner's business, which focused on steel fabrication and furnace rebuilds, had a heavy visual aspect. After developing a customized platform, he realized that meeting rooms wouldn't be enough.
“It became clear pretty quickly that one of the issues that existed is getting the real world into the digital space.”
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During his research, Holland stumbled upon a lot of different techniques that just didn't measure up. They were too slow, too imprecise, to create exactly what he was looking for. So he developed his own technology to bridge the gap.
He went to work on a new camera rig featuring 16 cameras combined with lasers to capture real-world spaces in vivid detail.
His rig is brought into a physical space and he takes piles of photos, then relies on software to align them. The software then creates and textures a 3D model for the final product.
The process itself is called photogrammetry, and the end result is a digitally archived space.
When you put the VR headset on, you can immerse yourself into a detailed, life-like experience. You are transported to a place that exists in real life.
“One of the things that we allow companies to do is to put people into a space, allow them to explore, allow them to understand the space in a safe way," said Holland.
His innovative device competes with existing technology because of the speed of capture. It was important for him to be able to develop a fast, simple, and straightforward process that anyone could use.
Typical camera rigs might have two to three cameras, and it could take weeks to create a detailed picture. Holland was able to capture a 23,000-square-foot warehouse in four hours.
Using traditional techniques also doesn't give you the same ability to explore and to capture such realistic detail.
Holland's technology is currently in the development stage.
This fall, students in Cambrian College's Applied Research program will assist the company in building the third-generation version of his camera rig with the help of an Ontario Centres of Excellence grant. Students in welding, fabrication and electrical studies will have a hand in building it.
"We want to build a rig that is solid enough to take quality photos, and to outfit the rig with sensors so that we have a little bit of intelligence behind it," said Mike Commito, the college's director of applied research and innovation.
The applied research program is operated out of Cambrian Innovates, an organization that helps innovators take their product to market by connecting them with funding opportunities, students, staff, and access to facilities.
Holland vouches for the cutting-edge research done by Cambrian students and staff. To show his support, he stood in as an industry partner last June when the school received $1.75 million in federal funding for its expertise in mining research and technology.
Pure Realism is Holland's second business venture. He previously founded Mafic Studios, a computer animation and modeling company, which he's been working on since he left university.
Holland is in a unique position thanks to his technical background. He studied physics and geology in his undergrad, and went on to receive a master's in engineering, giving him the ability to understand what scientists and engineers are doing.
Now, he wants to focus on building a scalable company that can solve real-world problems in almost any industry.
When it comes to his VR technology, your imagination is the only limit. It can be used for remote meetings, health and safety purposes, training and education, employee onboarding, tours of physical spaces, bidding and planning, and more.
When asked what kinds of projects he envisions working on in the future, Holland responded by saying: “One of the things that I discovered as I've been showing this to people is that I shouldn't make that decision. Everybody who sees it sees a different application.”
In Sudbury, the opportunities are numerous. Holland points out that Sudbury has a lot of old, complex buildings.
For example, contractors often notice discrepancies between as-built drawings and what's actually there. Digital scans of physical spaces can prevent problems, save time and money, and facilitate the bidding and planning process.
Police forces and firefighters have also discovered the usefulness of VR as a training tool. Virtual environments allow trainees to explore dangerous scenarios without any real-life risk.
Certain remote facilities operating have also reached out to him to express interest in the VR technology.
With the use of this technology, virtual tours of research labs, operational mines, or other facilities can be made available and accessible to international audiences.
“This is the difference between a million-dollar industry and a hundred-billion dollar industry,” said Holland.
While there are opportunities galore for Pure Realism, they have a very real obstacle in their path.
“We're at a funding nexus," said Holland.
The company is currently looking for investors, content creators, and developers. Pure Realism needs people who can essentially do what Holland can't. This includes game programmers and all-around brilliant minds.
If Pure Realism finds the talent, and the money, they need, they hope to fully commercialize the technology in the next eight months. Once the technology hits the market, the sky is the limit for Pure Realism.
