BT is launching a series of 5G-based augmented and virtual reality (AR and VR) showcases in the UK to give private enterprises and public sector organisations a taste of how their industries will change with new digital technologies, and a sense of how they might leverage them to embrace this digital transformation. Working under the banner Immersive Spaces, the UK telco said it will build “immersive rooms” on-site with partners, or deliver them by truck to their sites.
It said the project will “simulate real-life environments within an internal or external room, or mobile unit – to create an interactive immersive experience”. The new facilities attach to its EE mobile network, and come with cameras and projectors, and various connected AR/VR gear to deliver interactive “real-life or imagined scenarios in detail”. BT said it is seeing early demand for training use cases in the education, healthcare, retail, transport, and construction sectors, among others. Simulated environments include “lights, sounds, and even smells,” said BT..
It said the new facilities will create “virtual experiences inside operating theatres, buses, warehouses, supermarkets, building sites and arenas”, and are pitched to “any business or organisation with a learning or development requirement”. BT is working with UK-based Immersive Interactive on the scheme. The first users are Cadoxton Primary School in the Vale of Glamorgan in Wales and Borders College in Galashiels in Scotland; both are education institutions, and both are “using the technology to create fully immersive and interactive classrooms”.
A statement said: “Each space comes with a content library of more than 3,000 computer-generated scenarios, real-life environments, games and training experiences. BT Immersive Spaces can be used for anything from training paramedics in a simulated, gamified roadside accident scene or hospital unit, to recreating fan experiences at a football match, important historical moments, or even a trip to a beach in Thailand. The spaces are also compatible with VR, AR and XR technologies to enhance the user experience.”
Alex Foster, director of BT’s Division X business innovation team, said: “This technology has the potential to be a game changer for training and development in any industry. Putting the power of immersive content into the hands of customers allows people to experience learning in a completely new way that is targeted specifically to their needs – which can significantly improve information retention and problem-solving skills.”
David Salt, managing director at Immersive Interactive, said: “Being able to interact with every surface of an immersive room, as well as enjoy additional sounds, smells and sensory effects, allows people to become truly submerged and virtually transported to new environments, as if they were experiencing the real thing. We are thrilled to be working with BT to bring this technology… to businesses and consumers.”
