VALENCIA (EP). Aiju Children’s Products and Leisure Institute of Technology has completed a project on delve into the opportunities offered by exciting technologies in sectors such as toys, healthcare, education and industry: from the creation of commercial catalogs that the customer can immerse themselves in with virtual reality glasses, to the development of programs that make it easier for workers to learn how to operate certain machines.
The line of research and development in the field of exciting technologies, funded by the Valencian Institute of Business Competitiveness (Ivace), focused on “the search for innovation through technology and the improvement of companies’ products thanks to tools such as virtual and augmented reality”, as noted by the ICT and health project manager Aija explained to Europa Press, Jose Carlos Solo.
for one year, The project was completed in September of this year and led to the “development of virtual environments that can complement real environments” as well as expanding Aiju’s knowledge of new immersive technology devices on the market to be able to help companies “in any field or sector” implement those that best suit them target because “there are many companies that don’t have the resources to investigate.” “That’s where we come in to facilitate that technology transition,” he commented.
“The vast majority of toy companies aren’t very big, and if they want to come up with a slightly more innovative product, it’s hard for them. That’s where you have to be to lend them a hand and be able to help them release better products. There are super traditional companies like dolls that are still made by hand and we have to be in touch with them. They know you have to adapt or you will be judged. Children are increasingly playing with tablets, Playstation consoles and computers,” the expert commented.
But the project is focused not only on this sector, but also researchers work in collaboration with various industriesbecause although “many people know Aiju as the Toy Institute”, there are hundreds of related companies from all sectors, from schools and institutes to car companies.” “We are a little bit involved in toys, but we are looking at more,” said Jose Carlos Solo.
Catalog of furniture with virtual reality
For example, in this project, recreated the catalog of the office furniture company Actiu in virtual reality. “When you put the glasses on, you can pick up the chair, pick it up, or look at its textures. It’s a little more interactive catalog so the customer can get a better idea of their products,” he explained.
The researcher emphasized that this catalog is used “as a” showroom “at fairs” and, in addition, if the company has a client located in another country, he and the workers “can connect to one virtual room and Actiu commerce can show models , change the textures and show a more approximate idea of what they can acquire”, – explained Juan Carlos Solo, who notes that this technique allows to minimize costs and expenses.
Gamification of rehabilitation
In addition, exciting technology allows Aiju researchers enter gamification to “learn or rehabilitate while playing”. In healthcare, they have been put into practice in a hospital setting using a bicycle to bring patients in rehabilitation into a “more calm, peaceful and hyper-realistic environment” by donning the glasses.
While “the process is more difficult for a person who has to be alone with the doctor”, “sitting on a bicycle and pedaling while watching the scenery, animals, birds or walking on the beach is much more pleasant and he forgets about the patient . a little, that he is in a hospital under the supervision of doctors,” the expert explained in detail.
In a field of learning focused especially on workers, researchers can connect with four virtual reality platforms that, in addition to visualization, allow the user to scroll, look, and touch controls. “This is used to train workers before starting work on a real machine, so you minimize occupational risks. Four people can work in one virtual room, like on a conveyor,” he clarified.
Also, in an industrial environment, this Aiju project had a machine rebuilt for a company that didn’t know if it would be able to integrate it into its facilities. It was virtually recreated to ensure the feasibility of meeting its dimensions and technical requirements.
“No matter who you are, you have to stay up to date”
“You can extrapolate technological research to everything; after all, the more different sectors or companies you cover, the broader your knowledge and the more global your thinking, which helps companies to be more competitive and position themselves. “better in the markets,” ICT and healthcare project manager Aiju emphasized, before adding that “right now, with the whole issue of ChatGPT and AI, You should always be up to date, no matter what company you are.“.
As for the degree to which these advances have been absorbed by the Valencian fabric, Sola believes that, as “a few years ago, companies were more reluctant to incorporate technology, now we are more on the bandwagon, because at the end of the day you understand, first of all, in a toy you have to adapt or die’, with consoles gaining ground over traditional toys when Christmas rolls around.
The same thing happens when integrating immersive technologies into production processes. “Companies are becoming more aware of manufacturing innovation, there are very artisanal companies, and they can save time or spot a machine going down before it happens,” he explained.
