PhD students launch VR hub at Liverpool Science Park

Two PhD students have established a new venture to help SMEs, tech startups and entrepreneurs tap into the multi-billion pound potential of the UK’s growing virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) markets.

Through Realspace, Rob Black and Michael Verity are looking to help British businesses as they embark on VR and AR projects, while also supporting the University of Liverpool’s Virtual Engineering Centre and its Centre for Architecture and Visual Arts.

Based at Liverpool Science Park, the facility will include ‘reality pods’ kitted out with the HTC Vive, a new VR headset created by game developer Valve and Taiwanese tech manufacturer HTC.

Further, the Realspace centre will feature a ‘holodeck’ wall with edge-to-edge stereoscopic 3D projection capabilities and Ultra HD 3D.

Michael said: “This year we expect VR and AR technology to become mainstream with manufacturers like Oculus and HTC launching the first Rift and Vive headsets to customers at the end of March, followed by PlayStation VR in October and Microsoft and Metavision later in the year with the HoloLens and Meta 2, respectively.

“VR and AR also presents real opportunities in so many sectors such as enterprise, gaming, medical, engineering, architecture, design and computing and this growth is set to continue.”

He added: “We want the hub to act as a magnet to attract any businesses in the VR/AR community to come and learn, collaborate and accelerate their technologies.”

Michael’s background is deep-rooted in VR. A co-founder of the S3D Centre, a research facility in Canada with a focus on VR and 3D film, he began his practice-based PhD to study the use of VR and AR technology in interactive urban advertising.

Rob Black, meanwhile, first worked as a computer scientist for tech giant IBM and is today working on a project that explores stereoscopic 3D technology.

The CEO of Liverpool Science Park, Chris Musson, commented: “The hub will be a fantastic place for bright companies in this sector to engage and collaborate on VR and AR technology.

“It just shows how powerful the combination of university research and business can be to create and develop technologies which have the potential to be game changing across the UK and the world.”

Outside of its focus on the fields of VR and AR, Realspace will also provide a home for experimental photographers and filmmakers.

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