UNIDO to pilot the use of EON Reality’s Augmented and Virtual Reality knowledge transfer solutions to improve the quality of life in developing countries worldwide
IRVINE, CA, September 11, 2014 – EON Reality Inc., the world leader in Virtual Reality based knowledge transfer for industry, education, and edutainment, is partnering with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) on Augmented and Virtual Reality based knowledge transfer projects. UNIDO sees VR/AR based knowledge transfer solutions as affordable and effective tools for reducing poverty, increasing production capacity, and educating workers in developing countries.
EON’s first pilot project executed for UNIDO is an Augmented Reality application, called LKDF Interact that covers Diesel Engine Operation for the Volvo Selam Vocational Training Center in Ethiopia. Through this project, UNIDO hopes to ensure a steady supply of skilled labor and create job opportunities for Ethiopian youth. The concept behind LKDF Interact can be replicated in other UNIDO projects that focus on industrial skills development, especially projects in the heavy duty vehicle field.
“It is my firm belief that technology and innovation, and their successful transfer, are fundamental pillars of inclusive and sustainable industrial development. UNIDO has consistently been promoting awareness of new technologies, mechanisms to facilitate their transfer, and matchmaking between technology providers and those looking for new technologies. Without technology and innovation, industrialization will not happen, and without industrialization, development will not happen. 3D technology is the next generation of expertise which will be extremely useful for educators and would allow students to gain a deeper understanding on the topic at hand. The important factor is that the technology has become affordable for the developing world,” said Philippe Scholtes, Managing Director of UNIDO.
This is the first step in collaboration between UNIDO’s Learning and Knowledge Development Facility and EON Reality’s Learn for Life Program, which brings Augmented and Virtual Reality based knowledge transfer to communities that need it the most. EON is currently engaged in several similar projects and is actively vetting locations to set up joint Interactive Digital Centers (IDCs) in Africa. These centers are to support improved regional knowledge transfer through Augmented and Virtual Reality, as well as enabling the local population to develop the VR/AR content their communities need.
“The ability to quickly train workers and educate students is key to help grow thriving communities worldwide,” said Mikael Jacobsson, Vice President of Business Development Europe and Africa at EON Reality. “With Augmented and Virtual Reality’s superior knowledge transfer, we feel that applications, like the one developed for Ethiopia, will be crucial in furthering industrialization worldwide and bringing prosperity.”
The LKDF Interact application can be downloaded from Google Play at the following link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.EON.UNIDO
About UNIDO
The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that works towards improving the quality of life of the world’s poor by helping countries achieve sustainable industrial development. UNIDO views industrial development as a means of creating employment and income in order to overcome poverty. It helps developing countries produce goods they can trade on the global market, and helps provide the tools — training, technology, and investment — to make them competitive. At the same time, it encourages production processes that will neither harm the environment nor place too heavy a burden on a country’s limited energy resources.
About the Learning and Knowledge Development Facility (LKDF)
LKDF provides a means to systematically learn from Public Private Development Partnerships (PPDPs) that target vocational training centers (VTCs) and skills development. The initiative is funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and implemented by UNIDO. Current partners include Volvo, Scania, Festo, and training centers in Ethiopia, Iraq and Uruguay. It aims to develop a framework for such partnerships and to promote this type of collaboration. A key objective of LKDF is to disseminate the gathered knowledge for the greater public good.
About EON Reality
EON Reality, Inc. is the world leader in Virtual Reality based knowledge transfer for industry, education, and edutainment. EON Reality provides state-of-the-art 3D display technology for immersive and stereoscopic viewing, from portable tablet PCs and glass free stereo display systems to curved-screen and immersive rooms consisting of multi-channel projection walls. The technology foundation for developing interactive digital content includes importing the most common 3D animation formats into EON’s authoring software and creating modules and applications that can be viewed on various display systems. EON’s technology solutions enable all organizations to more effectively visually communicate, collaborate and accelerate knowledge transfer. For further information, visit www.eonreality.com.
