The Future of Immersive Technologies is to focus on the Value Chain

In times of uncertainty, investments must be accompanied by calm reflection when selecting our travel partners and not just service or product providers.

Today I want to invite you on a journey from the origins of interactive graphics systems to the world of the metaverse with my friend Marlon Molina.

I want to share with all of you the recent interview that the prestigious Computerworld University conducted with me through an old fellow traveler from the early days of Geographic Information Systems, Marlon Molina.

This a unique and passionate opportunity, in which we remember our steps and experiences in the graphic industry, for more than 30 years, Marlon at Intergraph and I at Siemens.

A time in which we feel like authentic active pioneers, and with the luck of being able to share these experiences with the new generations of enthusiasts of the interactive graphic world.

After a brief and charming conversation about the origins of digital image processing, the leadership of Silicon Graphics workstations (all major film productions used this technology, animation and simulation studios, etc…) and its disappearance by complete at present. Coming to the conclusion that the evolution of technology in recent years, leaves us with lights and shadows uncovered, which are repeated today and against which we must remain on guard.

In times of uncertainty, investments must be accompanied by calm reflection when selecting our travel partners and not just service or product providers.

After this brief review of the history of the interactive graphic world, we take a tour of the current state of immersive technologies, #virtual reality, #augmented reality, #Immersive experiences, the #Metaverse, and the new Vision from ONE Digital Consulting.

And one of the first reflections that come to mind is the insistence of the big manufacturers in selling us a wonderful, virtual and better world, without asking me if I am interested, if I like it, or if I simply prefer to solve the problems of this world. from my freedom, intelligence, and personal decision.

Join me in this conversation, only for fans of advanced technologies and their application to real industry. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did during the interview. I am looking forward to hearing your comments.

https://www.computerworlduniversity.es/tendencias/concentrarse-en-la-cadena-de-valor-es-la-clave-para-el-exito-de-la-realidad-virtual-y-aumentada

Have a great and wonderful day.

Carlos J. Ochoa Fernández ©

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Building the Big Forest

I would love to share a very inspirational and personal conversation with Yoshi Garnica, from Impact Revolution.

Disreality is a fantasy journey into the human psyche that takes you on a ride through the twists and turns of that blurred line between what is real and what isn’t. Along the past recent years, let´s defined it as a hybrid experience, I have been walking around the universe of senses, emotions, arts, and social interaction in virtual worlds, as a real opportunity to build a free, democratic, and more sustainable world.

Nowadays, I am truly convinced that we need to act NOW. Tomorrow is too late.

All these reflections come to my mind during the several interviews, sessions, and talks with very good friends of the XR Community. I must say, thanks to all of you, for allowing me to walk along with you and learn together on these «long and winding road of immersive technologies».

You can watch the complete interview here:

Key insights from the interview:

✳ He is living now in a privileged place: Guadarrama Natural Park – https://bit.ly/3dDukjB

✳ Happiest moment in Life: When he becomes a dad – holding his kids.

✳Last Impact Message to the world: “Build a big forest” – Metaphor to build a “big community” as a base for sustainability growth.

✳ The Education system is hard to Change.

✳Blade Runner 2049 (https://bit.ly/3A1Z5WQ is an example that VR did not change that much since 2017.

✳Experience with building Smart Education Labs with VR

✳Important to increase Accessibility of Technology to poorer countries – Reminded me to our last interview with Alfredo Serrano 🙏

✳Favorite professional project: “Music with 5 senses” – Virtual Concerts to CONNECT:

Arts 🔗 Creativity 🔗 Values 🔗 Nature🔗 Citizens

✳VR could help the Coaching Industry facilitate Engagement, Empathy, and Connection. Important the Environment, Story, and Technology used (for interaction). OpenBCI uses Neuroscience with VR.

✳Last Impactful message to Startups and Entrepreneurs ❤: Unique vision, Build Trust, Work a lot, Value Time, Strong Team, Good mentors, Create a Business Plan (importance of performing a Market Analysis, know your competitors!)

Was a great interview Carlos – Many thanks for sharing your valuable time with us. It’s much appreciated.

Best of luck in Revolutionizing the Education System!

All your thoughts and comments are very welcome.

Have a great time.

Carlos J. Ochoa Fernandez

Remembering my time as a student at Babson College.

One of my very best personal experiences throughout my long professional career was being a student in the International Entrepreneurship program at Babson College.

One of my very best personal experiences throughout my long professional career was being a student in the International Entrepreneurship program at Babson College.

In 1998, my past company Siemens decided to anticipate the competition, developing a joint program with Babson College to develop the Entrepreneurial spirit within the organization. Raising the talent of high potential and creating high-performance teams, capable of accelerating the transformation of a product company, into high-value-added services.

I was one of those selected for that program and thanks to that experience, allowed me to develop skills and abilities that helped me design and implement new global business areas at an international level, with a focus always on innovation.

A one-year international program, with professors from the most prestigious business schools, the participation of all managers of business centers and CEOs from different regions, in a spectacular and highly collaborative environment.

I seem to remember that this was one of the first international experiences of this type carried out by Babson College, between 1998 and 1999.

An unforgettable experience and I must thank Siemens and Babson College for that opportunity, whose principles continue to be a world reference today.

Carlos J. Ochoa ©

Humanos Virtuales en el #Metaverso. ¿Y ahora que?

Fija tu rumbo a una estrella y podrás navegar a través de cualquier tormenta. Leonardo Da Vinci.

Humanos Virtuales en el #Metaverse. Congreso Digital Enterprise Show en #Madrid. Parece que, en los últimos meses, y en particular, desde que Mark Zuckerberg lanzó su proclama sobre Meta, ya todo se ha vuelto Meta-Verso. Y algo más que una metáfora, es una nueva dimensión a un mundo paralelo y finito, y que aún hoy, tiene muchos laberintos por desentramar…¿Estamos listos para ello?

El pasado mes de mayo tuve el inmenso placer de presentar estas reflexiones previas en torno a los Meta-humanos, en el Panel de VRARA del Congreso DES celebrado en Madrid y aquí os dejo el video de la presentación.

https://youtu.be/1QGRvcQiWqE

Desde ONE Digital Consulting, llevamos años desarrollando e implantando plataformas virtuales inmersivas para la educación: Talleres, Masterclasses, Formación de Profesores, Proyectos Colaborativos…en donde miles de estudiantes y profesores han participado de esta experiencia, viviéndola de una manera muy innovadora, inspiradora y positiva.

Estas experiencias nos han permitido desarrollar actividades On-Line, en modo síncrono y asíncrono en varios centros y países del mundo. Desde Estados Unidos, a la India, Rusia, Latino América, Europa, España…y contando con los mejores y mas experimentados colaboradores a nivel internacional. Algo inimaginable hace algunos años, hoy marca un punto de inflexión hacia el nuevo paradigma de una Educación Digital, más inclusiva, participativa, colaborativa, inspiradora, igualitaria, limpia y sostenible.

Cualquier comentario, es siempre bienvenido

Carlos J. Ochoa Fernández ©

Reimagining Business Performance with Industry XTR

Industry XTR, are we facing the new paradigm?

Never give up on your dreams. John Ford

It is true that Covid has been a serious blow in the advance towards Industry 4.0 in those companies in transition. Being seriously affected the processes of digital transformation, production, logistics, dependence on raw materials, etc., increased by the lockdown of a large number of organizations. Accepting that 4 key pillars of Industry 4.0 are digitization processes, including standardization, development of new skills and workforce, disruptive innovation processes and investments, it is clear that COVID has paralyzed industrial activity worldwide. And we continue to suffer from its impact today …

After participating in the first face-to-face events and conferences during the last weeks, we meet again and discuss the «state of the art» of our companies, markets and new challenges that we will face in this new scenario.

And it is true, that even today, many are not able to assimilate, that nothing is going to be as before. Although the changes do not occur at the speed that some want us to see, it is true that many activation and acceleration mechanisms have already been put in place in some organizations. Strengthening them in leadership positions and others are being left behind, hopelessly.

If we analyze some of the pillars of Industry 4.0, it is in investments, standardization, skills development and disruptive innovation where the greatest imbalances have occurred. Clearly marking a before and after among some companies, which have been able to adapt to the new situation quickly and activate very solid innovation mechanisms. While others continue to try to compose themselves and return to a pre-pandemic scenario, as a valid point of reference.

Reimagining Business Performance with Industry XTR, are we facing the new paradigm?

Perhaps it is time to take a step further, seeking «exponential acceleration» and trying to find solutions to new problems that we would never have thought before would intercept our society in this way. So, continuing with the transition to Industry 4.0 again, today, no longer makes sense.

From my perspective, today, it is absolutely necessary to rethink the industry model, without trying to return to pre-pandemic scenarios, which would be a long delay and would take us back to 2019.

Rethinking Industry 4.0, facing a new Business Performance process, accelerating the digitization processes, through the integration of disruptive technologies, with the training of new skills, incorporating new forms of more efficient and remote collaborative work, developing assessment platforms, empowerment and loyalty of high-performance teams and decentralizing networks of supply and manufacturing in several poles and suppliers, seeking value in competition in efficiency and innovation, and not only in price, not so dependent on a single country.

Anticipate foreseeable future crisis situations, minimizing the risks and impacts of technological threats, lack of talent to lead change, cybersecurity and virtual transactions, new pandemics, energy crises, climate change, shortage of raw materials and logistics. Just to list a small series of them.

Those who have the new vision of Industry XTR, will be able to lead the transformation of society to a safer and more sustainable planet.

These are some reflections, while I have my cup of coffee and listening my jazz session. Today with Kenny Burrel, enjoy.

Thoughts and ideas are always welcome. Good afternoon and good luck from the RealVerse.

Carlos J. Ochoa Fernández ©

Chronicles from the #RealVerse. Chapter II

Don’t run so fast Metaverse. The great trap of the Meta Boomers.

Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning. Albert Einstein.

We live in an increasingly ephemeral and unequal society. Where the truth hides behind thick layers of images, headlines, screens … and where the speed of things is unreal. I do not know if this unjustified rush is accelerated by the need to flee or escape from ourselves.

So little do we like each other? Do we want to be immortal? Do we want to be other? We do not accept reality? … what is the real question to this paradigm. Maybe the is another answer to that question.

In the real world, nothing moves so fast, nor does society demand such ephemeral generosity, rather democracy, justice, equality, transparency … Searching for the ubiquity of the human being, ethics, transparency, honesty, goodness … .life, still exist … and are all around us, despite the Meta Boomers.

After more than 30 years involved in engineering, advanced technologies and working on real world projects … believe me if I tell you, I have never lived a similar time before. Where everyone is a futurist, visionary, town crier, spokesperson … without adding the slightest ounce of value to society, or to its real problems. Showing once again, that ignorance is very daring.

One of the great barriers to acceptance of advanced technologies is that they are credible, convey truthfulness, solve real problems, and the majority of society accepts and employs them for their mutual benefit.

Yesterday, without going any further, I saw a TV program about advanced robotics, the complexity of programming. The design of processes to teach robots to learn, to program tasks that are very easy for a human, but highly complex for a robot, until the final test is performed. This is a space for little fantasy and a lot of hard work. Today, robotics, 3D, AI, is taught in schools since childhood, it is understood, its contribution, benefits, risks … it is accepted and it lives with us a little more every day.

But this has required a long period of training, development, successful implementation in production processes, at home, in industry, etc … and this is not easy, nor is it free.

However, the futuristic Meta Boomers, the newcomers to this futuristic world, discovered by them of the «Edge-Science», find a context, where everything seems simple and they give free rein to the verb, without the slightest training and with a wide and generous ignorance of the fundamentals, technologies, risks and benefits that these paradises of the future hide … Oops, how scary …

It seems that, if today you do not talk about the Metaverse, you are not «cool» beings, or you simply are not and you are not even … experts in Creative, Educational, Communicative, Digital, and blablative Metaverse, who go even under the stones, even to dare to prophesy that «The Future is in the Metaverse» … Oops how scary

The news of the day, which sweeps the networks, is that Bermuda is in the Metaverse, everyone retweets, and hallucinates, without knowing the vast majority, not even where Bermuda is … in short, “breaking news”.

Barriers to entry? Here is one that spreads like weeds in a natural forest: the Meta Boomers, who are going to leave the field depleted before we wake up from our first dream.

20 years ago, I was extremely lucky to participate in the development of a virtual educational platform. It included customizable avatars, virtual tutors, virtual tours of natural landscapes, interactive games, spaces for teachers, students and parents. In short, an entire educational community based on client-server architecture with hundreds of value-added services: Edutopia. Thousands of children from hundreds of schools in Spain were online users of this platform, now obsolete and lost in the cloud. I have to honestly say that this was available to the entire educational community for free and was beyond many Goals to be drawn in the short-lived near future.

We will see how this continues in the next chapter of Chronicles from RealVerse, enjoying a cup of Colombian coffee listening to John Coltrane, by the way, something real and extraordinary.

Carlos J. Ochoa Fernández ©

Re-innovate or die. And now What else?

Innovate, change or alter something, introducing new features. This is how the dictionary of the real academy defines this word so repeated and with such insistence in these times. There is no doubt that innovation can be redefined in many ways and in fact, it is done and interpreted that way, but if we want to simplify the definitions and make them understand in a simple way, we could say that it is the process of redoing, reinventing something in a different, efficient way that adds value. Think different, act different, reinvent yourself, anticipate, imagine, dream and carry it out with all the passion you are capable of showing.

These have been the keys to the success of some visionaries of the 20th. century, but also that of man throughout the development of its history, however only a select few are on the list of geniuses. Innovation is permanently linked to the evolution of man and it is enough to look around us in an instant of our life, on a street or in an office and look at the elements that surround us and that just a few years ago did not exist and even were unimaginable to think of its single existence in the near future like today.

And it is the “imagination” that allows us to dream of a new world and innovation that materializes it and turns it into reality. These being the key pieces for the beginning of a new cycle, where integrity, intuition, responsibility and creative thinking will be a benchmark for the new visionary companies of the 21st century.

In this minimal corner of the cyber-space, we are going to unravel the keys to Innovation, the barriers we encounter on a daily basis, the potential solutions and the escape routes, in order to come up with a mini guide for entrepreneurs who have decided to reinvent themselves or reinvent their business, promoting innovation at critical points in the value chain of their businesses.

However, over the last few years, it has become clear that beyond innovation there is entrepreneurship. And it is vitally important to understand that “Innovation” has no value until you are able to create a business model around this idea and turn it into a product or service ready to be sold. If you are not able to turn an “Idea” into something that creates customers, this does not work.

And that is when the figure of the entrepreneur makes sense. And that is why it is important to clearly identify and differentiate between innovators and entrepreneurs.

An “Innovator” is fundamentally a creator, a person capable of solving or solving problems in a creative and differential way, with great passion for constant improvement. Innovators are fundamentally thinkers. But an “Entrepreneur” is oriented to action, to the construction or materialization of things. This includes the development of a business around an innovative idea, for its subsequent materialization.

Therefore, when an “innovator” approaches us, with that special sparkle in his eyes and says: !!! I have a great idea!!!.

The entrepreneur’s response is immediate: Can we materialize and monetize it? Who is your target customer? What is the business model? Why will customers go crazy with your product?

Investing in Innovation without a developed entrepreneurship model is like throwing flowers into the sea, they will never grow.

Carlos J. Ochoa Fernández ©

#ImmersiveLearning Environments in Disruptive Advanced #Education #Ecosystems. Episode I.

“The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking.” Albert Einstein.

Man is by nature a social animal. From birth, he absolutely needs others to develop physically and socially. Enhancing our intelligence in the face of our physical weakness. We are social creatures by nature and we need to learn how to be part of society, how to interact with groups of people, and how to work as a team. We are emotional, social, rational beings, with conscience and intentionality, will, freedom and personal identity, ethics…

“The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking.” Albert Einstein.

Man is by nature a social animal. From birth, he absolutely needs others to develop physically and socially. Enhancing our intelligence in the face of our physical weakness. We are social creatures by nature and we need to learn how to be part of society, how to interact with groups of people, and how to work as a team. We are emotional, social, rational beings, with conscience and intentionality, will, freedom and personal identity, ethics…

We live in times of complete uncertainty. The world, had never faced a similar situation as we have today. Where there are too many questions in the air, still waiting for the correct answer, if there are any.

During this last months, I have got the perception that we were trying to hide ourselves into an increasingly virtualized world, behind decomposed avatars, robots or new small particles into a new virtual scenario as part of this new reality. Losing the control of our free brain activity, dominated for external unknown forces, as part of a live experiment drive by some kind of superior intelligence. But with some common feelings…the lack of affection, recognition, and human touch.

In this new world, governments face heedlessly to the new academic year, terrified of a new outbreak that will leave the system naked again, yes, let’s contribute something earthly. Let’s say things by their name, since, after several months of uncertainty, the capacity to anticipate, prepare for this new scenario has been nil and we continue to learn from the mistakes of the recent past.

There are no longer shortcuts, online paths traveled by elements devoid of the minimum preparation to face these new challenges in today’s society.

Today I lost my avatar, and I believe that there is only one possible path, towards the digital transformation in Education, from a completely disruptive and non-evolutionary approach. Since there is no time for it and these generations will not allow it.

Do we want to be remembered as responsible? Or guilty?

Episode I

Why do we want, need Immersive Learning Environments? Is it a new fad? is it a trend in education? does it really add value? is there proven evidence? Not it is not new, but what do we want it for.

  • Create immersive spaces in the image and likeness of real existing classroom spaces, but that adapt to different subjects.? Where classes are taught with immersive Caves / HDMI devices, etc.
  • Create a universal space, accessible by the entire educational community, both inside and outside the classroom, where to share experiences, activities, projects … etc.
  • Develop a learning methodology, where virtual spaces are recreated, with scenes adapted to the contexts and where students actively participate as members of the group. Customizing to your image and likeness? Future open worlds? Contributing your vision of the new virtual classroom?
  • Turn the classroom into an inspiring experience, each and every day of the year.? Are we ready for it?
  • Convert the workshops into creative, interactive and inspiring spaces, where students learn from good practices and develop their skills beyond their limitations?
  • Create multiverse spaces, where futuristic experiences are created, anticipating solutions to the world of the future? From the lessons learned from the past and through the use of new technologies? What would have become of … if we had acted …?
  • Imagine spaces that are transformed and adapted depending on the needs, the context, the problem … simulating unforeseen situations and seeing how the students react.
  • Learn from the silence, the stones, the walls, the art of the works hidden in the walls of history and understand the reason for the evolution of things, the need and the use of inventions … in contexts adapted to time.,

to be continue…

Have a nice and safe day.

Carlos J. Ochoa Fernández ©

#ArtificialIntelligence, #HumanIntelligence and #COVID

Another Brik on the Wall

I have a question. Does anyone have a reasonable answer about that? Today’s COVID data is terrifying: https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/

Hospitals are saturated, professionals are exhausted, the economy collapses, staff morale is on the ground, radical movements are accentuated and mobilize more and more people in unpredictable directions, world leaders are fooled by the pharmaceutical multinationals afterwards to invest millions of euros in the development of vaccines… and all this surrounded by a lack of leadership and incompetence never imagined.

This is not the script of a science fiction or futuristic movie. It is the summary of the real news of today. On the other hand, they tell us, comment, know, that technologies such as AI can help in some way. Artificial Intelligence is a Computer Science Branch that aims at developing intelligent machines that carry out a broad variety of tasks, typically involving human intelligence and expertise. These smart machines are based on experience and historical information, assessing their environment, and conducting appropriate activities.…

So, the question is, as in all this crazy process, we are not capable of applying AI technologies in a way that helps you solve these very serious problems and situations. To design a global health policy, a plan for the sustainability of the planet, a sustainable economic policy… etc. Or it is simply used for the partial benefit of economic interests that do not benefit society as a whole at all. Yes, it seems like an ignorant question,

I know… and I do confess that every day I feel myself more ignorant, because of so much chatter, unable to provide tangible solutions for the benefit of society. Every day we found more digital barriers, more social barriers, more cultural barriers…or it is just another Brik on the Wall?

Have a nice and safe day.

Carlos J. Ochoa Fernández ©

The History Behind the Picture

At the end of the 60s, a small group of young people from Madrid, decided to start entrepreneurial careers in the energy sector. And they planned to go to Germany, the benchmark of heavy industry at that time. A trip to the unknown world for them. An unknown country, an unknown language, an unknown culture,… quite a challenge for that group of people, moved by their concerns, intuition and entrepreneurial inspiration.

Four friends, from very humble families, and with no other financial capacity than the result of their work and personal savings effort, in a small car with their suitcases full of dreams. On the way back, they set up one of the first black heat radiator companies in Spain. Later they created a new industrial facility…and so on. Finally, with a lot of work, effort, and sacrifice, they turned their dreams into reality.

One of those entrepreneurs was my father, from whom I inherited the effort, work, and dedication to developing ideas.

Sometimes, overwhelmed by the artificial speed to which we are subjected, we forget who we are, where we come from, and where we are going. Thanks to your effort and energy, today I can be proud to share this little story in your tribute, recognition, and gratitude to «a good man», my father.

Years later, I started my professional career at Siemens, remembering the first tracks from my father…

In a world where practically everything is trivialized, where irrelevance is rewarded, fake news is the order of the day, our identity is usurped by digital vultures disguised as virtual fairies, many young people pretend to become millionaires by influencing to millions of followers with the most outlandish stupidities, it takes a bit of good sense, to value the things that really have it and to jump a step or two to get out of this crushing mediocrity, to which some ignorantly enlightened visionaries try to lead us.

The picture illustrates the short story related to effort, work, sacrifice and vision of the future, since it is the only toy that I keep on my shelf, and it was his gift from that trip to Germany.

The machine needs to be powered every single day as if it were the last day you are going to go out on the winding and complex paths of life.

Have a nice and safe day.

Carlos J. Ochoa Fernández ©