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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Carlos J. Ochoa “un guiño a la Educación”

“Apostando fuertemente por un nuevo modelo educativo, ilusionante, empático, inclusivo, democrático y sostenible

Presidente VR/AR Madrid Chapter, Co_Chair del Comité de Educación y miembro fundador de Immersive Learning Association, ICICLE X-Reality for Learning and Performance Augmentation SIG. También es fundador y CEO de ONE Digital Consulting, así como autor del Libro Blanco “Best Practices of VR in Education”.

Entrevista realizada por Sonsoles Gallego para Miranos y Unete 2019

Ayer

Empezamos por su infancia, por conocer a ese niño que todos llevamos dentro.

¿Cómo fue su etapa de estudiante?

Recuerdo mi etapa de estudiante como una sucesión de historias emocionantes, irrepetibles y únicas. Años en los que descubres todo con emoción, ilusión y sorpresa. A pesar de ser tiempos difíciles, como fueron los años de la transición, también fueron una oportunidad única para descubrir el valor de las cosas, la necesidad permanente de aprender y establecer amistades con fuerte arraigo que siguen conmigo hasta el día de hoy.
¿Qué recuerdas de ella?

Tuve la inmensa suerte de comenzar el bachiller en el Instituto Ramiro de Maeztu, en la antigua residencia de estudiantes. Un espacio privilegiado, con profesores muy buenos y compañeros extraordinarios. Allí fueron mis comienzos obligados en el baloncesto “Estudiantes” y en la música (otra de mis grandes pasiones), el arte y el cine fórum…en fin. Allí se fue perfilando mi personalidad y algunas de mis aficiones. Tiempos de desarrollo personal, aficiones y bocatas de mejillones…en la Cantina. Y por cierto, íbamos al “insti” en tranvía, el 27, en donde nos colábamos todos los días…)
¿Algún profesor especial?

Bueno, me vienen varios a la memoria. En especial el Sr. Cebada, profesor de matemáticas (una persona entrañable y gran fan del Rock de los 70) y con el que entablé muy buena relación a lo largo de los años. La Sra. Burgos de geografía, historia y arte y que, por casualidades de la vida, coincidí en Siemens con su hijo como compañero de trabajo por varios años. De la Universidad guardo extraordinarios recuerdos de profesores y posteriormente compañeros y amigos. Algunos de aquellos me ayudaron a centrarme profesionalmente y encarar una nueva fase de mi vida con gran vocación disfrutando inmensamente. Recuerdo emocionadamente las clases de Astronomía y Geodesia, las de Fotogrametría y Teledetección, las observaciones a los astros desde la terraza del Instituto Geográfico Nacional… 

¿Cómo fueron sus inicios en la innovación, la realidad virtual y aumentada?

Mi primer gran reto fue en mis inicios profesionales en la Ingeniería, trabajando en Typsa y participando en los años 80 en proyectos de Cartografía Digital, con los primeros ordenadores de Floppy Disk, pantallas graficas Tektronics, los primeros ploters…etc. En Siemens estuve formándome en IT y Geosistemas de Información en Alemania, incorporando la simulación a los proyectos de Ingeniería Avanzada, en los años 90. Y posteriormente en Eptron comenzamos con proyectos de I&D en Realidad Virtual, desarrollo de los primeros navegadores virtuales educacionales y contenidos digitales para el Aula. Esta etapa la recuerdo como la época de Jurasic Park, y las estaciones de trabajo Silicon Graphics. Éramos realmente unos adelantados a nuestro tiempo, en los inicios del nuevo siglo. En 2015 comienzo este nuevo proyecto profesional y me incorporo a la Asociación de VR/AR y el Comité de Educación. A lo largo de estos últimos años, he estado participando en distintos proyectos nacionales e internacionales de VR/AR en la Educación, la Formación y la Ingeniería.

Hoy

Palabra que define su trabajo: Pasión por la innovación.

Proyectos actuales: 

Recientemente he sido seleccionado como experto internacional del iLRN State of XR and Immersive Learning 2019-20. El objetivo fundamental, es crear un Panel de expertos internacionales equilibrado entre líderes académicos y de opinión de la industria, visionarios e innovadores que representen la totalidad del aprendizaje de K-12, a través de la educación superior, el espacio laboral, la comunidad educativa y el aprendizaje permanente.

Así mismo, sigo empujando la iniciativa de “Schools of The Future” que contaré más detalladamente en el Congreso.

Mañana

Haz un guiño a la educación:

Apostando fuertemente por un nuevo modelo Educativo, “Ilusionante, Empático, Inclusivo, Democrático y Sostenible”, capaz de liderar la Transformación Digital, Innovando eficientemente y eliminando barreras de todo tipo.

Especial ponente en el II Congreso de Influencers Educativos

Breve resumen de su Ponencia en el II Congreso de Influencers Educativos:
“Espacios y Experiencias Inmersivas en Educación 4.0”. Las nuevas tecnologías son aplicadas cada día en la industria y nuevos modelos emergentes, que crean importantes oportunidades de empleo y posibilidades de desarrollo empresarial. De acuerdo con las proyecciones establecidas por la Comisión Europea recientemente, la demanda del mercado en especialistas calificados en tecnología de la información y las comunicaciones (TIC) no se cubrirán, ya que en 2020 habrá un déficit de alrededor de 500,000 profesionales de las TIC. Siendo los profesionales de realidad virtual y aumentada los que se encuentran entre aquellos más solicitados en el sector de las TIC.

Es en este contexto vamos a desarrollar un Taller sobre “Formación de Profesores” en las habilidades relevantes para la formación en el aula, la formación y capacitación para el empleo y el desarrollo del espíritu empresarial basado en estas tecnologías.

Entrevista realizada por Sonsoles Gallego.

Las Claves para implantar las Tecnologías Inmersivas en la Educación.

Education is a system; teaching is an action; learning is a process. Terry Heick

Regulación y ética para máquinas, un desafío para los humanos
Analizamos el paradigma tecnológico al que se enfrenta el ser humano desde el punto de vista de los profesionales.

Educar, Educar y Educar…

¿Cómo vamos a formar en realidad virtual? La clave está en “educar, educar y educar”. De esta premisa parte Carlos J. Ochoa Fernández , fundador y CEO de ONE Digital Consulting y Co-Chair VRARA Metaverse on Dec 17 Education Committee, quien visitó nuestro auditorio en una de las sesiones del XR Fest.

Educar de forma transversal en nuevas tecnologías y crear documentos dirigidos a los centros educativos que aporten valor y formen al profesorado, es una tarea ardua pero necesaria. El primer paso es analizar el perfil de los profesores. En ocasiones, –comenta Ochoa– “queremos formar a gente o profesionales que son reacios o que no tienen la formación adecuada para luego impartir a los alumnos”.

Desde su organización, proponen un escrito de buenas prácticas donde reflexionan sobre la ayuda que necesitan los colegios, los docentes y los decisores para comprender la tecnología y ver el sentido de su aplicación en los métodos de enseñanza.

Marjorie NETANGE, directora de Desarrollo y Comunicación de la Escuela Superior de Música Reina Sofía, coincide en que “el docente tiene que trabajar su metodología en términos de cómo integrar la tecnología puntualmente”, pero sostiene que parte de su programa debe seguir una línea tradicional.

Según Angeles Heras Caballero, secretaria de Estado de Universidades de Ciencia, Investigación, Desarrollo e Innovación, es necesario orientar a los alumnos de universidades y posgrados hacia un futuro tecnológico. En España, ya se ha puesto en marcha la construcción de un Comité Científico de Ética, pero es imprescindible que estas normas coexistan con el resto de los actores empresariales, asociaciones e incluso, con otros Estados.

Una sesión, presentada y dirigida por Elena González de la Fuente, responsable del Espacio Fundación Telefónica.

Y con la participación de Ian Forrester, responsable del departamento de I+D de la BBC, el R&D Future Experiences, Pedro Lozano Alcolea, fundador y COO de Imascono, Marjorie NETANGE, directora de Desarrollo y Comunicación de la Escuela Superior de Música Reina SofíaCarlos J. Ochoa Fernández, fundador y CEO de ONE Digital Consulting y presidente de la Asociación VRARA Madrid y co-presidente global del Comité de VR Education de VRARA Metaverse on Dec 17, y Gonzalo Ruipérez García, CTO en EstudioFuture.

XRFEST , Fundación Telefónica Junio 2019.

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 ©

#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 ©

Magical and Mystery Tour around Cultural Heritage. The Immersive Experience

The Magical and Mystery Tour of the City of Cuenca project aims to integrate Virtual Reality technologies and a methodological and scientific approach for the representation of cultures throughout history. This is the result of many years of work by a great team of professionals, which saw the light in web and multiprojection format in the City of Cuenca and after years of work and study, we have reconfigured and recreated in a new context, enriched and expanded with new interactive tools. This is just a first step towards a more comprehensive and up-to-date experience, which will see the light of day in 2021.

Over the last few years, I have had the opportunity to participate in a large number of projects to enhance «Cultural Heritage» through the use of Virtual Reality technologies and, in a very special way, in the reconstruction of ancient spaces in past times, where the architectural recreation of them requires the perfect coordination of experts, archaeologists, artists, engineers, creatives … in short, a group of professionals with highly specialized profiles.

From the reconstruction of the cities of León in Roman or Visigoth times, Soria and Romanesque, Ronda and its natural environment around its Roman origins, Úbeda and Baeza Renaissance period or Cuenca, land of the three cultures, walking through its Islamic origins until the Christian era.

Although, one of the problems that we encountered years ago was the high cost of bringing these spectacular developments to the public in a simple and accessible way. Since, at that time, we spoke of more than 10 years ago, expensive installations were required, with equipment that needed permanent adjustments and maintenance care. What was left only for the access of some privileged or private exhibitions.

Nowadays, thanks to the evolution of immersive platforms, the accessibility of high-quality devices and autonomy, it is possible to make these projects reach the majority of the population in a very simple way, without the need to travel or simply access from home, but not only that.

The opportunity to integrate tools that allow contextualizing the experience and enriching it with augmented, georeferenced information and on a timeline, is something completely new and innovative. Transferring the visitor to a space in time, where they can experience in first person with these spaces, social and cultural contexts and better understand the what, why and for what of all that. The interrelation between space, time and geography are the key to understanding the culture and evolution of societies and the impact around them. Something that allows us to broaden the focus of what we knew up to now and that helps us to know and interpret the reason for things with greater value.

«Magical and Mystery Tour around the Cultural Heritage» , the immersive experience, has been the first step we have taken, to share these ideas and work and evaluate the result of the experiences and perceptions of visitors to a new immersive space and interactive. Where the times and the route are set by the user himself. Discover by experimenting and letting yourself be carried away by the senses.

The Magical and Mystery Tour of the City of Cuenca project aims to integrate Virtual Reality technologies and a methodological and scientific approach for the representation of cultures throughout history. This is the result of many years of work by a great team of professionals, which saw the light in web and multiprojection format in the City of Cuenca and after years of work and study, we have reconfigured and recreated in a new context, enriched and expanded with new interactive tools. This is just a first step towards a more comprehensive and up-to-date experience, which will see the light of day in 2021.

The final sample is a complete «Virtual Tour» through the culture, art, architecture, industry and society of the Muslim Civilization in Cuenca / KunKa during the period from the 10th to the 11th century, (Spain). A recent data has been revealed by the archaeologist Santiago David Domínguez, in which according to carbon 14 tests carried out on lime samples collected in the Muslim area of ​​the Cuenca castle wall and the Huécar park wall, they have revealed that the city was founded between the years 950 and 1032. Something that brings more light to the work carried out to date.

Live a virtual journey to those years, strolling through the narrow streets of this fortress, letting yourself be carried away by the imagination and the smells of a wild nature in a very special geographical context. In this virtual exhibition, you can see and feel in the first person, the evolution of the Islamic origins of the City by visiting the «Virtual Reconstruction of the Islamic City», being able to georeferenced and locate the exact location of the ancient city by means of a project developed with «Google Earth VR Pro». Likewise, we can observe the impact and influence of science, culture and social life of the Caliphate of Córdoba, through the work carried out through the study of the «Thousand inventions of the Muslims» and their development and dissemination in the Iberian Peninsula. Here we can observe and manipulate different elements and objects of the time recreated in 3 dimensions. And finally to be able to visit the actual physical space today, through «360º Videos Tour» around the recreated spaces. From the walls and ruins of the castle, streets and the gorges of Jucar and Huecar.

«Magical and Mystery Tour around the Cultural Heritage» of Cuenca, is a unique experience that was born with the vision of being a cultural and transmedia platform, as a multicultural support where cultural heritage, history, archeology, society and art in its many facets are accommodated.

In short, a space full of life open to imagination and the discovery of magical worlds, from Islamic to Christian times to the present day.

Crossroads of cultures that today can be explored thanks to immersive technologies from a spectacular perspective. More than ten years of work, which are now coming to light, thanks to immersive technologies, incorporating the virtual visit to the City of Kunka in Islamic times, to integration with current 360º videos, or flights through the city from Google Earth to recognize the vestiges of those ancestors who filled the city of Cuenca with magic.

I want to dedicate a special section to the musical contribution carried out by the extraordinary composer, musician and friend Chema Vilchez. We have treated the sound in a very special way, natural and recreating sensations that allow you to enjoy a total immersive experience, transferring the body and soul to a recent past full of nuances yet to be discovered.

The land of the three cultures brings magic and charm to this first phase of the project. Advanced immersive multimedia technologies in 3D are the powerful tool to create value around Cultural Heritage and a support for the promotion of sustainable and valuable Tourism.

Today, more than 3,000 visitors from around the world have registered their passage through the virtual exhibition, something that in a face-to-face way would have been completely unimaginable due to the pandemic and its impact on culture, museums and exhibitions .

And finally and not least, I want to thank the magnificent team of professionals who have collaborated throughout these years in this project, and Frame.VR and ONE Digital Consulting for their amazing contribution and technological support to the project.

Have a nice and safe day.

Carlos J. Ochoa Fernández ©

The New «Immersive Learning Experience» Paradigm.

Personal highlights from the “Immersive Learning Research Network 2020 Conference” #iLRN2020

Last June, I had the honor of participating in the Immersive Learning Research Network International Virtual Conference held in the VR collaboration platform VirBELA, and through live streams on iLRN’s Youtube channel.

During the 5 days Virtual Event, hundreds of speakers from all continents, conferences, panel discussions, networking meetings, poster sessions, showcases, live demos, and many other social events were organized by an amazing team of professionals and volunteers.

It is evident, that due to the #Covid and its impact worldwide, the spread of virtual events has been exponential, and with it, the opportunity to participate in global events around the world, without having to move from one place to another, suffer the terrible jet-lags and the consequent savings for the pocket. But if there is something that, especially for me, has special relevance, it is the opportunity to share experiences with experts from all over the world, which would otherwise be materially impossible. Having this wide spectrum of professionals in the same setting, event, campus, or networking activity is a unique opportunity that not everyone knows how to take advantage of and organize properly.

The organization of a global event like that is something really complex. But if this is virtual, and you have to coordinate equipment, rooms, people, and technology in real-time and at a distance … this is much more complex and is not available to everyone. This requires planning, resources, teamwork, and good technology partners. And all of this was brilliantly accomplished during Immersive Learning Research Network. So, my first words are of recognition, gratitude, and congratulations to the whole team.

Personally, it was a magnificent experience, and having the opportunity to meet great friends and colleagues was very refreshing and healthy for the mind. There is always that moment, in which you see someone, you approach to greet him … and you realize that you are an avatar, talking to another avatar … but it is you and it is him. That is really mind-blowing and fantastic at the same time. But I’m counting the days when I can really come up in person and give my friend a real hug … congratulations on that. Very good work.

Professionally and academically speaking, I found it very inspiring due to the number of conferences and presentations that I was able to attend and in which I was able to see first-hand, the real use cases of VR in academic institutions, its evolution and ongoing projects , as well as its vision and evolution for the coming years.

At this point, an article that I recently reread about «It will be 2016 the year of the definitive takeoff of VR / AR» comes to mind. And every year it seems that we keep asking ourselves the same question, without being really aware that this technology is implanted in those industries where it provides value, competitive advantages, and cost savings. But it is constantly evolving and there are multiple ways of using it and adapting to the environments of use. The truth is that there is still a long way to go and meetings like this allow us to confront experiences, opinions and evaluate the degree of progress and results of these experiences. But we will talk about this later.

My contribution was concentrated in two main activities: a presentation and the presentation of the «Magical and Mistry Tour around the Cultural Heritage» showcase.

The Magical and Mystery Tour around Cultural Heritage of Cuenca, it is a unique project experience that was born with the vision of being a cultural and transmedia platform, as multicultural support where cultural heritage, history, archeology, society, and music are accommodated. In short, a space full of life and spaces for imagination and the discovery of magical worlds, from the Islamic to Christian times to the present day. Crossroads of cultures that can be traveled today thanks to immersive technologies from a unique perspective.

More than ten years of work, from the beginnings of the first Islamic reconstructions to the integration with current 360º videos, or flights around the city from Google Earth to recognize the vestiges of those ancestors who filled the city of Cuenca with magic. Advanced 3d immersive multimedia technologies are a powerful tool to create value around the Cultural Heritage. The Magical and Mystery Tour around the City of Cuenca project is aimed to integrate Virtual Reality technologies and methodological and scientific approaches for the representation of cultures across history.

And last but not least, I want to express my most sincere gratitude to Anna Xygkou for the permanent support, and the amazing intro to my session, and the amazing team with Jonathon Richter, Heather Dodds, Donna McTaggart, Tiago Peres, Mark J. Lee, and all the friends and more I met there…Lorelle Vanfoseen, Karen Alexander, Lucia Binotti, Tim Jackson, Julie Andersen Smithson, Daniel Dyboski-Bryant, Amanda Fox, Rob Theriault, and Patrick O’Shea from Versatilist Podcast…;+)

Have a nice and safe day.

Carlos J. Ochoa Fernández ©

#VIRTUALREALITY platforms for #VR in #EDUCATION and #CORONAVIRUS.

Today, due to the coronavirus pandemic, a large part of the world population is confined at their homes and millions of children around the world have closed schools. A situation that forces all education community, to search for efficient and possible alternatives, in order to keep up the pace of the educational year and keep the attention of students in their educational activity.

These days there are many alternatives offering quickly and running like miraculous solutions capable of solving even the unimaginable.

But the truth is that between 17/22 of February, thanks to the initiative of Educators In VR, a group of teachers, students and volunteers from all over the world, with the sponsorship, among others of the VR/AR Association and the #Education Committee. During these days, we were able to bring together more than 150 speakers, almost 100 volunteers and several thousand attendees to the largest Virtual World Event on Education ever imagined. A six days non-stop Summit, with speakers from all continents, in a marathon week in perfect coordination. An exceptional work and developed with great professionalism and enthusiasm by a group of authentic pioneers, among whom we can give thanks for meeting and having lived that fantastic experience in first person.

2020 Educators in VR International Summit brings together educators, learners, researchers, and experts in VR, AR, and XR to share their passion for integrating immersive technology in education.

We want to thank Daniel Dyboski-Bryant, alma-matter of the Summit and Lorelle VanFossen to make it happened: «More than 150 top speakers from all over the world during more than 100 sessions in 6 days». It was just an amazing experience as «Really Pioneers» and putting in common best practices, lessons learned and case studies in #VR / #AR in #Education.

During this event, the VR/AR Association #Education Committee in collaboration with MetaVRse and ONE Digital Consulting organized the #VRARA Panel.

Julie Andersen Smithson, and Carlos J. Ochoa Fernandez ,leaded the conversation with the contribution of Olivia Wenzel and Pat Owens. During the presentation, we talked about our mission and activities to promote and develop a professional VR in Education Global Ecosystem, working with top professionals and top companies all around the world.

The VR/AR Association is an international organization designed to foster collaboration between innovative companies and people in the VR and AR ecosystem that accelerates growth, fosters research and education, helps develop industry standards, connects member organizations and promotes the services of member companies. There are over 70 VRARA chapters, with more than 30 Industry experts Committees around the world that meet regularly in person and online.

Carlos J. Ochoa Fernandez is President of VR/AR Association, Madrid and Co_Chair of Education Committee.

Now you can see the complete session here, and get the immersive perception of what is Immersive Learning in #VRSpaces.

Have a nice day.

Carlos J. Ochoa Fernández ©

Education is Open 24/7/365

We are living under complex scenarios of uncertainty. The world faces so many #health & #environmental challenges, and #Immersive Technologies can be part of the solution.

We are living under complex scenarios of uncertainty. The world faces so many #health & #environmental challenges, and #Immersive Technologies can be part of the solution.

In these new times, we must remain calm and opt for consistent and sustainable solutions and proposals. Sometimes these changes are a band aid solution rather than a long-term fix global problem with short-term measures. There are no shortcuts, since from these unpredictable situations we must learn and take advantage of future scenarios of uncertainty.

Experience, knowledge and imagination must allow us to provide ecosystems of certainty and sustainability. And always in perfect harmony with all the components of the Educational Ecosystem.

During the last years, we have been involved in many «International Projects» regarding Immersive Technologies in Education. In Spain with different organizations and Teachers Associations Grupo MYU, in United Arab Emirates with the Ministry of Education, implementing #SmartEducationLabs in 6 public schools and with the European Union (Germany, Estonia, Lithuania and Spain) #Jobs4Tech program, designing and implementing curriculums and methodologies in VR/AR technologies to train the teachers from Vocational Centers and K12 all around Europe.

Recently, we were involved in Educators In VR global Summit in close cooperation with VR/AR Association Education Committee. Educators in VR made history a couple of weeks ago by holding the largest immersive virtual conference, the 2020 Educators in VR International Summit. It featured 170 speakers in over 150 events on 5 different virtual platforms over 6 days, and an estimated 6,000 people attended.

And last but not least, as Co-Chair of VRAR Association Education Committee and my company ONE Digital Consulting as sponsor of the Committee, we are working in close cooperation with all our members on: Best Practices, helping organizations to implement VR/AR at Schools and organizing «Virtual Meetings» every 2 weeks with the most relevant experts in VRAR in Education around the world.

This experience and global perspective give us the opportunity to offer to the education community our knowledge and contrasted experience to implement realistic and sustainable solutions right now.

For more info, you can contact direct to me: carlos.ochoa@onedigitalconsulting.

Have a nice day.

Carlos J. Ochoa Fernández ©

VR Day in Madrid 2019

Carlos J. Ochoa, Co_Chair VRARA Education Committee. Madrid 23.11.2019

This weekend the Madrid VRAR Association participated in the VRDayMadrid 2019, within the “Virtual Reality World Day” framework. An event organized by xRWorldMadrid, an independent VR/AR group, sponsored by Everys, GreySkull and butic The New School and supported by VR/AR Association, Samsung, Talent Garden and RealoVirtual.

As one of the world’s referenced VR/AR live events, the VRDay draws industry experts from many verticals and enthusiasts from companies and universities to explore the latest advancements, knowledge and prototypes in VR/AR technology. During the complete Saturday, more than 200 attendants, 20+ speakers, 10+ exhibitors, 5 thematic round tables, 2 workshops and 2 masterclasses and an amazing demo zone with more than 10 VRAR experiences and a live performance, 2019 was the biggest year yet (according the organization).

The VRARA was represented by the Chapter President and Co_Chair of Education, Carlos J. Ochoa and 4 of our most relevant Spanish members and executives from: Seabery, Virtualware, participating in the Industry panel, Visyon presenting the Masterclass ElCano360 and ONE digital consulting in the Education and Training panel.

We were invited to participate in the Roundtable of VR in Education, to talk about future scenarios of «Training of Educators of the Future». An excellent panel of experts with the participation of Chelu Martin from the IE Business School, Gonzalo Mariscal from XRLab of the European University, Carlos J. Ochoa of VR/AR Association and ONE Digital Consulting and the and moderated by Marco Antonio Fernández of Butic the New School .It was a very special opportunity to contrast the state of VR / AR in Education, from different points of view: University labs, teachers and industry. This allowed us contrasting realities materialized in ongoing projects, and new challenges that are drawn on a very attractive and exciting horizon.

We had the opportunity to present the Association Ecosystem and in particular, the activities of the Education Committee, the White Paper of VR in Education and the VR/AR in Education Survey.

I want to express my gratitude to the organization and their team, for the excellent work done hanging the «Sold Out» sign for several weeks before.

“Attending VRDayMadrid was a great opportunity to showcase the strength of the VR/AR ecosystem, and the incredible talent at work, case studies and projection from our members and share experiences and opportunities with other local companies and institutions.” Carlos J. Ochoa, President of the VRAR Association Madrid Chapter.

Media news: Real o Virtual

Carlos J. Ochoa Fernández ©