Immersive Tech Week launches at the Digital Hub

Immersive Tech

This week the Liberty visited the launch of Immersive Technology Week at the Crane Street premises of the Digital Hub on Thursday November 14th. The week-long celebration focuses around virtual reality and augmented reality experiences. 

TiNK AR is an augmented reality treasure hunt game designed by TU Dublin graduate Stephen Coyle. Players must help a trapped engineer escape his machine by finding missing parts that are scattered around the building using the Android app. 

Coyle was inspired by escape room experiences and interactive smartphone apps. “I like being in a setup environment and you have to solve a puzzle. That’s why I made it but combined it with something like Pokémon Go and added that AR element,” he said. 

TiNK AR combines a physical setting with the virtual world. And, it all started as Coyle’s final year project. With no previous experience, he taught himself how to use AR technology via YouTube videos. Since then, he won an award for innovation from both the Digital Hub and digital marketing agency Dept, whom he now works for. He said, “It worked out for me to take the leap of fate to bring my idea to life.”

Throughout Immersive Technology Week, visitors of the Digital Hub can also try out an Oculus Quest virtual reality headset through which they can experience different interactive realities. Daring guests can even go upside down and under water on a long rollercoaster and get the “Be Thrilled” stamp on the VR Passport they will receive on arrival.

Technologist-in-Residence at the Digital Hub Rodhán Hickey said that the week gives an opportunity for people to come in and see technology that they may not get to use in their day-to-day lives.

He also hoped that it would encourage companies to develop their own VR experiences for their employees. “Maybe this could fit in with your business because some recruitment companies are now using virtual reality to do interviews so we can show them how to use very specific tools,”

Immersive Technology Week takes place from November 14th to 20th and all events are free. Members of the local community are particularly encouraged to attend the events on Saturday to see how far technology has come.