Extended Reality (XR) is game-changing technology, and Queensland has the talent to become a global player in this booming industry.
Over the past decade, the global use of XR – a term that encompasses virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) – has increased exponentially, with new hardware and software creating use cases across a range of industries from healthcare, manufacturing, and space exploration, to defence, energy and education.
Queensland has long been a hotspot for cutting-edge XR capabilities due to its early adoption of VR within the video games industry and leading university research focus on emerging technologies.
Recognising the enormous potential for Queensland to be a major global player, the Queensland XR Hub was established in June 2020 with the support of Advance Queensland, to help supercharge the state’s XR ecosystem.
Much of the work at the XR Hub focuses on understanding and breaking down barriers to adoption, and the facilitation of partnerships between local XR startups and SMEs and the organisations that could benefit from XR-based solutions.
Last year, for example, Suntory – a leading beverage manufacturer and distributor for popular brands such as V Energy, BOSS Coffee and Pepsi – announced it would invest more than $400 million to build a state-of-the-art manufacturing and distribution facility in Swanbank, Queensland.
The company was looking for innovative ideas to improve its staff induction, safety and training program for the new facility, which presented a perfect challenge for the Queensland XR community.
The XR Hub partnered with Suntory Oceania and Advance Queensland to organise an “immersive pitch challenge” to seek innovative solutions from local XR talent.
From four finalists, Fortitude Valley-based Nexefy won the competition, earning them $80,000 to develop a proof-of-concept (PoC) XR solution and the chance to work with Suntory Oceania to build its XR capability throughout the new facility.
Suntory’s Swanbank facility is due to open for business this year, with Nexefy’s PoC solution playing a vital role in site inductions. Thanks to the success of the initial project, Suntory is exploring opportunities to expand and refine the solution for use in all new facilities, both in Australia and beyond.
Another great partnership example is between HINDSITE Industries and Boeing. HINDSITE, headquartered in Brisbane, uses its SaaS platform to provide remote support and guide workers through complex technical tasks with graphical instructions and workflows made available on the job.
HINDSITE’s innovative solution for training won the XR Hub’s inaugural immersive pitch challenge with Boeing in 2022. Its technology has been used by Boeing on its super high-tech Ghost Bat drones.
Investment in XR in Australia is estimated to generate up to $1.35 billion in 2024, and the market is expected to grow about 10 per cent every year for the foreseeable future. It is an exciting time to be working in XR, however there can still be some challenges and significant barriers to entry.
Supporting companies with design, development, and potential “pitch” funding for PoCs is one way to lower barriers to adoption.
We have also found that many bespoke XR experiences, created to fulfil specific needs or address specific problems, can be applied or adapted for different applications. We therefore facilitate opportunities for companies to promote this work to potential clients through industry showcases and networking events.
XR evolution continues to accelerate
The fact that this technology is evolving so quickly is exciting, however keeping up with these developments is challenging, both for XR companies and the organisations considering using the technology.
The sheer number of applications and options can be overwhelming, and we often speak to businesses that are extremely interested in XR but have no idea where to start.
Successful adoption needs to be accompanied by a clear strategy and understanding of how XR will be used. For example, where laptops and iPads are generally purchased for individuals, XR headsets tend to be utilised by a number of different people for different purposes.
Organisations will have to examine how they deploy and access XR in a meaningful way, so it integrates with their existing HR, IT and learning management systems.
Another challenge can be the perception and understanding of what XR technology actually is. While awareness is certainly growing, many people still hold the view that the technology is clunky, difficult to use, and used primarily for gaming.
The reality is that recent advances in XR hardware have created more portable, powerful and useful headsets at far more affordable costs, with the restriction of being tethered to a computer quickly becoming a thing of the past.
Combine these advances with innovative software and compelling statistics for learning and information retention, and XR becomes impossible to ignore.
A 2022 report published by PwC, The US Metaverse Survey, found that there is a four-fold improvement in focus and learning speed through VR, and that these learners are 275 per cent more confident in applying skills compared to traditional classroom learners.
According to the National Training Laboratory, knowledge retention rates from VR learning is 75 per cent, compared with 10 per cent for reading and just five per cent for lectures.
It’s not surprising that training and education are some of the most popular applications for XR. Brisbane-based Real Serious Games was part of a team that developed a VR game designed to educate people about the dangers of skin cancer and its treatments by being virtually miniaturised to a cellular level and witnessing first-hand how the treatments work.
There are similar teaching aids for chemistry and physics, and they are mind blowing.
Without the constraints of a real-world environment, XR is a uniquely powerful tool for remote work and training, reducing risk and saving time and travel resources.
For example, workers can practise high-risk tasks in a virtual environment, gaining significant real-world experience – without any actual risk.
This immersion in a realistic representation of the scenario enhances retention and recall, making it superior to traditional classroom learning.
Another popular XR application is helping people build soft skills. North Queensland-based People Tech Revolution (PTR) worked with Mater to create a unique VR experience that helps medical staff practise difficult conversations by role-playing with a virtual avatar.
This allows staff to talk through different scenarios and provides valuable real-world experience without any risk. Users of the system say it provides a far more realistic experience compared to traditional role-playing exercises, meaning the information gained during the sessions is more likely to stick.
XR is also being used to provide young people with a chance to experience a “day in the life” of specific trades or professions.
Work Window’s virtual reality career experiences give high school students a taste of different occupations to help them narrow in on their options and more confidently take the next steps in their career development journey.
Collaborating with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, startup studio Imagine Realities developed an immersive educational platform for regional school students to better engage with the Brisbane-based orchestra.
We also saw the enormous potential for XR in sports at Advance Queensland’s National Rugby League (NRL) Tech Showcase in May 2024.
Hosted during the NRL Magic Round at Brisbane’s startup hub The Precinct, the event provided an opportunity for a number of Queensland XR companies to showcase innovative solutions for enhancing skills, coaching and fan engagement.
XR can be an extremely powerful and transformative force limited only by the imagination. It can provide elegant solutions for a diverse range of challenges across almost every industry vertical.
The latest evolution of XR hardware is slick, efficient, and far lighter and more affordable than the earlier generations.
Here at the Queensland XR Hub we are proud to be a focal point of the state’s incredible pool of XR talent. We are always seeking new opportunities to support the continued growth and success of our community and ecosystem.
Rhiannon Phillips, CEO, Queensland XRHub. Rhiannon is also the founder and creative director of Double Dash Interactive. She was previously industry fellow at Griffith University’s Griffith Centre for Social and Cultural Research and holds a Bachelor of Music (Hons) in music performance from The University of Queensland.
Emma Murtagh, operations manager, Queensland XRHub. Emma is also engineering and production manager at Real Serious Games where she has worked for 14 years in a variety of engineering roles. She holds a Bachelor of Civil Engineering from QUT.
Alanna Koh, manager of engagement and experience, Queensland XR Hub. Alanna has previously worked as a psychology examiner for Defence Force Recruiting between 2019 and 2022. She holds a Bachelor of Psychological Science from The University of Queensland.
This article is part of The Industry Papers publication by InnovationAus.com. Order your hard copy here. 36 Papers, 48 Authors, 65,000 words, 72 page tabloid newspaper + 32 page insert magazine.
The Industry Papers is a big undertaking and would not be possible without the assistance of our valued sponsors. InnovationAus.com would like to thank Geoscape Australia, The University of Sydney Faculty of Science, the S3B, AirTrunk, InnoFocus, ANDHealth, QIMR Berghofer, Advance Queensland and the Queensland Government.
Do you know more? Contact James Riley via Email.