IIT Madras’s VR advancement centre proposes a national VR corridor.

CHENNAI: Immersive technologies such as augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and mixed reality (MR) are extensively utilised for consumer and enterprise applications despite widespread cynicism over the success of the metaverse.

The fact that major technology companies like Google, Qualcomm, and Samsung have formed a partnership to collaborate on the creation of a mixed reality platform, and Apple is hurrying to release their Vision Pro product demonstrates the potential applications of these technologies.

The Xperential Technology Innovation Centre (XTIC), which can be found on the campus of the Indian Institute of Technology in Madras, is working towards the goal of putting India on the map of immersive technology and ensuring that we do not miss the bus. In order to be prepared for the future, it has been working on building open-source virtual and augmented reality hardware such as headgear, haptic tools or touch sensing technology, emote biosensors, and software, as well as standardisation and testing standards in the extended reality (XR) technology.

In order to sustain the XR ecosystem in the country, it places a primary emphasis on interdisciplinary research that combines fields like as biomechanics, mechatronics, robotics, neurophysiology, computer graphics, and so forth. XR, which stands for extended reality, is a technology that brings elements of the actual world into the digital one.

Dr. M. Manivannan, who is the head of XITC and works in the Department of Applied Mechanics, has proposed creating a nationwide XR corridor as a means of bolstering the business. According to what he told TNIE, it is essential that we conduct basic research as well as pioneering research in XR technologies. We cannot simply develop software based on the work of technology corporations. The institute has developed free training courses that encompass perceptual engineering and algebra, and it has also established experiential centres for these technologies. According to what he mentioned, the focal point is on human perception.
The professor contends that India ought to have indigenous skills and innovation in the XR domain comparable to those that were developed for the Bharath Operating System and the Shakthi Processor.

“Because major firms are not releasing hardware in India, the price of these products is greater, which impacts both their affordability and their accessibility. In his words, “the goal is to encourage startup companies to work in these areas in order to bring world-class products at affordable prices.”

The majority of Indian clients are unable to afford the price of Meta Quest Pro, which is offered for one thousand United States dollars, and Apple Vision Pro, which is sold for three thousand, five hundred United States dollars.

In the near future, XTIC intends to fulfil its mission by instructing college students, business owners, and industry stakeholders in the use of various software and hardware solutions. It is planning to establish XITC centres in educational institutions all around the country, beginning in the state of Tamil Nadu.