From wind turbine simulators and improving dental care to an emergency nursing trolley and reskilling coal miners in Mpumalanga to becoming proficient renewable energy technicians, the University of the Western Cape’s (UWC) Innovation Hub is doing wonders in the world of Augmented and Virtual Reality.
Not just appealing for digital innovation, but providing real practical opportunities for students and interns to work in AR and VR to produce solutions which improve society and build the economy, impressed Western Cape Premier Alan Winde, his cabinet, industry partners, and academics at the first Premier's Council on Skills (PCS) of 2024 on Friday.
The PCS meets twice a year and is a consultative forum coordinating skills development in the Western Cape.
Amongst the exciting projects presented by Dr Laurine Platzky, Director: Strategic Projects in Institutional Planning, who is facilitating the hub, include the emergency nursing trolley developed with international partner Jigspace and the Faculty of Community Health Sciences, a haptic device to improve dental care with a PhD student in UWC’s Dental Faculty, and a Wind Turbine/VR Training Simulator in collaboration with the wind energy industry.
"As you can imagine, installing and maintaining wind turbines is extremely expensive and dangerous. If you could learn installation and maintenance virtually, or at least start virtually - for example, testing people for fear of heights, and do it right here instead of travelling to wind farms which are far from cities - we think this would be a most useful contribution to addressing training to help ease the energy crisis in this country," Dr Platzky explained.
A possible project in quantum cosmology is also currently being discussed.
In his welcome address, UWC Rector and Vice-Chancellor Professor Tyrone Pretorius recalled that in his inaugural address, he pledged to ensure that UWC would embrace the 4th Revolution for research, teaching and learning, and skills development. "It is with a great sense of pride that the dream that this university had has finally borne fruits."
Prof Pretorius said what companies do in the AR/VR space is almost inconceivable. The AR and VR industry is currently valued at 28 billion US dollars and growing alarmingly.
"We, as South Africans and Africans, cannot be left behind. This is what UWC wants to ensure with this space: that we are not left behind. We have spent the last five years developing concepts behind accelerating digital transformation and pushing the boundaries of innovation with the help of national funding partners, international services providers and leaders in the field of AR".
Premier Winde said: "The PCS is as much about building and deepening partnerships as it is about promoting skills development and equipping residents with the knowledge they need to prosper. This spectacular Innovation Hub is a product of such collaboration that instils in our youth an appreciation for the growing potential of the 'Fourth Industrial Revolution'. We should be thinking about the 'Fifth Industrial Revolution' as we are confronted with the growing needs of the future”.
He said that through collaboration with partners such as UWC, the WCG can drive further skills development in innovation, particularly artificial intelligence (AI).
"Tertiary education institutions are brimming with young talent keen on exploring the latest ground-breaking technology. We must enable them – through partnerships - to take advantage of all that innovation offers," said Premier Winde, adding, "I welcome UWC and its Innovation Hub's vision of improving entrepreneurship and career opportunities in this rapidly growing and evolving industry. For me, I see this as a trigger to nail other components in the economy to join, and I’m so glad that the University is creating spaces that the private sector can come and partner in, because that is how you build the ecosystem."
For more information, visit: https://innovationhub.uwc.ac.za/
Not just appealing for digital innovation, but providing real practical opportunities for students and interns to work in AR and VR to produce solutions which improve society and build the economy, impressed Western Cape Premier Alan Winde, his cabinet, industry partners, and academics at the first Premier's Council on Skills (PCS) of 2024 on Friday.
The PCS meets twice a year and is a consultative forum coordinating skills development in the Western Cape.
Amongst the exciting projects presented by Dr Laurine Platzky, Director: Strategic Projects in Institutional Planning, who is facilitating the hub, include the emergency nursing trolley developed with international partner Jigspace and the Faculty of Community Health Sciences, a haptic device to improve dental care with a PhD student in UWC’s Dental Faculty, and a Wind Turbine/VR Training Simulator in collaboration with the wind energy industry.
"As you can imagine, installing and maintaining wind turbines is extremely expensive and dangerous. If you could learn installation and maintenance virtually, or at least start virtually - for example, testing people for fear of heights, and do it right here instead of travelling to wind farms which are far from cities - we think this would be a most useful contribution to addressing training to help ease the energy crisis in this country," Dr Platzky explained.
A possible project in quantum cosmology is also currently being discussed.
In his welcome address, UWC Rector and Vice-Chancellor Professor Tyrone Pretorius recalled that in his inaugural address, he pledged to ensure that UWC would embrace the 4th Revolution for research, teaching and learning, and skills development. "It is with a great sense of pride that the dream that this university had has finally borne fruits."
Prof Pretorius said what companies do in the AR/VR space is almost inconceivable. The AR and VR industry is currently valued at 28 billion US dollars and growing alarmingly.
"We, as South Africans and Africans, cannot be left behind. This is what UWC wants to ensure with this space: that we are not left behind. We have spent the last five years developing concepts behind accelerating digital transformation and pushing the boundaries of innovation with the help of national funding partners, international services providers and leaders in the field of AR".
Premier Winde said: "The PCS is as much about building and deepening partnerships as it is about promoting skills development and equipping residents with the knowledge they need to prosper. This spectacular Innovation Hub is a product of such collaboration that instils in our youth an appreciation for the growing potential of the 'Fourth Industrial Revolution'. We should be thinking about the 'Fifth Industrial Revolution' as we are confronted with the growing needs of the future”.
He said that through collaboration with partners such as UWC, the WCG can drive further skills development in innovation, particularly artificial intelligence (AI).
"Tertiary education institutions are brimming with young talent keen on exploring the latest ground-breaking technology. We must enable them – through partnerships - to take advantage of all that innovation offers," said Premier Winde, adding, "I welcome UWC and its Innovation Hub's vision of improving entrepreneurship and career opportunities in this rapidly growing and evolving industry. For me, I see this as a trigger to nail other components in the economy to join, and I’m so glad that the University is creating spaces that the private sector can come and partner in, because that is how you build the ecosystem."
For more information, visit: https://innovationhub.uwc.ac.za/
