People around the world got used to working online during lockdown, but for some jobs you need hands-on training. Now, with thanks to VR headsets and some cutting-edge technology, one Athlone company is building the workplace of the future where training day can be anywhere in the world.
Press play up top to get a sneak peek of this evening's Futureville Ireland, as Geoff Allen from Mersus Technologies brings Carla into the virtual world for the first time at the Avatar Academy.
Mersus uses technology they hope will change how we work. The team researches and builds virtual work spaces for businesses to train employees. It means that Carla can get working on a machine worth €300,000 and no matter what happens she can't break it!
Futureville Ireland is streaming now on RTÉ Player.
Mersus Technologies was founded in 2013 by Geoff and Dermot Condron. Last year they won the European Technology Award for Virtual Reality with their Avatar Academy.
Geoff says: "There are pieces of industrial and medical equipment worth huge amounts, that can be very daunting for new employees. Bringing training into virtual environments takes away some of this anxiety and it also has huge advantages in other areas.
"There are time savings, removing the need for expensive materials, standardising processes, and tracking every training event in real-time, all accessible from the Avatar Academy's online portal.
"This intuitive new way to train now frees workers from the physical constraints of having to be on site. We now have a world-first multiuser feature. Geographic borders dissolve as seemless collaboration across timezones, at anytime, from anywhere, all take place in real-time. It's another step into the future."
Futureville Ireland is the centre piece of RTÉ and Taighde Éireann's (Research Ireland) broadcast collaboration for Science Week.
For more Science Week on RTÉ visit www.rte.ie/scienceweek and go to www.scienceweek.ie for all the events taking place.
