Discover the scope and objectives of the XR2Learn Open Call 1 in this exclusive interview with Filisia Melissari, Software Engineer at Synelixis Solutions S.A., and Benjamin Capel, Chief eXperience Officer – UX Team Manager at LS GROUP. Gain insights into the innovative potential of XR technology in education and how XR2Learn is leading the way.
- Can you provide an overview of the XR2Learn Open Call 1 and its objectives? (Filisia)
Through the 1st Open Call XR2Learn aims to extend its ecosystem with new applications and technologies centered around XR in educational settings targeting mainly the manufacturing domain.
The total funding for this call is €2,100,000 for which 7-14 applications will be selected. More details about the submission period, the eligible criteria, etc are available on the project’s site.
- What types of companies and startups is XR2Learn looking to support through this Open Call? (Filisia)
XR2Learn will be funding industrial XR innovators and developers as well as XR users and adopters. More specifically the list of entities eligible to participate in this call consists of SMEs, mid-caps companies, research institutions, research organizations, educational or training actors, including both public and private institutions .Applications can be submitted by individual SMEs or consortiums of up to three partners where the coordinator is an SME.
- How does XR2Learn plan to foster innovation and development in XR-based educational applications? (Benjamin)
XR technologies are not a new thing in industries. What’s new is that the cost has been lowering drastically this past decade, and that people (not only professionals) are now able to access quality hardware and experiences easily.
The main remaining issues is to provide users with:
- Tools, for them to be able to create their own stories / scenarios / content. We call these tools “Enablers”.
- And Examples, to showcase what is possible to do thanks to XR (I usually talk about the “super powers” of Virtual Reality!)
So that teachers and trainers can jump into XR Experience Design with extensive guidelines and rich project samples.
- Could you elaborate on the specific goals of XR2Learn Open Call 1, particularly in terms of enabler development and use case specifications? (Benjamin)
Our teams are currently working on:
- 2 main enablers
- 3 beacon apps.
Each of those do propose different tools, use cases and scenarios. But of course, it is not enough to show all the possibilities that XR technologies can offer for industrials.
That’s why we need more enablers, and more beacon apps: the goal of this open call especially is to find partners from different industries (car manufacturing, energies, health, …) who want to train people to various use cases and jobs (project review, painting, …). Variety is key for our projects: for tools, technologies and use cases.
- Why is it important for applicants to propose a specific educational scenario as part of their application process? (Benjamin)
Diving deep into specific fields, with specific scenarios help us to:
- prove that XR technologies are not only a superficial media for gaming, and can be used to convey a lot of information in a very “marking” fashion for users (sometimes things they can learn way more efficiently than through classical medias, books, websites…)
- to design powerful visualizations and interactions in XR that are not generic (we do not want to create an immersive Powerpoint slideshow editor)
Of course, virtual simulations of these use cases must be relevant, but as an XR Experience Designer myself for the past 10 years, I am convinced that 3D technologies can help to either:
- Reduce cost
- Eliminate risk, at some stage of pretty much every industry.
- Can you explain the role of potential user/early adopter inclusion in the consortium and its significance? (Benjamin)
We hope that the community that will join our adventure will help us shape learning experiences of tomorrow. Users and creators of XR2Learn do NOT need to be XR lovers: all our current partners already are. But we need to understand what challenges our industries will face in the near future in terms of training, to create the right tools ; refine them ; so that they can be used by others.
Early adopters will help us to create this virtuous circle hopefully from the largest horizons and industries. And as technologies will continue improving, it will become easier each year to create AND consume XR content.
- What criteria will XR2Learn use to evaluate the applications submitted to the Open Call? (Filisia)
Proposals will be evaluated by external experts according to four main criteria. The first one is the innovation aspect of the project and the applicability of the concept to the domains of XR, education and industry 5.0.
The second criterion takes into account the technology involved, the overall feasibility of the workplan and the quality in alignment with the requirements of the future XR applications .
The third criterion measures the impact of the project into various aspects such as economical and societal.
And the last criterion analyzes the applicant entity or team in terms of capacity to perform the task, knowledge and business expertise and financial stability.
- What benefits can companies and startups expect to gain from participating in XR2Learn Open Call 1? (Filisia)
Successful applicants can expect funding in the range of 150,000€ to 300,000€ per sub-project. But also, opportunities for matchmaking and brokerage events with the educational sector, support for business plan development and investment readiness as well as technological training and support on XR technologies, applications and open standards such as OpenXR and WebXR.
- How does XR2Learn aim to support the development and growth of XR-based educational applications in Europe? (Filisia)
XR2learn aims to create a hub around XR technology gathering a community of people from XR enthusiasts to startups and industrial partners.
Apart from offering a place of gathering and exchanging ideas, XR2Learn will be offering as well technical support through a range of tools aiming to enable XR application creation and educational content around XR, and business support through an innovative NFT based tool for IPR management and a blockchain enabled marketplace. Through the 1st open call the XR2Learn environment will be enriched with new tools and applications which will then be validated along with new or already developed applications through the 2nd open call, ensuring the quality of XR2Learn offerings.
