HTC opens mixed reality center at Kinmen university

Taipei-A mixed reality (MR) and eSport center, built by Taiwan's leading smartphone maker HTC Corp., was officially opened Tuesday at National Quemoy University in the offshore county of Kinmen.

The VR, MR, and eSport three-in-one education center, is the first of its kind nationwide, HTC said.

MR is a combination of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). It refers to the real-time fusion of virtual objects into real reality (RR). The purpose of MR is to create an environment where users can interact with augmented objects as if they are real.

HTC said it has reached out to school campuses in recent years, as part of an ongoing effort to promote VR apps in the fields of art, design, medical care and science.

The company has also used the state-of-the-art technology to subvert traditional teaching methods and boost students' learning interest and capability, it said.

The VR and MR elements were jointly established by HTC VIVELAND VR arcade park and JCTC Technology. They are equipped with VIVE Pro Eye, a device that features built-in eye tracking that enables foveated rendering and hands-free interaction in VR, with accessibility options for users who cannot use regular motion controllers.

HTC VIVELAND VR park has successfully created an operational model for VR parks, said HTC VIVE virtual reality business deputy head Plutarch Lee (???), adding that through the rapid development of VR parks, the company learned the importance of cultivating talent and developing VR technologies.

HTC has also launched cooperation programs in northern, central and southern Taiwan to develop VIVE, a first-of-its-kind virtual reality system, and train talent, according to Lee.

In addition to National Quemoy University, HTC will continue to work with other colleges to maintain its leadership in the field of VR, Lee said.

Since 2016, HTC has begun exploring the use of VR apps in the recreation and eSport industries. In the same year, the company opened the world's first VIVELAND VR Theme Park in Taipei which began making a profit five months after becoming operational.

HTC has since opened VIVELAND VR Theme Parks in Kaohsiung and Hong Kong and plans to set parks in India and Dubai.

National Quemoy University President Chen Chien-min (???) said that he hopes the establishment of the VR, MR and eSport center will facilitate cooperation between the government and local companies in developing big data, Fintech and smart robot industries and using those technologies to boost the development of health care, cross-border e-commerce and tourism.

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel