Content & User Interaction
A touch of reality nuVa Enterprises, is a leading human machine collaborative interface, but just what does that mean? PCR talks to nuVa’s Chief Executive Jocelyn Lomer to find out more Please could you tell me a bit more about nuVa Enterprises?
nuVa Enterprises is a human machine collaborative interface, which resembles a real face-to-face virtual meeting solution. The nuVa concept is based on research from the multi-national defence industry, sponsored by Doctoral research at Cambridge University and collaborations with MIT USA, King’s College London and Surrey University. This research looks much further than the use of ‘desktop style’ virtual meeting software, as it focuses on the sociology and psychology behind the way people interact with each other at meetings.
What projects is the company currently involved in?
Showing our feelings and emotions is a natural form of communication, and we must be able to replicate this through virtual meeting software and not restrict collaborative capabilities as most media do. The reason that well known desktop video collaboration tools cause “Zoom fatigue” is due to the lack of understanding that these media have in regard to the way the human mind works, and actually how much ‘cognitive effort’ is used when working with the ‘desktop’ type collaboration software. nuVa Enterprises is involved in improving the human-machine interface, with the main focus being to emulate a natural round table meeting. Taking this one step further, we are currently working on interfacing the current nuVa experience through Augmented Reality.
What are the latest tech trends in this area?
There is a huge amount of research that has been carried out into Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality, with the latter appearing in different forms. Augmented Reality uses holographic tools such as Microsoft’s HoloLens, which works in a similar way to a pilot’s head up display, where an individual can see dials and reality simultaneously during meetings with colleagues. In a similar way, we have created technology, which allows a nuVa collaborator to see a hologram and all relevant virtual meeting contexts simultaneously at all ends. Virtual Reality has the effect of disrupting senses, which can, in some cases, cause nausea and other forms of illness. We prefer to use Augmented Reality holographic presentations whilst examining the real world simultaneously - for us, this is the way forward. www.pcr-online.biz
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What products does the company offer?
Our software can be used and delivered over a number of platforms, particularly video monitors and touch screens. Typically for customers, we recommend a maximum of 65” screens, as this creates a fully collaborative virtual meeting and ensures that users are able to make the most out of the uses of the technology that we provide. nuVa is also being delivered as full SaaS for download all over the world, which will be ready by the end of June this year.
What markets do these products find application in?
Our product is designed for deep collaboration. The fundamental principle is this: everybody wishes to see as much relevant context as possible when studying a particular issue. Many researchers believe that the human mind processes images 60,000 times faster than written text, which is supported by the idea behind nuVa Enterprises and the way its technology operates. nuVa can share any applications in broad context, allowing collaboration at the speed of thought. As a result, we have seen great success in a number of key industries, including: Design Engineering, Fashion, Manufacturing, Architecture, Construction, Media, Security and Health.
How has COVID-19 changed the way we rely on tech?
2020 was a difficult year for many people and businesses, and we have seen many businesses grapple with tools that can help them navigate home working in the best possible way. Virtual meetings are a prime example, and we have seen this increase in popularity in recent months. As employees and businesses choose to adopt a more hybrid approach for working, collaboration will be more accessible for those working across international borders. Once the COVID-19 pandemic is over, it is likely that many workplaces will resort to hybrid working, giving employees the option of either working from home or in the office - but this cannot be achieved without the right tech. nuVa introduces new, innovative ways of working which may have seemed impossible before. We believe that the hybrid model has great potential for the future of many industries.
How do you see tech influencing our lives post pandemic?
The most important thing in relation to communication media is creating the ‘natural meeting’ environment. nuVa is the closest possible medium to a natural, face-to-face meeting and through this, delivers remote innovation and competitive advantage. February 2021 | 39
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