Virtual reality is not a new technology, but it is a technology that offers inexhaustible potential. If the metaverse that Facebook promises is perhaps the most sophisticated effort of the general population to use virtual reality, today technological start-ups offer targeted services and products.
The Cypriot SilverSky 3D, launched in 2014 as a spinout by the Department of Psychology of the University of Cyprus, is an example of a company that develops virtual reality technologies in everyday applications, in various fields, such as architecture and interior design, education and training, human resources, cultural heritage and the arts.
The company has also entered the field of sports by developing applications for the training of athletes and in particular goalkeepers.
The people behind the company are Mr. Tassos Zacharopoulos and Dr. Kleanthis Neokleous, who is also the head of the Immersive Technologies for Intelligent and Creative Applications Department at the CYENS Center of Excellence.
Almost all the members of the team have worked for some time in the past as researchers in the Laboratory of Experimental Psychology of the University of Cyprus, which since 2006 maintains a system of high standard Virtual Reality. The Laboratory of Experimental Psychology uses Virtual Reality to study, through navigation projects, the way in which people perceive and remember spatial information. Therefore, in addition to technical skills, the team members have a strong theoretical background on how the human brain processes and encodes space-related information.
As a case study, SilverSky 3D is of particular interest, starting with from a university to evolve into a virtual and augmented reality application company, at this stage focusing on educational applications.
According to Cleanthis Neokleous, co-founder of SilverSky 3D, what sets the company apart from other technology companies is that it combines its advanced technical skills in developing Virtual and Augmented Reality applications with a strong background in Cognitive Psychology and Neuroscience. This allows them to create evidence-based applications that are empirically validated by rigorous laboratory research.
“The first idea, in 2014, which also received funding from the Ministry of Commerce, concerns the field of architecture. “How can I see something that does not exist,” he explains. “At an advanced stage of development is also a product of managing the fear of public speaking”, says Mr. Neokleous.
“We see,” he adds, “our company as an incubator of ideas and new products. We create products in collaboration with other companies and partners. There is no limit to what we can offer. This is due to the know-how we have accumulated. The company started in 2014, but we have been dealing with virtual reality since its inception. “Our experience shows that virtual reality technology has a greater value and impact on education and training, and that 's where we focus,” he explains. com
