Luminous Group Signs On As Microsoft Mixed Reality Partner

Luminous Group was originally founded at Digital Surveys some 30 years ago, and in recent years have radically changed focus to work in the area of 3D mapping, along with virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) for a range of industries, rebranding to reflect this new direction. The company has now been accredited as a Microsoft Mixed Reality Partner.

Microsoft created the Mixed Reality Partner Program to ensure customers have a broad range f partners to work with, while being assured that these partners have the capability to support products involved with HoloLens and other MR technologies.

Ben Bennett, managing director and founder of Luminous Group said: “Mixed reality has enormous growth potential in a wide range of commercial environments. We’re really excited to be at the forefront of it and working in partnership with Microsoft gives us the edge in helping realise that potential. The Microsoft partnership program is the greatest validation that we’re pushing our business in the right direction and in partnership with Microsoft we can start to push even more boundaries of possibility.”

Luminous Group have previously been involved with a number of VR, AR and MR projects, including working with PepsiCo to produce MR solutions to enhance workflows. Recently, Luminous have also worked on the RIVO platform, which uses the HoloLens combined with Luminous Group’s 3D mapping technology to create accurate location information in real time, by tagging 3D objects in real-world locations.

Leila Martine, Product Director of Commercial Mixed Reality at Microsoft said, “We are delighted to have Luminous accredited as a Mixed Reality Partner. We are impressed with the Group’s vision for its RIVO platform, which we believe has ground-breaking and disruptive potential by providing mixed reality asset mapping tools across a variety of industries.”

Further information on Luminous Group can be found on the company website. For future coverage on developments in mixed reality, keep checking back with VRFocus.

HoloLens Aids Visualisation of Fire Safety

Fire safety is of critical importance to many industries, including construction, oil and gas, and any areas that uses flammable substances. A UK firm is utilising mixed reality and advanced 3D mapping to enhance fire safety in all these areas.

3D technology specialists Luminous have noticed that current methods of mapping critical fire-safety information, such as emergency evacuation points, or escape routes had a high tendency towards error. To combat this, the company has launched its RIVO software, which integrates mixed reality (MR) and 3D mapping to improve asset mapping in areas such as oil and gas and facilities management.

RIVO uses the Inside Out tracking of the Microsoft HoloLens headset combined with Luminous 3D mapping systems to draw up accurate information in real time, by tagging 3D objects into real-world locations. By using an app, these objects can be accessed and important information can be added, which forms part of a database of fire safety features and information, which can be seen overlaid on the real world to give an accurate view.

The RIVO has benefits with regards to fire safety training, risk management, facilities management and safety inspections allowing inspectors to match the data from the plans to the images shown through the HoloLens. The information could also be made available to emergency services such as firefighters, allowing them better access in an emergency situation.

Ben Bennett, Managing Director of Luminous Group and a specialist in 3D laser scanning, modelling and visualisation, says: “After the smartphone, mixed reality and holographic computing is the next major technological disruption. At Luminous, we’re excited about the next generation of spatial apps to capitalize on this and make 3D imaging simple for everyone.”

A short video demonstrating the Luminous RIVO technology is available to view below.

Further information on RIVO and other new and innovative developments in MR will be here on VRFocus.