Upskill – Augmented & Virtual Reality Confabulation

October 18, 2018

Upskill Expand Skylight Early Access Programme

At the beginning of the month, Upskill – the United States-based enterprise software developer that creates augmented reality (AR) solutions with companies such as Accenture and The Boeing Company – revealed an Early Access release for its Skylight Mixed Reality platform on Microsoft HoloLens.

AWE EU Today at Augmented World Expo (AWE) Europe, Upskill followed up that announcement with one about its expansion of the Early Access, previously only available in America, to global customers. As well as confirmed that its version of Skylight AR for mobile will be getting an updated release on an expanded array of mobile devices.

Skylight allows employees easy hands-free access to reference materials to complex information allowing them to visualise what they are doing when out in the workplace, while gesture and gaze controls allow for intuitive interactions.

“As the AR hardware ecosystem matures, enterprises have more options for bringing specialized experiences to their hands-on workforces – some requiring a more immersive digital interaction than others.” Explains Upskill’s CEO and Co-Founder Brian Ballard. “By extending Skylight across the device spectrum – handheld devices, assisted reality smart glasses and mixed reality headsets – we are helping customers future-proof their investments, connecting them with rich AR content through devices that meet their job requirements, at scale and upon request.”

upskill logo “Our customers see augmented reality as the force multiplier that allows them to fully realize the potential of their workforce and digital investments,” said Ballard at the initial release earlier this month. “Skylight for Microsoft HoloLens will serve as the foundation that delivers the latest advances in visualization, cloud computing and artificial intelligence in a mixed reality environment.”

More information can be found at the Upskill website.VRFocus will bring you more stories from AWE EU 2018 as we get them.

October 9, 2018

Upskill Announces Early Access Release of Skylight for HoloLens

A number of businesses are taking advantage of the capabilities of augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR). Enterprise AR company Upskill is offering these capabilities to more companies by making its Skylight AR platform available for public early access for the Microsoft HoloLens.

Skylight for HoloLens provides employees with the ability to visualise necessary information through the HoloLens. This is useful for workers on complex operations in areas such as manufacturing, maintenance and repair as well as on-the-job training.

Using Skylight with HoloLens allows workers to access to reference complex information while working hands-free on various tasks, visualise and interact with various different sources of information, such as reference materials or use gesture controls and gaze controls to interact with applications in an intuitive way.

“Our customers see augmented reality as the force multiplier that allows them to fully realize the potential of their workforce and digital investments,” said Brian Ballard, Upskill CEO and co-founder. “Skylight for Microsoft HoloLens will serve as the foundation that delivers the latest advances in visualization, cloud computing and artificial intelligence in a mixed reality environment.”

Terry Farrell, Director of Product Marketing, Mixed Reality, Microsoft Corp. said, “As adoption of Microsoft HoloLens continues to rapidly increase in industrial settings, Skylight offers a software platform that is flexible and can scale to meet any number of applications well suited for mixed reality experiences. With Skylight for HoloLens, hands-on workers are provided with the ability to interact with content and information in the most natural ways possible, leading to a safer, more efficient workplace.”

The Skylight AR platform is also said to support assisted reality and mobile devices. Further information can be found on the Upskill website, including information on how to access the early access program.

For future coverage of mixed reality in business and industry, keep checking back with VRFocus.

July 25, 2018

Epson Expands AR Smart Glasses Portfolio

Epson have become one of the leaders in the augmented reality (AR) smart glasses area with its Moverio line of smart glasses. The company is now expanding its range with the new Moverio BT-350 ANSI Edition smart glasses, which combine the safety aspect of safety glasses with the utility of AR.

The release of the new line of smart glasses coincides with the launch of the Skylight Upskill industrial software platform, which provides workers with connections to helpful information while remaining hands-free to focus on ongoing tasks.

The Moverio BT-350 ANSI Edition smart glasses were created to be worn in environments where safety glasses are necessary. The smart glasses include both indoor and outdoor shields that meet ANSI Z87.1 safety certification requirements. The Moverio BT-350 ANSI Edition has a flexible and durable design and can be worn comfortably by a wide range of head types.

“Epson was one of the first companies to see the value of smart glasses in the enterprise and their Moverio hardware is an established, trusted name in the market,” said Brian Ballard, CEO and co-founder, Upskill. “By offering the Skylight platform on the Moverio BT-350 ANSI Edition smart glasses, we add increased choice for our customers looking to adopt high quality, industrial-grade AR devices to their operations to drive significant performance improvements across their workforce.”

Customers who have used the Upskill Skylight platform have reported a 32% increase in performance in use cases that cover manufacturing, logistics and field services.

“Since Epson launched its first iteration of the Moverio smart glasses seven years ago, we have been diligently working to enhance the technology to meet the demands of end-users, including the need for an ANSI edition of the Moverio glasses,” said Michael Leyva, product manager, augmented reality solutions, Epson. “We’re confident that addressing this workplace safety requirement and collaborating with Upskill, will enable enterprises to accelerate smart glasses adoption across the workforce.”

Epson logo

For future coverage of new AR products and services, keep checking back with VRFocus.

March 10, 2018

Enterprise AR Firm Upskill Gets New Funding Injection

The usage of augmented reality (AR) for enterprise applications has been growing in recent months and years, with significant growth in applications designed specifically for this purpose. One company who is focussing on this area is Upskill, a company that has recently received an injection of funding.

The funding round has resulted in an investment of $17.2 million (USD) for the company, which has been led by several industry leaders, Accenture, Boeing HorizonX, GE Ventures and Cisco Investments, among others.

Upskill grew to prominence with the launch of its flagship Skylight AR platform, which allowed companies to integrate AR into workflows in order to increase efficiency, cut costs and reduce errors.

“We are ramping up our use of Skylight and wearables inside our operations. Boeing is seeing multiple aircraft manufacturing lines benefit from the solution, and we now want to introduce AR into the services part of our business so we may service our own, and third-party products, for our end-customers,” said Ted Colbert, CIO of The Boeing Company and SVP of Information Technology & Data Analytics.

“We saw substantial growth in the last year further amplified by the launch of our new product release. That acceleration is what led our investors to participate in this new funding round,” said Brian Ballard, co-founder and CEO, Upskill. “Upskill’s group of investors now include leaders from all parts of the industrial augmented reality ecosystem, which is an important signal in the market and speaks to how we collectively contribute to digital transformation.”

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Upskill are planning to continue to build its team and increase its presence worldwide in order to meet the needs of its growing customer base. Some research has suggested that 2018 will be an important year for the development of AR technology, and Upskill is one of several firms looking to take advantage of its continued growth.

For further news from the VR and AR industry, keep watching VRFocus.

April 7, 2017

New Boeing Innovation Group Provides Upskill Funding

Aerospace company Boeing have formed a new group called Boeing HorizonX, with aims of investing in companies that are working on innovative and disruptive technologies and business models than can change the face of the aerospace industry.

One of Boeing HorizonX’s first investments is in Upskill, a company that provide wearable augmented reality (AR) technology. Boeing have worked with Upskill for over two years to evaluate the potential of the technology, which Upskill claim can enhance productivity and safety in manufacturing.

“Our ability to identify, shape and harness game-changing innovations wherever they are developed is key to sustaining and growing our leadership in aerospace,” said Dennis Muilenburg, Boeing chairman, president and CEO. “Boeing HorizonX is tasked with ensuring we are fully engaged with opportunities from early-stage companies, market trends and emerging technologies while also fostering more rapid and effective internal innovation.”

Boeing is now one of Upskill’s largest customers and has deployed Upskill’s AR glasses and Skylight software platform in multiple locations. In one deployment area, there was 25% improvement in production time and product quality.

“Upskill was a priority investment for our newly formed Boeing HorizonX group, as it puts into action our desire to harness innovative technology to drive efficiency, reduce cost and improve quality in our manufacturing as well as clearly having broad application and growth potential across industries,” said Steve Nordlund, vice president for Boeing HorizonX. “We have first-hand experience on the value of Upskill’s Skylight platform and believe the company’s technology will sharpen and accelerate our pace of progress on key growth and productivity efforts, while we help evolve and enhance Skylight through real-world manufacturing applications.”

The formation of Boeing Horizon X falls in line with Boeing’s aims of investing in innovative technology and seeking new business opportunities and strategies.

VRFocus will continue to report on new applications and investments in AR and VR technology.