The Smart Services CRC in partnership with University of Wollongong were named winner of the iAward Research and Development category for their iSee video collaboration software in a ceremony at Parliament House on Monday 2 July.
The Deputy Premier, Minister for Trade and Investment and Minister for Regional Infrastructure and Services, the Hon. Andrew Stoner presented the developers of iSee, Prof Farzad Safaei and Amir Hesami from the University of Wollongong with the NSW iAward.
iSee is a new technology that will transform the way people collaborate and learn globally. iSee uses real time video and spatial audio in a 3D immersive environment to provide groups of any size, from two to hundreds, the ability to interact with each other, creating a real sense of being together and sharing.
iSee developer Farzad describes iSee as ”a combination of positive attributes of video conferencing and virtual environments, using real time video instead of avatars. In iSee you actually feel like you are part of a crowd as you move naturally around the environment”.
iSee is currently in user trials with education providers to improve learning outcomes for remote and regional communities, not-for-profit organisations to train and communicate with their volunteers and the mining industry to bring their dispersed workforces together for project planning.
Warren Bradey, Chief Executive of Smart Services said, “iSee is seen as a game changer for distributed work teams and for distance education. Online education or telecommuting is rather a lonely experience for most people. This gives them the ability to collaborate on projects, have social interaction and valuable networking with each other. iSee will also be a great benefit for connecting regional communities and for rolling out national training with significant productivity savings”.
5th July 2012
Short iSee video available http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2XX10NGTbA
iAwards - http://www.iawards.com.au/
NSW iAward winners - http://www.iawards.com.au/news-media/news/announcing-nsw-iawards-state-company-group-winners-merits.aspx
