10– Driving Africa's Innovation in Augmented, Virtual, and Mixed Reality
a conversation with Judith Okonkwo
The African Deep Tech Community, a forum bridging the gap between visionaries and reality, recently hosted a thought-provoking talk by Judith Okonkwo on virtual, augmented, and mixed reality. As an eminent member of the Global Future Council for Virtual and Augmented Reality at the World Economic Forum, and the founder of Imisi 3D, Judith Okonkwo is propelling the community of AR/VR creators across Africa to the forefront of technological innovation.
Enlightening the Path to AR/VR Innovation in Africa
Expressing the reasons behind her fascination with immersive technologies, Okonkwo shared her belief in the technologies’ potential for global transformation and how they offer an unprecedented array of learning possibilities. Cementing her resolve to assemble an expanded reality ecosystem in Africa, she highlighted her work in VR, which has empowered the community of XR professionals across the continent to become a part of this ever-progressing narrative.
Diving into her pursuit of influencing the technology landscape, Okonkwo revisited the progression of AR/VR innovation in Africa over the past few years, elucidating the role of key projects and pioneers in propelling the XR ecosystem. She highlighted the importance of fostering a foundation for extended reality tech exploration with initiatives like the Black Rhino VR in Kenya, the Lagos VR Hackathon, and the setup of AR/VR labs in universities and public schools.
Bridging the Learning Gap through VR
According to Okonkwo, the radical transformation of the African education landscape is a key area for VR implementation. To address the limited resources and over-burdened teachers in African schools, she believes XR technologies can play a significant role, offering immersive, practical, and effective teaching methods. Okonkwo has been actively working on this vision through her VR for Schools initiative.
Through pioneering prototypes created in collaboration with public schools in Lagos, her team aims to provide more immersive and experiential learning opportunities. Making health education and algebraic learning more accessible to the students, Okonkwo believes such initiatives are paving the way for significant improvements in SDG 4 achievement across the continent.
Beyond the Walls: Real-World Applications of XR
The XR landscape expands beyond just educational realms; Okonkwo explores its application in areas like interior design selection, architectural visualizations, and real estate applications. The burgeoning XR ecosystem could reshape countless industries and everyday experiences.
From training and flight simulations in aviation to software development in technology companies like PwC Nigeria, AR/VR innovation has displayed a tremendous capacity to transform real-world applications and impart invaluable first-hand experiences to its users.
Enabling an XR Ecosystem Across the Continent
Despite the potential roadblocks, including the cost and accessibility of VR tools, Okonkwo enlightens the audience on the viability of economies of scale and a broad-based technological adoption through lower-cost platforms like Google Cardboard. Leveraging a strategic XR agenda for Africa can provide a compass to manoeuvre through such challenges.
The major hurdles to tackle according to Okonkwo, include talent acquisition, policy formations, industry participation, and aggressive research and development. Overcoming these barriers will be crucial in ensuring the successful implementation of an XR ecosystem across Africa.
The key takeaway from Judith Okonkwo’s talk is the potential of XR technologies to revolutionize the ways in which Africans learn, work, and explore the world – a call to action for Africa’s tech enthusiasts to join this exciting journey into the virtual realm. By fostering a concerted effort across all socio-technological strata, innovators like Okonkwo are optimistic about a future where these solutions are as pervasive as the internet itself.