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What: |
The development of interactive, visual CONTENT- another name for Virtual Reality (VR). |
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Why: |
VR is both content as well as context rich – making it a powerful way to communicate a concept, to test an idea or to show others what you are thinking… |
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How: |
We tap the power of VR to develop a wide range of visually interactive training material; to market goods and to develop memorable historic experiences. We are also using VR in a globally unique way - by taking a First-World technology and using it to benefit our poorer communities. VR is a powerful way to overcome language and literacy barriers in learning. |
Naledi 3D Factory is a home-grown company that quickly realized the benefits of VR for education and social development
Founded in 2000, the Naledi3d Factory was one of the first companies to join the Innovation Hub in Pretoria.
The company has over fifteen years of experience in the building of visual content using virtual reality (VR) – which we also refer to as “interactive visual simulations” - and also pioneering the use of VR in the upliftment of our poorer communities across Africa.
Synergies between “virtual reality” and “Africa” are not obvious links to make, and our origins were preceded by several years of brainstorming (over many beers) and a sharing of ideas amongst individuals from different walks of life and professions
In the present paradigm where there are limitations of access to quality education, the countries of Sub-Saharan Africa may not successfully achieve their Millennium Development Goals (MDG) of halving extreme poverty without investing heavily in education.
Because of its visual nature, Virtual Reality (VR) immerses the learner in a digital 3D environment where they can interact - in a way that offers a rich and engaging learning experience – and also characterised by longer learning retention.
Vision is also our primary sense . We also know that our brains and its associated cognitive systems respond very effectively to visual stimuli to build visual mental maps – but the ability of our brains to process text is nowhere near as developed.
Text-based communication can be a significant stumbling block to clear and unambiguous communication. This is especially true in the (African) education and training environment, where language and often literacy, can present major barriers to effective learning.
It is the ability of VR to effectively transfer knowledge and skills even to people with lower literacy levels that make it an innovative and exciting technology and approach to education. By building on its visual nature, appropriate and effective training / education can be offered to people who lack good reading and writing skills – leading to social upliftment, poverty alleviation and economic growth.
We believe that VR has a powerful role to play in the future development of Africa and are committed to making this happen.
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