FourPlus, an immersive tech company, secures funding to develop a cutting-edge mixed reality platform. This platform seeks to deliver full instruction opportunities for individuals in the biopharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.
The government agency for technology in the UK, Innovate UK, has provided money for the firm established there. FourPlus specialises in immersive technology, including virtual reality experiences, which are widely utilised in the life sciences sector. These technologies offer various applications such as workforce management, 3D asset visualisation for marketing and training purposes, facility visualisation, laboratory training for bioscience students, and data visualisation.
With a substantial investment of £1 million ($1.28 million), a majority of which was contributed by Innovate UK, FourPlus will collaborate with Holosphere and the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult to create a mixed reality experience. This experience will incorporate multiplayer capabilities and cater to individuals in manufacturing roles within cell and gene therapy, as well as the broader biopharmaceutical and life sciences sectors.
The platform will serve multiple purposes, including staff training, digital training record storage, data analytics tools, and virtual collaboration between trainers and trainees. It makes use of MR technologies, fusing real and virtual realms into one for user engagement.
Over the next 18 months, FourPlus will develop and deliver this innovative platform. The initial release is scheduled for demonstration by the end of 2023. Dr. Ivan Wall, the CEO of FourPlus, expressed enthusiasm for the project, highlighting its integration of mixed reality, customisable training, multi-user interactivity, data analytics, and training support features.
In the healthcare sector, extended reality (virtual, augmented, and mixed reality) is gaining traction. For example, the German firm apoQlar has received 510(k) approval from the FDA for its VSI HoloMedicine framework. This mixed reality offering assists surgeons in preoperative planning through the use of 3D holographic technology.
Augmedics, an augmented reality platform, secured $82.5 million in Series D funding to advance its offerings. The xvision Spine System uses AR technology to place a 3D model of the individual’s spinal structure in the surgeon’s field of view.
The immersive technology landscape also encompasses companies like AppliedVR, based in California, which specialises in virtual reality therapeutics. Osso VR offers a virtual reality surgical training and assessment platform, while MyndVR focuses on virtual reality digital therapeutics for seniors. XRHealth, a virtual reality platform from Boston, and Healium, a virtual and augmented reality mental health platform, are also making significant contributions in the field.
