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Programme Experiences
Naledi3d Factory - South Africa
Summary
Naledi3d
Factory is an organisation based in South Africa
that focuses on the development of interactive,
visual content, ‘Virtual Reality (VR)’as a way to
communicate concepts, to test ideas and express
thought processes. It develops computer based VR
content as a means of visualising objects, complex
concepts or processes in a three dimensional,
interactive environment and uses these visual
tools on developmental education and training
across Africa. VR allows intuitive, real-time
interaction with, realistic 3D environments. The
organisation uses visual media to stimulate and
educate people, rather than conventional media
such as text and audio.
Main
Communication Strategies
Naledi3d Factory
uses VR to develop a wide range of visual training
material; to market goods -whether in the showroom
or via the Internet; to develop “memorable tourist
experiences”; and to recreate history. “We are
also applying VR in a globally unique way by
taking a first world technology and applying it to
the upliftment of our poorer communities.”
The learning content that the organisation
has created is designed to work on a PC and is
being used in places as remote as Nakaseke village
in rural Uganda. Over the past four years,
Naledi3d Factory has worked closely with UNESCO,
IICBA, the Kellogg Foundation, various local
government departments and others to empower
African communities through the use of innovative
and entertaining VR simulations. VR is suitable
for providing education about health, technical
and artisan training, agriculture, lifeskills, and
heritage (e.g. precolonial African heritage).
Naledi3d Factory have used VR in rural hygiene in
Uganda, Kenya and Zambia, in HIV/AIDS awareness
training for teachers in Ethiopia, helping South
African youth find and keep employment, in
beekeeping in Zimbabwe, and teaching technical
skills relating to turning and milling.
The organisation has also created an
HIV/AIDS VR training model for Ethiopian teachers,
funded by UNESCO-IICBA, which uses interactive
simulations to train teachers on how best to
incorporate HIV/AIDS teaching into their broader
curricula.
VR focus includes
- Interactive simulation for education
It
is used as communication tool to transfer
knowledge and skills. VR provides a new training
and communication medium that transcends
traditional verbal and written forms of
communication, using interactive 3D to transfer
context-specific knowledge between people. It is
a communication tool that provides a visual
experience.
- Interactive large-scale edutainment and
entertainment
Increased content in the
entertainment and edutainment sector offers
exciting opportunities for the development of
local VR and animation content, relating local
stories and events as well as bringing
international models to the local market. This
will raise awareness in the public eye of not
only local tales and history, but also the
richness of local heritage and culture, helping
realign and readdress local history to be
accurately represented.
- Interactive simulation content to support
e-commerce
The VR component of digitised
content for e-commerce purposes and the creation
of reality objects is becoming a niche market
exhibiting good potential for growth within
South Africa and globally.
- Specialist, tailor-made modelling and
simulation The use of modern visualisation
technologies can drastically improve the
research and development cycle, resulting in
shorter lead-time to market, improved product
quality as well as greater customer
satisfaction.
Development
Issues
Technology, Health, Agriculture.
Key Points
The organisation’s
vision is to use the visually interactive nature
of VR to communicate ideas and concepts; and to
visualise Africa's rich heritage; to address the
training needs of diverse communities in South
Africa and also to overcome literacy barriers and
hence, help people bridge the skills and knowledge
divide.
The organisers hope that VR can
have a huge impact on health education in Africa.
“The visual nature of our VR-based education makes
it possible to simulate a wide range of health
topics in a visually rich interactive way. By way
of example, we are currently engaged with UNESCO
on a small project around the subject of "water";
and which includes VR models to describe how to
build a pit-latrine.” The project involves other
teams from Sudan, Senegal, Mozambique and South
Africa.
“Over four years, we have brought
First World, supposedly expensive and exclusive VR
worlds into the everyday experience of people in
Africa; while our focus is African development we
have also undertaken visualization projects in
Europe - including the Delft Museum of Technology;
a flood control scheme on the Maas River and
housing upgrades in Roermond.”
Partners
UNESCO; International
Institute for Capacity Building in Africa (IICBA)
Infotiv Visual Technologies, Worldlinks Southern
Africa, Open Knowledge Network.
For
more information, contact:
The Naledi3D
Factory (Pty) Ltd
Managing Director
PostNet
Suite 213
Private Bag
X844
Silverton
0127
South Africa
Tel:
+27 12 844 1010
Cell: +27 82 894 3178
dlockwood@naledi3d.com
Naledi3D website
Source
Dave Lockwood sent an
e-mail to The Communication Initiative December 21
2004.
Placed on the Soul Beat
Africa site January 17 2005.
Last
Updated January 17 2005.
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