Virtual reality education startup Lifeliqe has today been named an official partner of the HTC Vive. The company creates immersive, educational VR experiences to make learning more engaging and knowledge more accessible than ever.
https://youtu.be/HLXxZRBMzks
Positioning itself as a self-described, “Visual learning platform incorporating interactive 3D, virtual reality and augmented reality programs,” Lifeliqe’s custom educational offerings bring students front and center with the subjects they are studying. For example, a lesson about dinosaurs is traditionally done at a museum, or through a textbook, and maybe incorporates a video or two. The Lifeliqe dinosaur lesson, however, would put you face to face with a Velociraptor or Pterodactyl in a simulated environment.
Other experiences currently in development for Lifeliqe include Stonehenge, the International Space Station, and a variety of underwater lessons. Each of the current experiences was built using Unity.
Lifeliqe is the latest in a small groundswell of VR educational experiences hitting the market. The most notable of which being Immersive VR Education – the studio behind the Apollo 11 experience. IVRE focuses mostly on cinematic moments from history, however, while Liveliqe seems committed to creating open natural environments or interactive 3D models.
Becoming an official HTC Vive partner grants Lifeliqe certain perks it would not otherwise have. The first, and most immediately beneficial, is a lump financial contribution made to the company by HTC. This amount, according to company representatives, is intended to spur Lifeliqe’s ongoing development efforts as well as ensure the company’s longevity while headset sales build up some steam.
HTC also provides active mentorship, guidance, equipment and overall assistance as the startup continues to develop for the Vive. According to a Lifeliqe representative, they are launching first on the Vive and then thinking about other platforms.
Lifeliqe officially begins demoing its content at ISTE 2016 beginning on June 26, followed by other San Francisco exposure events.
“Our goal is to begin piloting the content in schools at the start of the new school year Fall 2016, said Lifeliqe CEO Ondrej Homola.
Editor’s Note: Lifeliqe is a member of the Upload Collective in San Francisco.
