A ground-breaking Augmented Reality (AR) platform has been introduced into the market by BlackRhino VR, a Nairobi-based Extended Reality Tech Company.
Its purpose is to enable content creators in the creative economy to quickly create and distribute AR content.
The platform, known as “MediAR,” is the first user-friendly AR cloud editor and publishing platform in Africa. It makes use of drag-and-drop technology, which reduces the difficult learning curve that comes with coding while creating AR solutions and assets.
BlackRhino VR Chief Executive Officer Brian Afande remarked during a vibrant opening ceremony that the platform is a reaction to the need to use augmented reality to unlock Africa’s creative economy.
“Our primary objectives are to empower Africa’s youth, who are the innovators of the future, to broaden their skills set that allows them to scale up innovations as well as to democratize extended reality technologies in order to make them easily accessible so that ultimately, these immersive technologies can actively and positively contribute to Africa’s socio-economic development,” Afande said.
“We also want to demystify the notion that Africa is only a consumer of technology and demonstrate that there are numerous innovative African technological solutions that are being developed to solve the continent’s challenges,” he added.
With its exclusive and all-encompassing revenue share model, MediAR is a pay-per-view service that facilitates the coexistence of brands and content creators inside a digital ecosystem.
Read also: Apple unveils $3,500 augmented reality headset at Conference
BlackRhino VR’s mission
BlackRhino VR is urging African content producers to use the platform to further the growth of the Internet economy, which will ultimately lead to the creation of jobs, the reduction of poverty, and other positive effects on the continent.
Virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality make up the extended reality (XR) business, which was estimated to be worth USD$29.26 billion in 2022 and is expected to reach over USD$100 billion by 2026.
According to Longino Muluka, Head of AR/VR at BlackRhino VR, XR technology cannot benefit Africa’s economy or future until it is incorporated into other economic areas.
“Augmented Reality has the ability to create immersive experiences where linear blueprints seamlessly transform into 3D models. For instance, we are witnessing a new era where technology and creativity intertwine to create powerful visualization tools adding immense value to the dynamic construction industry,” Muluka said.
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How BlackRhino VR was birthed
Michael Ilako was a 3rd year student at the University of Nairobi studying a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery when he decided to pursue his filmmaking goals.
The Co-Founder Brian Afande, a former DJ who manages a worldwide shoe business (Converse), went to work on a Saturday morning at the brand offices without knowing there would be a terrorist assault. After being rescued 6 hours later, the terrifying events of that day changed his viewpoint and set him on the path to creating BlackRhino VR.
In 2014, the African continent viewed virtual reality as an alien and arcane technology. Additionally, there was a severe lack of specialised skill sets and significant obstacles to hardware and software accessibility (Infrastructure). In light of this, Brian and Michael started a research and development phase and then conducted a feasibility study to determine whether virtual reality could be used in an African setting.
With a brand promise of creating a broader, self-sustaining ecosystem and a vision to empower African kids to become the XR innovators and creators of the future, a bold, self-taught, and enthusiastic team founded BlackRhino VR in 2015.