A salient element of the work plan of the 3DLab-Sicilia project, and of Work Package 3 in particular, is to create a "liquid lab" within the infrastructure to (i) allow the rapid development, demonstration and learning of use homes and applications that use VR/AR and 3D visualization and (ii) provide 360-degree support to all the players in the "quadruple helix" of innovation: universities and research, business, public administration and society.
The term "liquid" implies flexibility and stands in stark contrast to the rigidity of destination and use that some spaces intended for research, industrial production and training usually have. The term was coined in the humanistic cultural field and the "liquid museum” was one of the first archetypes. In the context of Open Innovation, pursued through the adoption of concepts such as co-design /co-creation and implementation paradigms such as DevOps, a "liquid lab" is intended as a space, both real and virtual, in which public bodies, private companies and/or ordinary citizens can test the use cases of the 3DLab-Sicilia project or even design and implement new ones, thanks to the services and infrastructure of the project and the training provided by its partners.
The "liquid labs", known as "liquid studios" with leading Information Technology (IT) players worldwide, are in fact environments designed to "integrate, show and exploit" services and cutting-edge IT solutions for innovation and, as part of the 3DLab-Sicilia project, we intend to decline the concept for what concerns the applications of virtual and augmented reality in different fields of use.
In the "liquid lab" of 3DLab-Sicilia, ideas, projects, products and services that use VR/AR technologies can be demonstrated on the one hand and designed and tested in the real market on the other through a precise methodology (test, iteration and validation ) and an upskilling process.
The aim is to turn a strategy (research and/or industrial) into action. The objective of providing visitors/users of the "liquid lab" with the right knowledge, resources and digital tools for the development of applications that make use of VR/AR technologies, in order to trigger processes of digital transformation and business innovation, will be achieved implementing the following processes: training sessions and interactive/practical/demonstrative sessions aimed at understanding specific themes and topics related to VR/AR technologies and their use in the most diverse fields.
The Euro-Mediterranean Institute of Science and Technology (IEMEST), which will host the regional "western pole" of the network of VR and AR centers, will physically substantiate the concept of the 3DLab-Sicilia "liquid lab", making its own premises, both existing and those acquired explicitly to house the project infrastructure.
In the context of the plan to disseminate the results of the project, the 3DLab-Sicilia "liquid lab" will be validated and demonstrated on a large scale through four editions of a temporary traveling exhibition open to companies, investors and the general public which will be set up in the Municipalities who participate in the activities of the project and in which the infrastructure resources and the various use cases will be shown that can be “tested” by visitors. In these cases, in agreement with the Municipal Administrations, appropriate spaces will be identified where to set up the "liquid lab", possibly with the help of temporary mobile structures (booths).
Anyone interested in developing applications at the IEMEST "liquid lab", or even creating a "liquid lab" within their organization, please contact us at info@3dlab-sicilia.it.
