Goan institutions of higher learning need VR laboratories, experience centres to upskill students, says local startup founder 

~ According to Akhilesh Bhisso, founder of Goa-based digitally enabled construction company Innovent, India is on the cusp of a technological revolution and virtual reality set-ups will be a fixture in five out of 10 houses in the next 10 years. 

~ Implementing virtual reality laboratories, experience centres in educational institutions across Goa will empower students with cutting-edge technological know-how.

Goa Khabar: Students in higher educational institutions across Goa need to be equipped with cutting-edge technological know-how to be on par with advancements taking place at the international level, placing them on an equal playing field in the knowledge and job markets, said Akhilesh Bhisso, founder of the Goa-based digitally enabled construction company, Innovent.

Bhisso proposed the implementation of virtual reality (VR) laboratories and experience centres across educational institutions in the state to facilitate this endeavour. He stated that he aimed to approach the state government to collaborate with him on this initiative and have the VR centres installed across educational campuses over the next few years.

“While there has been significant technological development in India over the last seven to eight years, there is significant scope for improvement. Cutting-edge technology is being developed and utilised abroad, almost 10 to 15 years ahead of what we are using in India. This has made me passionate about ensuring our students are well-versed in utilising said technology,” said Bhisso.

According to Bhisso, India is on the cusp of a technological revolution, wherein he foresees five out of 10 houses in the country equipped with VR set-ups as a fixture over the next 10 years – similar to the presence of a television set.

Bhisso made these statements at the recently held MOG Sundays talk titled ‘Space Design Through New Technology’ at the Museum of Goa, Pilerne, where he discussed the pros of utilising VR in conceptualising, planning and constructing houses.

“I travel to colleges to conduct workshops in VR to build a tech-savvy student community. We design courses to help students get accustomed to architectural and interior designing and make use of VR and its applications in their careers, which is my syllabus at the Goa College of Architecture for the last six years,” said Bhisso.

An engineer by profession and an alumnus of Goa College of Engineering, Ponda, Bhisso set out to revolutionise the fields of technology and architecture in Goa. Founded in 2019, Innovent aims to utilise VR technology to significantly reduce the conceptualisation, planning and execution timings of construction projects, by giving prospective homeowners a virtual walkthrough of their finished home using the technology.

Bhisso utilises virtual and augmented reality to give homeowners an immersive insight into their ‘finished’ homes in an artificially generated environment. This method limits the total monetary investment in any construction project to a one-time process, as custom changes to the building’s layout plan can be made within the computer programming itself after the virtual walkthrough, instead of physical alterations post-construction.

During the MOG Sundays talk, members of the audience were given an opportunity to try a VR headset on and guided by Bhisso through a virtual walkthrough of a home plan, making the session a highly immersive and interactive experience.