The following press release accompanies our product launch.
The original release can be found at: http://www.uq.edu.au/news/article/2013/11/arts-and-technology-converge-ortelia-product-launch
Arts and technology converge at Ortelia product launch
The launch, to be hosted by The University of Queensland Art Museum, will showcase the products which model virtual environments in the online world, providing interactive, educational and innovative 3D services for art galleries, museums, theatres and the education sector.
The 3D technology that represents theatre spaces was conceived through the work of Professor Joanne Tompkins from UQ’s School of English, Media Studies and Art History.
It took off in 2001 with the involvement of UniQuest, UQ’s main commercialisation company, and Mr Lazaros Kastanis, who was then at UQ’s Advanced Computational Modeling Centre.
“We’ve come a long way since the project’s inception,” Professor Tompkins said.
“The original project was around the idea of theatre spaces, but we soon realised the real commercial potential had to involve modeling virtual environments in the online world.
“We’ve been fortunate to receive grant funding to develop the software prototypes and have worked with some fantastic industry partners, such as La Boite Theatre, The Powerhouse, and the UQ Art Museum, to model the software in real-life environments and refine the technology,” she said.
Ortelia Pty Ltd is a startup company of UniQuest, established in 2009 with Mr Kastanis as CEO, Director and main salesperson.
“This year we commenced work on a number of significant projects, including one for the Museums and Galleries, New South Wales, and one with the Queensland Theatre Company,” Mr Kastanis said.
“We are now a growing startup company with two new products and an increasing customer base seeking business growth partners. The potential is massive.”
The software package has two key components: Ortelia Curator, for professional curators; and Ortelia Virtual Set Designer, for theatre professionals.
Both products have applications for the education sector, with teachers and students in mind.
“Whether it’s a curated exhibition, a theatre set design, digital archiving, simulations or a virtual walk-through,Ortelia allows its clients to reach a wider audience using its 3D solutions with ease,” he said.
In the education space, Ortelia Virtual Set Designer is being used in a number of Queensland school reference sites, and lesson plans are under development to complement the product for the education market.
Professor Tompkins has continued to use the tool as a teaching and learning aid and in her own research into cultural spaces, which has resulted in a range of papers delivered internationally on these concepts.
For more information about Ortelia and its products visit www.ortelia.com or contact Mr Lazaros Kastanis at laz@ortelia.com.
About UniQuest Pty Limited
UniQuest is the main commercialisation company of The University of Queensland (UQ), specialising in the commercialisation of intellectual property, research outcomes and expertise. UniQuest delivers commercialisation outcomes which are valuable for UQ and profound for business, the environment, global communities and society as a whole.
UniQuest’s two business offerings – IP Commercialisation and Expertise Commercialisation – are designed to support UQ’s global strategy, industry engagement and reputation for excellence.
UniQuest benchmarks in the top 10 percent globally for university-based technology transfer. UniQuest-licensed UQ innovations are now generating annual sales of $3 billion. UQ technology, through licensing arrangements, is used in two-thirds of the world’s MRIs and more than 79 million doses of the life-saving Gardasil® cervical cancer vaccine, patented by UniQuest in 1991, have been distributed throughout 121 countries, including 72 developing countries.
For more information about UniQuest, please visit www.uniquest.com.au.
Event details
WHAT: Product launch: Ortelia Interactive Spaces
WHEN: 5 – 7pm 21 November, 2013
WHERE: UQ Art Museum, University Drive, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 407
Media enquiries:
Lazaros Kastanis, CEO, Ortelia by email laz@ortelia.com or Nicole Cowan, Manager, Corporate Marketing and Communications (UniQuest) by email n.cowan@uniquest.com.au