LETS DKE Profile
The Leading Edge Technology Solutions (LETS) project is based at the historic Montagu Estate just outside Doncaster, South Yorkshire.
Funded by Objective 1, EU’s regeneration fund for the region, LETS has also received financial and technology backing from two of the world’s leading technology companies - Eon Reality, a global leader in interactive 3D visualisation based in California ,USA and VBrick, also based in the US and a global leader in teleconferencing and internet video streaming.
The LETS project is hosted by the Doncaster Knowledge Exchange and is designed to give small and medium-sized South Yorkshire businesses easy and affordable access to interactive 3D computer visualisation technologies and cutting-edge internet communication previously the preserve of major multi-nationals. LETS aim is to support businesses within South Yorkshire to cut costs, advance speed to market, stimulate new sales, develop new markets within the UK and abroad and create new high-value jobs and career development opportunities in the region.
Via Objective 1, grant aid totalling £1million is available to South Yorkshire companies to help them access LETS at discounts of up to 50 per cent of the true commercial cost.
Budgets for projects already undertaken range from several hundred thousand to a few hundred pounds yet savings and potential sales have been many times the investment figure. Thanks to the Objective 1 fund, firms taking advantage of the LETS offer range from small start-ups to long established firms seeking new ways to develop and promote their products and services.
The LETS project is hosted by the Doncaster Knowledge Exchange (DKE) giving the specialist creative and technical team access to all the resources of the £4million European Interactive Visualisation Research Centre (IRVC) based on the same site.
Through the IRVC an in partnership with Microsoft, LETS is pioneering new Touchlight technology - Microsoft’s new computer interface which operates without keyboard or mouse via a simple wave of the hand in front of the Touchlight screen. The technology was imagined as science fiction by Hollywood in the Tom Cruise film Minority Report. It is now science fact - with LETS hosting the only operational Touchlight facility in Europe.
Once interactive 3D visualisations are complete, LETS helps companies to maximise viewing opportunities by staff, clients and customers by leasing, hiring or lending relevant equipment or software.
The LETS facility itself, which includes fully immersive wrap-around screens for the ultimate true-to-life 3D experience along with the latest teleconferencing equipment, is available for hire as are portable screens and 3D projectors for use at exhibitions and product launches. A self-contained drive-away mobile unit is also available for outdoor events.
While some visualisations require stereoscopic glasses for optimum viewing, LETS can also offer 3D screens similar to the latest hi-definition plasma TVs. 3D TV does not require any specialist eyewear to view.
The LETS library of real-life business applications currently runs to 150 live examples. Current projects range from an interactive 3D model of a non-invasive cosmetic surgery treatments to 3D fly-throughs for an international hotel chain and 3D websites for a print company, lock manufacturer and food distributor.
