December 2007
3D PIONEERS LETSDKE WIN TOP DONCASTER INNOVATION AWARD
Doncaster-based LETSDKE, one of the UK’s leading centres of expertise in interactive 3D imaging, has scooped Doncaster Chamber’s Most Innovative New Business Award.
The award was presented by Chamber President Neville Dearden at a Gala Dinner attended by more than 400 representatives of Doncaster’s leading companies.
LETSDKE focuses on introducing virtual reality and video conferencing technologies to industry. Through the Objective 1 supported LETS (Leading Edge Technology Solutions) project and Doncaster-based Digital Knowledge Exchange, LETSDKE is boosting the performance of South Yorkshire firms through emerging technologies and has created a £4million Interactive Visualisation and Research Centre at its base in High Melton. Equipped with the very latest virtual reality technology, the IRVC is capable of recreating anything from a jet engine to a holiday destination in lifelike 3D using a range of special screens and the skills of its computer designers and programming experts.
With support from Doncaster College and leading American technology firms Eon Reality and VBrick, the LETSDKE project has introduced hundreds of South Yorkshire businesses to the advantages of bringing product and built-environment concepts and designs to life as three-dimensional computer models - cutting the costs of prototype production and speed to market.
In making the award, which was sponsored by the South Yorkshire Investment Fund, Chamber judges praised LETSDKE for driving the use of emerging virtual reality and video conferencing technology among small and medium-sized South Yorkshire firms – particularly Microsoft’s new Touchlight technology which allows users to interact with a computer screen through a simple wave of the hand rather than a keyboard or mouse.
“LETSDKE is the only business outside the U.S. to have this technology – the judges found the business to be highly innovative and focused on assisting local businesses to harness the power of new technology,” said Mr Dearden.
Now in their ninth year, the 2007 Doncaster Chamber Business Awards were run in association with the Doncaster Free Press and featured 12 categories honoring firms which have achieved an outstanding performance in areas such as manufacturing, international trade, innovation, tourism and entrepreneurship.
LETS (Leading Edge Technology Solutions) and DKE (Digital Knowledge Exchange) are divisions of Digital Knowledge (Doncaster) Ltd (DKD Ltd).
