VR Pole pillars let you see Zagreb as it was 140 years ago.
The Croatian startup VR Pole installed virtual reality pillars in front of the Zagreb Cathedral last weekend. They are used, based on 3D technology, to show life in Zagreb before the great earthquake in 1880, reports Poslovni Dnevnik on March 13, 2018.
The installation immediately attracted the attention of hundreds of passers-by, said VR Pole managing director Milan Gudeljević. The prototype will soon be protected by patent and as a Croatian product. “The basic price of the pillar is about 5,000 dollars, but it can increase with the number of components on it and how much demanding 3D simulations are. The technology itself is not a problem, but it is necessary for the historical elements to be analysed, loaded, copied. There is a lot of work. Inside the pillar, there is a virtual reality projection technology which illustrates life in Zagreb in the 19th century. We have used all the available elements from the archives to create a more credible view of the old cathedral. Reactions of the passers-by, as well as the information we have collected through a survey, are very positive. We are a very young startup, just seven months old. The project included seven people, all with previous experience in the IT industry,” said Gudeljević.
VR Pole’s artistic director Dragan Vejnović added that this was one of the more demanding projects they have worked on in the last ten years. “There are not enough realistic portrayals of the Kaptol neighbourhood and the old cathedral from that period. That is the reason why we are so very proud that we have done such a good job. According to the survey, the citizens of Zagreb have recognised the potential of this project,” said Vejnović.
They have already agreed on co-operation in foreign markets, as well as with the Museum of Illusions in Zagreb, which plans to use their product at its international locations, from Austria to the United States and Malaysia.
VR Pole is the finalist of the Startup Factory Zagreb programme and a tenant of the Zagreb Technology Park, as well as a company which has received support from the City of Zagreb for entrepreneurial innovations. They want to combine tourism and virtual reality in a single project.
Gudeljević particularly highlighted the importance of the so-called Blue Office, one of three departments of the Zagreb Development Agency, as well as of the entrepreneurial infrastructure that helps young innovative entrepreneurs to “stand on their own two feet.”
Translated from Poslovni Dnevnik.
