MAKAR: Revolutionising the Future of Education
The era of augmented and virtual realities (AR/VR) is upon us now. Even before the pandemic, there has been an increased demand for AR/VR applications in the workplace to benefit businesses. A 2019 PwC report predicted that nearly 23.5 million jobs worldwide will be using AR and VR by 2030 for training and work meetings. Now, COVID-19 has driven a record number of workers to go remote and the technology has truly gone mainstream. According to a report by ABI Research, the VR market is forecasted to grow at a 45.7% compound annual rate, surpassing $24.5 billion in revenue by 2024.
Popularising XR technologies
MAKAR is the largest AR/ VR/ MR open platform in Taiwan and contains editor and browser functions. The company targets XR users in the educational and smart industries, along with those who wish to become more informed in the digitisation process.
The MAKAR XR platform prides itself on its user friendliness and the ability to allow anyone to freely develop their AR,VR and MR content without the need for coding. This is particularly helpful to those who are unfamiliar with coding as they can proceed directly to the XR content-editing stage, thus saving time and energy. The company hopes that through this, more users will be able to unleash their creativity on the platform and in turn popularise XR technology.
What sets MAKAR apart
In the words of Dr Josh Kuo, Co-founder and COO of MAKAR, the platform is an “AR/VR builder” and will help content creators craft XR mobile applications in “just 90 minutes without any coding”, replacing what would be a “high-cost, high-tech and long-term development schedule”.
MAKAR XR platform allows users to upload 2D materials, 3D models, Video/Voice, and Panoramic materials directly to the cloud, edit on the cloud and download to destination devices on demand. The platform also offers a free 2D and 3D online gallery as well as AR modules like scratch card, photo frames and points card. Moreover, accessibility to the platform is guaranteed with it being accessible through any AR/VR/MR smart device such as AR glasses or smart phones.
Blazing a trail
As of today, MAKAR has helped 40,000 XR developers around the world out and has compiled immersive experiences a staggering 45 millions times. They’ve also partnered with Facebook, HTC and Epson to make the platform available through the respective companies’ smart glasses. For example, the company has integrated Epson’s AR glasses with the MAKAR XR platform and Taiwanese schools have already begun to use the technology. Teachers can edit their teaching materials on the XR platform while students can use the Epson AR glasses to interact and engage with the content.
Moving forward
Currently, the company has set foot in the Taiwanese, Singapore and Hong Kong markets. They also have their sights set on the South Korean, Japanese and American markets and have joint partners in these countries with the Taiwanese government backing their endeavours.
The team behind MAKAR is also rich in experience and enthusiasm. More than half of them have been lecturers at higher education institutes. As such, they’ve had first-hand experiences of the problems in multi-media industries and are passionate in helping other educators use MAKAR as a teaching tool. With their unique insight into both the education and AR/VR industries, the team is able to better craft and alter the MAKAR XR platform for it to best suit their target audience.
