Virtual Planet Technologies Makes Finalist List for 2024 Auggie Awards
Virtual Planet Technologies LLC (VPT) is a company focused on leveraging immersive technologies and storytelling to raise awareness about climate change and promote actionable solutions. Founded by Dr. Juliano Calil and Paulo Salvatore, VPT specializes in creating virtual reality (VR) experiences that help communities visualize and understand the impacts of climate change, such as sea level rise, coastal erosion, and extreme weather events.
One of their key projects is the "Sea Level Rise Explorer," a VR application that allows users to interact with 3D models to see potential flooding scenarios and explore adaptation strategies like seawalls and vegetated dunes. This application aims to educate a wide audience, from students to policymakers, about the long-term impacts of climate change and the benefits of various mitigation efforts.
The company is based in Santa Cruz, California, and has a small but growing team of experts, including climate scientists, urban planners, 3D animators, and software developers. They collaborate with academic institutions, such as Florida Atlantic University, and municipal governments to produce detailed and impactful simulations (Virtual Planet Technologies LLC.) Check out their Santa Cruz Sea Level Rise Explorer.
Two of VPT’s projects are making it to the finals at the Auggie Awards. The Auggie Awards are prestigious accolades recognizing the best in augmented, virtual, and mixed reality technologies. Since their inception in 2010, these awards have become a significant event in the XR (extended reality) industry, celebrating innovation and excellence across various categories. The 2024 Auggie Awards will mark their 14th year, showcasing advancements and creative achievements in the field. The awards are presented during the Augmented World Expo (AWE), a major conference for AR and VR professionals.
In 2024, the AWE USA event is scheduled for June 18-20 in Santa Clara, California and invites startups, developers, product leaders, creators, investors, enterprise end users, and tech enthusiasts to attend.
The award categories include Best Art or Film, Best Campaign, Best Collaboration Tool, Best Consumer App, Best Creator & Authoring Tool, Best Developer Tool, Best Enterprise Solution, Best Game or Toy, Best Headworn Device, Best Healthcare & Wellness Solution, Best Location-Based Entertainment, Best Indie Creator, Best Interaction Product, Best Snapdragon Spaces™ App, Biggest Societal Impact, and Best Use of AI (AWEVR) (Cornish).
Public voting and a panel of industry judges determine the finalists and winners, highlighting innovations that push the boundaries of what is possible with XR technologies.For more details on the awards and the voting process, you can visit the official AWE website.