Several organisations have been involved with the creation of RLab, a virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) lab. New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME), the NYU Tandon School of Engineering and the Brooklyn Navy Yard all teamed up to create the lab, which will be administered by a participating consortium of New York universities.
RLab will operate out of Building 22 in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, and the centre will support start-ups, talent development as well as research and innovation. RLab will also host an early-stage fun, which will be administered by venture capital firm Super Ventures to support companies accepted into the RLab accelerator program.
The lab is due to be completed in 2019, when it will house 16,500 square feet of co-working spaces, labs, classrooms, studios and more in Building 22, which was formerly a manufacturing facility at the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
“VR and AR have been making their marks on so many industries that call New York City home: media, entertainment, live events, and even education, surgery, healthcare, and real estate—and the possibilities are only beginning,” said Media and Entertainment Commissioner Julie Menin. “We’re thrilled that RLab, the first publicly funded facility of its kind in the nation, will build on this meteoric success in a way that connects New Yorkers from across the five boroughs to the growing opportunities of this technology.”
“RLab is a compelling addition to the Navy Yard and will provide a new path to quality, good-paying jobs, through innovation,” said David Ehrenberg, President and CEO of the Brooklyn Navy Yard. “Connecting students from our neighboring communities and across the borough to precisely those types of good-paying, sustainable opportunities is a core part of our mission. The City is right to invest in training and developing the jobs of the future and the Navy Yard is proud to welcome RLab.”
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via Mint VR