Can you give us a brief overview of 3DI is and what your company does?
We deliver physically accurate simulations in a repeatable and safe digital environment that blend art and science, capture attention and produce measureable results.
What projects are you currently working on at the moment?
We are currently working on three simulators: one for snubbing, one for an automated drill rig and the last for a blast hole drill. We have also just started a major e-learning project for the oil and gas industry.
What is the biggest impact that 3DI hopes to make on the industry and your field that you develop products for?
We hope to reduce accidents, save lives and improve core competency through cost-effective interactive training. We recognize that hands-on learning is a very effective training tool, especially in today's world of video games and phone apps. People learn more effectively if they are engaged and interested in what they are doing and we use a video game engine to give them an environment that both looks and behaves realistically. We are looking to take the entertainment value that video games provide and apply it to training applications so that the user can learn in a new way and enjoy themselves while they are doing so.
3DI does its development in Edmonton, what strengths do you feel that operating in this city provides that are conductive towards the growth of your company?
Having access to the University of Alberta has been a big help in growing our company. We've hired many people who have gone through their undergraduate or graduate programs in Computing Science, Engineering and Industrial Design. We're also lucky to be close to so many of the companies in the oil and energy industries. Having existing and potential clients so nearby is a huge bonus and it makes us more appealing because we are local and that makes communication that much easier.
Do you see any industry trends occurring with regards to your line of work?
Training is starting to become more important across many industries. Accidents are costly and so we've seen that companies are putting a higher priority on properly training their employees and they are looking for effective ways to do it. Digital media is becoming an increasingly large part our everyday lives and this results in people looking to be taught in more interactive ways than traditional classroom training. Companies are realizing this and looking to incorporate digital media into the way they train their employees, which leads them to look into simulators and e-learning.
Do you have a particular wish list of things that you would like to see changed here in Alberta to see the industry as a whole grow?
- Better government understanding and acknowledgement of interactive digital media. The more the government understands our industry, the easier it is for them to properly allocate funding and promote the industry, which in turn helps our industry to grow.
- Better facilitation and communication between post-secondary and industry. It would be great if we could work together more to ensure that students are learning things that are applicable both to their academic education and to their chosen industry when they graduate. Our industry moves so fast - we want to make sure that students aren't behind the curve before they even start their careers.
- Easier access to funding for R&D.
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