UpGrad, South East Asias largest online higher education company, has created an augmented reality (AR) learning experience. They have achieved this by partnering up with EyeWay Vision– an immersive augmented reality company. 

EyeWay Visions immersive augmented reality makes online learning more compelling, using eye tracking, direct retinal projection and foveated projection to produce a tenfold improvement in visual enhancement.

This could potentially increase course completion rates, as eye tracking technology gives educational institutions a way to make sure the right people are actually taking the course and tests.

The EyeWay Vision prototype offers a very high dynamic range, with brightness ranging from ultra-bright 20,000 nits down to a very low black level of 0.1 nits, allowing it to be used indoors and outdoors in all kinds of lighting. It offers an extremely wide colour gamut (Rec 2020), retinal resolution, naturally wide field of view and dynamic focusing, presenting rich and natural digital content that looks completely realistic. The prototype is expected to be available towards the fourth quarter of 2021.

Data shows that the market for visual tech and augmented reality are booming. The global e-learning market was estimated at $144bn USD (£104bn GBP) in 2019 and is forecast to reach $374.3bn USD (£271.6bn GBP) by 2026, according to market research firm Facts and Factors.

UpGrad has more than one million learners in more than 50 countries, and has recorded an annual revenue run-rate of $165m USD (£119.7m GBP) for fiscal year 2021.

“At UpGrad, we believe in bringing the best and the latest technology to enhance the learning experience for our learners. The partnership with EyeWay Vision is a path-breaking step wherein we look at developing an augmented three-dimensional interactive learning environment to keep our learners engaged” said Co-Founders of UpGrad, Ronnie Screwvala & Phalgun Kompalli in a joint statement. “Not only would this move disrupt the edtech market at large but it would also contribute towards our vision of making world-class education mainstream.”