Gainesville Startup Receives $300k for Job Creation
A local startup is creating jobs and changing the virtual reality experience. Paracosm began its business about one year ago, and is preparing to roll out its first product next month. GTN's Mayci McLeod has more.
It's like being in a video game. Paracosm is improving the 3D modeling experience to broaden its use while lowering the cost.
Paracosm CEO Amir Rubin says, "There is no way to efficiently and cost effectively get a 3D model of a building--it's called reality capture. And so what is very unique about our software is it lets you take a very inexpensive 3D camera that you can just buy off the shelf and you walk through the building with this camera upload the video to our server and we process it. Then, bam, a few hours later you download your 3D model."
He says there is nothing like this out there and the possibilities seem endless.
Rubin says, "It's not just a photo panorama like you'll see on Microsoft Bing or Google Maps... this is an actual dimensionally accurate representation of the real world."
One of the real world applications of the Paracosm software is tourism. Instead of having to travel out of state or the country to visit a museum, you're there through the 3D model on your computer screen.
Other uses include crime scene reconstruction, office building surveys, and retail organization. Store owners can virtually walk the aisles and figure out ways to maximize space and accessibility. An extra $300,000 from the Florida Institute will help Paracosm create more local jobs.
Florida Institute for Commercialization of Public Research CEO, Jamie Grooms, says, "We thought they were a quality organization and a coachable team to fund and meet the objective of the state, which again is to create jobs, and create and keep the technology that come out of these Universities in the state of Florida so those companies stay here as well."
Once the software is available for purchase in January, Paracosm expects to use the $300,000 to hire many more employees.