NPDC's Puke Ariki's VR experiences during Tech week 2019 include the chance to explore the ocean in theBlu. Photograph by: theblu: A Wevr Original Series.
NPDC's Puke Ariki's VR experiences during Tech week 2019 include the chance to explore the ocean in theBlu. Photograph by: theblu: A Wevr Original Series.
New Plymouth District Council's Puke Ariki has become the first library in New Zealand to have a dedicated Virtual Reality room for use by schools, disability and community groups.
The hi-tech VR facility has been set up for Tech week 2019 where visitors will get the chance to walk througha surrealist Salvador Dali panting, explore the ocean or paint the world with particles from the big bang.
The VR room is already a hit with all 112 experiences for Tech week now booked out. The resource will be permanent with plans to use it with content created for future exhibitions and as an educational tool for school groups and community organisations.
The new installation confirms Puke Ariki's position as a world-leader in library technology, Acting Puke Ariki Manager Colleen Mullin says.
"From the QuickCheck system which makes taking out book easy to free wifi and computers for library users, Puke Ariki uses technology to make the library experience even better. Libraries have always played an instrumental role in bringing new technology to communities, from bound pages and VHS tapes, to MP3s and eBooks streaming directly from the cloud," she says.
She says Puke Ariki is excited to be one of Tech week New Zealand's highlight events and bring Virtual Reality experiences to the New Plymouth District.
"The VR technology is a fantastic community resource and we are looking forward to using it with content created just for exhibitions and further experiences offered in the libraries.
Puke Ariki will be hosting a Tech Talk on May 22 at 5.30pm to discuss the VR and its future uses. There will be a speaker from engineering consultants WSP Opus who will explain how they are using VR in the business world.
VR will also be coming to NPDC's community libraries with Oculus Go stand-alone sets offering visitors the chance to explore new worlds from the comfort of their local library.
Other hi-tech features at NPDC's libraries include the Robots Roadshow which is a favourite with children during school holidays.
■ Tech week runs from 20 to 26 May. For more details head to techweek.co.nz
