Chennai: Indian Institute of Technology, Madras has unveiled aconsortium for virtual reality, aimed at creating new advanced technologies andapplications in virtual, augmented reality.
   
As a group of academic, industries, start-ups and government agencies, theconsortium is being coordinated by the Institute.
   
Titled 'Consortium for Virtual Reality/Augmented Reality/Mixed RealityEngineering--Mission in India" (CAVE)", it would promote best practices, dialogue with all stakeholders, government policy makers and research institutions.
    
"A strong research group such as IIT Madras is needed for innovations on mixed reality.As an academia initiated consortium, innovation is given priority,much more resources are available for every member, and together can reach a wideraudience", IIT-M, department of applied mechanics, professor M Manivannan said.
   
The consortium would aim to become a resource for industry, academia, consumers and policy makers, interested in virtual, augmented and mixedreality.
   
Some of the key outcomes envisaged from the consortium  include developing indigenous virtual reality, augmented reality, mixed reality and hapticshardware and software.
   
Department of information technology, principal secretary Neeraj Mittal, after inaugurating the consortium recently, said such an initiative was very much needed for a country like India.
   
The Centre of Excellence on Virtual Reality and Haptics is the country's first research and product innovation centre for mixed reality and haptics technology, a transdisciplinary centre encompassing several fields of engineering, medicine, psychology and arts, the release added.