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UniKL Initiates Futuristic Venture with Friendly Rabbit Media Sdn. Bhd.

Once a hobby of SciFi fans, augmented reality is making its way into popular media. Apps for handheld devices, like the iPhone, utilize augmented reality to overlay contextual geographic and directional information onto these devices in an interactive fashion. Spurred by this phenomenon, Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) is keen to be one of the most prolific players in the area of augmented reality in the country. This venture was initiated through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) inked between UniKL and Friendly Rabbit Media Sdn. Bhd. on July 27, 2011 towards an establishment of a commercial Augmented Reality Centre within Klang Valley which will also be the first of its kind in Malaysia. Friendly Rabbit Media Sdn. Bhd. was represented by its Director, Dato’ Samsiah Samsudin and Group Advisor, Mr. Wan Mohd Rashidi Wan Yahaya whilst signing on behalf of UniKL was Prof. Dato’ Dr. Abdul Hakim Juri, President/CEO and Prof. Ahmad Zahir Haji Mokhtar, Deputy President (Technopreneur and Student Affairs). UniKL President/CEO, Prof. Dato’ Dr. Abdul Hakim Juri said, the university would be proud to be the centre of development of augmented reality technology in the future. “Augmented technology is one of the most exciting and futuristic technology and we are keen to develop this technology here in UniKL”, he said. He said this after the signing ceremony held at UniKL City Campus, Kuala Lumpur. The event was witnessed by Y.B. Datuk Dr. Adham Baba, UniKL Chairman. Signing on behalf of Friendly Rabbit Media Sdn. Bhd., Director, Dato’ Samsiah Samsudin, witnessed by Group Advisor, Mr. Wan Mohd Rashidi Wan Yahaya (far right). UniKL was represented by Prof. Dato’ Dr. Abdul Hakim Juri, President/CEO and Prof. Ahmad Zahir Haji Mokhtar, Deputy President (Technopreneur and Student Affairs) whilst UniKL Chairman, Y.B. Datuk Dr. Adham Baba (standing) was the ceremonial witness accompanied by Director of UniKL Technopreneur Development and Innovasion Division, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mazliham Mohd Su'ud. Friendly Rabbit Media Sdn. Bhd. specializes in content for Augmented  Reality which is the merging of real live environment with digital creation of  data, images, graphics, video and audio. It is also a mobile and broadband  content, aggregator for social media solution and platform developer. Augmented Reality is a term for a live direct or an indirect view of a physical,  real-world environment whose elements are augmented by computer-generated  sensory input, such as sound or graphics or GPS. It is related to a more  general concept called mediated reality, in which a view of reality is modified  (possibly even diminished rather than augmented), by a computer. As a result,  the technology functions by enhancing one’s current perception of reality.  By contrast, virtual reality replaces the real world with a simulated one. Prof. Dato’ Dr. Abdul Hakim Juri also highlighted that, augmented reality is  a technology that has made truly extraordinary steps moving from science  fiction to reality, and seems poised to explode into a variety of new applications in the  imminent future. “In contrast to the virtual environments that we see today through a  variety of display devices, in augmented reality we will be able to see the real world  around us, with the relevant computer graphics superimposed or composed with the real  world.”, he added. Meanwhile, commenting on the collaboration with Friendly Rabbit Media Sdn Bhd,  Abdul Hakim said, through this partnership, it will enable the university together  with the company to explore the potentials in the applications of the technology, to co-develop products and services by using the technology and to jointly implement projects that exploits the augmented technology. “I think we are in the midst of an  interface revolution,” he said.