AR, VR and AI platform Enklu launches Lake Nona art show in Orlando

Spatial computing has sashayed into Lake Nona by way of a consumer experience called Verse Orlando.

Right now, the self-guided art exhibit — which is the product of augmented reality, virtual reality and artificial intelligence technologies — is taking place in a tent at 6877 Tavistock Lakes Blvd., though the man behind the exhibit, Orlando-based Enklu CEO Ray Kallmeter, hopes it eventually can move into the Wave Hotel across the way. It opened to the public on June 30.

Enklu was created seven years ago for businesses seeking a platform that helps build and operate spatial simulations at scale, which means Verse art shows are but one application of the tech. So far, the seed-stage company has seen Enklu used to create diagnostic and training platforms.

The consumer-facing use of Enklu could help the company grab more attention, especially given the name recognition and following of Colorado digital artist Android Jones, whose work is featured in Verse exhibits.

Verse Immersive also has popped up in cities around the country, including San Francisco and Chicago — in each instance giving ticket holders a view through HoloLens 2 headsets. And what do they see?

Orlando Inno spoke with Kallmeter at the Verse Orlando ribbon cutting on June 29 to find out.

What will guests see when they buy a ticket for Verse Orlando through summer 2023?

This is an example that creators can look toward and contribute to. A lot of the art in this experience was created by artists who are not directly associated with Orlando, like Android Jones. He's a contributing artist, an incredible visionary artist who's been working in 3D for a while. Enklu provides him with a new canvas. Folks like Seattle artist Scott Musgrove, who's been doing 2D painting for a long time, has a 3D piece in here called Iridescent Jellies. He took a 2D silhouette and rotated it in a 3D program, and now you can experience it in the middle of a holographic experience. So all these things together for me prove that this is not just a technology. This is really a new way for artists to communicate. 

In your view, how are new technologies perceived in the arts community as a whole?

In terms of how this is changing the landscape of creation, AI has been very controversial. Folks in the AI community have been embracing AI to remix their works. There have been folks who have been concerned with training AI models on copyrighted images. All the stuff we used here was used on non-copyright images that are public domain. 

Is there a purpose to your exhibits beyond entertaining people?

Yes. What we want to do is provide creators with examples of what can be done, with Enklu, showing them the support and tools to help bring their creative vision to life in interesting new ways. 

What made you decide Lake Nona was the place to create this type of expression? 

I was fortunate last year to tour many different cities, looking for a new place for our marquee installation. Juan Santos, Tavistock senior vice president of brand experience and innovation, found us at a trade show and invited us to work out of leAD Lake Nona Sports & Health Tech Accelerator as a company in residence. At that point, we already had a relationship with one of our investors based out of Orlando who had been encouraging us to move Enklu here. Lake Nona felt like all the things we love about West Coast tech cities and all the things we loved about cleaner, more organized cities that you don't see so much on the West Coast anymore. It's an incredible confluence of technology, startups, community and creativity. Now we have nine core team members in Orlando. In total we have 20 team members.

Beyond art creation, how is Enklu being used?

We have schools using the tool to train teachers on how to handle emergency scenarios for their students. If a kid has a seizure, you can learn how to handle that from a book, but it's not the same thing as actually seeing a kid having a seizure. We have doctors using the tool to diagnose heart conditions. They’ll see a patient’s heart, make the visuals larger to see more — this is not just an exterior view, you can view it in 3D on the inside — and better know if what you’re seeing is an arrhythmia or some other condition. Concordia University is using it to train coaches and nurses how to diagnose and treat concussions. 

What led you to the work you’re doing now?

It started when I was 7 years old. I had a very supportive single mother who was in community college. She brought home a book, I think it was an introduction to computer programming in BASIC language, and that really changed everything for me right then. I ended up working in the video game industry for 20 years. I got to work with BottleRocket Entertainment, NCSOFT and Ubisoft on big titles with 500-person teams. I got to work on the physics and combat systems for Defiance. I was on the MLB series for years and World Tour Soccer.

Does your video game background feed into Enklu’s capabilities?

Yes. Enklu brings together a lot of tools that game developers know, like Unity. It takes 3D files from 3D Studio Max and Blender, generative AI tools like Stable Diffusion and Midjourney, ChatGPT for text, ElevenLabs for generating spatial audio. For 3D creators who've only been able to express themselves making video games, now they actually can participate in the fine art scene and community. 

Where will Verse Immersive travel to next?

Denver's opening up next month. We’re also doing one on top of a mountain in El Salvador the month after that. There will be a whole series of these in different scales and scopes. What we're creating right now is a new ecosystem of operators, creators and players using a new kind of media. 

Verse Orlando experiences:

Tickets: www.verseorlando.com

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