Throughout the 21 years of its existence, Laval Virtual has established itself as a major facilitator for organisations in the VR/AR and immersive techniques sector.
History
Created in 1999, Laval Virtual was founded at the initiative of the former Minister of Research and mayor of Laval, François d’Aubert. The concept (imagined by Bernard Taravel, Professor at the University of Angers and co-founder of the Futuroscope, Guy Le Bras, Managing Director at GART and Simon Richir, Professor at Arts et Métiers Paris Tech) is to bring together on the same place a large number of VR/AR players, from research and teaching to companies and the general public.
From this ambition, was born the International Exhibition of Technologies and Uses of the Virtual taking place every year in Laval (France) between March and April. Now, it welcomes 330 exhibitors on more than 9000 sqm of exhibition space, 200 speakers and more than 18,000 visitors during 5 days.
At its first edition in June 1999, Laval Virtual was a big success. More than 8,000 visitors, a wide media coverage and a strong participation from Japanes universities, are propelling Laval into the world of high technology.
Throughout the editions, the trade show not only present virtual reality but also augmented reality, 3D interaction, robotics, artificial intelligence, volumetric videos, biometrics, motion capture, speech recognition, brain-computer interface (BCI) and other technologies.
The event reflects Laval’s ecosystem, as a true capitale of Virtual Reality, gathering startups, Multinational Companies, Research Laboratories and special schools recognized throughout the world.
This excellence has now led to the creation of a new centre: the Laval Virtual Center, gathering the Laval Virtual association, the research center CLARTE and the Arts et Métiers Paris Tech Institute of Laval. A true place of expertise to support professionals from all fields wishing to use innovative technologies: Virtual, Augmented and Mixed Reality, Artificial Intelligence, Interactive 3D, Motion Capture, and other convergent technologies.
With the opening of this new center, the ecosystem of Laval Virtual asserts its position as a leader and forerunner in this innovative field.
The Association – Laval Virtual Europe – Recto VRso – Laval Virtual Days – VRDays