Simon Lajboschitz: Exploring Virtual and Augmented Reality

Khora is a virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) content production studio, a pioneer introducing this technology to Danish (people and businesses). Headquartered in Denmark, Khora’s core purpose is Expanding Reality through value-creating applications of Virtual and Augmented Reality. Again combining a storefront, educational platform, and an expert production team; Khora aims to integrate people of all ages and walks of life who share a common interest in this emerging technology. The company serves several industries in areas of education, healthcare, art, marketing, energy, tourism, and contemporary art. They provide stunning VR solutions for their business applications like visualizations, physical experiences, simulations, e-commerce, or digital entertainment. “With every solution we provide, the goal is to expand the potential of VR/AR,” espouses Lajboschitz.

Being one of the three most experienced VR/AR content producers in Northern Europe the company is the first choice for implementation of the most innovative projects. They each time push boundaries to create something even more exhilarating. From creating the ‘first Danish virtual reality game’ to running ‘16 backpack computers and VR headsets simultaneously in an amusement park with thousands of visitors’, Khora is pushing the limits of what’s possible. One of their newest endeavors is to explore the potential of using VR at Danish museums. Khora has made a VR experience containing a mixture of 360-degree video and 3D animation exhibited at the M/S Maritime Museum of Denmark. Customized VR podiums with ‘plug’n’play’ ready equipment were placed in the museum’s exhibition hall for visitors to try out. The experience unfolds the historic creation of the museum and visualizes the transformation from dry dock to the architectural pearl that the museum has become today. One of the guests had this to say about the experience, “I loved it, I loved the VR thing. Because I think it helps to visualize the entire building, how it was used. Sometimes in museums you just read a brochure, it’s a bit hard to visualize. But this really helps. To see where the ships used to dock, and what it took to build the museum.” Another recent use case, famed for its medical application, is the production of a pain distraction game for Rigshospitalets Paediatric Pain Management Unit. Children shoot Seagulls in the VR game, making them ignore injection procedures. Khora is in the process of scaling the initiative. According to CTO and co-founder Peter Fisher, “VR and AR as a medium is a way to convey a different concept in a way you can’t do with a screen or with words.” It’s an immersive experience, in this case pulling the children away from the immediate and painful procedure. But, Simon Lajboschitz has a bigger vision for the technology: spinning out new subsidiary companies focused on Virtual Reality within Healthcare. “This is a super interesting area and we believe some of these products will help thousands of patients across the world,” says Lajboschitz.

Of course, these achievements are not a coincidence, but a result of a highly dedicated team. “We work hard, we have a lot of fun and we treat each other as a family,” smiles Lajboschitz. No written rules. No titles. Only one unwritten rule to treat each other as a one. As a result, everyone does whatever is necessary for their organization, teammates, and for reaching the goals. Likewise, “If there is a hole in the boat, whoever is closest by, puts a finger in it to stop it from sinking,” affirms Lajboschitz. Meanwhile, Simon’s most of the days are jam-packed with the back-to-back meeting, workshops while the evenings are reserved for emails. Supervising daily operations and balancing family life usually fill up his week. Even so, he makes time to be with his family and describes playing with his sons as his safe bubble. He recommends everyone to read Liquid Reign. “It is a realistic sci-fi that is great at describing user interfaces and day-to-day use of the next generation of technology,” he says enthusiastically.