Beam me up: Proto’s hologram technology is on its way to Australia
The start-up has worked with Paris Hilton and Sean ‘P Diddy’ Combs – and now wants to work with rural and remote schools here.
Proto, a hologram start-up that has won investment from early Tesla backer Tim Draper and counts socialite Paris Hilton as an adviser, is coming to Australia and has begun discussions to introduce its futuristic “holoportation” technology to schools across the country.
The Los Angeles-based company has partnered with Brisbane telepresence provider TeleIn to bring Proto’s hologram tech to Australia ahead of potential pilots in schools across Queensland, New South Wales in Victoria where rural and remote schools are grappling with a widespread teacher shortage.
Proto inventor and chief executive David Nussbaum told The Australian he was originally inspired by 1970s sci-fi films like Star Wars and holographic entertainment like rapper Tupac Shakur, who “performed” at the Coachella festival in 2012 – 15 years after his death.
“I worked for a live entertainment company that was bringing back the dead to posthumously perform at arena-sized events, but when I would show the deceased superstar to his or her family in a small theatre space I could see the tremendous emotional impact it had,” he said.
“So I left to create a smaller, more intimate version; and instead of resurrecting the dead, I now primarily connect the living.
“And as a dad with small children and living 3000 miles from my elderly parents, I found it hard to get my kids to connect with their grandparents over Zoom or FaceTime, so I thought what if we could beam our real-size, real presence into each others’ homes for more engaging, emotional, connections with one another.”
Proto’s technology lets users beam anyone using a 4K camera, including an iPhone, to any one of the company’s proprietary displays in real-time. The person beaming can interact with their global audiences through return feeds coming from embedded 4K cameras, microphones, and data-collecting sensors in the Proto display.
The company’s inventions were on show this month at CES, the world’s largest consumer technology conference in Las Vegas.
Mr Nussbaum said his company was in “mature” discussions with Australian schools about running pilot programs in 2023.
“We see Australia as a perfect place for holoportation to become the norm,” he said. “You’ve got vast distances to cross and you’ve got oceans dividing you from other parts of the world.
“Where better to have Protos in offices, classrooms, stadiums, museums and theatres – and our Proto Ms in the home – so we can connect people of all kinds, daily, to learn and laugh and feel more.
“Proto is in use at several universities in the US, the first being the University of Central Florida where doctors can beam in to speak, and in fact they’ve beamed them in from Australia already. Patients with rare diseases can visit students up close, safely and talk about symptoms and how to spot them.”
In December Proto landed investment from the venture capital arm of auction house Christie’s, which has used Proto for presentations by curators and executives in hologram form. Other investors include early Tesla and SpaceX backer Tim Draper, Uber investor Mike Walsh, and rapper and music producer Sean “P Diddy” Combs. Party girl-turned-digital-entrepreneur Paris Hilton is a consultant and investor.
Australian rich lister Alex Waislitz also owns about 2 per cent of Proto through his investment vehicle Thorney Investment Group.
TeleIn managing director Benjamin Farkas said: “I’m thrilled to be able to bring Proto’s cutting-edge holoportation technology to Australia. I see massive potential across many industries, including education, corporate and healthcare.
“This technology can connect students with educators from different locations in the education sector, allowing schools to provide on-demand expertise for niche subjects, especially during our current teacher skills shortage.
“The applications are beneficial for regional and remote schools where access to education talent is limited, and I’m excited to see the potential impact Proto’s holoportation technology can have in Australia.”
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