Nervus.Co is a startup specializing in producing virtual reality content and interactive 360-degree videos. Founded in 2020, Saint-Alexandre aims to go beyond entertainment by pushing the boundaries of virtual reality, a technology that can be used in particular in health and training, but also in marketing. A path recently taken by Tremcar.
Nervus.Co was founded by two longtime friends Louis-Philippe Denault and Jeremy Dufour. The first comes from the movie world. He was an actor and graduated in screenwriting from the National Institute of Image and Sound (INIS). The second is pharmacist and owner of pharmacy Proxim in Saint-Jacques in Vieux-Saint-Jean.
Virtual reality and 360-degree videos are still in their infancy. Nervus.Co combines the two. “I was drawn to 360 degrees. It’s new and it’s far to the west. People didn’t know what to do with it, both from the makers and from the customers,” says Louis-Philippe Denault.
In his eyes, image quality is relevant, and interaction is just as important. “If the content is negative, people continue for 45 seconds and then the effect is gone. To make the content ineffective, cinema has priority,” he says. For him, VR content becomes good when you add interactivity to it.
Endless possibilities
Virtual reality is experienced using a headset or other device with a screen. An interactive component is enabled when the user has a joystick or other aid that allows them to select one of the options that appear on the screen during an experiment.
In addition to entertainment, virtual reality can have many characteristics, especially in the areas of health and mental health. Louis-Philippe Denault would like to work on a project that would help treat PTSD.
“By using virtual reality, we can bring a painful situation back to life during a psychoanalysis session,” he explains. Virtual reality can also be used in medicine, especially in rehabilitation, and to treat pain and anxiety.
Nervus.Co would like to create a virtual chaise longue where people can sit and take some time to get away from almost everyday life. When a person wears a virtual reality helmet, he is no longer aware of his surroundings and of what is happening around him, summarizes Mr. Deniault.
excercise
The digital tool can also be used in many interactive courses. Louis-Philippe Daigneault continues, “An employer can give their employees an unpleasant customer experience and see how they react.” The scenario requires the employee to select different options to defuse or escalate the situation, depending on the choice made.
Other examples? Take occupational health and safety training or even police training with an active shooter… in virtual reality. “We are able to put anyone in a dangerous situation completely safely and see how they react,” said Mr. denyault.
In some cases, it is even possible to track eye movements and analyze different emotions and mental states thanks to technology from the fledgling Montreal company Re-Ak Technologies.
grooming care
Virtual reality also has its applications in marketing. Nervus.Co recently teamed up with Tremcar. The manufacturer of stainless steel and aluminum trailers and tanks has used this technology to distinguish itself.
Using a virtual reality headset, the manufacturer’s customers and prospective customers can visit its factories in Saint-Jeansur-Richelieu and Saint-Césaire to see the entire tank production process. Using the joystick, the virtual visitor selects the section or sections he wants to discover. In total, the document is 22 minutes long, but it has been broken down to improve the experience.
The digital tool can be used in particular during events in which Tremcar participates, such as trade fairs. The company can also use it in the recruitment process: the candidates are given the opportunity to visit the workplace.
Nervus.Co consists of two founders. However, they would like to expand the team in the future. The company also wants to have a studio where they can build a place that is useful for their experiences.
Nervus.Co was the winner of the OSEntreprendre Challenge 2021 in Haut-Richelieu.