Sentient wins $3m in contracts

Perth-based Sentient Computing has added 12 staff to its team after winning new contracts for its virtual reality training and 3D visualisation services.

Sentient said its new contracts were worth $3 million and amounted to a 50 per cent uplift in business.

The new staff will take its headcount in Perth to 41 people.

The contract wins were with mining giants Rio Tinto, BHP and Fortescue Metals Group along with oil and gas producer Shell, mining contractor Barminco, and energy utility Western Power.

Sentient said most of the contracts were based around virtual training, accelerated by recent travel restrictions. 

Project manager Leonie Yann said companies were starting to realise current technology could provide realistic virtual environments for learning.

“We are pleased that technology improvements have allowed for greater capability to transport the end user virtually to site,” she said.

Sentient takes engineering models, PDFs, reference images or drawings of the client’s assets and builds virtual models inhouse using its software developers and 3D artists.

“Our environments are used to help better understand where workers are going to be before getting to site,” Ms Yann said.

“The technology tests awareness of safety requirements before travelling, so we are seeing an uplift in demand for these contracts.”