MillerKnoll 3D Leader, La-Z-Boy Alumna Join 3D Cloud by Marxent Advisory Board

Post originally appearing on presswire.com.

3D Cloud by Marxent CEO: "As we introduce AI/ML, room scanning, and other advanced features, it's critical to keep the client perspective front and center."

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Feb. 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today 3D Cloud™ by Marxent, the 3D experience platform for furniture and home improvement, announced the appointment of Lorna Jean Marcuzzo of MillerKnoll and Gail Applin, formerly of La-Z-Boy, to the 3D Cloud by Marxent Advisory Board. The Advisory Board is comprised of industry veterans from across home improvement, contract furniture, home furnishings, and adjacent industries.

Marcuzzo, currently Senior Digital Product Manager for 3D Visualization at MillerKnoll, brings over a decade of experience in the contract furniture space with a focus on innovation. Similarly, Applin served as Director of eCommerce and Interactive Customer Experience at La-Z-Boy for nearly a decade and is presently Director of E-Commerce Strategy and Operations for Smith & Noble.

"Both Lorna Jean and Gail bring a wealth of furniture industry experience to the table," said Beck Besecker, 3D Cloud by Marxent's CEO and Co-Founder. "They have considerable industry insight and also know what it takes to lead and deploy successful 3D innovation strategies at scale."

"I've always been impressed with both the quality of the team and the speed of innovation at 3D Cloud by Marxent," Marcuzzo said. "They are solving major challenges for the contract furniture industry, and I'm excited to be a part of the future of 3D visualization that we're building together," she said.

"Leading the 3D efforts for a highly customized product was challenging and 3D Cloud by Marxent was the perfect partner in innovation," Applin said. "I'm honored to be a part of the advisory board and to continue our collaboration," she said.

3D Cloud by Marxent pioneered the use of 3D in retail with the first major rollout of in-store Virtual Reality at scale and was an early developer of Augmented Reality applications for retail use cases. The company continues to serve the furniture, contract furniture, and home improvement industries with 3D solutions for furniture, office, kitchen, bath, and decking.  Innovations include Instant Renders, Design from Photo, and code-free product configuration at scale.

"Listening is essential in helping us to build next-gen 3D commerce solutions for the verticals that we serve. As we introduce AI/ML, room scanning, and other advanced features, it's critical to keep the client perspective front and center," Besecker said. "We are pleased to welcome Gail Applin and Lorna Jean Marcuzzo to the Advisory Board and look forward to their contributions," he said.

About 3D Cloud™ by Marxent

3D Cloud™ by Marxent is the 3D experience platform and global leader in 3D e-commerce for furniture, kitchen, bath, outdoor, office furniture, closets, and storage. The 3D Cloud platform is a B2B SaaS that allows retailers and brands to build endless applications from a single 3D product catalog. With 3D Cloud, 3D content is created, managed, and published to all 3D applications from a single source of truth for consistency across every touchpoint in the customer journey. Applications that run on 3D Cloud include 3D Product Configurators, 3D Sectional Configurator, 3D Room Planner with Design from Photo, 360 Product Spins, 3D Renders, WebAR, Augmented Reality retail apps, and Virtual Reality retail apps. 3D Cloud by Marxent has offices in Miamisburg, Ohio; St. Petersburg, Florida; London, England; and Auckland, New Zealand. Clients include a major U.S.-based home improvement retailer, Kingfisher plc, PlaceMakers, Mico, Kinsman, Macy's, Ashley, HNI Corporation, La-Z-Boy, Joybird, and John Lewis and Partners. The company is backed by Dan Gilbert and Arnie Bellini. For more information, visit 3dcloud.com.

Orlando Mayor opens 2,500 metaverse jobs aimed at reinforcing Orlando as the MetaCenter

To bring the metaverse to life, Mayor Buddy Dyer announced the opening of 2,500 new jobs in Orlando. Over the years, Orlando has become a leading hub for tech companies that want to innovate and explore the capabilities of emerging technologies.

Orlando as a Growing Hub for Tech Talent

“The density of talent, investment, industry, and creativity in Orlando has made the city ground zero for metaverse development, making Orlando the MetaCenter,” shared David Adelson, Orlando Economic Partnership Chief Innovation Officer.

Adelson explained that the initiative to transform Orlando into the MetaCenter stemmed from decades of innovation, which started with increased activity around the Cape Canaveral rocket launch site in 1957. This was further supported by the founding of the University of Central Florida (UCF) to create a workforce capable of supporting the US space program.

“Orlando then became the epicenter of experiential entertainment when Walt Disney came to town. This collision of creative entertainment and technological advancements formed the foundation of the innovative ecosystem that exists here today,” he adds.

Since 2015, Orlando has seen a 46% growth in the number of tech companies in the area, with over 1,600 companies now calling it home. The city also houses tech centers such as Lake Nona and the Creative Village, as well as tech talent from educational institutions like UCF and Full Sail University.

Mayor Buddy Dyer Opens 2,500 Jobs to Build the Metaverse

On December 7, 2022, Mayor Dyer gave his annual State of Downtown Address both in person and in the metaverse, making him the first person to give a mayoral address in the digital space. During his 2022 address, Mayor Dyer shared his vision for Orlando’s future, proclaiming the city as the metaverse’s MetaCenter.

“Mayor Dyer said that his address was an open invitation for anyone to come to Orlando and apply for these positions. We are echoing that call,” said Adelson.

These job opportunities, which include in-demand roles such as software developers, systems engineers, and metwork architects, will help build the metaverse and solidify Orlando’s position as one of the nation’s fastest-growing hubs for tech talent and technological innovation.

Several organizations like the Orlando Economic Partnership, the VR/AR Association (Florida Chapter), and the Orlando Tech Community are some of the champions bringing the metaverse to life in the MetaCenter.

“The list of execs from our next-gen gaming, entertainment, AI, AR/VR, IoT, and simulation training companies joining this effort continues to grow,” Adelson told us. Local governments in Orlando and Orange County have also expressed their support.

Orlando Leveraging the Capabilities of a Digital Twin

To encourage more tech investments in Orlando, the city has been using a digital twin of the entire region to show investors and other stakeholders what the city has to offer. Available at the marketing center in downtown Orlando, users can access immersive experiences via an experience-based platform to explore the region in a more convenient way.

During the recent Unity Fireside Chat, Laureen Martinez, Orlando Economic Partnership Vice President of Marketing and Communications, shared that the digital twin has provided an imaginative and convenient way to showcase the city to guests. It also helps position the city as more than just a tourist destination.

“Our vision is to have more and more companies come to Orlando for us to be able to change their perceptions, just simply through the act of them coming and experiencing this and learning more about Orlando – things that they probably could have never imagined,” Martinez said.

Building the Metaverse in Orlando

Many businesses in the city are developing their own metaverse products and services.

Disney is working with local companies to develop AR/VR technology. Red 6 is using AR headsets to enhance training for pilots. BrandXR is also building AR experiences for some of the world’s biggest brands and institutions, including NASA and Microsoft.

“With buy-in and collaboration from private partners, educational institutions, and the public sector, we have good reason to be so optimistic about the MetaCenter. With these partners, we will continue to illuminate the benefits of the MetaCenter on a global scale,” said Adelson.

Orlando and its MetaCenter champions are working to position the city as the ideal destination for innovative businesses to scale and succeed. They’re determined to attract companies and individuals who share the same vision in building the metaverse.

“We work to attract the companies and people that are looking to build the metaverse and do everything we can to facilitate their growth; our ecosystem of companies in gaming, AR/VR, AI, 3D reconstruction, IoT, and modeling and simulation is unparalleled,” Adelson added.

Future Plans for the City’s MetaCenter 

What can the world expect from Orlando’s MetaCenter?

Orlando is gearing up to reinvent its downtown area, with the goal of advancing “Broad-based Prosperity®” for the region.

“We define this as creating a region whose residents live a meaningful life in a place where equal access to resources and pathways to success allows opportunities for all,” explained Adelson. Partnerships between the local government, higher education institutions, and the local industry helped launch the Creative Village, a 68-acre innovation district. It’s home to UCF, the Electronic Arts HQ, Valencia College, and affordable housing and establishments.

David Adelson shared more insights on what the future holds for the metaverse’s development.

“We expect to use our digital twin technology for more than just virtual tours to attract businesses to the area. With this technology, we will be able to preview how different investments, like a transit system upgrade, might affect the environment and its residents,” he told us. “This is a tool that can allow us to run simulations of new policies or infrastructure projects and preview their potential impacts before planning in the real world.”

Article originally appearing on arpost.co by Gergana Mileva

i3 Joins the VR/AR Association, Brings Immersive Simulations and Training to the Unites States Armed Services

Integration Innovation, Inc. (i3), a technical solutions company headquartered in Huntsville, AL, has joined the Virtual Reality / Augmented Reality Association (VRARA). i3 specializes in Interactive Multimedia Instruction (IMI) Levels 0-4, in-game IMI, serious games, gamification, virtual operator and maintenance trainers, virtual reality, augmented reality, and mobile applications. i3 develops and maintains VR and AR training products for the US Army and Air Force and produces IMI for the Navy and Coast Guard. i3’s training and simulation products leverage highly accurate, digital twin assets to increase the speed and effectiveness of operator and maintainer training over the DoD’s more standard training material such as PDFs and PowerPoints. i3 developed the Virtual Reaper Suite (VRS) AR application, for example, that optimizes the student learning path through the MQ-9’s digital twin to remove aircraft and equipment limitations. In the same vein, i3 developed the Virtual Reality Simulated Delirium Environment to provide an immersive VR training environment for healthcare workers to experience the real-world effects of delirium. i3’s IMI and serious games are award-winning and widely recognized, with over seven different awards including Best Overall Award & People’s Choice Award for the 2021 I/ITSEC Iron Dev Competition, the world's largest modeling, simulation and training event. 

i3 recently expanded its geographic footprint by opening a permanent office in Orlando, FL.  “Orlando is a key geographic location known for its excellence in modeling, simulation, and training for the DoD. There are many exciting opportunities to work more closely with current and future customers, as well as establish key working relationships with other companies in the Orlando area — all of whose mindsets align perfectly with i3’s mission statement of ‘Growing People While Solving our Nation’s Toughest Problems’,” said CJ Jacobs, Chief Growth Officer of i3. “Orlando has a rich talent pool and is a hub for innovation, especially in the VR and AR domain. We are excited to be joining the VR/AR Association and look forward to engaging with other members of this growing community in both the Orlando and Huntsville areas,” continued Jacobs. i3’s participation in the Central Florida VRARA Chapter will lend itself to cross-chapter collaboration with Huntsville personnel and the forthcoming Huntsville VRARA chapter extension of the Central Florida Chapter.

“We are excited to have i3 join the VR/AR Association.  One of the goals of the Association is to provide support to our members to help them with their business goals and to connect them within the XR community both locally and around the globe and we look forward to supporting them in any way that we can. We are looking forward to i3's active participation and helping us launch the new Huntsville Chapter of the VR/AR Association,” said John Cunningham, Chapter President of the VRARA Central Florida Chapter.

About i3

i3 was founded in 2007 with the intent to do business differently. Our focus is to leave our team members and customers better than we found them — ultimately strengthening our Nation, our warfighter, and our company. From the beginning, our goal has been to create a culture that naturally produces growth by reminding people why they are relevant, that leadership matters, and that we can make a difference while making a living. Due to this philosophy and the hard work of our team members, we have experienced continuous growth since inception. In 2021 i3 became 100% team member owned. Visit https://i3-corps.com/i3-joins-the-vrara/ for more information.

Magic Leap 2 hits the market, and the UM community got a first look

Originally Appearing on Refresh Miami by Nancy Dahlberg

On Friday, Magic Leap announced that its next generation enterprise augmented reality platform, Magic Leap 2, is now commercially available.

Widespread availability follows its Early Access Program with companies like Cisco, SentiAR, NeuroSync, Miami-based Heru, Taqtile, PTC and Brainlab, where Magic Leap continued to improve the device for training, communication and remote assistance use cases in clinical settings, industrial environments, defense, and retail stores.

Magic Leap CEO Peggy Johnson said: “The Magic Leap 2 is the smallest and lightest augmented reality device built for the enterprise. After working with customers across industries like healthcare, manufacturing and the public sector, we’re proud to release a device that features innovative breakthroughs critical to driving widespread adoption, including Dynamic Dimming™ technology, the industry’s largest field of view, and unparalleled image quality and text legibility. Magic Leap 2 will take the current use cases to the next level, and we can’t wait to see what our customers create.”

In addition to Dynamic Dimming, Magic Leap 2 is 20% lighter and 50% smaller than its predecessor and includes proprietary optics breakthroughs and the largest field of view (up to 70° diagonal), compared to similar currently available AR devices, Magic Leap says.

The University of Miami has been a Magic Leap partner since 2018. Recently, students, faculty and the developer community were able to try out the Magic Leap 2 with a Magic Leap executive. Here is UM’s report:

By Janette Neuwahl Tannen – Guest Contributor, University of Miami

In a Magic Leap 2 Developer Event held in September, the company let students, faculty members, staff, and local professionals learn more about the newest headset, set to be released Sept. 30.

Oscar Arana and George Thompson have a vested interest in being familiar with the latest technology.

Thompson, a first-year music engineering major, and Arana, a sophomore computer science major, hope to delve into the virtual or augmented reality industries after graduation.

So, on Tuesday evening, they joined a group of students, faculty and staff members, and local extended reality professionals who attended the VR/AR Association’s Magic Leap 2 Developer Event, where leaders from Plantation-based Magic Leap unveiled the latest headsets, which will officially hit the market at the end of the month.

“The headset is very cool, and it will be interesting to think about its applications—I’m excited to see what will come out of it,” said Arana.

Founded by University alumnus Rony Abovitz in 2010, Magic Leap is one of a few companies specializing in augmented reality hardware, which layers digital images and experiences on top of the physical world. For example, augmented reality (AR) applications allow consumers to visualize digital furniture in their actual home, and they could allow first responders to immediately visualize hazards currently hidden behind walls, like gas lines or electrical panels when entering a fire in an actual building.

“The key to the future of digital technology in the physical world is keeping the human at its center,” said Lisa Watts, vice president of product marketing and developer programs at Magic Leap. “And we are here to make that digital content truly exist in the physical world and to enable humans to have that next level of interaction.”

The Tuesday event was hosted by the University’s Institute for Data Science and Computing (IDSC) and the XR Initiative and held in the Lakeside Village Auditorium. It was sponsored by Magic Leap and Unity, which creates software that is often used to build virtual and augmented reality experiences. It came just a few months after the Miami chapter of the VR/AR Association was launched on campus last spring.

“Magic Leap 2 has more capabilities to bring the digital and physical world together, and the University wants to be at the forefront of these technologies to expose our faculty and students to these new realities,” said Nick Tsinoremas, the University’s vice provost for research computing and data, as well as director of IDSC. “We are very excited about our relationship with Magic Leap and Unity, as well as how we can advance this technology and make it more pervasive. Because we want to create the next generation of developers, the next generation of creators, and the next generation of people that can change the world.” 

A representative from Magic Leap shows sophomore Oscar Arana the capabilities of the new Magic Leap 2 headset. Photo courtesy Kim Grinfeder/School of Communication.

During the evening event, Watts explained that the Magic Leap 2 evolved from the company making many revisions to its first headset, the Magic Leap One, to make it more human-centric. Some of these include expanding the user’s field of vision, so that people wearing the headsets can see a wider area.

The company also worked to make the digital images appear more solid before they are layered on the physical world, Watts noted. The new device also has more than 18 cameras and sensors, four microphones, and two speakers to make the AR experience more engaging.

The new headsets also have a global dimming feature that allows digital images to become sharper. In addition, Magic Leap has made its platform more accessible to developers and switched to an Android-based operating system. The device costs $3,299. 

The new features will help the headsets become more useful to people outdoors or in bright light, students and faculty members familiar with the previous headsets pointed out. Sophomore Marcos Morales, who works on the information technology Innovate team to develop Magic Leap applications with faculty members, said many of the changes were positive. 

“It’s a large improvement on how much you’re able to see onscreen in the new device, and the virtual objects look much more real,” he said. 

In 2018, Magic Leap and the University entered a partnership where students and faculty and staff members developed new uses for the devices. Through Magic Leap mini-grants sponsored by the Office of the Provost, applications were crafted to do things like teach three-dimensional vectors in physics and for surgeons to view and interact with 3-D images of a patient’s struggling organs.

Now, the hope is that the University community and professionals from a burgeoning Miami tech industry will help them develop more applications for the Magic Leap 2.

“In this new headset, we’ve given you more tools to help that digital content really blend into the real world,” Watts said, speaking to an audience of potential Magic Leap developers. “And you as the development community need to help us bring this to life. So, we want to enable you and give you access to the possibilities.”

Photo at top of post: A participant at the Magic Leap 2 Developer Event gets a chance to try on the company’s latest headset. Photo: Matthew Rembold/University of Miami.

This story was first published by the University of Miami and Refresh Miami here is republishing it with permission.

Extended Reality Firm Design Interactive Announces New Contract for Tactical Combat Casualty Care Training

Design Interactive Inc, (DI), an Orlando-based, family-owned eXtended Reality (XR) firm, announced a new $3.8 million, multi-year award from the Joint Warfighter Medical Research Program (JWMRP) to transition DI’s AUGMED® Mobile product line to operational capability. AUGMED® Mobile will deliver an XR-enabled tablet to provide anytime, anywhere training for Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) trainees over the next three years.

Design Interactive CEO, Dr. Kay Stanney, comments “Moving the product to a mobile platform and focusing on fielding the system with warfighters at the unit level provides the opportunity to fill critical training gaps and increase military medical readiness. Ultimately, we aim to provide XR training solutions that will support eliminating preventable death on the battlefield.”

AUGMED® Mobile fundamentally transforms and exponentially improves the approach to TCCC training through embodied, contextually rich and highly realistic training, thereby ensuring readiness in critical life-saving skills such as life-threatening bleeding control, airway management, and needle chest decompression. While testing the system at the Fort Indiantown Gap Medical Simulation Test Facility, Frank Karluk, former Combat Medic, said “AUGMED®’s brand of extended reality training specifically targets the needs of overseas Soldiers who may not be able to attend group refresher classes on a routine basis.”
AUGMED® Mobile has been field tested with multiple soldier touch points, including Fort Bragg, Hurlburt AF, Fort Indiantown Gap, and MacDill AFB. “We are confident that the integration of virtual, augmented, and mixed reality onto mobile devices will provide service members with highly accessible, engaging, and effective combat casualty care training. We are excited to see this project move forward towards full transition and fielding,” remarked Colonel Lockhart, chief nurse in the 6 MDG at MacDill AFB. The outcomes of the JWMRP award include system hardening, curriculum expansion, training validation, Risk Management Framework (RMF) compliance, and Acceptance Test Operation (ATO) readiness. The AUGMED® Mobile effort is an extension of DI’s existing AUGMED® product line, which utilizes XR head worn displays to present immersive, augmented training content to TCCC Combat Lifesavers.

See more here: http://youtube.com/watch?v=Yeiw3MgiVVY

About Design Interactive

DI is a woman-owned, small business in Orlando, Florida that specializes in the development of eXtended Reality training and operational support solutions that truly empower people. DI has been delivering value to customers in Defense, Manufacturing, Transportation, Aviation and Medicine since its founding in 1998.

 http://designinteractive.net/augmed/

Dilmer Valecillos, founder of Learn XR appointed as Board Advisor to the VRARA Central Florida Chapter

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Dilmer Vallecillos as a Board Advisor to the VRARA Central Florida Chapter. Dilmer is the founder of Learn XR which is one of the most widely adopted platforms for XR developers and has over 60K followers on his popular Youtube site.

Dilmer is a recognized extended reality development expert and currently has over 70 GitHub open source repositories and more than 600 videos on his YouTube site that teach extended reality, game development, and recently AI.  

“Central Florida is the epicenter of the global modeling and simulation and the theme park industry and so many developers in our community already from Dilmer’s contributions and he has become a go-to-resource.  Having Dilmer in the VRARA and on our chapter board is a real benefit for our members as he can help shape how to better support our development community, if you are not already familiar with Dilmer I encourage you to get know him” John Cunningham, President of the Central Florida VRARA Chapter..

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dilmerv/ and Twitter: twitter.com/dilmerv 

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/dilmerv

Full Sail University Joins the VR/AR Association

WINTER PARK, Fla. – November 30, 2021 –  Full Sail University is proud to announce that it has joined the Orlando/Central Florida Chapter of the VR/AR Association. As a longstanding member of the global technology community, and with degree programs centered on Emerging Technologies, including Computer Science, Cybersecurity, Game Development, IT, Simulation & Visualization, and Mobile Development, the university joined the VR/AR association to continue to serve and impact the VR/AR community through education. 

The VR/AR Association (VRARA) is a global industry association that strives to offer a connected local & global community of members through its initiatives including industry committees, educational resources, and networking opportunities, via local Chapters. Chapters are run by a local Chapter President that helps coordinate events, case studies, highlight member institutions, and connect and introduce members in the local community and across the globe.

“Our region is home to a tremendous technology-focused ecosystem that is continuing to innovate at a rapid pace, thus solidifying Orlando’s place as one of America’s main hubs for the use of immersive technology,” said John Cunningham, VRARA Orlando Chapter President. “Having Full Sail University as a member of the Orlando/Central Florida Chapter is a testament to their continued commitment to pushing the tech industry forward, in addition to supplying their educators, students, and alumni with the valuable resources and opportunities made available through the VRARA.”

The VRARA is focused on creating a member community of not only VR and AR solution providers and content creators, but also having a large percentage of members being the brands and customers of VR and AR, academic institutions, media and entertainment companies, aerospace and defense companies, healthcare operators and more. This serves to accelerate networking and sharing of knowledge through case studies, discussions, collaborative programs, and training. 

“At Full Sail, we make it a point to keep our finger on the pulse of the industries in which our degree programs and graduates serve,” said Luis Garcia, VP of Emerging Technologies, Full Sail University. “Being a part of the VRARA allows us the opportunity to learn, lead and educate, while continuing to contribute to our thriving tech community both locally and internationally. I’m honored to serve on the Orlando Chapter’s Advisory Board, and I look forward to all we will accomplish together.” 

About Full Sail University:    

Full Sail University is an award-winning educational leader for those pursuing careers in entertainment, media, arts and emerging technologies. Founded in 1979, Full Sail has received numerous accolades throughout its 40+ year history, including most recently a 2021 “Top Graduate & Undergraduate Schools to Study Game Design” by The Princeton Review, a 2021 “Top 50 Film Schools” by The Wrap Magazine, and a 2019 “School/College of the Year” by the Florida Association of Postsecondary Schools and Colleges.   

Full Sail University is a graduate and undergraduate degree-granting institution offering on-campus and online degree programs in areas related to Art & Design, Business, Film & Television, Games, Media & Communications, Music & Recording, Sports, and Technology. With over 83,950+ graduates worldwide, Full Sail alumni have worked on countless award-winning projects with individual recognition including OSCAR®, Emmy®, GRAMMY®, ADDY®, MTV Video Music Award, and Video Game Award honors.   

Media Contacts      

Casey Tanous    

Full Sail University    

407-310-2497   

ctanous@fullsail.edu 

Recap of our VRARA Orlando / Central Florida Chapter Event (Diving into Extended Reality with the VR/AR Association)

Written by Christa Yates

For the first time in over a year, the Central Florida VR/AR Association (VRARA) held an in-person gathering last on Sept. 9 at the Central Florida Tech Grove. With an impressive number of participants – both in-person and online, coupled with a handful of demonstrations from various student groups and companies, the night surely was a success, and set a precedent for the upcoming events that were announced that evening.

“This was an important event as it was the first time in a year and a half that we could meet face to face,” said John Cunningham, president of the Central Florida VRARA chapter. “Over 210 people registered for the meeting with about 75 coming in person and over 60 joining virtually.”

The evening’s presentations were centered around extended reality, or XR, which incorporates the technologies of augmented reality, virtual reality, and mixed reality. The speakers from Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division (NAWCTSD), Dr. Cheryl Johnson and Erik Peterson, discussed how their individual departments work to improve XR based training.

Unlike VR and AR, XR focuses on the learner, not the tech.

NAWCTSD’s goal is to spend less time teaching learners how to navigate in virtual or augmented reality by using real world tools in these simulated spaces as opposed to controllers as one would use in a video-game.

While the conversations and demonstrations were remarkable, research in XR continues. Researchers, like those at STRIKE Lab, are still determining what tasks require XR training, as well as looking into why XR benefits learners. XR still has limitations, and those at Marine Corps Systems Command are still looking to determine the return on investment, and if this technology truly solves the problems faced in older methods of virtual training.

All of the companies in the VR/AR Association are working together to find these answers and continue developing technology, and for one am looking forward to seeing how XR grows. “I am so excited about how our community is so engaged and active with the VRARA,” said Cunningham. “We are the largest chapter in the VR/AR Association globally with over 45 company members! Central Florida is getting recognized as growing leader in the XR industry and it has a lot to do with our chapter activity”

At the event, it was announced that Red 6 moved to Orlando, and joined the local chapter of the VRARA.

Orlando is hot technology center for VR/AR

By Jon Jaehnig

One of America’s Biggest VR/AR Centers Is… Orlando?

When you think about American VR/AR technology centers, where do you think of first? California? New York? How about Orlando?

Defense, simulation, education, and entertainment come together in South Florida like they do no place else. While Orlando has been a technology center for decades, it might also be a VR/AR technology center.

These Things Take Time

The history of Orlando as a technology center goes back to the early days of the space program and earlier.

“People know the Disney story in Orlando,” Orlando Economic Partnership (OEP) CEO and President Tim Giuliani told ARPost in a phone interview. “At the same time that Disney was choosing Orlando and building their theme parks here, we were going to space and Orlando is in that story too.”

The Orlando area is also home to a number of colleges and universities including Valencia College, FullSail University, and the University of Central Florida. However, our story begins a little more recently.

“Our technology community over the years was very grassroots. Over the last few years, the Orlando Tech Council came together through the Orlando Economic Partnership,” said Giuliani. I know it looks like this happened overnight, but I assure you, these things took time.”

The Orlando Tech Council is a tech-focused group within the larger OEP. Both organizations provide information on area resources, plan area industry events, and more.

“The tech community here is rather diverse. It’s in many different sectors and is geographically distributed. The Tech Council really serves as a convening body,” said Giuliani.

One organization that the Orlando Tech Council played host to fairly early, in 2017, was the VR/AR Association.

“We wanted to use the Association as a way to get companies to share information but we also wanted to use the Association to get those companies noticed outside of the area,” VR/AR Association Orlando Chapter President John Cunningham said in a phone interview with ARPost.

The VR/AR Association and the OEP

In 2017, Cunningham worked for Disti, a virtual maintenance training company specializing in aviation and based in Orlando. Cunningham was becoming increasingly interested in the extended reality aspect and regularly attended specialized trade shows.

See Also: 2021 VR/AR Association Global Summit: Metaverse, Convergence, and Adoption

“Every time I went to a conference, there were people from this group called the VR/AR Association. After three or four of these conferences, I realized that these people at the VR/AR Association were the most knowledgeable people in the industry and I wondered why we didn’t have a chapter in Orlando,” said Cunningham.

The kind of benefit that Cunningham was after required people from different backgrounds with different specializations and viewpoints. Most of the people that he knew in AR and VR were in defense. So, he reached out to the Orlando Tech Council.

“Just through the network down here, I was immediately connected with ten or more industry leaders interested in AR and VR,” said Cunningham. “[VR/AR] really is one of those rare technologies that addresses every industry.”

Cunningham started the Orlando chapter of the VR/AR Association. While he is now the Head of Government Solutions for Unity, Disti remains a member – Disti’s Global Managing Director is the chapter’s marketing director. Members of the OEP and the Orlando Tech Council also sit on the chapter’s Advisory Board.

“A lot of [OEP] organizations have been involved in promoting us and bringing us requests. It’s been a very two-way partnership,” said Cunningham. “It’s really an ecosystem-building partnership.”

The Red 6 Tech Hub

“There is really a number of reasons why we chose Orlando, why we chose Florida,” Red 6 CFO Maissan Almaskati said in a phone interview with ARPost. “It offers an ecosystem that is well-established around certain technologies that are critical to our operation.”

Red 6 is an extended reality simulation company offering an “airborne tactical augmented reality system” featuring “unlimited synthetic training against near-peer adversaries.” Right now, that means pilot training that is significantly safer, less expensive, and more adaptable than conventional training methods for the same skills and scenarios.

See Also: Why XR Twitter Is Up in Arms About Saying “Metaverse”

“Red 6 was really set up to solve a particular problem that was coming at the U.S. Air Force and broader defense sector when it comes to training,” said Almaskati. Beyond saving time and money, the platform allows trainees to face off against digital versions of an airplane when they don’t have access to a physical version.

The company is based in California but recently announced the opening of a tech hub in the Orlando area. They’re only the most recent organization to do so.

Why Orlando?

“A company that is in California like Red 6 that is trying to evaluate the tech community here can very quickly see what that looks like,” said Giuliani. “Red 6 talked to a number of members of our Tech Council about what the talent pool looks like.”

Similar cases include Luminar, who worked with Unity to create open-source LiDar models of Volvo Cars. A VR/AR technology company going to Orlando says a lot about the company and it says a lot about Orlando.

“Someone like Red 6, who clearly has a compelling solution, they need to scale and scale fast,” said Cunningham. “Red 6 coming to Orlando validates that this is a very developed and mature industry here.”

It’s true, the reasons that Almaskati gave for Red 6 choosing Orlando included the cost of living and operation, and the concentration of defense offices. However, the company is waiting for its tech hub to open its doors before officially getting involved with organizations like the Orlando VR/AR Association and the Orlando Tech Council.

“Memberships into those organizations will make sense once we’re up and running locally,” said Almaskati. “Most of our partnerships have been with the area’s academic institutions.”

Road Trip, Anyone?

Part of this story is history. It’s safe to argue that Orlando has never gotten the credit that it deserves for fostering groundbreaking technology.

However, most of this story hasn’t happened yet. Organizations like the OEP, the VR/AR Association, companies like Red 6, Luminar, and the Orlando educational institutions, and the larger community are building the future of a generation of science and computing that has yet to fully materialize.

Source

Engineering & Computer Simulations Unveils First Haptics Technology Lab in Orlando

This unique lab will be used to enhance the effectiveness of simulation training for military and first responders.  

June 14, 2021 - (Orlando, FL) – Waymon Armstrong, CEO/president of Engineering & Computer Simulations (ECS), announced that ECS has opened one of the first haptics labs in Central Florida that is specifically focused on the integration of haptics products within various extended reality (XR) simulation and training programs. Located at the corporate headquarters, the technology team at ECS will perform haptics research and development as well as evaluation, assessment, integration and product development focused on haptics technology. 

As one of its first projects, the team, led by Shane Taber, Vice President of Operations – Orlando, will evaluate and assess specific haptics vendor products for a research and development program that is being funded through 2024 by the Army’s Simulation and Training Technology Center (STTC), a division of the Combat Capabilities Development Command (CCDC) Army Research Laboratory’s (ARL) Human Research and Engineering (HRED) Directorate. The vendor gloves being studied include the VRgluv, which were just delivered last week, the HaptX Gloves DK2, which were the first set delivered in Florida; and gloves from BeBop.  

The lab space will allow the ECS team to perform additional critical studies and programs such as front-end analysis and test and assessment. The initial focus of the studies will be for medical training, but plans are already underway to include aviation maintenance and marksmanship simulation programs as well.  

Armstrong says: “We are excited to establish this in-house technology lab that allows us to further integrate and refine haptics technology in virtual, augmented, mixed, and extended realities. The ability to develop and test within this space ensures we continue to enhance the innovative global training products and services for our warfighters, first responders, and enterprise clients.” 

Paul Sohl, Rear Adm. USN (ret.) and CEO of the Florida High Tech Corridor Council adds: “In engaging with great leaders like Waymon, I've come to realize that tech is really about the positive impact it can have to benefit the people, neighborhoods, and communities we serve. Tech to serve others, such as our military service members and our first responders … now that’s cool in my mind.” 

Derived from the Greek word for touch, “haptic” is defined by Oxford Languages as “the use of technology that stimulates the senses of touch and motion, especially to reproduce in remote operation or computer simulation the sensations that would be felt by a user interacting directly with physical objects.” Haptic technology simulates the sensation of touch and feedback for the user and this capability will enhance the realism of our training simulations.  

By wearing specialized haptics gloves in tandem with a virtual reality (VR) headset, ECS delivers training programs that offers a realistic sense of touch and natural interactions within an immersive training environment. For example, when applied in a medical environment, the haptics integration within the application would provide combat medics, and healthcare professionals the tools that they need to improve their quality of training and retention to potentially save more lives. 

Sheena Fowler, Vice President of Innovation for the Orlando Economic Partnership, states: “Our Orlando Tech Council aligns our region’s tech and innovation ecosystem resources to accelerate progress towards an innovation-based economy. We believe this unique haptics lab, established by our friends at ECS, will enhance Central Florida’s technology and innovation community and help to strengthen our region as one of the leading communities for innovation.” 

George Cheros, President & CEO at National Center For Simulation adds: “ECS has always been an amazing innovator and partner in our community and industry. It is no surprise that they are one of the first technology and training firms to dedicate lab space to research and advance haptic technology for implementation in our simulation and training programs.”  

About ECS 

ECS is an award-winning global training and technology solutions company, headquartered in Orlando, Florida with operations in Huntsville, Alabama and San Antonio, Texas. An industry innovator with a vast portfolio of training programs, ECS is a trusted provider of training, maintaining, and sustaining military service members and first responders around the world. http://www.ecsorl.com/  

Contact:      Lynne Garrow  

                    (407)  595-1978- cell 

                    lynne@mycapitalcommunications.com 

Dynepic, Inc. Awarded USAF Phase II SBIR to Power the Future of Air Traffic Control Technical Training

The US Air Force will leverage Dynepic’s MOTAR platform to streamline Air Traffic Control technical training and further expand its instructor support capability.

The US Air Force has awarded Dynepic, Inc. a Phase II SBIR contract to further evolve the company’s proven DX platform and enable enhanced instructor support capabilities. The secure platform, white-labeled as MOTAR to the USAF, brings together disparate learning resources and provides an XR-optimized training creation, distribution, and management system for Air Education and Training Command (AETC) instructors.

"We're very excited to add further learning management system and dashboard capabilities to MOTAR, enabling instructors to track the effectiveness and efficiency of their courses and student’s progress from anywhere on the globe,” said Krissa Watry, CEO of Dynepic, Inc. “Not only will this solve current USAF instructor frustrations and save time but it also provides a bridge to enable legacy training programs to utilize AI, Virtual Instructors and XR in their courses.”

Currently, training content for these courses is scattered throughout multiple storage directories, and scheduling is done in varied spreadsheets and sometimes just on paper. There’s also no easy way to track or report course metrics, resulting in an inefficient, error-prone, and frustrating experience for everyone involved. Dynepic’s MOTAR will solve these issues, and allow for legacy training programs to modernize with XR training options. 

Over the next few months, Dynepic will further expand MOTAR to build the Instructor Support System (ISS) capability and demonstrate how it supports preparation and execution of the existing USAF Air Traffic Controller training courses with all current training content. The new system will initially be used by the 334th Training Squadron at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, MS, to provide initial training for future Air Traffic Controllers and the 137th Special Operations Group/Formal Training Unit in Oklahoma City. The 137th SOG/FTU’s instructors will test MOTAR's capabilities during its MC-12 Liberty Manned Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Pilot and Combat Systems Operator formal flight training courses.

For more information about Dynepic, Inc. and its DX platform, MOTAR, please check out this video or connect with us here for the latest company news. 

#LevelUp 

About Dynepic, Inc.

Launched in 2014, Dynepic, Inc. is a woman- and service-disabled veteran founded tech company based out of Reno, Nevada. Dynepic’s DX Platform is secure, device- and software- agnostic infrastructure with open API’s, LMS/LRS, and a central training hub to build an open ecosystem for XR to power the future of multi-dimensional knowledge for a better tomorrow. www.dynepic.com

Ingalls Information Security gains its patent for Viewpoint and joins VR/AR Association

Ingalls Information Security, a Louisiana based cybersecurity services company, announces its patent award for Viewpoint, a network security monitoring and correlation system that provides a three-dimensional (3D) visualization of network traffic overlaid with security alerts and other relevant discrete data. This innovative software gives security professionals the ability to see and interact with data spatially, eliminating the need to scroll through massive spreadsheets of technical data. This quantum leap forward in cybersecurity data visualization provides capabilities that have never existed before.

There’s a big problem in cybersecurity: current tools all present information the same way - as a spreadsheet with rows and rows of information that must be individually read, considered, and added to an analyst’s mental model of what is being investigated.  “It’s like trying to watch a baseball game through a drinking straw. You never see the whole picture” Jason Ingalls, Chief Executive Officer, explains, “That’s why we built Viewpoint, to visualize every actor and every event in the cyberspace that we have data for, so we can understand what’s going on and take action a lot faster. We can literally walk through a network node-by-node to trace an event all the way back to its source.”  By adding an intuitive element designed for the way the human brain works, Viewpoint lets security professionals gain rapid situational awareness that’s not possible in other data presentation systems. 

Viewpoint was designed for Mission Defense Teams, Cyber Protection Teams (CPTs), Incident Responders (IR), Security Operations Centers (SOC), and those in Virtual and Augmented Reality Cyber Support (VR/AR) who must be able to quickly identify attacks through timely analysis of data in order to effectively protect our nation’s most critical infrastructure.

Brandi Pickett, Director of Ingalls Government Programs division, adds, “We are extremely excited to be part of the VRARA Central Florida Chapter. Ingalls has been in the VR/AR space for a number of years from developing Viewpoint to supporting small businesses with VR/AR capabilities to become CMMC ready. It’s great to know we share the same passion for VR/AR technology with this chapter and we look forward to expanding the ecosystem.”

"The use of VR & AR technologies have finally made it to the tipping point of mass adoption and new application areas such as in Cyber Security are unlocking a tremendous amount of value and opportunity.  I am thrilled that Ingalls Information Security has joined the VRARA and look forward to their leadership in promoting the adoption of immersive technology in the area of information security" says John Cunningham, Chapter President, VRARA Central Florida.

About Ingalls: Ingalls has provided cybersecurity consulting, testing, managed detection and incident response services since 2010, and has been called upon to respond to some of the largest data breaches known. Ingalls client base includes Department of Defense, state, and local government, financial institutions, healthcare, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs/nonprofits). The company’s core focus is establishing Louisiana as a cybersecurity center of excellence. 

For more information visit: https://iinfosec.com

The VR/AR Association Central Florida Chapter appoints Kevin Mikalsen, Central Florida Tech Grove Manager, to its Board of Advisors

The VR/AR Association Central Florida Chapter appoints Kevin Mikalsen, Central Florida Tech Grove Manager, to its Board of Advisors

Kevin Mikalsen was recently appointed as the Central Florida Tech Grove Manager to lead the development of industry’s only innovation hub specifically oriented to support our national defense partners focused on Modeling, Simulation, Training & Human Performance.  

The Tech Grove is used as both a physical and virtual platform to increase collaboration and drive innovation within the defense organizations situated in Research Park with non-traditional solution providers and innovators. Tech Grove sponsors include the Naval Air Warfare Center Training System’s Division (NAWCTSD), US Army PEO STRI, US Marine Corps PM TRASYS, the US Air Force Agency for Modeling & Simulation, Department of Homeland Security Science & Technology, Space Force Modeling & Simulation Office, and the University of Central Florida Research Foundation.

According to John Cunningham Chapter President, “the newly formed Tech Grove will be an important hub for collaboration within our defense and government industry and our plan is for the VRARA to be a key partner to help connect the Tech Grove ecosystem to the global VRARA ecosystem and accelerate innovation and economic development. I am especially pleased to have Kevin on our Board to help provide strategic direction to VRARA.   

Kevin Mikalsen adds “I am looking forward to building the capabilities of the Tech Grove and to leverage the VR/AR Association to identify new technologies and capabilities through their global ecosystem that will help our partners and customers.  We also anticipate using Tech Grove’s physical and virtual facilities to support future collaboration and capability demonstrations and events sponsored by the VRARA”.

C3 Pathways, Inc. joins the VR/AR Association in furtherance of the C3 mission to save lives

Training law enforcement, fire, and EMS for critical incident response – incidents like active shooter events, bombings, and other violent attacks – cannot wait for a convenient time. “This training saves lives and is essential, but you must meet emergency responders’ needs within their restrictions,” says Bill Godfrey, CEO of C3 Pathways.

Located near the University of Central Florida, the Oviedo (FL) company provides responders hands-on training to integrate their emergency response and achieve better outcomes, something the company has been doing since 2004.

Better outcomes means saving lives.

C3 Pathways uses 3D simulation and virtual reality to accomplish the complex training, a blend of live-action and virtual reality with face-to-face and radio communications. Says Godfrey, “We started working with Unity in 2008, adding multiplayer capability to put 50+ emergency responders in the same scene. In 2010, we put it in the classroom with amazing results, adding features ever since.”

The COVID Pandemic created a new challenge to conduct hands-on training remotely.

Explains Godfrey, “We were stuck. Our existing 3D platform was not designed for the Internet and requires higher-end hardware. Platforms like Zoom and AltspaceVR do not have the functionality we needed. We had to create a new platform from scratch and fast.”

C3 Pathways operates the National Center for Integrated Emergency Response (NCIER®). In November 2020, a photo-realistic firstperson virtual training campus launched enabling hands-on remote training for law enforcement, fire, EMS, emergency management, and 911 dispatch. It is called NCIER® Campus. Through NCIER® Campus, C3 instructors continue their mission to deliver experiential, hands-on training to America’s first responders – only now it is remote.

Instructors can facilitate up to 100 participants in NCIER® Campus. Photo-real avatars are created from participant photos. Positional audio enables normal conversation by walking up to someone and talking, while the 7-channel radio emulates public safety radios. The auditorium is surrounded by 12 breakout rooms with incident scenes, command posts, an emergency operations center (EOC), and 911 Dispatch.

Says Godfrey, “Our mental model for NCIER® Campus is a real-world training center. We want it to feel familiar, like you have been here before. Your mind quickly tricks you into believing you are there. That lets the instructors interact with participants almost as easily as being there, to literally point things out, correct mistakes, and coach them to better performance. Importantly, this is all in the context of a live scenario mimicking the chaos and confusion of a real-world incident. It is an amazing experience.”

C3 Pathways joined the VR/AR Association to continue exploring cutting-edge solutions. “Some things require face-to-face training and probably always will, but that list is getting shorter,” says Godfrey. “The VR/AR Association is a key player in VR research and education. This relationship will better support our development efforts and sharing with others in our mission to help save lives.”

For more information, please contact Steve Williams at info@c3pathways.com or (407) 490-1300.

Rear Admiral Paul Sohl appointed as Board Advisor VRARA Central Florida

The VR/AR Association Central Florida Chapter is pleased to announce the appointment of Rear Admiral Paul Sohl (USN Ret) to its Board of Advisors.  

Sohl is the CEO of the Florida High Tech Corridor Council (The Corridor), an economic development initiative of three of the country’s largest research institutions: University of Central Florida, University of South Florida and University of Florida. With a mission to grow high tech industry and innovation – and the workforce to support it – in a 23-county region spanning the state, The Corridor facilitates collaborations between partners in academia, industry and economic development to create communities with unlimited potential.

Prior to joining The Corridor, Paul served for 33 years in the United States Navy as an aviator and senior executive officer before retiring with the rank of Rear Admiral. Through leadership of The Corridor and in organizations such as the VR/AR Association, he continues to serve our nation by driving economic development initiatives.

“Virtual and augmented reality technologies have already contributed tremendously to advancements in the sectors, such as modeling and simulation and life sciences, spurring growth of The Corridor region’s economy,” said Paul. “I’m excited for the chance to more actively engage with the VR/AR Association and its partners in collaborations that will continue elevating the tech economy in our region and the state.” 

John Cunningham, president of the VR/AR Association Central Florida Chapter, added, “We are truly honored that Paul has agreed to join the board to help us steer the chapter toward our goal of creating new opportunities for our members and establishing Central Florida as a recognized hub for XR innovation. He brings a tremendous amount of experience, leadership and passion to help serve our community.”

Recap of our event, Leading Edge XR Research, Development and Education

The VRARA Central Florida Chapter held our bi-monthly event Feb 24th. The theme was Leading Edge XR Research, Development and Education featuring University of Central Florida and LearnXR.

I think attendees would agree that all of the speakers WERE AMAZING! So much valuable content was shared. I have attached the link to the meeting record AND the slides presentations.

Special thanks to all of our fantastic speakers:

Dr. Carolina Cruz-Neira- Agere Chair at the Department of Computer Science at University of Central Florida

Dr. Greg Welch- Professor and AdventHealth Endowed Chair in Simulation at University of Central Florida

Dr. Lisa Dieker- Pegasus Professor and Lockheed Martin Eminent Scholar at University of Central Florida

Dr. Maria C. R. Harrington, Ph.D.. - Assistant Professor at the University of Central Florida

Dr. Ryan P. McMahan - Associate Professor at the University of Central Florida

Dilmer Valecillos - Founder of Learn XR

Slides:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1n8uM2SABXk4JU_AQkRQtG3qdILmkn1P1/view?usp=sharing

SoarTech joins the VR/AR Association

Orlando, Florida. February 10, 2021 – SoarTech, the artificial intelligence experts, are happy to announce their membership with the Virtual Reality/ Augmented Reality Association (VRARA). 

Rooted in cognitive science research and decades fielding artificial intelligence solutions, SoarTech builds systems for government, commercial, and military applications that process large amounts of data, emulate human decision making, and enhance human capabilities.

“Whether in teams or with our clients, partnership is important to everything we do,” said Teresa Speck, director of strategic partnerships. “Partnering with VRARA is an additional way we are supporting the growth of this important industry.” 

As part of SoarTech’s membership in VRARA, Speck will chair its new committee, the Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning/Digital Twin Committee. “This is a wonderful opportunity for SoarTech to partner with our companies with similar visions for the VR/AR community, and joining VRARA will help SoarTech, and companies like us, promote the responsible development and use of tools that enhance human capabilities,” said Speck.

SoarTech employs knowledge leaders in research and engineering to create unique solutions that save time, money, and lives in a variety of ways, including:

Autonomy

As a true teammate, SoarTech’s autonomous AI applies human reasoning-based research, is functional in multiple capability areas and adaptable to a variety of unmanned platforms. 

Situational Awareness

SoarTech situational awareness intelligence helps humans make decisions in complex environments and provides a variety of operational and risk assessments, which result in superior planning and mission outcomes.  

Human-Machine Interaction

Using intelligent behavior models and a bottom-up approach to solutions, SoarTech develops, tests, and fields robust technology with customizable user-interfaces for use in general and austere environments.

LVC – Simulation and Training

SoarTech’s intelligent software enables the construction of complex simulations that are adaptive to various training needs and scenarios and prioritize user-centered design. 

Medical

In the area of medicine, SoarTech develops adaptive and immersive training environments with applications for the military and civilian community, saving lives, time and money.  

About SoarTech

SoarTech develops human-centered artificial intelligence solutions for the military’s toughest problems. We believe enhancing human thinking doesn’t begin with software; it begins with humans. That is why we pride ourselves in bringing together knowledge leaders to create unique and creative solutions to help solve challenges ranging from lifesaving to cost saving and beyond. www.SoarTech.com.

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Orion Innovations joins the VR/AR Association and provides Artificial and Cognitive Intelligence Services

Orion Innovations, an Innovation Agency focused software services company headquartered in Delray Beach, Florida is pleased to join VRARA and offer artificial and cognitive services. Orion has been around since 2007 and offers full stack software development, AI/ML, and blockchain technologies as a service. Orion serves a variety of vertical markets including oil and gas, fintech, retail, real estate, and government.

Marc Asselin, Orion’s President and CEO, said, “We are very excited to join the VRARA and contribute. We look forward to learning and partnering with the VRARA Members and hope to build truly transformational solutions together.”   

About Orion Innovations: 

Orion Innovations is an Innovation Agency headquartered in Delray Beach, Florida with more than 30 years of experience in software development and project management. For more info visit: 

https://Goorion.com