Pico Interactive Announces Availability of its Neo 2 and Neo 2 Eye Virtual Reality Headsets
Meet Pico at our VR/AR Global Summit ONLINE Conference+Expo June 1-3
The Neo 2 line is now shipping worldwide to improve overall work quality and efficiency for the enterprise
SAN FRANCISCO – May 27, 2020 – Pico Interactive, a global tech company that develops innovative virtual reality (VR) and enterprise solutions, today announces the availability of its highly anticipated headsets from the Pico Neo line – the Neo 2 and Neo 2 Eye, both of which deliver key VR solutions to the enterprise.
Both models were built with business in mind, featuring best-in-class 4K resolution, enterprise functionality, six degrees of freedom (6DoF) and spatial stereo speakers. The headsets feature the comfort and hygienic design of an all-PU facial interface, unique counterbalanced design for easy and extended wear, and have plenty of room for prescription glasses. Using the Qualcomm® Snapdragon 845™ Mobile Platform with Boundless XR, the Neo 2 allows content streaming from a VR Ready PC and select existing PC VR platforms.
“We believe the Neo 2 line is helping us achieve our goal to deliver the best standalone VR hardware with AAA enterprise service and options for business,” said Henry Zhou, CEO of Pico Interactive. “Our hardware is quickly becoming the preferred devices for leading companies in medical, training, marketing and location-based entertainment verticals. We’ve partnered with some great companies to not only help professionals in their day-to-day across a variety of industries but also in times of crisis.”
In partnership with Tobii – the world leader in eye-tracking – the Neo 2 Eye model improves daily enterprise operations and applications. The Neo 2 Eye adds eye tracking functionality to its base model, allowing businesses to gain a deeper understanding of customer behavior, enhance training efficiency, improve productivity and increase overall safety at work. Neo 2 Eye also includes dynamic foveated rendering powered by Tobii Spotlight Technology™, reducing shading load in some applications by up to 72%. This allows for a variety of benefits including increased framerate by up to 66%, improved graphics and battery performance.
“Over the last two years, we have seen Tobii eye tracking become a foundational technology that makes XR devices better and improves the user experience,” said Anand Srivatsa, Division CEO of Tobii Tech. “It is fantastic to partner closely with Pico on the extraordinary Neo 2 Eye and to enable enterprise and professional users to unlock greater operational efficiency, provide powerful user insights, enhancing training, simulation and product development capabilities.”
In addition to Tobii, Pico is also partnering with other top companies across the enterprise to provide a more immersive and engaging work environment, as it’s needed even more so now during the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes Mozilla, who brings its Firefox Reality browser to all Pico headsets. Firefox Reality is the first browser built and designed for mixed reality to deliver an immersive browsing experience that provides users with the ease of use, control and privacy.
“Partnering with Pico allows Mozilla to share our Firefox Reality browser, which is built and designed specifically for mixed reality (including WebXR support), to deliver an immersive browsing experience,” says Andre Vrignaud, Mozilla's Head Of Mixed Reality Platform Strategy.“Our browser provides Pico’s business customers with the ease of use, control and privacy that is expected from Firefox.”
The Neo 2 is now available for purchase at $699 USD and the Neo 2 Eye for $899 USD. More information on both headsets are available at https://www.pico-interactive.com/us/neo2.html. As Pico focuses on enterprise, these headsets are sold direct to companies via a dedicated sales team spread across the globe, including offices in San Francisco and Barcelona.
For more information on Pico Interactive, visit www.pico-interactive.com.
About Pico Interactive
Pico Interactive focuses on innovative VR and AR solutions which enable businesses to create and experience the best in VR and Interactive Computer-Generated Imagery (CGI). With operations in the United States, Europe, China and Japan, Pico Interactive focuses on creating amazing VR platforms for any application and is built around the principle of “user first design.” To date, over 200 thousand Pico VR headsets have been sold worldwide across a variety of industries, including healthcare, education, marketing and training services. To learn more, visit www.pico-interactive.com.
Media Contact
Elsa Anschuetz
Uproar PR for Pico Interactive
321-236-0102 x233
eanschuetz@uproarpr.com
XR Bootcamp launches 7-week class covering standalone VR and built-in hand tracking (VRARA members receive a $500 USD discount if they apply until June 3!)
Today we’re excited to share that XR Bootcamp is offering a hands-on 7-week master class covering standalone VR and built-in hand tracking, the two most hotly demanded features in VR right now. According to a recent survey with major enterprise company executives and developers, 67% of the participants agree that built-in hand tracking and standalone headsets will be the two VR trends that will have the biggest value for VR training. As VRARA, we are proud to partner with XR Bootcamp to bring hand tracking to mainstream VR/AR enterprise applications and make hand interaction an industry standard.
As global enterprise deepens its adoption of VR technology, executives and professionals struggle with handheld controllers designed for gaming. With Oculus Quest hand tracking becoming an official feature this week, developers will soon have a consumer-grade standalone HMD with built-in hand tracking. Hand tracking is already the main actor of VR experiences, and participants in the Master Class will have a headstart on the rest of the industry.
The XR Bootcamp trainers, Dennys and Roger, founders of Holonautic, are among the very few original creatives in the hand tracking space who aren’t currently working for one of the major headset companies. While hand interaction in its current form is demanding for developers who want to build game and enterprise applications, it’s a skill that will set you apart from the crowd.
The whole learning experience is designed with an industrial project use case that mirrors real-world deployments. The deep dive is a full interactive experience with weekly mentorship sessions, peer-to-peer learning opportunities, and even an in-VR pitch to industry and enterprise coop programs at its conclusion. The end result is an advanced enterprise portfolio project and contacts which can accelerate anyone’s career.
With XR Bootcamp’s Hand Tracking and Immersive Interaction Design Master Class, you can Head Start on the Rest of the XR industry. After seeing the magic of handsfree experiences, your clients will never ask for controller supported XR projects anymore.
Admission is highly competitive and designed for intermediate-to-advanced-level VR developers.
Learn more about and apply to the master class here
If you have any questions, feel free to join XR Bootcamp Kick-off session (10.30 am E.T - June 2) at VRARA Global Online Summit or Master Class Info Session on June 8 to learn more about the program: www.handtracking.eventbrite.com.
VRARA members receive a $500 USD discount if they apply until June 3.
Meanwhile, you are invited to join our discord channel to discuss hand tracking with other experts here
CONTACT:
Name: Rahel Demant
Email Address: rahel@vrfirst.com
Website URL: https://xrbootcamp.com/deep-dive-immersive-interaction-design/
Canada’s Most Adventurous Tech City! Calgary Economic Development sponsors the VR/AR Global Summit ONLINE
Think Calgary and big skies, a Rocky Mountain playground and energy come to mind. But there’s now a new kind of energy that is creating Canada’s most adventurous tech city.
Calgary is home to a robust tech and innovation ecosystem. Entrepreneurs are embracing the disruption brought on by digitization, taking risks, and creating startup and scaleup companies in a city focused on resolving global challenges in energy, transportation, food and health.
A report by Startup Genome this year ranked Calgary as a top five ecosystem for connectedness among 50 cities globally. Innovation has long been the hallmark of the energy sector, but the report singled out Calgary’s new strengths in cleantech and life sciences.
Calgary has the highest concentration of head offices in Canada and that creates opportunities for new businesses to do industry-disrupting work. Calgary also has among the highest concentrations of small businesses in Canada with three out of four tech companies in Calgary being a startup.
The city is home to more than 60 per cent of Alberta’s tech companies. A number of Calgary startups and scaleups are attracting significant funding, support and international attention, while many of the one-time small businesses aren’t so small anymore. Solium Financial and Parvus Therapeutics, for example, were both part of billion-dollar investment deals in 2019 in fintech and life sciences.
ATTAbotics – a company revolutionizing supply chains for modern commerce with its robotics-based fulfillment system – got a special mention on TIME Magazine’s Best Inventions 2019 list.
Symend recently closed one of the largest Series B rounds in recent Alberta history, funding its customer engagement platform designed to better connect financially at-risk customers.
From software to hardware to services, digital transformation is a driver of tech investments by Calgary industries. A study by Calgary Economic Development and IDC Canada forecasts that Calgary companies will lead the $18.4 billion spend on digital transformation in Alberta through 2022.
It’s projected that Calgary’s creative industries sector will spend $1 billion on digital transformation from 2019 to 2022, and virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR), AI systems and machine learning have been identified as key engines of growth. There are over 60 companies working on video games and/or immersive media products and services. A 2019 Nordicity survey found that over 200 people were working in the video games and immersive media industry in Calgary
From cloud computing and artificial intelligence to robotics, tech is now the way to do business; for all businesses.
Calgary is a prime market for change-makers of all sizes, from all industries. It has competitive costs to do business, is rated the most livable city in the Western Hemisphere, and has a tech ecosystem that’s transforming our industrial sectors. There’s a lot more happening in Calgary than might be expected. In fact, it is the only place in Canada to truly live tech and love life.
Precision OS and University of Connecticut (UCONN) Partner to Train Residents During Pandemic
Join us at our VR/AR Global Summit ONLINE Conference + Expo June 1-3
The Department of Orthopedics at UCONN is providing remote surgical training and mentorship to all their residents during the Covid-19 crisis.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 24, 2020 — Precision OS Technology, developers of the medical-grade virtual reality™ learning platform that advances surgical readiness, announced today details of a partnership with top-ranked research institution, University of Connecticut (UCONN).
“This technology couldn’t have come at a better time. We are struggling to balance the safety of all of our residents and patients with our obligation to continue to educate the surgeons we are graduating”, said Dr. Lauren Geaney, Program Director at UCONN. “PrecisionOS allows us to bridge that gap with accurate simulations. We are very excited to begin integrating this into our curriculum. We have tried many VR providers and we chose PrecisionOS given the quality of education and the fact that it is clearly made to improve surgeon skill.”
Residents’ clinical responsibilities have been significantly reduced to adjust to the needs during the pandemic. There are limited responsibilities for the foreseeable future. “As a senior resident, this is an extremely stressful situation as I complete my residency program. I will be starting my fellowship shortly, and now with no elective operative cases, I can feel my technical skills deteriorating without practice, said Dr. Merrill, a 5th and final year resident at UCONN. “The Precision OS platform is exactly what we need. It is challenging, case based, and allows me to operate through increasing levels of complexity in virtual reality. It allows us to practice our hand-eye coordination and 3-D visual-spatial awareness from anywhere. This type of training is certainly the future and will be critical in educating future surgeons, we should have this type of training year round, and now we will”.
“We factored in many variables when developing our VR medical education and training software. The current models of learning have shown limited value as an experiential tool. Our platform is intended to provide the missing experience of being transported to an operating room environment, encouraging confidence in the student’s technical and responsive skills, which is otherwise only available in the physical operating room,” said Dr. Danny P. Goel, Orthopedic Surgeon, CEO and Founder of Precision OS. “The advances in technology allow us to connect individuals to surgical experiences which they may not see during their entire training. Now, It’s available to them at their convenience, at home, as needed with personalized performance metrics they can build upon. We are very proud we can assist and deliver on our principal goal of providing medical grade VR education.”
The Precision OS method of VR training has proven superior to traditional approaches in a number of ways, including enabling users to grasp procedural concepts significantly faster. They have shown this in their recent publication in JBJS Am, the leading orthopedic surgical journal known globally. The validated study demonstrated that senior residents who trained with VR modules will learn faster and be technically superior when compared to their colleagues who trained for the surgical procedure through traditional means.
In addition to improving efficiency and skill, the Precision OS modules can provide hospital systems and learning centers with considerable financial relief. The modules are facilitated through a portable platform, Oculus Quest, enabling training to be completed anywhere and at any time, encouraging portability and eliminating equipment hard costs.
The partnership with Precision OS will allow UCONN trainees the opportunity to stay connected to their clinical experience of operating. The students will be able to practice surgery at their convenience, learn from their mistakes and continue to improve and enhance their technical skills, while at home.
“Education is the pillar by which we provide the best patient care,” said Dr. Goel. “We have to reduce the negative impact this situation will have on patients who will require surgery once this pandemic is over and beyond. The trainees should experience failure at home, not in real life.”
Name: Danny Goel
Email Address: danny@precisionostech.com
Website URL: http://precisionostech.com
OVR Technology Delivers First-of-Its-Kind Scent Experience for VR
OVR Technology announces the release of its Architecture of Scent® platform for virtual reality (VR), which combines hardware, software, and scentware to precisely replicate complex sensory experiences in the digital world. The Architecture of Scent® offers a safe, effective way to layer real-world scent into VR. In doing so, it provides a way for VR content developers to construct realistic, truly immersive experiences for greater impact and outcomes, whether in healthcare, education, training, human connection, or other areas.
“Scent is powerful, critical, and complex,” said Aaron Wisniewski, CEO and co-founder of OVR Technology. “It’s the only one of our senses directly linked to the limbic system of the brain, which is responsible for memory and emotion. Scent’s role in cognition and behavior makes it an imperative aspect of an effective VR experience.”
The Architecture of Scent intelligently responds to a user’s behavior in VR and releases olfactory impressions at exactly the right moment via its three core components:
Hardware: The ION device is the most accurate wearable scent device available. It is a lightweight, wireless microtechnology that fits most head-mounted displays and releases a precise amount of scent at the right moment from a scent cartridge. It mimics the way nature produces scent, fine-tuned down to the part per million and millisecond. Unlike with other olfaction technologies, scent is present only when desired and is immediately gone when not.
Software: OVR Technology has translated the brain’s natural system for interpreting scents and turned it into two languages—one for humans, one for computers—with a software suite that lets them communicate. Click here to download the Architecture of Scent developer package for Unity.
Scentware: Through analytical chemistry and sensory expertise, OVR Technology developed a system to capture, catalog, and re-create the aromatic world, one scent at a time. This ever-growing Scent Library is OVR Technology’s scentware component.
OVR Technology partners with commercial, federal, and academic organizations for better outcomes in healthcare, therapy, training, and education markets. One academic partner, Dr. Jeremy Bailenson, founding director of Stanford University’s Virtual Human Interaction Lab, said: “Virtual scent is in many ways the new frontier. Olfaction is such a powerful cue for presence, as well as for priming memories. Every time I have done a demo in VR with scent layered in thoughtfully, I am blown away by the value it adds.”
Another partner is Dr. Albert “Skip” Rizzo, director for Medical Virtual Reality at the USC Institute for Creative Technologies and creator of Bravemind, an award-winning clinical virtual reality exposure therapy program for military veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Rizzo will use OVR Technology’s platform in the next iteration of Bravemind. Such therapies are critical, as 20 percent of military veterans suffer from PTSD and 21 veterans die by suicide every day in the United States.
“OVR’s platform is a remarkable piece of technology,” said Rizzo. “It’s a leap forward for us and a dream come true to have people with the technical expertise to build the equipment and the knowledge to develop custom scents for our specific program needs. Bravemind is an ideal application for OVR Technology’s Architecture of Scent.”
The Architecture of Scent Hardware, Software, and Scentware Platform is available now for enterprise. For more information, please visit https://ovrtechnology.com/technology/.
About OVR Technology
OVR Technology was founded in 2017 and is based in Burlington, Vermont. We combine our most primal sense, scent, with today’s most advanced technology to unlock the potential of virtual reality. Better virtual reality, better reality. Learn more at https://ovrtechnology.com/.
Contact:
Name: Alexandra Tursi
Email Address: alex@weareguru.com
Website URL: http://ovrtechnology.com/
Lenovo to Join the VR/AR Global Summit ONLINE as the Title Sponsor on June 1-3, 2020 Featuring Global Thought Leaders Across Enterprise, Healthcare, Media, Entertainment, 5G, AI and More #pressRelease
Lenovo Announced as the Title Sponsor for the VR/AR Global Summit ONLINE Conference+Expo
SAN FRANCISCO (PRWEB) MAY 14, 2020
The VR/AR Association (VRARA) today announced Lenovo as the Title Sponsor of the VR/AR Global Summit Online (GSO) Conference + Expo, taking place June 1-3, 2020. This event will showcase the latest in scalable enterprise Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality solutions and address the role immersive technologies play in the current world situation due to COVID-19. Lenovo, a leader in the immersive tech industry, will take the stage and host discussions on its cutting-edge technology and thoughts on a post-pandemic industry.
“The global pandemic is helping accelerate digital transformation as enterprises deploy technology to adjust to new operational norms. VR and AR have proven, high-value use cases, such as remote assistance and virtual training, that enable a workforce to achieve new efficiencies. Lenovo anticipates a dynamic exchange of experiences and insights with customers and industry peers to advance the adoption of extended reality technologies during the Global VR/AR Summit,” said Michael Leone, Director of Commercial AR/VR, Intelligent Devices Group, Lenovo.
The Summit will feature Fortune 500’s to startups and expects to host 10,000+ attendees. The event, which will take place over 3 days and across 3 time zones, will feature over 200 speakers and exhibitors, plus a large number of networking and social events. The lineup, featuring panelists and keynote speakers, will deliver compelling insights on the current state and future of VR and AR and the impact on specific sectors such as enterprise, education, entertainment and healthcare.
The show will highlight curated content about COVID-19, the “new normal” and what is happening now in the world. It will explore the important role of immersive tech, including Remote Work, Online/Virtual Events, Re-Opening the Economy with Virtual Tech, Enterprise and Training, Music/Entertainment Online, Digital Humans and the Psychology of Avatars. Thought leaders from around the globe will gather to share their thoughts and ideas.
“We welcome Lenovo as the Title Sponsor of the event and know that they are in stellar company for our online conference,” says Kris Kolo, Global Executive Director, VRARA. “We are excited to welcome sponsors and speakers from Intel, Axians, Periscape VR, TigerHeart London, AndPull, PICO, World Bank, IBM, USA Today, the VR Fund, Deutsche Telecom, Korea Telecom, HTC Vive, WondARlands, AARP, HP, Nokia, Stanford University, Cleanbox, YUR Fit and so many other incredible global companies.”
Tickets to the Global Summit Online are now available. Ticket prices range from $0 - $99 USD for Premium Access, that allows for networking in the event and social events. To learn more about the Global Summit Online and to get tickets, please visit http://www.vrarglobalsummit.com
About the VR/AR Global Summit
VR/AR Global Summits are world-class events bringing together the best knowledge and networking for enterprise, hardware, software and content providers.
About the VR/AR Association
The VR/AR Association (The VRARA) is an international organization designed to foster collaboration between companies and brands in the virtual reality and augmented reality ecosystem that accelerates growth, fosters research and education, helps develop industry standards, connects member organizations and promotes the services of member companies.
Get a copy of VR/AR Market Report for Germany
Join us at our VR/AR Global Summit ONLINE Conference + Expo June 1-3
70 Companies Featured with Market Analysis
It is my honour and privilege to publish this document, and excited about its future iterations. This Market Report for Q2 2020 of the Virtual & Augmented Reality sector in Germany is intended to be living document that has been designed to keep you apprised of how the ecosystem is developing here.
This report is a massive collaboration with partners from other German Associations and was coded, compiled and auto-generated by the German and Polish Chapters so that new immersive technology companies and facts can easily be added in future.
Content
The bulk of the document are company profiles, but I highly recommend that you take the time to read the Executive Summaries and Forewords that have been meticulously written by teams from every partner Association. Peter Lorenz, Board Member VRBB, and myself tackled the data analysis in the first summary and were astonished by the evenness of the data we have collected so far!
The 2nd executive summary was written by my colleagues and first Advisory Board Members for VRARA Germany David Thomson and Jan Pflüger. As respected Immersive Technology evangelists, their expertise in Enterprise Integration and Competency as well as 3D Design and Project Lifecycle Management (PLM) is staggering. They are industry veterans whose insights into the Market Needs was spot on and are indeed very relevant to the current world crisis.
The subsequent forewords consist of a brief history lesson in German XR technologies and then a look at the XR adoption in Industry. Both exemplify the gradual developments of XR in Germany and how the market here has matured and grown. These are essential reads for any newcomer and those who want to dive into the topic. Both are well-researched articles for our industry and the German Market.
History
It all started at the beginning of 2019 when I invited the regional and national networks to join a regular conference call to discuss pooling our expert knowledgebase, synchronising our activities and event calendars and to start work on an Ecosystem Report.
After many months of work well into the summer, a first version of the questionnaire was complete. We had formulated a survey to harness some much needed data about the state of the industry and it slowly transformed into a proper market analysis for Germany.
Enjoying perusing and reading the report.
Cheers
Philip Wogart
Executive Director DACH
UbiSim Immediately Enables Nursing Programs to Train From VR Experiences
Responding to the global COVID-19 crisis, UbiSim has launched a powerful new training tool for nursing simulation programs in North America which enables nurse educators to record a Virtual Reality experience and immediately share the video lesson with their students. The Virtual Simulation Recorder functionality, launched to help mitigate educational disruptions to Nursing Schools around North America, provides a very quick way for Clinical Simulation faculty, who own VR headsets, to create and share customized video lessons from a first person VR perspective. Here we take a closer look at the UbiSim VR Nursing educational platform and the new Virtual Simulation Recorder — which is already been signed up for by over 60 Nursing Programs and is available now at no cost!
To overcome campus based learning restrictions and to prepare for the eventual return of Nursing students to colleges across the continent, the UbiSim team has worked tirelessly since the start of COVID-19 to provide meaningful training solutions which support the increased use of healthcare simulation. What is of critical importance to note, however, is the affordability of Virtual Reality platforms like UbiSim which maximize access to a diverse range of clinical skills acquisition over traditional medical simulation manikins, audio-visual recording and debriefing systems, technical support staff and specialized sim lab rooms — many of which are currently off limits anyway due to Coronavirus shutdowns.
“Numerous colleges asked us to provide an immediate way to quickly continue high-fidelity simulation training while campuses are closed. As our top priority is to support Nursing educators and their students, we immediately set to work to build and share the new Virtual Simulation Recorder to help them overcome COVID-19 disruptions” says UbiSim Business Director Gauthier Dubruel. Since launching the platform, the UbiSim team has reported that over 60 nursing programs from across North America have already signed up to start using the free tool. “We will continue to help in any way we can!” says Gauthier. As some states within the US are expanding the use of simulation to meet the lack of missed clinical rotations (now and in the future), UbiSim’s support is well timed for both short-term and long-term benefits.
CONTACT
Name: Gauthier Dubruel
Email Address: gauthier.dubruel@ubisimvr.com
Website URL: https://www.ubisimvr.com
inVRsion, Virtual Reality + Retail startup, raises €3 million
Learn the latest during our VR/AR Global Summit ONLINE Conference + Expo June 1-3
Italian-based inVRsion, a virtual reality startup serving the retail industry, has raised €3 million in its third and overscribed funding round, which was closed on 30 April. This brings the total raised by the company to €4.5 million.
inVRsion, founded in 2015 by Matteo Esposito, Paolo Pascolo, Flora Caroli and Luca Ferrari Trecate, is a company specialized in the simulation of retail spaces, showrooms, products and shopping experiences. These virtual reality services support B2B activities such as trade marketing negotiations, shopper research and training, as well as B2C activities, like virtual reality e-commerce. Currently, inVRsion’s proprietary software ShelfZone is used in the CPG sector by a number of leading global retail companies, and the startup is trusted by players like accenture, Nestle and pepsico.
The new funding round was participated in by a mix of both new and existing advisors. BackToWork24 Srl and Invest Italy SIM Spa covered 50% of the round alone, and a number of other investors also took part, including: Italian Angels for Growth, the Milanese holding Finbeauty Srl, and LiftT Spa. In addition, investors from previous rounds, prominent figures and members of the Advisory Board, such as Mainardo de Nardis (entrepreneur and former CEO of Omnicom Group), also took part.
Furthermore, the startup has announced that De Nardis (investor, Director and Advisor) has joined inVRsion’s advisory board along with Lorenzo Thione and Eugenio Perrier. Their expertise will be used to support the startup as it scales up in the United States, starting with its subsidiary base which was recently established in New York.
Matteo Esposito, inVRsion’s co-founder and CEO, explained: “Since the start inVRsion has specialized in the standardization of the processes related to 3D products digitalization and in the development of a software for the design and personalization of retail spaces through virtual reality, that can be dynamically filled with products, autonomously managed by clients and connected to their existing sales processes. Soon our platform will take advantage of the emerging Edge Cloud and 5G technologies to bring the virtual purchase experience from a B2B to a B2C context, reinventing the e-commerce paradigm. I want to thank our investors who believe in this ambitious, but timely project”.
It’s also worth noting that to assist during the Covid-19 emergency, the startup has announced new solutions for the Fashion and Luxury sectors, to virtualize and improve the efficiency of distribution and sales processes at a B2B level.
inVRsion’s COO Fabrizio Dini, went on to explain: “Our 3D digital twins are perfect and can be showcased in a virtual store or showroom through our platform or featured within a web page, providing users with the most accurate product experience, where they can evaluate the details of merchandise as well as any alternatives regarding colors, materials and finishes. The 3D Commerce format will represent a new standard for the visualization of products on e-commerce websites and in AR/VR applications”.
Contact:
Matteo Esposito
m.esposito@invrsion.com
GE Hitachi and Virtualware Revolutionize Workforce Training through VR Immersive Rooms
GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy and Virtualware introduce today a revolutionary concept for workforce training based on Virtual Reality Immersive Rooms. GE Hitachi will provide the OEM expertise, the training content, and the process knowhow, and Virtualware will provide the award-winning Enterprise VR Solution VIROO Immersive Room, along with training simulators, in different locations around the world.
VIROO enables any organisation to launch 1:1 scale and multi-user virtual reality content, by means of a patented tracking technology and a software platform. This platform will allow GE Hitachi to operate and manage the rooms efficiently, as well as generate and include new content to provide not only standard training solutions, but just-in-time bespoke solutions associated to complex nonstandard works as well. VIROO is the key to turning advanced technology into a simple and accessible tool for GE Hitachi teams.
“For Virtualware, this announcement is a major milestone in our history. Not only does it position us at a global level, but it also reaffirms the commitment we made 3 years ago to develop a product like VIROO, which is the basis of this agreement.” says Unai Extremo, VIrtualware CEO
The first content simulator developed is aimed to train workers in fuel movement operations, using a physical replica of the necessary equipment connected directly to the virtual environment. The fuel movement process is a complex and highly skilled activity that requires top level expertise and training, as well as outstanding coordination between the different parties involved during the fuel movement process.
The fuel movement simulator is part of a new generation of simulators that GE Hitachi in alliance with Virtualware will release for operation during the coming years, not only for the BWR technology but PWR and D&D as well.
This initiative will improve the capabilities of professionals through intensive training and contribute to the reduction of both costs and risks. In addition, these systems will help Nuclear customers to have just-in-time bespoke training solutions on site that will contribute to the reduction of operational costs associated with training and quality issues
“GE Hitachi will be responsible for creating the next generation of training simulators for nuclear processes. Simulators that will allow us to be more competitive in training and coaching our people, and our customers’ workers. In addition, we will gather information about how people follow the processes, allowing us to improve them. This is the first step towards a new world, the world of immersive technology, in which GE Hitachi will play a leading role by pioneering its application to the nuclear sector.“ according to Ricardo Moreno, GE Hitachi VP for Europe
Contact:
Name: DAVID MORENO
Email Address: dmoreno@virtualwareco.com
Website URL: https://www.virtualwareco.com/news/revolutionize-workforce-training-vr-immersive-rooms/
Varjo Expands Worldwide Access to Industrial VR/XR with Launch of Sales in Key Markets in Asia Pacific and Israel
Learn the latest during our VR/AR Global Summit ONLINE Conference + Expo June 1-3
Direct shipping and growth of reseller program in Singapore, Israel, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand empowers more professional users to utilize VR/XR for design, training and research
Helsinki, Finland – April 23, 2020 –Varjo™, the leader in industrial-grade VR/XR headsets, today announced the launch of sales and direct shipping to key markets in the Asia Pacific region including Singapore, Israel, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. In order to better meet industry demand and the needs of current customers, Varjo’s industry-leading portfolio of VR/XR headsets is available immediately in these new countries for enterprise users.
“Moving industrial workflows into immersive environments is becoming the norm, a development accelerated by current extraordinary global circumstances,” said Timo Toikkanen, president and COO of Varjo. “We’re seeing tremendous interest from leading enterprises who are looking to leverage VR/XR technologies for applications such as aviation training, design reviews and research, to name a few. Our continued expansion into new territories allows us to accelerate adoption and deliver an exceptional, localized experience to customers around the world.”
Three new reseller partners join the network
With its entrance into new markets, Varjo also continues to expand its reseller program, which now provides local, on-the-ground support in 40 countries. Three new resellers – INNOSIMULATION (South Korea), StormFX (Australia and New Zealand), and Synergy(Israel) – have joined the network. Resellers are handpicked and certified with the goal of providing companies with the best possible local assistance in acquiring, setting up and implementing Varjo’s portfolio of VR/XR headsets including the XR-1 Developer Edition, VR-2 and VR-2 Pro.
Accelerating enterprise adoption of VR/XR
Leading enterprise customers such as Volvo, FlightSafety and Siemens are already using Varjo’s devices to conduct virtual workforce training, collaborate remotely on the design and prototyping processes, and run academic, clinical and commercial research in order to save time, money and effort.
“Varjo is currently providing the best quality headsets for professional virtual and mixed reality, with the unparalleled resolution needed for complex automotive visualisation and design reviews. With Varjo’s technology, we can design and build our world-leading cars faster and more creatively, fast-forwarding the implementation and validation of new features and ideas. KIA is a proud partner in the immersive revolution driven by Varjo,” said Thomas Unterluggauer, Creative Manager CGI at KIA Design Center Europe.
“Varjo’s world-leading VR/XR devices allow us at Ryan Aerospace to take our virtual and mixed reality helicopter simulators to the next level. With the human-eye resolution on Varjo’s headsets, trainees have excellent peripheral vision and spatial and situational awareness, which multiplies the amount of potential training applications using VR/XR. Varjo can help our customers save millions or tens of millions of dollars compared to more traditional training systems, which is why we’re excited about Varjo expanding their availability in the Asia Pacific region,” said Chris Ryan, Managing Director at Ryan Aerospace.
“Designers and engineers are demanding higher visual accuracy as VR and XR becomes more of an integral part of the creation process,” said Rob Herman, General Manager, Workstation & Client AI at Lenovo. “The technology Varjo brings to these expanding markets will enable next-level training, creation, and research. The partnership between Lenovo and Varjo guarantees the highest-quality experience for professionals – certifying configurations across our ThinkStation and ThinkPad P Series workstation portfolio to ensure this caliber of clarity is brought to life.”
To learn more about how Varjo’s customers are using the company’s VR/XR technology to transform the way they work, visit: https://varjo.com/testimonials/
CONTACT:
Name: Annaleena Kuronen
Email Address: annaleena@varjo.com
Balti Virtual Announces HypARlink! HypARlink came about from a culmination of work done for Marvel, Disney and HBO
Balti Virtual, a Baltimore-based AR/VR agency, just released HypARlink. Thanks to them, you can now receive a link and instantly experience high-quality augmented reality for free, on any device, with a single link. Here's that pet unicorn you always wanted: https://hyparlink.com/unicorn
“AR and VR are not just for gamers,” said Balti Virtual Co-founder and CEO Will Gee. “Our hope is these 3D friends can be a source of entertainment for people at home and get them trying out some tech they may have never used before.”
Even though Balti Virtual loves entertaining the socially-distant population with AR unicorns or turtles (https://hyparlink.com/turtle), the company sees HypARlink’s next application as slightly more ‘serious’. Displaying highly-detailed models of things like engines or demonstrating product features to customers is one of the best use-cases for this technology. Here’s an example: https://hyparlink.com/kawasaki
Gee believes that we will start to see mixed reality permeate more of our work and play over the next several years.
“Brands of all sizes are integrating AR and VR into marketing and daily business operations, so we can participate in a product launch or networking event from anywhere,” said Gee. “It’s no longer about the short-term need for virtual work or entertainment, it’s the realization that this tech has the ability to immensely enhance our lives.”
Creating HypARlink was a culmination of several years’ work across AR, gaming, and web technologies, and combining work that had been done for Marvel, Disney and HBO.
About Balti Virtual:
Balti Virtual, a leading virtual & augmented reality development agency, has been a pioneer for over 20 years in using technology, artistry, and interactive experiences to bring together meaningful engagements around the world. We believe in the power of high-tech, engaging experiences that bring stories to life and creates a true impact.
Our agency is focused on combining rich user experiences and next-generation technology. We are obsessed with results that will: Defy Expectations. Connect With Customers. Extend Your Existing Content.
Our agency would love to share and brainstorm with you on how to use any of the platforms mentioned. We believe in the power of technology and are firmly planted in how to make it a reality for today’s changing climate.
Contact:
Name: Will Gee
Email Address: will@baltivirtual.com
Website URL: http://baltivirtual.com
8th Wall introduces Inline AR - embed WebAR into any website with AR iframes
Inline AR allows WebAR content to integrate directly into an existing website, living alongside other website content. With just a few lines of code, any 8th Wall WebAR project can be configured to work within an embedded iframe. Integrating AR directly into the organic flow of an existing site has numerous benefits. By forgoing the need to leave the page, Inline AR can lead to increased dwell time and engagement on the parent site while boosting discoverability of the AR content. Surrounding content can provide immediate context to the AR experience, streamlining user onboarding. The ‘wow factor’ of AR is now front and center on your site, differentiating you from competitors. Whether it is an immersive feature in an article, an embedded carousel on a product page, or a programmatically served AR ad, Inline AR has clear use cases today.
CONTACT:
Name: Tom Emrich
Email Address: tom@8thwall.com
Website URL: https://medium.com/8th-wall/introducing-inline-ar-43f8ccff09fe
Deadline is this Friday for Premium Access tickets at a discount to our VR/AR Global Summit ONLINE Conference+Expo!
We want to emphasize the Networking benefit/value that comes with the Premium Access ticket:
Network in groups and 1-on-1, including with Sponsors and Speakers
Speed Dating: You will get 3 minutes to meet one-on-one and face-to-face with "your match", ie the next best person available who wants to talk to you!
Access to Social Events
Access to Sponsors activations
And more!
AARP Innovation Labs is helping to reduce the effects of social isolation by bringing families together in VR, through their platform Alcove
Alcove is a virtual reality platform that connects family members across generations by bringing them together in a world filled with immersive experiences. Even when apart, friends and family members can share new experiences together including virtually traveling to new places around the globe, sharing photos and videos, creating new memories together, engaging in health and wellness activities, and much more!
This is especially relevant now, in times of social distancing, as people are feeling more disconnected from their loved ones than ever. Social isolation is not a new issue. In normal times, 1 in 5 Americans feels socially isolated. But these are not normal times. Across the world, people are social distancing to slow a pandemic, disconnecting from their loved ones more than ever. AARP Innovation Labs has been exploring for awhile now how to tackle social isolation to bring family and friends of all ages together through immersive VR and AR experiences, and that is how Alcove was born.
Through your vote you can help grow visibility into VR’s opportunities on the consumer market -- for casual entertainment relevant to people of all ages, health and wellness applications, virtual travel, and helping to connect people and families, as well as shine light on VR’s relevance for larger audience groups outside of the traditional target segments.
And if you have an Oculus Go nearby, download Alcove from the App Store, and use it with your dear ones.
Robotic Advisors Defy Factory COVID Shutdowns with Virtual Reality
Virtual reality is giving the industry a way out of the coronavirus crisis. Robotics advisors are now visiting factories virtually to keep business going and to avoid a slowdown of automation efforts in the manufacturing industry.
SAN FRANCISCO - The COVID-19 crisis is halting industry efforts of doing business together. Factories are either sealed off from visitors or shut down entirely.
To solve this issue, some companies are looking for alternative ways of doing business. One of them is Gain & Co, an independent group of advisors on robotics & automation that often needs to visit companies in person.
The advisors are now starting to conduct factory visits from home, using virtual reality glasses. At the destination, a factory worker is live streaming video of the production facilities back to the advisors with the help of a 360-degree camera. A new way of working has emerged:
“Our work is dependent on our physical presence on the premises of the manufacturing companies we help automate,” says CEO of Gain & Co, Søren Peters. “Without these virtual visits, we wouldn’t be able to help companies realize their automation goals – which is now more important than ever.”
Difficult transition to replace physical presence
According to Peters, it is a challenge to do business during the COVID-19 crisis, because people are used to dealing with customers in person, especially in the manufacturing industry. Adjusting to a new reality without physical presence takes time.
A robotic advisor, for example, needs to inspect the manufacturing facilities intended for automation. This work requires great visual oversight of not just the machinery but also its environment.
“In our daily work, we need to look around and examine the facilities from many angles. It’s normal for customers to overlook areas with a high robot potential, so we need to be able to look at places they are not actively showing us,” says robot engineer and advisor at Gain & Co, Mikkel Viager and adds:
“With a regular video call, we wouldn’t have this ability. It requires a live, 360-degree video for us to work efficiently.”
VR breakthrough creates new ways of working
When in-person meetings are ruled out, the demands for technology and collaboration increase. Although virtual reality (VR) is not new, technical limitations have kept the technology from more widespread adoption.
“Many VR solutions suffer from a long response time between sender and receiver. This makes effective, real-time collaboration difficult,” says Viager.
The search for a working technology led the Danish advisors to US-based Imeve, a company rooted in the former engineering team of Nokia. Imeve invented a solution that lives up to the expectations of the professional team of Gain & Co.
“As more companies and countries limit or halt travel, businesses worldwide are being forced to find remote working solutions. Videoconferencing platforms like Zoom and Skype can replace a conference room, but, until now, there was no substitute for location-dependent meetings like facility walk-throughs, site inspections, and site-specific training,” says Imeve CEO Devon Copley. “Using AVATOUR to visit a location alongside someone thousands of miles away feels more like an in-person visit than a videoconference.”
Virtual visits keep the wheels turning
Several other companies are also making preparations to enable themselves for virtual factory visits. One of them is windmill producer Siemens Gamesa, which hopes to soon be able to further automate its production across its global factories.
“It’s essential for us to keep a steady production flow and to continue our efforts to automate it, regardless of the coronavirus crisis. Therefore, it is very important to introduce efforts like that of virtual factory visits, which both help keep the wheels turning and minimize the risk of infection,” says global Head of Tooling at Siemens Gamesa, Claus Lindberg Nielsen.
“We hope other companies will get inspired by this new way of working, so we all get through this crisis as smoothly as possible,” says Peters.
About Gain & Co
Gain & Co is a team of independent advisors on robots & automation. The company helps manufacturers automate production and succeed with robotics across three continents. Gain & Co is privately owned and based in Copenhagen, Denmark.
About Imeve
Imeve is a world leader in real-time remote collaboration, live 360° video, and virtual reality. Founded in January 2018 by key members of the groundbreaking Nokia OZO team, Imeve’s technology has powered some of the highest-profile live VR events in history, including the Coachella music festival and the UEFA Champions League playoffs. Their new AVATOUR platform is the world’s first multiparty immersive remote presence service, with a wide variety of applications across industries. Imeve is privately owned and based in San Francisco.
Contact:
Name: Jenna Clark
Email Address: jenna@imeve.com
Website URL: http://avatour.co
8th Wall announces end-to-end Hologram WebAR Solution
Learn the latest during our VR/AR Global Summit ONLINE Conference + Expo June 1-3
8th Wall platform now the best solution to use to create and publish volumetric video in augmented reality on the web. Developers can now choose the MRCS Hologram Template, drag and drop their Microsoft Mixed Reality Capture Studios volumetric video file and publish their WebAR project using the 8th Wall platform.
Mozilla Announces Hubs Cloud!
Hubs Cloud is a new product offering from the Mozilla Mixed Reality group that allows companies and organizations to create their own private, social spaces that work with desktop, mobile, and VR headsets. Hubs Cloud contains the underlying architecture that runs hubs.mozilla.com, and is being offered in Early Access on AWS. With Hubs Cloud, it is now possible for external organizations to deploy, customize and configure their own unique instances of the Hubs platform.
Welcome to Hubs Cloud
When we began building Hubs, the plan was not to try and create a singular, shared online experience owned entirely by Mozilla. Instead, we wanted to create a platform that could be adopted and deployed by organizations to suit their own needs and build their own social applications that worked on both 2D and on VR devices. With that in mind, the team set out to build a set of collaboration tools with versatile web frameworks that could lay the foundation of a platform that provides private rooms, customizable avatars, and the power of virtual reality to connect people regardless of whether or not they were in a shared physical location.
Over the past several months, we’ve done a lot of work to provide a way for external development teams to stand up private instances of our Hubs infrastructure on an organizational AWS account. Hubs Cloud instances are compatible with the same avatars and scenes that are published on the main hubs.mozilla.com site, or you can choose to create your own content, unique to your application. Hubs Cloud offers access to an administrator panel that allows you to customize the branding for your site, approve scenes and avatars that are submitted, import default environments and set platform-wide room settings, and use your own domain names. And, since the deployment is done through your organization’s AWS account, you control the account access and data for your individual instances.
Contact:
Name: Lars Berg
Email Address: larsberg@mozilla.com
Website URL: http://hubs.mozilla.com/cloud