New IDC Report Available! Embracing Augmented Reality Technologies to Accelerate Your Organization's Digital Transformation (Download here)

DOWNLOAD REPORT*

Lenovo IDC white paper

IDC continues to forecast substantial growth in the coming years across all areas of AR, including hardware, software, and services.  This paper outlines ways in which AR has helped organizations manage their challenges through remote assistance, digital knowledge capture and transfer (worker training), on-demand work instructions, 3D assets and more.

Also, don’t miss Lenovo at our METAVERSE 2.0 virtual event on March 9-10.

Nassima Filali, AR/VR Business Development Manager at Lenovo and David Ristagno, CEO of Uptale, will kick off our METAVERSE 2.0 virtual event sharing how Lenovo can help enterprise customers build and deliver their Metaverse digital transformation. They will share practical and scalable AR and VR solutions capable of delivering ROI today by tethering the ThinkReality A3 – awarded TIME’s Best Invention of the Year Award in 2021 –  with a Motorola smartphone or PC for a broad range of AR applications and experiences. They will also share how the Mirage VRS3, combined with Uptale’s digital learning platform, enables St. Gobain, the leading distributor of construction materials in France to train thousands of employees in VR with incredible results.

Register here for the event here: 🡪 Metaverse 2.0 (hopin.com)

By combining, hardware, software, ecosystem partner applications, and professional services, Lenovo is committed to helping customers deliver scalable AR and VR solutions.  

*By downloading the whitepaper, you are authorizing Lenovo to reach out regarding interest in Lenovo ThinkReality products and services.

Perfect Corp, the Virtual Beauty App Developer is going public in a $1B Deal

Perfect Corp is presenting at our METAVERSE 2.0 virtual event on March 9-10. Also be sure to check out their virtual booth !

Perfect Corp., a Leading AR and AI SaaS Solution Provider in the Beauty and Fashion Industries, to List on Nasdaq by Merging with Provident Acquisition Corp.

Perfect Corp., a Taiwan-headquartered virtual beauty try-on app developer, announced on Thursday it is merging with a blank check company to go public in the U.S. at a valuation of $1 billion.

Founded in 2015, Perfect Corp. markets itself as a leading artificial intelligence and augmented reality beauty and fashion tech solutions provider. The applications it has developed allow users to analyze the condition of their skin and virtually try on makeup, hair and nail colors, as well as other accessories. 

The company said its technologies have been deployed by more than 420 beauty brands in over 80 countries, including Estee Lauder Companies’ brands Mac and Clinique. It has also partnered with Facebook’s parent company Meta, Snapchat’s operator Snap, as well as Alibaba’s e-commerce sites to offer makeup try-on tools on each of their respective platforms. 

Perfect Corp. (“Perfect”), a global leader in providing augmented reality (“AR”) and artificial intelligence (“AI”) Software-as-a-Service (“SaaS”) solutions to beauty and fashion industries, and Provident Acquisition Corp. (Nasdaq: PAQC; "Provident"), a special purpose acquisition company, today announced a definitive agreement for a business combination that would result in Perfect becoming a publicly-traded company (the “business combination” or “proposed transaction”).

The combined company will focus on accelerating Perfect’s global expansion, extending Perfect’s industry coverage from beauty and fashion to tangential sectors, and augmenting Perfect’s innovative AR and AI SaaS solutions, including product try-on, facial diagnostics, and digital consultation solutions. Upon the transaction closing, the combined company will be named Perfect Corp. and will be listed on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol "PERF".

Alice Chang, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Perfect, commented, “Perfect Corp. is transforming the beauty and fashion industries. We democratize the shopping experience for consumers and brands with our leading AR and AI SaaS solutions. At the same time, we empower brands large and small to provide their customers with an enjoyable, convenient, and personalized omnichannel shopping experience through innovative technologies. Current consumer trends, such as increasing penetration of omnichannel consumption, hygiene awareness, and focus on ESG, provide us with favorable tailwinds to accelerate growth and adoption of our services. By combining with Provident, we expect to not only attain access to the public capital markets, but also attract more world-class investors, enhance our corporate governance, expand our market reach, increase development in AI & AR technology and explore white space, such as adjacent fashion verticals and metaverse applications of our technologies.”

Michael Aw, Chief Executive Officer of Provident, commented, “Perfect Corp.’s global leadership in AR and AI technology, its proven track record of success in working with the world’s leading beauty brands, its high revenue growth and expanding profit margins, and its attractive valuation make it a perfect fit for our business combination. Leveraging our team’s expertise in founding and building businesses to large scales and our extensive network in the beauty industry, we are committed to working together with Perfect’s highly experienced management team to expand its market reach, develop new verticals, extend market leadership, and deliver superior returns for its shareholders.”

Perfect Corp. – Leading AR and AI SaaS Solution Provider to Beauty and Fashion Industries

Founded in 2015, Perfect is the world’s leading provider of AI and AR SaaS solutions to the beauty and fashion industries. Perfect is transforming the consumer shopping experience with its sophisticated SaaS solutions including 3D facial and hand modeling, AI skin diagnostics and simulations, AR-empowered video consultations, live product try-on, and personalized facial attribute recommendations. It serves a wide array of beauty and fashion segments including cosmetics, skincare, hair coloring, fashion accessories, and more.

With 44 granted patents and other pending patent applications, Perfect believes that it is well-positioned to empower beauty brands. Within six years of inception, Perfect’s enterprise solutions are utilized by 95% of the world’s top 20 global beauty groups and over 400 beauty brands in more than 80 countries. Perfect’s consumer apps have also achieved over 950 million downloads globally and enabled over 10 billion virtual product try-ons annually.

Perfect is also partnering with the world’s leading Internet platforms to utilize its AR & AI technology-empowered solution, including Snap Inc.’s Snapchat and Alibaba’s Taobao and Tmall Beauty. Through those strategic partnerships, Perfect provides beauty brands with access to one-stop beauty AR solutions that enable them to attract, engage, and retain consumers on the world’s highly trafficked Internet platforms.

Beyond benefiting consumers and brands, Perfect is also contributing to environmental sustainability. Its AR and AI-powered virtual try-on technology was named 2021 Green Product of the Year by the Business Intelligence Group for its efforts in reducing product testers and samples, preventing overconsumption, and reducing product returns.

With its technology leadership and omnichannel reach, Perfect believes that it is well-positioned to expand beyond beauty and fashion. Perfect has already begun offering AR and AI SaaS solutions related to eyewear, nail design, watches, jewelries and accessories. Perfect aims to become the AR and AI powerhouse partner for brands.

Management Team and Strategic Investors

Perfect is led by a world-class management team with more than 80 years of combined experience in software, AR, and AI technologies. Prior to founding Perfect, Alice Chang held leadership positions at various technology companies, including being the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of CyberLink Corp. (TPE: 5203, “CyberLink”), a Taiwanese multimedia software company, for 18 years, the Chief Financial Officer of Trend Micro Incorporated (TYO: 4704) for 2 years. Other executives of Perfect also have extensive managerial experiences at leading technology companies in the Asia Pacific and the United States. In addition, many of Perfect’s executives have international education and work experience.

Perfect is backed by renowned strategic investors, including CyberLink; Snap Inc. (NYSE: SNAP), a US-based camera company; Goldman Sachs Asset Management, one of the world’s leading asset managers; Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE: BABA and SEHK: 9988), a technology company rooted in commerce; Yuanta Asia Investment (Hong Kong), a Hong Kong based private equity management company focusing on high-tech development investments; and CCV, an investment firm focused on making early-stage and growth-stage investment in the TMT area.

NuEyes and ManoMotion Partner to Bring Hand Tracking & Gesture Control to the Pro 3

Exciting news about NuEyes’s partnership with ManoMotion for hand tracking on the Pro 3!

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., March 3, 2022 (Newswire.com) - NuEyes, a pioneer in the field of augmented reality (AR) smartglass technology, is excited to announce a partnership with ManoMotion, a global leader in hand tracking and gestures. This partnership will enable enterprise customers to rapidly develop AR applications on the NuEyes Pro3 smartglasses product line, incorporating ManoMotion's industry-leading hand tracking and gesture technology.

"We are very excited to partner with NuEyes to enable our hand tracking solution in their Pro3 system. The Pro 3 is a very innovative product and ManoMotion will enable more natural and intuitive user experiences in their AR applications," said Lars Österberg, CEO of ManoMotion.

"ManoMotion's high-performance, low-footprint hand tracking and gesture technology will enable Pro3 users to interact in AR with natural hand movements and gestures. Hand tracking is a key enabling technology to drive growth in AR applications," said Mark Greget, founder and CEO of NuEyes Technologies, Inc.

ABOUT MANOMOTION, AB

ManoMotion is the leading company in hand tracking and gesture analysis in 3D-space. Its proprietary, AI-based software uses only a standard RGB camera and runs on any smart device. ManoMotion brings unparalleled intuition in human-computer interactions (HCI), refined through 10 years of research and development in gesture technology. Manomotion's accurate and intuitive 3D gesture control enables the advanced user interaction needed for innovative and mass-market friendly AR applications in smartglass and smartphone systems.

ABOUT NUEYES TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

NuEyes is a veteran-owned smartglass technology company based in Orange County, California, launched in January 2016 to assist those with eye conditions such as macular degeneration, glaucoma, and retinitis pigmentosa. Over the past five years, the company has seen extensive sales growth and has obtained federal, state, and insurance reimbursement. NuEyes addresses a multitude of augmented reality markets including low vision and medical, enterprise, gaming, and entertainment. With the leadership of NuEyes having over 16 years of combined experience in this space, we understand what it takes to successfully bring a new product to market.

For additional information, contact us:

NuEyes
Regina Chatman
VP of Sales and Marketing
regina@nueyes.com
www.nueyes.com
P: 800-605-4033

ManoMotion
Joakim Hedenstedt
VP Business Development
joakim@manomotion.com

ORamaVR MAGES SDK launch event summary

ORamaVR launched on 1st March 2022 the ground-breaking MAGES platform in a worldwide online event, introducing:

a) MAGES SDK: a medical VR training Software Development Kit to rapidly prototype medical VR training simulations,

b) MAGES SIM: a novel medical VR training customisation service by ORamaVR and

c) MAGES APP: the only currently available marketplace of clinically validated, ready-made and powered by MAGES SDK, medical VR training simulations. An important part of this event were testimonials of existing partners and early adopters of the above products and services including a) Virtamed™, Switzerland b) NoNoncere ™, Germany c) Inselspital ™, Switzerland and e) WGU™, USA.

In case you missed the event you can watch online the video of it at https://oramavr.com/news-events

Contact

Name: Amalia Kargopoulou

Email Address: amalia@oramavr.com

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION AND THE ROLE OF VR SIMULATORS IN TRAINING

DIGITISATION IN TRAINING

As Pandemic hit , the workplace learning space has been shaken completely. Classroom training sessions have become practically impossible and companies are resorting to innovative technologies that can help them train virtually in remote situations . Blended learning models using technologies like Virtual Reality , Simulation , gamified learning are being increasingly used by technical institutes, governments, corporates to train better and develop a pool of skilled manpower ready for jobs .

INDUSTRIES MOVE THEIR TRAINING FROM ANALOG TO DIGITAL

Digital transformation is not just about modernising a few processes , but It’s about making technology an integral part of your process that helps you to achieve your goals and deliver better results . With VR simulation and metaverse setting in , we can clearly expect organizations to capitalize on these technologies for a first mover advantage. Some of the organisations are moving towards digital training implementation over the past 2 years include Linde, Larsen & Toubro , Maruti Suzuki, Toyota, GMR, India Chemical Council as well as the Delhi International Airport.


VR SIMULATION TRAINING FOR HAZARDOUS GOOD TRANSPORTATION

Transporting hazardous goods from one place to another requires special skills. Different terrains pose different challenges, putting the drivers’ skills to test. During the pandemic, there was an evident shortage of skilled drivers who could handle hazardous goods such as liquid oxygen. Tecknotrove - a simulation and VR specialist developed a simulation training program that enables training drivers on safe hazchem transportation . Tecknotrove helped set up a simulation centre for oil major- Linde with a tanker truck simulator which trains drivers on safe transportation of hazardous goods on a variety of terrains and a range of driving situations. Pedestrian crossing, distractions and other driving scenarios are easily replicated in the virtual scenarios so drivers can be prepared with the most ideal response when driving on the actual road.



Benefits Of Shifting Training Processes From Analog To Digital :
Digital transformation is imperative in today’s world and organizations are looking at integrating technology into every aspect of their operations. Training is one significant area where digital transformation can produce incredible results. Listed below are key benefits of shifting training processes from analog to digital:

Immersive learning leading to higher knowledge retention .

A classroom based training model with books, pen, paper and an instructor doesn’t always translate to productive sessions. On the contrary, digital training delivers immersive learning experiences, making the learning process more fun and interactive. Knowledge is retained better as learners are actively participating as opposed to passively watching.

Reduced training costs

Traditional methods of training may seem inexpensive in the beginning. But the compromised productivity of employees only proves costly for organizations in the long run. Digital training using Simulation and VR makes great business sense as it can train 3 times faster , allows focused training of groups ,increases performance and productivity, subsequently resulting in a pool of skilled employees which is invaluable to the company

Establishes a good company culture

Training and induction sessions play a critical role in establishing company culture. Employees who resonate with the company’s goals and values develop a sense of belonging towards the organization. Interactive training using immersive VR technology can help employees better understand company culture and identify themselves as dedicated employees working towards a shared vision.

Attracts millennial talent

Millennials today aren’t just driven by monetary benefits. There are several other aspects to a job that lures employees towards a certain organization. And one of those is the quality and effectiveness of training processes. A modernized company with the latest training techniques is naturally deemed a better fit for career development by millennials.

Optimize process efficiency

From recruitment to training, the integration of technology paves way for better productivity and efficiency. It isn’t just the employees who benefit from digital training. Organizations can assess employee performance, assign job roles accordingly, make better decisions and improve overall efficiency and revenue generation simply by modernizing training processes and eliminating errors.

Conclusion

The success of these Virtual Reality and simulation depends on how it’s implemented and made accessible by companies . Tecknotrove has been in the forefront of delivering cutting-edge customized solutions to various industries . The past two years provided Tecknotrove with valuable opportunities to empower organizations with VR and simulator technologies during their process of digital transformation.

Tecknotrove has more than a decade of experience of working closely with industries to develop innovative virtual simulation solutions that have helped businesses overcome the challenges. With vast expertise in catering to aviation, automotive, mining, nuclear and defence industries, we have been trusted by companies across countries to deliver simulator solutions aligned with their organizational needs. To learn more and see how you can implement digital training solutions in your organization you can visit www.tecknotrove.com or email them on sales@tecknotrove.com

Sonia Schechter appointed as VRARA Retail Co-Chair

Sonia Schechter is 3D Cloud by Marxent's CMO and has an extensive background in marketing Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, and emerging technologies to retailers. Sonia started her career in editorial product management at Microsoft and went on to work for several venture-funded startups prior to joining Marxent. She holds an MSJ from Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism and a BA in English Literature from Earlham College. While she works out of Marxent's St. Pete, Florida office, Sonia grew up in Indiana and spent much of her career in Seattle. She is somewhere between a Midwesterner and a Seattlite at heart.

“I am excited to be joining the Retail & Ecommerce Committee of the VRARA as a committee co-chair. At Marxent we have launched, sustained, and scaled 3D programs in partnership with storied retailers such as Macy’s, La-Z-Boy, Ashley HomeStores, and many others. I look forward to bringing my expertise to help expand the utility of the VRARA for retailers seeking to develop 3D strategies today, for the metaverse, and beyond.”

— Sonia Schechter

Dynepic Awarded $3.6M Contract Increase to ‘Level Up’ and Expand MOTAR

Benefits for ecosystem users include enhanced security evaluation, more time and cost savings 

RENO, NV --- The United States Air Force’s Air Education and Training Command (AETC) has awarded Dynepic® a ~$3.6M increase to its current contract to support the expansion of its secure DX platform, white-labeled for the US Air Force as MOTAR (Member-Operations-Training-Analytics-Reports). The modification increases the total contract value to over $10M and is an exciting proof point to the value and innovation Dynepic’s platform has brought to the USAF since it became a requirement last year. 

“At Dynepic one of our goals is to always be working to ‘Level Up,’ and that’s exactly what this contract modification will do for MOTAR,” said Co-Founder and CEO Krissa Watry. “This increase will help support Dynepic and its vendor ecosystem to continue bringing US Airmen the best in modern training technologies and experiences and help support the acceleration of Authority to Operate (ATO) certification for vendor technologies integrated with MOTAR.”

The first key piece of the MOTAR expansion is the creation of a Software Factory, which will save significant time and money as well as ensure the deepest level of security for every app and training tool in the MOTAR ecosystem. 

“The MOTAR Software Factory will automate the activities in the development, build, test, release, and deliver phases and support multi-tenancy, helping ecosystem vendors deliver cutting edge training to Airman faster and more securely using a modern DevSecOps pipeline,” explained Brian Moyer, Dynepic’s Director of Cyber Security. “By implementing a Software Factory, MOTAR will improve software product consistency and quality; shorten time to market, increase productivity for applications within the MOTAR ecosystem, and simplify governance. Additionally, applications will be able to leverage the MOTAR ATO (estimated completion of June 2022) to obtain a Certificate to Field (CtF), which will greatly reduce the approval time required to get their application fielded in a production environment.”

The second piece of the expansion is the new Airman Learning Record that will be available within MOTAR, designed as a one-stop-shop for capturing and reporting an Airman’s training across their career. The Airman Learning Record will bridge and aggregate their training data from authoritative sources active in the USAF and is the first end-to-end MVP integration of the ALR, MOTAR’s new mission planning capabilities, and an AI-driven Competency Management. This effort will allow Dynepic to expand the AI agnostic plug-in framework on the platform and pilot an ecosystem approach to AI with Discovery Machine®, Inc. blazing the trail. 

“MOTAR is critical to the creation of a unified training system that will allow the Department of the Air Force (DAF) to modernize existing training and be future-ready as emerging technologies come online,” shared MOTAR program manager SMSgt Powell Crider. “Using MOTAR to link together disparate systems and present information in a modern, adaptable interface, allows us to deliver pertinent training and operation data with the analytics and features required for the future Air Force.”

Luke DeVore appointed as Co-Chair for VRARA Aerospace Committee

We are pleased to have Luke DeVore join our thought-leadership as the co-chair for our Aerospace Committee.

Luke is a member of SAIC’s Digital Innovation Factory and works as the Director of Engagement for Immersive Technologies. As the Director of Engagement, Luke focuses on the application and integration of Immersive Technologies across SAIC’s federal, space, and defense business units, with particular emphasis on novel applications in operational and industrial domains.  

Luke began his career as a Marine Corps officer where he begrudgingly agreed to lead a simulation-based training program while deployed aboard the USS Bataan as a company Executive Officer. The simulation-based training succeeded in maintaining unit readiness – and no one was more surprised than Luke to discover that “games” could train Marines. Unable to find meaningful employment post-service during the Great Recession, Luke accepted a position designing simulation-based training as a member of the II MEF Simulation Center, Camp Lejeune.

During that time Luke’s focus was on instructional design and methodology, with an emphasis on recreating lessons learned in simulation to build empathetic experiential learning. After the Sim Center, Luke worked at Design Interactive, an Orlando-based firm specializing in human systems and human performance acceleration with a focus on XR technology.

Over his career, Luke has become a true believer in the power of simulations and digital environments to accelerate how humans perform tasks and understand concepts.  Moving forward, Luke is excited about the power of Immersive Technologies to blur the lines between learning and performing with perpetual point of need access provided by intelligent, adaptive systems. 

Luke graduated with a BA from the University of Pittsburgh, earned a MA from Webster University, and is currently earning an eMBA from the Quantic School of Business and Technology.

“I’m elated to co-chair the Aerospace Committee and specifically very excited to help uncover the opportunity that exists for Aerospace to partner with broader VRARA community and create real cross pollination of best practices and novel application technologies.”

— Luke Devore

Colleen Bielitz appointed as Co-Chair for our VRARA Education Committee

We are thrilled to have Collen Bielitz, PhD of Southern Connecticut State University join our thought-leadership team and co-chair our Education Committee.

Join our weekly Online Meets here!

Colleen is Associate Vice President of  Strategic Initiatives & Outreach at Southern Connecticut State University and is driven by the United Nations SDGs.  She provides leadership and direction in the guidance, development and implementation of strategic initiatives related to new and ongoing non-curricular initiatives, outreach, and external partnerships both locally and globally. Member of the President Leadership Council, Provost Council, Advancement Council and serves as the Provost’s designee.

“I’m happy to assist institutions in getting the strategic, creative, and organizational factors needed to execute innovation in a successful manner to keep up with the hyper pace of change. I combine innovation, creativity, relationship building and business acumen to create high potential ventures.”

— Colleen Bielitz

It is time to the meet Korea Immersive Content at MWC Barcelona!

The Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA), a governmental agency that oversees and coordinates the promotion of the Korean content industry, was established in May 2009 by integrating five related organizations, including the Korean Broadcasting Institute, the Korea Culture & Content Agency, the Korea Game Agency, and the Korea Immersive Content. 

KOCCA introduces 8 Korean immersive content companies to MWC Barcelona (28 February ~ 3 March 2022, https://www.mwcbarcelona.com/exhibitors/korea-creative-contents-agency-kocca) which is the world’s most influential event for the connectivity industry. You could enjoy a variety of Korean Immersive Content on-site and online as well. (http://www.koreaimco.com/) If you need more information or need an online business meeting with Korean companies, please feel free to contact us. Secretariat Email: operat.manager42@gmail.com

The 8 Korean leading Immersive Content companies below.

1. ARGO creative (SnapAction_aquarium) : Various emoji expressed on the face and body, as well as on various backgrounds of augmented reality, are perceived and tracked along with the expression and movement by recognizing the face and body curvature of various special actions.

2. BIBIMBLE (VIBETECHREAL) : VibeTech is a platform that provides a metaverse platform in the field of exhibition events. You can apply for and participate in exhibitions online, and you can see various exhibitions in the Metaverse world of exhibition events.

3. COCONUT SILO (COCOTRUCK) : Our advanced freight logistics platform "COCOTRUCK" connects all types of players in the logistics market into a single place. With big data we enhance efficiency and enable logistics companies to maximize the number of orders received. 

4. FASSKER (3D real store) : Virtual Era, Explore 3D Real Store! 3D Real Store’s digital space offers a seamless experience as visiting an actual store and so far it showed an increase in sales for e-commerce.

5. LIVE K (XR METAVERSE CONCERT) : LIVE K's XR-metaverse concert is the world's first 3D volumetric meta concert involving KPOP singers implemented on the SKT Metaverse platform.

6. MANGROVE Inc. (LET'S GO FOR FUN SCUBA DIVING) : South of Cebu in the Philippines, there is a small village called Moalboal. Coral, tropical fish, schools of sardines, sea turtles and underwater environments all filmed in vivid "3D VR" for your viewing pleasure. 

1. SKYWALK (Cut the Rope: BLAST) : 'Cut the Rope: BLAST' is an official BLAST puzzle game of the 'Cut the Rope' series, which has accumulated 1.4 billion downloads since the beginning of the smartphone game industry.

2. Smartsound Corporation (WithaPET) : WithaPET (Smart Pet Healthcare) is used with sound technology, but it is optimized for the pet health environment. It can measure pet's heart and respiratory rate with just simple device and application.

Edwin Rivera named as Advisor to Miami Chapter of VR/AR Association

Edwin Rivera, a recognized expert in the field of Augmented Reality, has been named as an Advisor to the Miami Chapter of VRARA), South Florida’s leading Virtual Reality/Augmented Reality organization. 

Supporting the VR and AR community in South Florida through quarterly events featuring noted speakers and networking opportunities, VRARA’s Miami mission is to educate, connect and grow the area’s VR/AR ecosystem.

“Edwin has been in this field and has been a driving force in VR/AR for more than a decade,” said Miami Chapter President Tarja Stephens. “His wealth of knowledge about the VR/AR field and its practical applications—based upon his years in the industry—is an invaluable asset to VRARA.” 

Rivera launched CG1 Solutions —a South Florida information technology firm which is rapidly becoming a leader in Augmented Reality (AR) with clients ranging from the healthcare to consumer products industries—in the third quarter of 2021.

As a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), CG1 Solutions has specialized in providing engaging solutions for a wide variety of clients such as Walmart, West Kendall Baptist Hospital, Scope AR, Disney Consumer Products, Alliance Laundry Systems, Synnova Health, Mitsubishi and iNewton.

In addition to his impressive list of CG1 Solutions client, Rivera’s current ground-breaking work with Microsoft and South Florida-based Piece of Cake Bakers will enable adults with disabilities to use leading edge technology to be trained for future careers in the baking industry, thus turning these individuals into productive members of society.

 “Being a part of an organization such as VRARA, which is dedicated to growing our industry in the South Florida marketplace, is certainly an honor,” said Rivera, a former Desert Storm Marine. “VR and AR have come of age and are accepted by the public and businesses alike. Now it is time to put the fantastic benefits of this industry to practical, day-to-day usage that will make all of our lives better.”

For more information the Miami Chapter of VRARA, contact Tarja Stephens at miami@thevrara.com

Startuppolis, the maker of the VR helmet for people who face "Avatar-fatigue"

Emmanuele Leggio is the head of a startup project called Startuppolis.

This VR helmet is able to capture the face of the user while offering a high level of privacy in the conversation. This is to create the perfect environment for distance working. The helmet gives the same comfort and relax of the physical office but with the benefits of the work from home. The helmet has been designed using all the comfort of long range motorcycle helmet while it doesn't need to save you from impact.

Many don't consider how stressful is, for most people, to deal with an avatar. Some people might experience the so-called "Zoom fatigue". This is caused by the stress our brain has to endure, trying to understand the social clues during the conversation. Meetings in VR have the same problem: for many they are too creepy or cartoonish. Naturally there are minorities that don't mind that. Or most VR user enjoyed for short amounts of time. We all enjoy dressing up for Hallowing but we don't dress up all year long.

This project allows to extend the physical reality to include more people but without the side effect of increasing cost or inequality. When people move to physical cities to take advantage of Universities and workplaces but the cost of housing skyrockets as a consequence, for example, look at the increases in cost of living among the major cities around the world. This inspired us to shape our platform like a city state of the European Renaissance.

We are sending this email to the members of VRARA because we are looking for funding, or help with founding. Letter of intent binding and not binding, to prove the market to our investors.. We have already received letter of intent for academics, for international cooperation in writing papiers, and on studies about social VR. We would like to do more.

You can look for more information on our website: https://startuppolis.com/hemosy/ . Our pitch there is more focused on the Campus, but taking in account this is mostly a USA mailing list, we decided to go for the co-working space. The campus is not perceived as necessity in the USA, as much as it is in EU/ASIA.

We hope to have picked your interest at least to call us up, even if is to tell us that we are wrong. If you want to join us in a pilot program or simple letters of intent are good.

More info https://startuppolis.com/hemosy

ORamaVR Launches the MAGES SDK for medical VR training or teaching simulations

ORamaVR is launching its pioneering, low-code, platform and hardware agnostic MAGES SDK that empowers any institution or company to develop their own bespoke medical VR training or teaching simulation.

You are cordially invited to learn all about it during our forthcoming major MAGES SDK launch event:

March 1st, 18h CET, live on oramavr.com

About ORamaVR:

ORamaVR (www.oramavr.com) has been founded by a team of leading computer scientists and surgeon who decided to provide organisations the best medical XR tools empowering them to upskill, reskill and train medical professionals, thereby improving patient outcome.

ORamaVR is a deep technology, spatial computing startup, innovating the field of med-ed-tech Virtual Reality (VR) training simulation authoring platforms. Our technologies are based on state-of-the-art research by world-renowned scientists team members. This research is turned into a novel, symbiotic VR authoring and simulation platform by our top engineers, medical professionals, and business developers.

ORamaVR was founded in 2016 in Greece and has moved its HQ to Geneva, Switzerland upon strategic partners' demand. ORamaVR products are adopted by a growing number of clients and partners amongst which the USC Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, NYU Langone Medical Centre in New York, the University of Geneva and the Inselspital Hospital system in Switzerland, FORTH and the University of Athens in Greece and most recently, Unbiversity of Cologne, VirtaMed Zurich as well as Western Governors University, Fayetteville State University and the University of Michigan in USA.

ORamaVR has been awarded in 2020 an Epic Games Mega-Grant, and the prestigious FARE award, from the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons (AAHKS) in 2018. ORamaVR has attracted more than €1.3M in R&D grants and awards up to date. In 2020 ORamaVR also received investment by its partner HTC Vive, a leader in enterprise virtual reality.

More details about our innovation
ORamaVR is accelerating world’s transition to medical VR training, by enabling rapidly to author the world’s most intelligent Virtual Reality (VR) training simulations, at a fraction of time, human resources and cost, than anyone else in the field (8X less cost and less time with the MAGES SDK).

Building a single high-quality virtual training module usually takes months and costs hundreds of thousands of Euros. This makes it a challenge to build, maintain, and continuously update while keeping up with medical evolution. ORamaVR is solving the most difficult technical problems that make medical VR content creation complex and costly. The goal of ORamaVR is to enable high-quality content that is built code-free/low-code, using our proprietary, award-winning hybrid-SaaS MAGES™ platform (SDK and Cloud Services) as well as Customization Services, that all rely on breakthrough VR science, featuring:

- Multiplayer, Coop engine for networked, shared collaborative environments with multiple active users on low bandwidth requirements
- Analytics engine able to capture several hundreds of events per second in 3D space with cloud and ML agents
- Gamified geometric algebra vertex transformation engine for fastest 3D transformation of all animations, deformations, and user actions in VR
- Educational process editor for visual scripting and rapid prototyping with low code processes
- Semantic scene representation of learning processes, for advanced deformable soft / rigid body interactions

Website URL: https://oramavr.com

Marxent Rebrands to 3D Cloud™ ; Rolls Out New Products and Product Bundles

Marxent is now 3D Cloud™ by Marxent, the enterprise 3D platform trusted by top furniture and home improvement retailers worldwide. Build, deploy, and manage all your 3D applications from the 3D Cloud. The 3D Cloud suite of applications includes WebAR, Room Visualizers, 3D Product Configurators, 3D Sectional Configurators, and 3D Room Planners that can be deployed across all devices and channels. Scalable, secure, and proven, 3D Cloud is the 3D platform of choice for leading retailers. Request a demo today at https://www.marxentlabs.com/request-demo

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Feb. 22, 2022

Today Marxent, the leader in 3D e-commerce and 3D omnichannel experiences for enterprise furniture and home improvement retailers, announced a rebrand to 3D Cloud™ by Marxent, along with a series of new 3D applications and application bundles.

The move comes after a banner year of growth for the company amid increasing retailer demand for scalable, secure enterprise 3D commerce solutions. 3D Cloud™ subscribers include top retailers and manufacturers such as Macy's, Lowe's Home Improvement,  La-Z-Boy, Joybird, Jerome's Furniture, American Furniture Warehouse, John Lewis and Partners, Kingfisher Group Plc., American Woodmark, PlaceMakers, and AZEK Building Products. 

The only 3D visualization platform for enterprise retailers and manufacturers of highly configurable products, 3D Cloud™ powers apps for every 3D customer journey. With applications supporting the furniture, office, kitchen, bath, closet, storage, and outdoor decking industries, the platform accelerates speed to market for innovative 3D applications.

"Enterprise buyers in furniture and home improvement understand that 3D is a platform decision, not a one-time investment in an application," said Beck Besecker, 3D Cloud™ by Marxent's CEO and Co-Founder. "3D Cloud™ is already delivering a clear return on investment for major retailers by enabling high-value sales of large, configurable products online and on mobile devices. The platform also ensures that our clients are ready for emerging retail models - including retail in the Metaverse. The time is right to elevate 3D Cloud™."

As the only complete virtual products platform purpose-built for retailers of highly configurable products and with a longstanding record of enterprise performance, 3D Cloud™ delivers proven results, accounting for billions of dollars in 3D-attributed sales and millions of dollars in cost savings for retailers.

"Shifts in consumer behavior combined with the industry-wide interest in the Metaverse have changed the decision-making process around investments in 3D. Retailers are now looking at 3D as a platform investment rather than a series of one-off campaign apps," said Besecker. "Consumers want to shop visually, with interactive 3D products and retailers want to make smarter investments. 3D Cloud™ enables retailers to build 3D retail experiences at scale and realize a return on investment immediately -- while preparing for a future of retailing in the Metaverse."

New Products: 3D Sectional Configurator, Room Visualizer, Closet and Storage Planner
3D Cloud™ is also announcing the official addition of three new products to an already robust suite of 3D e-commerce applications: 3D Sectional Configurator, Room Visualizer, and 3D Closet and Storage Planner.

• 3D Sectional Configurator. Put an end to 'write wrongs'. Supports unlimited real-time variants, delivers industry best WebGL realism, shows measurements, and prevents ordering errors by producing an accurate bill of materials and providing e-commerce cart integration. Exclusive WebAR OnDemand™ option is coming soon. Launches in just 10-12 weeks.

• Room Visualizer: Sell an entire room set, not just a sofa with this quick and easy room commerce experience. Easy to launch and to integrate with e-commerce carts, it works on both desktop and mobile and is easy to maintain. Requires fewer than 300 3D products to get started and launches in just 6-8 weeks.

• 3D Closet and Storage Planner: Connect inspiration, design, and e-commerce with our new 3D planner purpose-built for the unique business rules of closets and storage design. Shoppers, sales associates, or interior designers can design, visualize, and buy a closet quickly and accurately. Features 3D renders, Design from Photo, and 'Inspired by Pinterest Trends' options. Launches in just 10-12 weeks.

New Product Bundles: Quick Start, Sofa Expert, and Design Studio
The company also announced three new product bundles to make it easier for furniture retailers to get started with 3D or to transition projects with minimal effort. 3D Cloud™ product bundles provide everything that retailers need to get started with 3D quickly.

Complete with pre-built project plans, retailers can launch apps in quick succession and repurpose their 3D assets immediately. No dedicated team is required and 3D Cloud™ apps typically launch within 6 - 12 weeks.

• Quick Start - WebAR + Room Visualizer. Requires fewer than 300 SKUs to start, launch the initial app in 6 - 8 weeks.

• Sofa Expert - WebAR + Sectional Configurator. Launch the initial app in 10 - 12 weeks.

• Design Studio - Room Visualizer + 3D Room Planner. Launch the initial app in 10 - 12 weeks.

"3D Cloud™ product bundles are designed to create more value faster and to address key pain points for retailers," Besecker said. "Sofas and sectionals are the most challenging items to purchase online - and the top two furniture categories viewed in WebAR. Our goal is to make it easier for retailers to sell these highly configurable products online with fewer ordering errors, creating happier customers and with fewer returns."

To learn more about new products and bundles from 3D Cloud™ by Marxent, visit 3Dcloud.com to request a 30-minute live demo.

About 3D Cloud™ by Marxent
3D Cloud™ by Marxent is the global leader in 3D e-commerce for furniture, kitchen, bath, outdoor, office furniture, and closets and storage. The 3D Cloud™ platform 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. Marxent has offices in Miamisburg, Ohio, and St. Petersburg Florida as well as an international presence with offices in London, England; Paris, France; and Leipzig, Germany. Clients include Lowe's Home Improvement, Macy's, HNI Corporation, La-Z-Boy, Joybird, and John Lewis and Partners. For more information, visit 3dcloud.com.

We are hiring! View job listings here.

3D Cloud™ by Marxent Press Contact

Sonia Schechter
Chief Marketing Officer
sonia@marxent.com

SOURCE 3D Cloud by Marxent

AMD, VISYON, Lowe's, Perfect Corp to speak at our METAVERSE 2.0 virtual event March 9-10

Get tickets today before price increase!

See all Speakers and Sponsors here

Daniel Rocafort CEO VISYON (Mediapro Group) will present Metaverse on Automotive Sector - Case Study. An ambitious project sponsored by CUPRA, a progressive automotive brand of Volkswagen Group. This project is a Metaverse open to brands, companies, creators and artists to share experiences and emotions on a high Quality Virtual Environment. See the example of an event which was carried out in this metaverse:

Douglas Forbes appointed Co-Chair of our VRARA Automotive Committee

We are thrilled to appoint Douglas Forbes as Co-Chair for our VRARA Automotive Committee. Douglas is passionate about educating customers about Augmented Reality, how how it can help them and ultimately save them money and time. He is currently the Solutions Consultant at Rockwell Automation and is AR to help End Users and OEM's increase their training effectiveness and reduce on-boarding time. He also helps bring data from operations and make it easy for customers to make better more informed decisions.

Douglas comes from a systems and mechanical engineering background with experience in automotive, pharmaceutical, and medical device industries. He is a graduate of NJIT.

“I am looking forward to how I can help grown the Automotive Committee at VRARA, and take on the challenges of bringing together industry leading thought-leaders, as well as keep the community up on the current Technologies that are forever changing.”

— Douglas Forbes

VRARA Miami urges students to shape the metaverse

The VR/AR Association Miami Chapter held is event on the Univ of Miami campus last week, opening its arms to students and faculty members interested in immersive technology.

A clothing line created specifically for avatars. Flight training simulators that rival a real-life experience in the air. And a digital replica of a city to attract new businesses, with the ability for visitors to walk the landscape, see the infrastructure, and observe properties available—all in virtual reality.

These projects already exist using immersive technology.

Industry leaders from the virtual, mixed, and augmented reality fields challenged students to think about what else is possible in the metaverse Thursday night during a launch of the VR/AR Association’s Miami chapter hosted on the Coral Gables Campus at the Bill Cosford Cinema.

“How will these technologies change the way we play, learn, and work?” asked John Cunningham, president of the Central Florida VR/AR Association, who works as head of government and aerospace for Unity, a software tool used to build virtual and augmented reality experiences.

The University of Miami recently became a member of the VR/AR Association (VRARA), allowing all faculty members and students to take advantage of the professional organization’s stockpile of resources available to help create applications in virtual, mixed, and augmented reality. Kim Grinfeder, associate professor and chair of the Department of Interactive Media and director of the XR Initiative, joined the organization a few years ago and found it very useful, so he worked to get the entire University involved.

“Faculty and students will now have access to their educational materials, job search platforms, online training classes, research, and a network of companies and industry professionals working in the immersive space,” said Grinfeder, who shared student and faculty XR projects during the event, including a class he is co-teaching where both students and professors attend in virtual reality.

The international VRARA, which has chapters in 50 countries, had just one chapter in central Florida, started four years ago. With the launch of its Miami chapter, led by Tarja Stevens, chief executive of Metaverse Inclusive, the organization will tap into a growing South Florida tech industry, and VRARA founder and president Nathan Pettyjohn was excited about the new addition.

“We started this because we knew that we needed to build a community of people that could help each other grow their business, help them connect, and help them learn,” said Pettyjohn, who also works full time at Lenovo as its Commercial AR/VR lead. “Today, we have thousands of community members. So, there’s this awesome group of people striving to do more in this industry, and we are trying to help all of them achieve greatness,” he added.

During the launch, titled “The Intersection of AI and the Metaverse,” Cunningham and keynote speaker Amy Peck, the CEO of Endeavor XR, tried to debunk the notion that the metaverse is a new concept. First coined in Neal Stephenson’s 1992 novel “Snow Crash,” the term was popularized by Facebook’s new rebrand as Meta, although Peck said it is often misunderstood. One simple way of understanding the metaverse is “It’s the internet in 3D,” she said.

Peck encouraged the audience to think about how they can shape the metaverse, as it evolves and becomes more commonplace. The CEO said that she imagines a time soon when people will simply put on their glasses while they are walking down the street, and if they wonder what a building looked like in the 1800s, an image will appear on the lens. Or, if they are curious about someone’s profession, the glasses could pull up a LinkedIn profile.

Cunningham explained how virtual reality has quickly expanded from a tool to enhance video games to one that will soon impact every facet of our economy.

“A 3D model is pretty, but when you add data to it, that becomes a digital twin,” he said.

Cunningham added that a growing number of companies are using digital twins as a test bed for ideas they may later implement in the physical world. For example, Hyundai is building a digital twin of its innovation center and factory in Singapore. Meanwhile, Samsung is building a digital twin of its storefronts, so shoppers can buy things in the metaverse, which will later be sent to them in the mail.

The University’s Institute for Data Science and Computing launched its Digital Twins Lab this semester, a space that will allow students to work on these types of projects, merging immersive experiences with real-world data.

While the immersive tech industry continues to grow, Peck urged audience members to get involved in  helping to ensure privacy and transparency will be a part of the metaverse. She said it needs to be accessible, created with diverse minds, and socially responsible.

“The metaverse is not just technology, it’s a story of humanity because it’s here to augment the human experience,” she said. “My challenge to you is to paint a perfect picture of that future—if you have a fantasy, it doesn’t have to be based in reality. The possibilities are infinite.”

Learn more about VRARA. Members say one of the best ways to get involved is to join a vertical/committee, and Grinfeder urged those interested to join the VRARA slack channel.

Source

Lavinia Meliti appointed as VP for VRARA Miami Chapter

We are thrilled to have Lavinia Meliti help lead our Miami Chapter!

Lavinia is a born and raised Italian and tech enthusiast on a mission to empower innovation in emerging technologies. Trained lawyer in two legal systems, Lavinia then pursued her career in business and tech combining her legal skills in contractual negotiations to business development and beyond. As Global Head of Business Development for IPwe, Inc., Lavinia leads strategy and execution of business initiatives worldwide, connecting Fortune 500 companies with innovators SMEs across the blockchain and metaverse ecosystems. She is based in Miami, Florida.

“The metaverse is bringing a huge shift into the digital economy and it is crucial to support its innovation. Thanks to VRARA, companies have the option to thrive into the metaverse world, on a platform that allows them to learn, grow, develop, and implement innovations. I am thrilled to support companies in their tech transformative journey here in the Miami community!”

— Lavinia Meliti