Altoura Introduces Immersive Training SaaS Platform at the Microsoft HoloLens Manufacturing Industry Forum

Written by RORY GREENER of XR Today

Long time Microsoft partner Altoura accelerates onboarding for hybrid workers

At a keynote during the Microsoft HoloLens Manufacturing Industry Forum, hosted by the Virtual and Augmented Reality Association (VRARA), Altoura, formerly Studio 216, showcased its no-code authoring platform.

The company’s presentation explored how companies could use its immersive Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform to onboard and train hybrid workers as they transition back to frontline positions.

Altoura’s VP of Marketing, Paul Corriveau, spoke about how Thermo Fisher Scientific (TFS) and Wabtec use Altoura software and Microsoft HoloLens 2 mixed reality (MR) hardware to create immersive onboarding and training procedures.

Thermo Fisher Scientific

TFS, a US scientific hardware and software supplier, globally operates the Altoura SaaS platform in its Pharmaceuticals Services and Life Sciences Groups.

The Microsoft-Altoura partnership enables TFS to digitally transform its operations and enhance the performance of frontline workers with custom immersive training solutions.

The firm uses the platform to create virtual training scenarios that create a safe and repeatable learning environment to refine worker skills before entering a real-world shop floor.

Immersive solutions showed value during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to Chris Binion, Director of Innovation, Immersive Technologies at TFS, who said,

“When Covid hit, we were ready to start mobilising and moving into action. Within a month, we saw dramatic results in sales. An exponential growth in sales! Because, customers all of a sudden found confidence in what we were doing”

Wabtec

Webtec, a supplier of equipment for freight and transit rail sectors, also works with Altoura to create training software for remote employees. The firm plans to offer a remote guidance service solution for customers purchasing Wabtec equipment.

By using a HoloLens 2 headset, Wabtec employees or customers can interact with an MR digital twin of rail equipment, removing parts and learning about the components of complex hardware.

Additionally, the training platform employs hand tracking software, voice assistance, holographic environments, and video guides to prepare employees before entering frontline workshop conditions.

Altoura Immersive SaaS

The Altoura no-code authoring platform enables companies to create custom spatial training software ready for MR devices.

Found in 2015, the firm quickly joined the Microsoft Mixed Reality Partners Programme (MMRPP) the following year, and in 2018, the firm transitioned into a SaaS platform due to rising demand.

During the keynote, Paul said,

“After a year of working with 3D models and helping our enterprise customers. We joined the MRPP and we were one of the very first partners to join the program and build applications for the Hololens. Within a couple of years, a lot of customers were asking Studio 216 for the product. They wanted the software that we were building. In 2018, we transitioned our entire business model to an ISV. We productised our IP and now we are a SAAS company”

Building a Training Platform

The Altoura SAAS platform lets firms package, manage, and distribute virtual training scenarios, and includes an Experience Builder that uses step-by-step instructions to lead users through the authoring and quality assurance stages.

Altoura integrates cloud-computing technology to quickly stream real-time 3D assets and digital twins to individual devices. The platform also uses accurate spatial anchors to track a device’s real-world location to share and place MR content between headsets.

The Seattle, Washington-based firm allows for secure delivery across a range of devices, including the HoloLens 2, Meta Quest, ISO, Andriod, and PC, so that corporations can best accommodate individual use cases. Also, the platform allows firms to track user metrics after a training scenario.

The tech enterprise secures its platform with the Azure security network that supplies enterprise-grade authentication, security and manageability.

Recap of the Microsoft HoloLens Manufacturing Industry Forum

We have had 1216 attendees for the Microsoft HoloLens Manufacturing Industry Forum we hosted on March 30, 2022. Some interesting highlights include:

The sessions

A New Reality for Manufacturing - We heard from Microsoft about top industry trends, how Microsoft is approaching the opportunities ahead, and why mixed reality needs to be an integral part of every manufacturer’s workforce strategy, and from Applied Materials about how the Microsoft HoloLens improves and enhances frontline worker productivity.

Addressing Workforce Challenges in Pharmaceutical Manufacturing with HoloLens and AR - We heard from PTC about how to accelerate learning and reduce training costs, improve accuracy and reduce production downtime, decrease the costs of human error, scrap, and waste improve adherence to safety and compliance regulations.

Train to work: Immersive Training at Thermo Fisher Scientific - Altoura Introduced Immersive Training SaaS Platform to accelerate onboarding for hybrid workers! We learnt how Thermo Fisher Scientific uses mixed reality to onboard, train, and assist hybrid workers as they transition from remote work to the front lines. It’s end-to-end training from virtual to physical, and its only available from Altoura and Microsoft.

The New Way to Work: Creating Operational Efficiencies with Mixed Reality - Kognitiv Spark discussed how mixed reality tools are positively impacting the industrial sector as a whole by enabling operational efficiencies, worker autonomy and empowerment, and facilitating rapid issue resolution - all while eliminating traditional barriers associated with access to experts and a reduced ability to travel. The session also featured testimony and insights from LeeWay Marine on how they have successfully implemented Microsoft’s Hololens and RemoteSpark to deliver guidance to technicians aboard a vessel at sea.

And, there's more! We encourage you to register for the upcoming Industry Forums to learn even more about HoloLens and mixed reality deployments, successes and best practices.

• Education HoloLens Forum – April 20

• Healthcare HoloLens Forum – June 7

Immerse Global Summit and BitBasel Announce Exciting Global Events Partnership to Bridge the XR and Blockchain Worlds

The Immerse Global Summit announces a partnership with BitBasel for a series of events in 2022 in the world of immersive technology and the blockchain space.

We are looking forward to bringing incredible content and experiences together to the community not only in Miami but to our global event base in 2022. This is a match made in heaven.”— Anne-Marie Enns

MIAMI, FLORIDA, USA, March 29, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ --

Immerse Global SummitandBitBaselForm Partnership for 2022 Event Series

The Immerse Global Summit and BitBasel sign an agreement for an exclusive partnership for a series of events in 2022. This marks a great collaboration within the XR and cryptocurrency, blockchain, and NFT communities in Miami and globally.

The Immerse Global Summit is excited to announce a partnership with the team at BitBasel for a series of events in 2022. This partnership will bring together two strong leaders in the world of immersive technology and the blockchain space for a powerful partnership.

The Immerse Global Summit, formerly the VR/AR Global Summit, will bring its global event to the Fontainbleau Hotel in Miami on December 5-7, 2022, right on the heels of BitBasel, part of Miami Art Week. The two entities will co-produce and support one another in a series of events throughout the 2022 season including, but not limited to events as a part of Miami NFT Week, Bitcoin 2022, eMerge Americas, Immerse Global Summit Series of events, Immerse European Summit, Art Basel and many other joint ventures.


“This partnership between the Immerse Global Summit and BitBasel is an exciting venture and we are so happy to be working with their incredible team. This venture brings together the best of immersive technologies and allows us to reach new markets in the worlds of VR, AR, crypto, NFTs, and blockchain, plus complementary technologies,” says Anne-Marie Enns, Executive Producer of the Immerse Global Summit. “We are looking forward to bringing incredible content and experiences together to the community not only in Miami but to our global event base in 2022. This is a match made in heaven. ”


“ We’re extremely excited to partner with Immerse Global Summit as we build-up to their arrival in Miami in December. The applications at the intersection of XR & Blockchain are only beginning to be realized, and 2022 will be a pivotal year for these technologies to gain more general acceptance.” Said Scarlett Arana , Co-Founder of BitBasel “we look forward to bringing these two industries closer together through collaboration and experimentation”


The BitBasel and Immerse Global Summit Teams will launch their partnership on April 9th at BitBaselHaus at Casa Faena South Beach for a special media launch event. For more information please contact am@thevrara.com



Immerse Global Summit tickets and information is available athttps://www.immerseglobalnetwork.com/

BitBasel events and information is available athttps://bitbasel.miami/



Contact:
Anne-Marie Enns
Immerse Global Summit, Executive Producer
Am@thevrara.com

Scott Spiegel
CEO and Founder, BitBasel Miami
scott@bitbasel.miami




About Immerse Global Summit

The Immerse Global Summit is a series of events culminating in a massive show in Miami on December 5-7, 2022. Formerly the VR/AR Global Summit, the event is in its 5th year and attracts leading experts in the immersive tech industry. IGS is hosted by theVR/AR Associationand Real Estate Tech Association, with over 60 chapters globally and over 60,000 participating members and attendees to our events last year. With Immerse you can get aligned with a content-driven immersive technology show, featuring life-changing conversations, talks, exhibits, and events led by globally leading companies and organizations, who are sharing practical and valuable real-use cases from the immersive industry - all in a world-class city, topped off with parties, networking, and surprises. The Immerse Global Summit is a part of the Immerse Growth Network, encompassing the Immerse Global Summit Series, the VR/AR Association, and the Real Estate Technology Association.



About BitBasel Miami

Starting as a digital art event on December 5th, 2020, BitBasel has been at the forefront of the rise of Bitcoin, NFTs, and Miami as the global crypto capital. Made up of a local community who have been leading blockchain education efforts across Miami since 2013, BitBasel empowers grassroots creators with the tools and support to launch their first NFT collection and win Web3.

Anne-Marie Enns
Immerse Global Summit
+1 604-313-3831
email us here

Visit us on social media:
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn

Improving Safety at Mines with VR Excavator Simulators

Working in the mining industry can be a dangerous place if you don’t know your job well. Safety at Mines is critical for all and regular training is essential for understanding the machines you’re working with or operating to be safe and productive .

Excavation in mining, poses challenges for both employees and equipment. Operating with safety , delivering high productivity , and keeping the people and equipment safe on site even in difficult conditions is of utmost importance.

TecknoSIM Excavator Simulator is India’s first VR excavator simulator that enables training on a range of excavator machines .TecknoSIM Excavator and Shovel Simulator is a realistic replica of an actual equipment and replicates the machine dynamics perfectly. It provides the trainees with a safe environment where they can refine their skills and improve their productivity and efficiency. It trains the operators on skills that help them improve productivity operate safely and reduce costs.

The visuals are displayed on the latest Virtual Reality (VR) Headset from Oculus and HTC vive. A comprehensive training program with vocal instructions in multiple languages is designed to enable self-paced learning . Training scenarios can be customised by instructors and allows operators to practice safely on mining operations as well as potentially life-threatening emergency scenarios. Novices learn to operate a shovel or excavator safely on a simulator before operating the real equipment and experienced operators get a chance to further improve their skills.

This is a great innovation in the field of VR and will help technical training institutes , corporates and OEMS to train better . The simulator can be customised to suit any model of excavator from OEMS like Tata Hitachi, Komatsu, JCB, VOLVO, Hyundai, Caterpillar (CAT).

More info ttps://tecknotrove.com/industries/mining/excavator-shovel-simulator

To know more about TecknoSIM Excavator VR Training visit Tecknotrove Systems on www.tecknotrove.com

Contact:

Name: Payal Gupta

Email Address: payalgupta@tecknotrove.com

Interview with Luke DeVore, VRARA Aerospace Committee Co-Chair

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

For a limited time, VRARA members can receive $100 off the ThinkReality A3 Smart Glasses

For a limited time VRARA members can receive $100 off the ThinkReality A3 Smart Glasses*.

A recent software update adds Windows 11 support and offers connectivity to a wider range of PC’s to create and expand your workspace anywhere with the A3 Smart Glasses; named one of TIME’s best inventions. Create and customize virtual monitors at the office or when working remotely. Lightweight by design and built with privacy in mind, users can view sensitive data in comfort without fear of "shoulder surfers” seeing confidential materials.

Click here for offer: ThinkReality A3 | Enterprise smart glasses | Lenovo US

*US only. Offer expires 11:59PM, March 31, 2022. Offer valid on A3 Smart Glasses only. Does not include the Industrial edition or mobile bundles.

Interview with Colleen Bielitz, Ph.D, VRARA Education Co-Chair

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

Register for our Education Forum here https://hopin.com/events/vrara-education-forum-2022

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

Liquid Avatar Technologies Inc. Launches First-Ever Payment Card and Loyalty Program for the Metaverse

Users Have the Opportunity to Earn Points and Cash Back while Participating in Quests and Games by Shopping in the Aftermath Islands Metaverse

TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / March 21, 2022 / Liquid Avatar Technologies Inc. (CSE:LQID)(OTCQB:LQAVF)(FRA:4T51) Liquid Avatar Technologies, a global blockchain and fintech solutions company, focused on digital identity, integrated avatars and the Metaverse, is excited to announce the launch of the first-ever payment card and loyalty program created specifically for the Metaverse. The LQID card is a physical prepaid debit card powered by OptimizeFT's Engage360 payment card and digital banking solutions platform, available in the United States. The card can earn the holder cashback by shopping at Liquidshopz and earn points by participating in Aftermath Islands Metaverse activities.

To activate an increased and widespread adoption of and participation in Metaverse experiences, Liquid Avatar Technologies is proud to be the first to attach loyalty and a loyalty earning payment card to purchasing land, products, games etc., in the Metaverse, in a manner people are already familiar and engaged with in the real world.

"We're excited to offer the very first payment card for the Metaverse, supporting individuals and entities as they engage in virtual activities," said Michael Konikoff, Chief Revenue Officer, Liquid Avatar Technologies Inc. "In addition to retail and online payment opportunities, users of the LQID card will be able to experience exciting Virtual Land and NFT opportunities at Aftermath Islands and other immersive experiences."

The loyalty program is aimed at driving incremental spend on the card and initially, within Aftermath Islands, increasing customer engagement, retention, and lifetime value. The ability to accept traditional forms of payment especially with a loyalty schema attached to it, lowers the barriers to entry and will set Aftermath Islands apart from other Metaverse experiences that only accept Cryptocurrency. Cardholders will be able to earn loyalty points whenever they use the card, both online and offline. When they transact in Aftermath Islands using their LQID card, they will not only earn loyalty points on the value of the transaction, but also get the double dip effect of earning loyalty points on the card as well. Accrued points can be redeemed for Aftermath Islands virtual gift cards that can be used when purchasing Virtual Land and other goods in the Aftermath Islands Metaverse.

Liquid Avatar Technologies is a leader in the Metaverse through its development of Aftermath Islands, associated themed islands and utilitarian NFTs, customizable 3D Meta Avatars as part of the Meta Hero Project™, verifiable credential-backed digital identity, and partnering with Game Credits for the first-ever Multiverse Collective, a collaborative effort that will allow interoperability between two or more Metaverses. Liquid Avatar recently announced FAB and Vegas Islands, along with hover bikes and submarines as part of the Aftermath Islands experience, as well as its first mobile play-to-earn game - The Lost Kingdom of T'Sara - that will allow players to earn rewards by completing time and skill activities.

About Aftermath Islands Metaverse Limited - www.aftermathislands.com

Aftermath Islands Metaverse Limited is a Barbados corporation which is 50% owned and is controlled by Oasis Digital Studios Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Liquid Avatar Technologies Inc.

Aftermath Islands as first described in the initial whitepaper published in 2017 and then subsequently updated, was based on the premise of a water-world with islands that represented destinations in a global virtual game. Since then, the Aftermath Islands Metaverse has evolved and now represents exciting theme-based islands, communities, and estates where players can experience a wide range of adventures and opportunities.

In Aftermath Islands' virtual world, users can buy, develop, trade, and sell Virtual Land (VL), property and assets, like buildings, crafted items, transport, and other items all through NFTs, non-fungible tokens that represent the ownership of virtual and other assets. Each plot or parcel of VL is unique and owners get to choose what content they want to publish on their VL. This can range from simple scenery and structures to an interactive game, store, warehouse, dwelling, facility, or destination. Users can purchase VL as well as all other goods and services in Aftermath Islands with CREDITS, the current code name for in-game currency, fiat and other authorized currencies, coins, and tokens.

Aftermath Islands is a shared virtual world, much like the Metaverse described by author Ernest Cline in his science-fiction novels Ready Player One and Ready Player Two. Expected to launch mid-2022, Aftermath Islands will allow users to connect and interact with each other, create content, craft, participate in activities and quests and play games. Aftermath Islands will have a virtual economy where users can engage in a myriad of in-world economic transactions as well as monetize the content, items, quests, and applications they build.

For more information about Aftermath Islands, please visit www.aftermathislands.com

About Oasis Digital Studios Limited - www.oasisdigitalstudios.com

Oasis Digital Studios Limited ("Oasis") brings together leading individuals and organizations in blockchain technology, computer graphics, augmented reality, entertainment, art, sports, gaming, music, media, comic book, memorabilia, and pop culture arenas to support the fast-paced and growing digital collectible and NFT marketplace. The Oasis business model is to create storytelling, experiential and collectible partnerships with artists, sports personalities, talent, brands, and commercial enterprises to create digital offerings and digital / physical product programs via digital collectibles and NFTs.

Oasis uses multimedia, cinematics, animations, and other techniques to create unique products together with the latest Augmented Reality and virtual technologies to tell the Artist and Talent stories providing immersive experiences for Digital Collectibles and NFTs.

About Liquid Avatar Technologies Inc. - www.liquidavatartechnologies.com

Liquid Avatar Technologies Inc. focuses on the verification, management and monetization of Self Sovereign Identity, empowering users to control and benefit from the use of their online identity.

The Liquid Avatar Mobile App, available in the Apple App Store and Google Play, is a verified Self Sovereign Identity platform that empowers users to create high quality digital icons representing their online personas. These icons allow users to manage and control their digital identity and Verifiable Access and Identity Credentials, and to use Liquid Avatars to share public and permission based private data when they want and with whom they want.

The Liquid Avatar Verifiable Credentials Ecosystem (LAVCE) has been developed to support all participants in a digital credential ecosystem, including the Holder, Issuer and Verifier, using state-of-the-art blockchain and open standards technologies initially as a node on the Indicio Network. The Company is a voting and steering committee member of the Trust over IP Foundation, founding and steering committee member of Cardea, a Linux Foundation Public Health project, member of the Good Health Pass collaborative, DIACC, the Covid Credentials Initiative ("CCI"), The Linux Foundation and a founding member of the Lumedic Exchange.

The Company has a suite of early-stage revenue generating programs that support the Liquid Avatar Mobile App program, including KABN KASH, a cash back and reward program that has over 500 leading online merchants and is working to release its own branded network payment card.

The Company's subsidiary, Oasis Digital Studios, is a creative and development agency that supports a wide range of artists, talent, and enterprises with Non-Fungible Token (NFT) solutions and has acquired 50% and controls the Aftermath Islands Metaverse program.

Liquid Avatar Technologies Inc. is publicly listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) under the symbol "LQID" (CSE:LQID).

The Company also trades in the United States, on the OTCQB under the symbol "LQAVF" and in Frankfurt under the symbol "4T51".

If you have not already joined our mailing list and would like to receive updates on Liquid Avatar Technologies Inc., please click here to join!

For more information, please visit www.liquidavatartechnologies.com

For further information, please contact: 

David Lucatch
Chief Executive Officer
647-725-7742 Ext. 701
ir@liquidavatar.com

US Media Contact:
Nicole Rodrigues
NRPR Group
nicole@nrprgroup.com

Canada Media Contact:
Amber Mulder
No Fixed Address
amber.mulder@nofixedaddressinc.com

The CSE has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

All websites referred to are expressly not incorporated by reference into this press release.

Forward-Looking Information and Statements

This press release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation and may also contain statements that may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking information and forward-looking statements are not representative of historical facts or information or current condition, but instead represent only the Company's beliefs regarding future events, plans or objectives, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and outside of the Company's control. Generally, such forward-looking information or forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or may contain statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "will continue", "will occur" or "will be achieved".

The forward-looking information and forward-looking statements contained herein include, but is not limited to, statements regarding the future launch of sales of digital and physical collectibles, Non-Fungible Tokens and other related products through Oasis Digital Studios and / or its clients, partners and other service providers, an integrated offering engine, statements regarding the future capabilities of LAVCE or the operation of an Indicio Network Node, statements suggesting LAVCE or an Indicio Network Node ("Company Services") will be successfully launched and integrated into the Liquid Avatar platform and partner programs, information concerning the timing for the launch of Liquid Avatar apps, the plans for future features of the Liquid Avatar apps, expected geographic expansion, the ability of the Company to generate revenues, roll out new programs and to successfully achieve business objectives, and expectations for other economic, business, and/or competitive factors.

By identifying such information and statements in this manner, the Company is alerting the reader that such information and statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance, or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such information and statements.

Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing, and the expectations contained in, the forward-looking information and statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information and statements, and no assurance or guarantee can be given that such forward-looking information and statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information and statements. The forward-looking information and forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, and the Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information and/or forward-looking statements that are contained or referenced herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

SOURCE: Liquid Avatar Technologies Inc.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office awards a new patent to Virtualware, for its VR tracking technology

Virtualware, a European virtual reality firm, has been granted a new patent by the US Patent and Trademark Office for its groundbreaking immersive positioning system.

The system, called Nmerso, is an absolute tracking system that allows for several users to interact through immersive technology while standing physically in the same space. The invention allows to train several high-skilled workers into complex processes at the same time.

Tracking systems are necessary to enjoy Virtual Reality experiences, since the user or an object must be able to move freely in a physical space. Nmerso incorporates a very high refresh rate, which updates the position up to 60 times per second, as well as high levels of accuracy, so that even the smallest movements can be detected. The patent is numbered US11169596B2 and is valid for 20 years.

The invention has already obtained another patent, granted by the Spanish intellectual property authorities. It is also pending in the other 25 countries of the European Union, the People's Republic of China, Canada and Mexico. It is classified in the category "provisions for interaction with the human body for user immersion in virtual reality"

The system is present in all of Virtualware VIROO rooms. To date, Virtualware has deployed 18 VIROO rooms around the world, in Wilmington and San Jose in the United States, Markham in Canada, Bogota in Colombia, Aguascalientes and Mexico City in Mexico, and others in Spain, including in Madrid and the Basque Country.

“With the help of this new technology, we will be able to develop stronger technologies to solve relevant problems industrial corporations experience in their day-to-day operations”, explained the founder and CEO of the company, Unai Extremo.

Its flagship VIROO is a boundless all-in-one VR solution that can be used to create, manage and deploy VR without limitations. In extension, the VIROO room allows several users to work in full-scale in the same physical space, a key advancement that will be observed as a must in Industry VR solutions.

VIROO® Room can reproduce complex live environments in full-scale virtual reality scenarios allowing multi-user 1:1 interaction with absolute accuracy and freedom of movement.

• Recreate lifelike complex and dangerous scenarios within a risk-free physical environment.
• Significantly reduce cost and time compared to traditional live scenario set-up.
• Scale easy and fast with total flexibility in terms of space, number of users and locations.
• Leverage remote VR collaboration by connecting different VIROO® Rooms together.
• Create applications for muti-user and large-scale Virtual Reality scenarios.

More info http://www.virtualwareco.com/news/patent-vr-tracking-technology-nmerso-in-usa/

Watch our Interview with Magic Leap

The Magic Leap 2 is coming! Last week there were a number of press releases in the media and so the timing of this podcast interview is good.

We have had a few months' break in the podcast so I am excited to get back to meeting with the movers and shakers in the community. And so to kick off our new year my first guest is Lisa M Watts who is the Vice President of Product Marketing and Planning at Magic Leap who joined in June of 2021.

Prior to joining Magic Leap Lisa was CEO of One/Twenty 1 Immersive which was her own consulting practice and prior to that Lisa spent 25 years at Intel where she held many different roles in her career there. Her last role was the Global Director of Immersive Technologies Marketing. So Lisa has some real experience and passion for XR technology.

Lisa and I had a chance to meet a few weeks ago at the VRARA Miami chapter which as many of you know is near Magic Leap's HQ in Plantation Florida. Lisa was gracious enough to share the plans that she has for the ML2 and some of her own experiences. I wanted to invite her to the podcast so that we could spend time getting to know a bit more about her and introduce her to the Central Florida XR Community.

Watch the podcast to learn more about Lisa as she answers our 5 in 5 which is 5 questions in 5 minutes:

1) What is the most interesting project that you have seen or worked on that uses XR technology?

2) What do you think the biggest challenges are facing adoption of XR

3) Who in the VR/AR community inspires you or who you follow to find out what is happening?

4) Are you working on anything at the moment that would be interesting to our members

5) What would you like to see from the VR/AR Association?

Job Opening: Creative Director, Blippar

London, England, United Kingdom + Global

Freelance to perm

DESCRIPTION
We're looking for smart, driven and curious people to join our team. Blippar is a leading technology company specialising in augmented reality (AR). Since launching in 2011, Blippar has been pioneering in Augmented Reality and we have since built an AR ecosystem. Our goal is big and unabashedly bold: to seamlessly and completely bridge the physical and digital worlds using our ground-breaking augmented reality technologies and creation platform.

We believe AR will change the world how people learn and consume content from digital mediums. Whether its education, re-skilling people, communication, advertising, storytelling, and re-imagining the world, AR will play a pivotal role. 

We are currently looking for exceptionally talented Front End focused FullStack ‘Creative’ Developers to join our team. You'll be working with many of the world’s biggest brands and companies across different market sectors, creating and utilising cutting edge technology to help realise our clients and business objectives. You are passionate, open-minded, and a talented team player who loves to be challenged.

2021 and beyond is going to be another super exciting year for us and the Augmented Reality industry. We continue to scale and grow our talented team hence we’re looking for passionate talent to join our exceptional team, become part of our family and help us deliver on our vision.

Sounds good? Do get in touch. We’d love to hear from you info@blippar.com

REQUIREMENTS

• Exposure to mobile and gaming projects - Javascript or other scripting languages

• A passion for new challenges

• Portfolio of work, including mobile/responsive design and build projects

• Web development skills (HTML, HTML5, Javascript, jQuery, etc)

• Knowledge of A-Frame, Three.js and ideally experience with webAR platforms 

• Exposure to OpenGL or WebGL would be nice to have

• Experience with AR Quicklook/ Scene - viewer would be a plus.

• An understanding of augmented reality (Modeling, Coding and Creative Process), 3D model formats like GLB/USDZ/FBX, etc

• Proficient understanding of code versioning tools like Github/Bitbucket

• Experience working in an agency/start-up environment is desirable

ABOUT BLIPPAR

Blippar is a leading technology company specialising in Augmented Reality. Blippar gives access to an AR ecosystem with products and professional services to meet specific business needs – from consultancy to AR creation tools that publish AR content to the web, within a client’s own app or rich media banners (no app required). Since launching in the UK in 2011, Blippar’s technology has been used by world-leading brands such as PepsiCo, Porsche, Nestlé, L’Oréal, GSK, General Mills and Procter & Gamble to create exciting and award-winning experiences.

Job Opening: Digital Designer, Blippar

Digital Designer

London, England, United Kingdom

Perm, Freelance or Freelance to perm

DESCRIPTION
We're looking for smart, driven and curious people to join our team. Blippar is a leading technology company specialising in augmented reality (AR). Since launching in 2011, Blippar has been pioneering in Augmented Reality and we have since built an AR ecosystem. Our goal is big and unabashedly bold: to seamlessly and completely bridge the physical and digital worlds using our augmented reality technologies, making AR content creation easy and accessible.

We are currently looking for an exceptionally talented Digital Designer who is as passionate about Augmented Reality as we are. Reporting into our Creative Lead, you will support the creation of AR conceptual design work to further the content output of Blippar. Bringing your creative thinking, innovation and hands-on experience, you will apply your design and creative expertise working on projects for some of the largest brands across the globe. 

You’ll be able to confidently work across multiple projects simultaneously either autonomously or with other team members, conceptualising and visualising ideas for new augmented reality campaigns to create visual storyboards, user flows and design ready assets for projects in development. You naturally thrive in a fast paced, ideas focused environment, that stretches your thinking and creative output to new levels.

(Subject to government guidelines) You’ll have the flexibility to divide your time between working remotely and from our London office.

2022 and beyond is going to be an incredibly exciting year for the business and for the Augmented Reality industry, with NFTs and the Metaverse at the forefront of future design. We continue to scale and grow our talented team hence we’re looking for passionate talent to join our exceptional team, become part of our family and help us deliver on our vision.

Sounds good? Do get in touch. We’d love to hear from you info@blippar.com

REQUIREMENTS

• Ability to work with the full project lifecycle – from brief and pitch to usability and build

• Knowledge of the Augmented Reality space and preferably some experience of using this medium but not essential

• Working up rough concept scamps through to creating a range of fully realised design work

• Working collaboratively with other Designers, UX designers and Developers to deliver digital output of the highest quality and to brief

• Articulating and presenting creative ideas/treatments to teams and clients.

• An exceptional online portfolio showcasing innovative digital design concepts and highly considered visual executions

• Expertise in Adobe Creative Suite

• Some knowledge/understanding of 3D design software (Cinema 4D, Maya)

• UX knowledge preferred

• High attention to detail

• Staying on track with emerging digital trends and culture

• Experience working in an agency/start-up environment is desirable

ABOUT BLIPPAR

Blippar is a leading technology company specialising in Augmented Reality. Blippar gives access to an AR ecosystem with products and professional services to meet specific business needs – from consultancy to AR creation tools that publish AR content to the web, within a client’s own app or eyewear. Since launching in the UK in 2011, Blippar’s technology has been used by world-leading brands such as Google, PepsiCo, Rockstar Energy, OnePlus, Hulu, Anheuser-Busch, General Mills and P&G to create exciting and award-winning experiences.

Examples of the kind of work you will be getting involved with:

Blippar Retrospective of 2020

World's First Augmented Reality LIVE Product Launch - OnePlus Nord AR

ROCKSTAR ZERO - Hustle hard with Blippar

Kelloggs Coco Pops Adventures - Blippar Web AR

https://youtu.be/8NstgMP6DRs (Selection of AR campaigns)

A selection of creative responses:

The Hennessy 

Hennessy_proposal.pdf

Mars - M&Ms

M&Ms_v1.pdf

Ferrara - Ghostbusters

Ferrara_ghostbusters.pdf

Bacardi - Taste of the Caribbean 

Bacardi_AR_qtr1_21_v3.pdf

Lumus and Luxexcel demonstrate reflective waveguide embedded in a prescription lens demonstrator

The companies have co-developed a technology demonstrator of an Augmented Reality prescription lens solution which features a reflective waveguide, projector, and a prescription lens.

Eindhoven, the Netherlands; Ness Ziona, Israel – March 16th , 2022 – Luxexcel, the technology leader for 3D printed prescription lenses and Lumus, the pioneering innovator of reflective waveguide displays for Augmented Reality (AR), have co-developed a demonstrator of an Augmented Reality prescription lens solution that enables OEMs to address users’ prescription requirements in their smart eyewear products and make the lens solution thin, durable, and to be worn like fashion eyewear lenses.

The demonstrator features Lumus reflective waveguide which are widely acknowledged as having the AR industry’s leading luminance efficiency which are ideally suited for outdoor usage, embedded by Luxexcel into a 3D printed prescription lens. The complete solution features a high-quality, clear image produced by the waveguide and viewed through the prescription lens.

“Lumus is thrilled to partner with Luxexcel, a real innovator in the optics space, on this proof of concept joining two distinct and complementary innovations that make AR glasses truly practical and ready for the consumer market,” said Dr. Eli Glikman, Chief Product Officer of Lumus. “Luxexcel’s focus on quality and scalability for their 3D printed prescription lenses make their solution a very promising path for integrating RX for our current 2D expansion reflective waveguides.”

This joint demonstrator features a prescription lens with embedded the Lumus Maximus. Specifications of the Lumus waveguide are: 50° field-of-view, 2Kx2K resolution and an eyebox of 12x12mm and brightness of more than 4,000nit/WLED.

High-quality images are maintained because the waveguide remains completely flat during the 3D printing of the prescription lens, and print features such as air gaps can be added.

Guido Groet, Chief Strategy Officer at Luxexcel says, “Lumus is one of the waveguide technology leaders in the industry and their reflective waveguide technology is known for its great image quality and brightness. Given 75% of the world population today requires vision correction, providing prescription lenses for augmented reality glasses is crucial.  We’re proud of the contribution our partnership with Lumus is making to the smart eyewear industry where they provide the imaging technology, we add the prescription and make the full device thin, lightweight and above all, fashionable.

The key technologies provided by the partnership can be scaled and volume-produced to 3D print smart eyewear with users’ individualized prescription powers.

This module will be shown for the first time at SPIE AR VR MR where both companies will feature in a virtual Fireside chat to discuss their respective technologies. Prototype samples of the module will be available for customers in Q2 2022.

3D PluraView – stereoscopic 3D visualisation for the oil and gas industry

In order to optimize the exploration and production of oil and gas fields, assess potential and increase yield, it is mandatory to understand all aspects of the geological subsurface situation. A higher level of understanding will lead to an earlier recognition of problems, reduce avoidable delays and associated substantial expenses. The optimal visualization of 3D geo-datasets is the key for geologists and geophysicists to analyze and evaluate geological and geophysical information components with the highest degree of confidence. The stereoscopic 3D PluraView dual-screen systems with integrated beam splitter mirror from Schneider Digital, offer such an optimal 3D visualization right at the workplace. With up to 4K resolution per screen and stereo-channel, the user benefits from a readily available, extremely bright and high-contrast 3D-stereo display on his/her desktop, when evaluating stratigraphic profiles, seismic 3D data, borehole information and derived 3D models. In the oil and gas industry, stereo-capable software platforms, such as Petrel from Schlumberger, Halliburton GeoProbe or MapInfo Discover are utilized. These allow the professional user to integrate, display and analyze all relevant subsurface information components quickly and comprehensively, display variants and associated simulations, improve play understanding and ultimately support more accurate hydrocarbon recovery forecasts. The visualization in 3D-stereo is an integral part of a ‘best-practice toolkit’, ensuring the success of the project. 

Petroleum engineers and geoscientists spend a substantial amount of time combining 2D and 3D data sets from multiple sources to create interpolated 3D digital subsurface models. These datasets are used extensively over longer periods of time by the oil and gas industry in a variety of formats, with varying resolutions and in very large volumes. The stereoscopic monitors of the 3D PluraView series offer the highest stereoscopic display quality at the workplace with their proven beam splitter technology. They are the decisive interface for the visualization, for the creation and analysis of digital 3D 'twins'. All recorded surface and subsurface structures, as well as dynamic processes that are relevant for the exploration and production of oil and gas fields, can be visualized on the stereoscopic 3D monitors from Schneider Digital. True stereoscopic visualization not only makes it easier to interpret 3D data, it also dramatically improves collaboration between exploration and production team members. Several specialists can view, analyze and discuss a dataset simultaneously on a 3D PluraView. They benefit from the impressive, holographic representation of the geospatial data in a normal, not specially prepared or darkened office environment and a flexible viewing angle of almost 180 degrees.

Optimum visualization for stereoscopic 3D geo-datasets at the workplace

The 3D PluraView monitors are ideally suited to display 3D subsurface reservoir models stereoscopically in 3D, together with detailed surface datasets. With two high-resolution screens, the stereoscopic image pairs for the left and the right eye are combined by the so-called 'beam splitter', a specially coated transflective mirror, to form a very bright and high-contrast holographic stereo image. Due to the different polarization angle of the PluraView glasses, both stereo channels are separated for the left and the right eye, resulting in a perfect 3D-stereo display for the professional desktop.

The stereoscopic visualization is an essential part of professional geology software, such as Schlumberger Petrel, Halliburton GeoProbe, Baker Hughes JewelSuite, the Dassault GEOVIA Modules or MapInfo Discover. As the global market leader in the GIS sector, Esri has implemented with ArcGIS Pro a fully stereoscopic 3D GIS environment. ArcGIS Pro enables also the mapping of stratigraphic and tectonic subsurface structures with 3D voxel elements.

The visualization and especially the editing of spatial structures in 3D-stereo environment is an definitive key function. With a stereoscopic display, real spatial relationships can be understood immediately and intuitively and can be captured with great precision, compared to regular screens which can only display a flat 2D- perspective view, without any depth information.

Modern software environments for exploration and production are always three-dimensional and volumetric. Due to the high costs and risks involved, they must be as efficient as possible, reliable and optimized in terms of data processing. The ensuing field activities must meet all HSE standards and therefore the entire process chain must verifiably and fully correspond to the current state of the art and 'best practice'.

The 3D PluraView monitors by Schneider Digital represent this ‘state of the art’ in terms of hardware. They are by far the most practical and highest resolution 3D-stereo desktop systems currently available and are designed for fatigue-free, daily use in standard office environments as the perfect visualization solution for:

• 3D spatial data visualization - stratigraphic and tectonic surfaces

• Interpretation of 3D seismic data 

• Integration of 3D surface and subsurface datasets

• Assessment and analysis of reserves

• Play development planning

• 3D modeling of property rights

• Preparation and visualization of directional drilling pathways

• Reservoir simulation, pressure drop modelling

• Industrial plant simulation / installation of production technology

• Dynamic modeling of finite elements (FEM)

• Oil & Gas 3D printing applications

• Software training for geologists, geophysicists, petroleum engineers

• Geo-scientific education

Reliably authorize exploration results through 3D models

A comprehensive and accurate understanding of the available 3D geological and geophysical data is required to comprehend the stratigraphic and tectonic structures, as well as the rock properties of oil and gas reservoirs in relation to their production potential. Among other things, seismic 3D profiles are recorded for this assessment, to identify reflective horizons, structures and faults. Together with results from other data sources, such as existing well logs, aero-magnetics and electrical resistivity tomography, all information is merged to create the most competent 3D reservoir model possible.  If the evaluation is positive, this preliminary model will then be expanded by additional geo-datasets to support justifiable decisions about the future number, positioning, direction and depth of additional exploration boreholes, or the drilling of the first production wells.

The representation of the reservoirs in "real" 3D is also ideal for creating comprehensive static and especially dynamic models in 4D time-lapse series for clearly simulating pressure drop and flow changes under various production scenarios. The best-possible combination, evaluation and interpretation of various 3D features is essential for the closest digital representation of the reservoir. This includes all major tectonic structures such as sealing or non-sealing faults and the modeling of stratigraphic layers. In particular, it includes as much information as possible about the source-, reservoir- and cap rock layers. Highly relevant are the accurate depth and structure of reflection horizons from geophysical exploration, combined with all physically present rock material from drill cuttings and core samples within the investigation area, as well as the determination of further petrophysical rock parameters by geophysical downhole probes. A "good" subsurface model shows the spatial relationships and properties of relevant features in sufficient detail and can therefore be used with acceptable accuracy to estimate the future behavior of an oil and gas reservoir under different production scenarios.

With the stereoscopic visualization technology from Schneider Digital, it is possible to perfectly visualize the correct spatial relationships of reservoir structures and their properties. This allows oil and gas engineers to evaluate potential reservoirs, estimate reserves, and predict reservoir properties and production behavior. It enables them to further optimize production setup, complete projects on time and on budget, and ultimately increase the company's competitiveness and profitability.

Especially at the transition point from exploration to production activities and associated surface installations, not only economic aspects are relevant, but strict environmental protection measures also have to be taken into account. Meeting associated requirements for official approval procedures are critical decision issues. Geospatial datasets that have been prepared on the desktop on 3D PluraView systems can be visualized just the same on large-format, stereoscopic projection systems and LED walls for larger groups of viewers, for instance for the company decision makers and public officials and thus presented in a much more easily understandable way.

The 3D PluraView monitors are the key element for geologists, geophysicists and engineers to create, visualize, analyze and understand complex 3D subsurface datasets, increasing confidence and leading to better-informed management processes throughout the project.

Benefits of 3D stereo visualization technology for oil and gas companies:

• 3D PluraView monitors are fully compatible with almost any workstation, even laptop hardware. Most professional software applications require only a standard professional graphics card for visualization.

• No need for special drivers or IT configurations, no stereo signal emitters as required by active shutter glasses. 3D PluraView monitors work with standard NVIDIA or AMD graphics drivers and are future-proof, operating with the latest Windows or Linux versions.

• Absolutely flicker-free and therefore permanent, comfortable usage thanks to very light, passive and cross-polarized stereo glasses.

• Shared stereoscopic viewing for small workgroups of two to six users, especially with the 27" and 28" 3D PluraView models.

• Fully integrated and usable in normal office daylight environments due to bright and high-contrast displays with up to 4K resolution per stereo channel.

• True spatial depth perception in 3D-stereo display mode, promoting an intuitive and faster understanding of stratigraphic and tectonic features and relationships.

• Best 3D-stereo visualization solution for geospatial professionals and engineers, supporting all stereoscopic features of leading software applications.

• Substantial decision support through 3D visualization, better validation of work results as well as error avoidance and less scope for misinterpretations.
  
  

More information online under: www.pluraview.com

More information at:

https://www.3d-pluraview.com/en/application-field/3d-pluraview-in-geo-applications

Video on the practical use of the 3D PluraView system in geospatial application areas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bff3yju1oTY&t=8s

Schneider Digital direct contact:

Schneider Digital

Josef J. Schneider e.K.

Maxlrainer Straße 10

D-83714 Miesbach

Tel.: +49 (8025) 99 300

Mail: info@schneider-digital.com   

Schneider Digital – The company:

Schneider Digital is a global full-service solution provider for professional 3D-stereo, 4K/8K and VR/AR hardware. Based on its 25 years of industry and product experience as well as its excellent relationships with leading manufacturers, Schneider Digital offers innovative, sophisticated professional hardware products and customized complete solutions for professional use. Qualified advice and committed after-sales service are the company's own standards.

The Schneider Digital product portfolio includes the right professional hardware solution for the respective requirements in these areas: High resolution 4K/8K to multi-display walls. Schneider Digital is the manufacturer of its own powerwall solution smartVR-Wall and the passive stereo monitor 3D PluraView. Performance workstations and professional graphics cards from AMD and NVIDIA as well as innovative hardware peripherals (tracking, input devices, etc.) round off the product range. Many articles are in stock. This guarantees fast delivery and project realization.

Schneider Digital is an authorised service distributor of AMD FirePRO/Radeon Pro, PNY/NVIDIA Quadro, 3Dconnexion, Stealth int., Planar and EIZO. Schneider Digital products are used primarily in graphics-intensive computer applications such as CAD/CAM/CAE, FEM, CFD, simulation, GIS, architecture, medicine and research, film, TV, animation and digital imaging.

Further information is available at www.schneider-digital.com and www.3d-pluraview.com.

Schneider Digital press contact:

LEAD Industrie-Marketing GmbH

André Geßner Tel.: +49 80 22 - 91 53 188

Hauptstr.46 E-Mail: agessner@lead-industrie-marketing.de

D-83684 TegernseeInternet:www.lead-industrie-marketing.de

Realwear Reviews & Recommends Uvisan UV-C cabinets to sanitise its headsets

Uvisan was recently recommended by Realwear. Below is the case study.

Wearable, Assisted-Reality specialists Realwear recently were kind enough to review a Uvisan UV Cabinet and provided a detailed and comprehensive report on the overall usability and findings when testing their Headsets.

In summary Realwear’s findings were:

• Test simulates 6 cleaning cycles per day, 52 weeks per year, for 4 years.

• No visible degradation to HMT - 1 devices after testing.

• All devices remained in working order and passed drop tests after testing.

• Realwear recommends Uvisan UV Cabinets for hygiene purposes for all Realwear devices at customers discretion.

Read more here https://www.uvisan.com/blog/realwear-reviews-uvisan

Apply by March 30 to hubraum Snapdragon Spaces Program with Qualcomm and T-Mobile!

Introducing hubraum’s new Snapdragon Spaces Program with Qualcomm and T-Mobile!

Calling creative start-ups from around the globe, it’s time to connect with hubraum to take your ideas to the next level! hubraum is looking forward to reading your applications and learning about your mixed reality technology products and services. With access to Deutsche Telekom’s futuristic technologies, including 5G, you’ll be able to refine your products and get early access to potential customers.

Are you building an XR solution that needs access to futuristic technology, investments and industry partners to bring your ideas to life? Join forces with hubraum and let's co-create the future of Mixed Reality.

hubraum is excited to be partnering on the program with Qualcomm Technologies Inc. , a company which has been investing in XR for over a decade and has developed industry-leading technology and platforms like Snapdragon Spaces.

Snapdragon Spaces XR Developer Platform is designed to support developers and companies on their journey to innovate the next generation of spatial computing. Powerful, open platform tools combined with a robust ecosystem of partners, like Unity and Unreal Engine, make it easy for you to create trailblazing AR applications and build immersive digital experiences.  

Find out more and apply before March 30th: https://bit.ly/3KmWoCH

Recap of our VRARA Metaverse 2.0 event by the Press / Media

VR/AR Association Holds Second Conference Dedicated to the Metaverse

By Jon Jaehnig

Last week, The VR/AR Association wrapped up its second two-day summit (held on March 9-10), dedicated specifically to the metaverse. Both of these events, as well as other events throughout the year, are part of the complete Immerse Global Summit Series, which replaced the “VR/AR Global Summit” last year.

What Is the Metaverse?

The word “metaverse” remains controversial. Author Tom Ffiske addressed this in his talk, “The Metaverse Is (Not) Bollocks – An Optimistic Outlook.”

“There are people who are using and abusing the metaverse for their profit… We’re in a peak hype and expectation phase,” said Ffiske. “In my opinion, the metaverse doesn’t exist yet – which is a weird thing to say since we’re all at a conference about the metaverse.”

It might have been a weird thing to say, but a number of speakers took variations on the theme.

“This year will be the peak hype cycle,”  8th Wall VP of Product, Tom Emrich, said in his talk “Trends to Watch for in 2022.” “Right now, the metaverse is more mirage than miracle. The more we get into this, the more we’re going to realize that there’s a lot of work that still needs to be done.”

Speakers said not having achieved the complete vision shouldn’t prevent us from recognizing accomplishments and possibilities.

“We’ve had a vision of the metaverse for many years now,” emerging technology strategist and consultant, Amy Peck, said in her talk “The Metaverse Did Not Just Fall From the Sky.” “I like to think of the metaverse as not being a destination but a journey, an evolution.”

Speakers commented that people in the space should be wary not to overuse the term.

“The term ‘metaverse’ has become the key buzzword successor to nearly every tech topic,” T-Lab’s Elmar Arunov said in his talk “Metaverse – the Virtual Revolution.” “We should be careful and not use the term in a reflectionary way as we may damage the word.”

Arunov also introduced another idea that might have been odd at a VR/AR Association event: the visible portion of this idea is much smaller than the portion no one sees.

Beyond VR/AR

While the METAVERSE 2.0 event was hosted by the VR/AR Association, a number of speakers and panelists drew attention to the fact that the metaverse is not a strictly VR/AR technology or experience.

“The rollout of 5G and the strategic investments made by companies out there are very much driven by the metaverse,” Ericsson’s Cristina Oprea said in a session “Building Blocks of the Metaverse.” Oprea cited a story that Meta is putting network demands on service providers. “The telecom industry is also trying to find the golden nugget and ways to monetize that.”

The ways in which different kinds of computing factor into VR/AR experiences themselves was also a highlight in a number of talks.

“The metaverse also symbolizes how the internet is not just AR, not just VR, not just blockchain, not just AI, it’s a coming together of all of these emerging technologies,” Emrich said in a talk on “Trends to Watch for in 2022.” He also predicted that the accessibility of mobile phones will keep them as the dominant AR device for the near future.

In his talk, Emrich also said that AR was going to provide value to another recurring conference talking point: NFTs.

Blockchain and Decentralization

“Blockchain has really revolutionized the virtual space through ownership,” SuperWorld CEO and co-founder Hrish Lotlikar said in his talk “SuperWorld: AR/VR+Web3+AI to Build a Better World.” “Life is non-fungible and many of the things that we love and own are non-fungible… the future of the metaverse is real-world utility.”

In this type of conversation, NFTs don’t only promise digital ownership, they also promise asset interoperability.

“NFTs are changing the game… I own that digital asset anywhere in the metaverse,” VNTANA CEO and co-founder, Ashley Crowder, said in her talk “How 3D Is Impacting E-Commerce, NFTs, and the Metaverse. “It’s taking ownership back to the player, the user, back from the game company.”

The topic of ownership also becomes important when digital assets play a role in how we present ourselves across VR/AR environments.

“It will become a necessity to know who you are interacting with,” MIAT (Multiverse Institute For Arts and Technology) CEO, founder, executive producer, and artistic director Elisabetta Rotolo said in a panel discussion “Are We Ready for MetaEducation?“ “Digital identity is much more than just a customizable avatar.”

Blockchain and decentralization were both brought up as ways to establish trust in virtual identities as well as to establish VR/AR networks at scale.

“Decentralization has been around a lot longer than bitcoin or blockchain and has its roots in peer-to-peer technologies,” Blippar CEO Faisal Galaria said in his talk, “Decentralization Is Central to the Metaverse.” “Decentralization is not just a feature of the open metaverse, it’s a necessity.”

After all, decentralization and ownership don’t only apply to visual assets but also to things like information.

“We need to make sure that our data is our data,” Dr. Colleen Bielitz said in the MetaEducation panel. “It’s not right now, and that’s really scary.”

Too. Much. Info.

This two-day event consisted of over 80 sessions and, as ever when it comes to event coverage, we weren’t able to attend all sessions or cover every moment of every attended session.

Videos are making their way to the VR/AR Association YouTube page, so we encourage you to keep an eye out for those as well as catch up with videos of past events and events happening around the world.

Source

Top sessions and some of the highlights from our METAVERSE 2.0 event

Our METAVERSE 2.0 premium (paid) virtual event had over 1000+ attendees from around the world. (Our first METAVERSE event, which was free, had a 10K+ audience)

Most popular sessions included:

1. The State of the VolCap Union: The What, Why, When and How of Volumetric / Holographic Capture and Creative - a panel of volumetric capture industry pioneers (Christina Heller CEO, Metastage Inc., James Hursthouse Departure Lounge, Adam Rogers VP Creative / Head of Studio, Departure Lounge Inc.) who provided invaluable insights.

2. Metaverse Building Blocks: Spatial Mapping - keynote by Anttoni Vesterinen CEO, Immersal and Cristina Oprea, Ericsson on why Spatial Mapping is needed to enable metaverse and presentation of the Immersal tools for enabling it.

3. Scale VR. Securely - HP’s Keynote with Joanna Popper, HP and Scott Rawlings , HP who discussed the current state and challenges facing VR business deployments. The audience came away with an exciting new, timely software solution ExtendXR that addresses the urgent market need for end-to-end mid to large organization XR deployment and management. Watch the video recording here.

4. Are we ready for MetaEducation? Relations between technology and humans - panel hosted by Carlos J. Ochoa Founder, ONE & Co-Chair, VRARA Education Committee.

5. Lenovo’s ThinkReality - Helping Customers Scale into the Metaverse - Keynote by Nassima Filali, AR/VR Business Development Manager, Lenovo and David Ristagno Co-Founder & CEO, Uptale on how Lenovo’s ThinkReality platform is making it easier for customers to scale into the enterprise Metaverse and shared how practical and proven solutions today can lead to a successful onramp into the Metaverse of tomorrow.

6. Our famous 1-on-1 networking!

Other Highlights:

• Perfect Corp revealed they have almost 1B downloads of their AR app. Plus, announced World's first makeup and accessories virtual try-on NFTs

• SuperWorld is launching their own DAO platform later this year and will integrate with Parcel.

• Lowe's upcoming app will use LIDAR on iOS devices for spatial mapping. Lowe's is enabling "spatial commerce" for the customer and showed prototypes on Magic Leap for store of the future.

Check our upcoming events here https://www.thevrara.com/events