Augmented reality (AR) is seeing greater deployment for at-home use, at an enterprise level and for out-of-home entertainment. When it comes to the latter, the UK’s Legoland Windsor Resort has unveiled its latest attraction, The Magical Forest, which utilises Zappar’s AR technology for a self-guided walk-through experience.
The Magical Forest is an immersive experience for families that build upon the Lego Mythica area of the resort. As guests wander through the forest they’ll be able to use the Legoland app to scan QR codes at AR activation points, bringing all the Lego creatures to life.
This AR adventure is narrated by BOBs, the baby alicorn, brought to life and transformed from Lego to his real-life form. BOBs will guide families through The Magical Forest whilst introducing creatures such as Crystal Claw Crabs, Baby Lava Dragons, Venus Fly Traps and the Lava Dragon herself. To increase the interactive elements, the AR experience will encourage kids to help BOBs find their missing wing, take a photo with the Lava Dragon and special virtual cards to collect with stats on each creature.
“We’re hugely excited to be launching The Magical Forest which deep dives into Lego Mythica in an extraordinarily captivating way. Kids and their parents will be able to explore this enchanting walk-through experience filled with an abundance of amazing mythical creatures built out of Lego bricks,” said Helen Bull, Divisional Director at Legoland Windsor Resort in a statement. “We can’t wait to welcome families once again to this epic land which received 5-star reviews last year and is the perfect place for families to build memories together and let their imaginations run wild.”
“This really is a dream project to work on with such an iconic brand, venue and new IP. The challenge was to deliver spatial storytelling that could enhance and complement the incredible physical experience that is the cornerstone of a great day out at the Legoland Windsor Resort and really immerse family and kids in this wonderful world of LegoMythica in a special way,” adds Caspar Thykier, Co-founder and CEO at Zappar.
Legoland Windsor’s new Magical Forest AR Experience is open now and continues the UK’s deployment of immersive technologies in location-based entertainment (LBE). Earlier this year saw London play host to The Green Planet AR Experience based around the natural history show narrated by Sir David Attenborough.
For continued updates on the latest AR innovations, keep reading gmw3.
When Pokemon GO creator Niantic Labs launched its Lightship software development kit (SDK) for augmented reality (AR) developers in 2021, the company spoke of its desire to build a “real-world metaverse” rather than a purely virtual one. Today, in the next step down that road Niantic has announced a new accelerator programme in collaboration with UK tech agency Digital Catapult, looking for UK-based startups to help build immersive AR experiences.
Niantic and Digital Catapult are teaming up with Cartoon Network and internationally renowned choreographer Wayne McGregor on the programme. Successful applicants will utilise the Lightship ARDK to build AR experiences for these brands, exploring the definition of a real-world metaverse, the social interactions that take place and how to bring people closer together.
Three startups will be selected for the Niantic Lightship Augmented Reality Accelerator which Digital Catapult will run under its own FutureScope accelerator programme. Each startup will be awarded up to £100,000 GBP to create a socially engaging AR demo.
“This unique collaboration with Niantic and Digital Catapult allows us to dream bigger and venture further into our evolving metaverse(s), visioning a new kind of shared creative adventure that untethers the imagination,” said McGregor in a statement. “This project provides everybody with accessible tools to tap into their innate creativity, to connect playfully with others and to explore their bodies and spaces they inhabit in surprising, limitless ways.”
Wayne McGregor. Photo credit: Pål Hansen
“This new accelerator program with Digital Catapult will allow startups to push the boundaries of possibility with technology, creating groundbreaking new experiences for leading brands – and we are proud to unleash the potential of our Lightship Augmented Reality Developer Kit as part of this,“ Kate Carlyle, Senior Marketing Manager, Niantic’s Lightship Platform added.
Details regarding when the programme will begin and what sort of timeframe the startups have to build these demos haven’t been released at present. But if you’re UK-based and wish to apply then email niantic@digicatapult.org.uk.
For continued updates on the latest immersive accelerators, keep reading gmw3.
If you love exploring your artistic talents, and getting creative with new digital mediums like virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) then Psychic VR Labs’ cloud platform STYLY has been designed to do just that. To help in that endeavour the Japanese studio launched its NEWVIEW School several years ago to help budding artists get into XR art. Since then the school has expanded beyond Japan into Toronto, Canada and London, UK, with sign-ups still open until this coming weekend.
Image credit: Psychic VR Lab.
This will be the fifth year for NEWVIEW School in Tokyo, its second in London and its first in Toronto. Previously an in-person event, NEWVIEW School 2022 is moving to a hybrid model so that it can facilitate attendees both remotely and those that still wish to take part in a physical event.
Each school is slightly different in the fact that the curriculum is tailored to the host country but the broad scope is that all attendees will learn STYLY and Unity. There will be a myriad of additional topics including photogrammetry and optimising for different devices, ensuring artists have the skills to easily publish their works. They’ll also be able to take part in the annual NEWVIEW Awards.
Thanks to its hybrid learning model NEWVIEW School is accepting applications from across Europe, with the online modules running from 9th – 30th June, with the weekly lectures beginning on 7th July. Spaces are limited with the tuition priced at £450 GBP. The Toronto school modules begin on 2nd June with the course costing $750 CAD.
Image credit: Psychic VR Lab.
STYLY’s events aren’t purely geared around the NEWVIEW School either. Whether you live in London or not there’s the regular ‘AR & VR Artists London’ Meetup group, another hybrid event for XR artists. The next one takes place on 31st May featuring a hands-on workshop from resident XR artist Barney Kass.
Mark Zuckerberg said he sees Project Cambria “eventually replacing your laptop”.
Here’s how he described Cambria to Meta’s investors during the Q1 2022 earnings call:
“On the hardware side, Meta Quest 2 continues to be the leading virtual reality headset. Later this year, we’ll release a higher-end headset, codenamed Project Cambria, which will be more focused on work use cases and eventually replacing your laptop or work setup.
This premium device will have improved ergonomics and full color passthrough mixed reality to seamlessly blend virtual reality with the physical world. We’re also building in eye tracking and face tracking so that your avatar can make eye contact and facial expressions, which dramatically improves your sense of presence. It’s also a good example of why we’re developing hardware in addition to the social platforms.”
But what exactly does he mean by “replacing your laptop”?
The short teaser for Cambria shared at Connect 2021 shows one of VR’s key potential use cases: a portable but powerful workspace. The idea is that instead of being limited to hunching over the one small screen built into your laptop, you can have multiple virtual screens of whatever size you want floating in front of you. Consulting CTO John Carmack described the eventual goal as “to be something that somebody hard up for money decides I’m going to buy a VR headset instead of a Chromebook or instead of a tablet”.
Meta has been slowly adding productivity features to the Quest operating system, branded as Infinite Office. If you have a Logitech K830 or Apple Magic Keyboard, they’ll show up in VR so you can type and use the trackpad to navigate. Triple window support was added to the web browser in August, with window resizing added in December. These windows can actually also be Android phone apps, but the Quest Store doesn’t serve these and there’s obviously no Google Play Store or Amazon Appstore, so such apps have to be sideloaded.
While the software is starting to support these use cases, Quest 2’s front-heavy design makes extended seated use uncomfortable and its passthrough view is low resolution black & white. Cambria appears to have a more compact and balanced design, with a smaller frontbox and a strap resembling Quest 2’s elite strap accessory. And as shown in the teaser, its high resolution color passthrough should allow interaction with real world objects as well as reading notes on paper.
Still, the focus on web apps limits the current scope of Meta’s VR productivity ambitions to taking on Chromebooks. A lot of work is done on Windows or Mac, leveraging power hungry native apps like Photoshop, Premiere, Unity, or programming IDEs. You can of course use apps like Virtual Desktop and Immersed to use your PC in VR, but neither is frictionless and both still work around an operating system designed for windows housed within physical screens.
Pokémon GO has been a phenomenally successful videogame that put augmented reality (AR) technology on the map even if you didn’t really need the AR component for most of it. So what happens when you create an AR videogame inspired by Pokémon GO and combine it with a play-to-earn crypto component? You get Expedition, which has already seen its waitlist signups soar to 65,000 after the first day.
Introducing Expedition, the first Play-to-Earn AR game. Inspired by Pokémon GO, Expedition combines AR technology with crypto all into a mobile game.
Teasing that the first 10,000 signups might see something special, due to the initial signup success Exhibition will now be closing the waitlist today, so you might want to add your interest soon. Apart from the Pokémon GO inspiration mentioned, details regarding Expedition‘s gameplay, design and other features remain very vague.
Simply stating that: “Expedition combines AR technology with crypto all into a mobile game,” the only other details to go on relate to the fact that “Expedition will launch on Terra to harness the power of $LUNA and $UST.”
Using some educated guessing, gmw3 would assume that you’re going to be able to walk around real-world locations to catch some sort of digital creature, earning $LUNA along the way. These creatures will likely be NFTs that you can sell or maybe trade, possibly even upgrade or alter in some way. Plus, other Web3 features such as staking to help increase earns.
How and when this will happen is another mystery, Expedition has yet to reveal a roadmap or even a Discord server at this point – its Twitter account was only open in April. So there’s more than likely a little while to wait until something materialises.
However, Expedition isn’t the first title to go down this play-to-earn/AR route, several others do exist most notably DogemonGO which is already available for iOS and Android.
As further details regarding Expedition are released, gmw3 will keep you updated.
Finally, after being made available in plenty of territories worldwide Nreal will soon sell its augmented reality (AR) glasses in the UK. Just like in countries such as Japan and the US, the latest Nreal Air will be made available in the UK via a mobile carrier – in this instance an exclusive deal with EE – later this spring.
Nreal Air connects to your smartphone so that users can watch TV or movies on a big virtual screen or utilise its AR functionality with a range of apps. Weighing in at 79g, Nreal Air supports two different modes; “Air Casting” and “MR Space”. The former allows users to mirror their phone screen, enlarging it up to a 130-inch HD virtual display. The latter can position multiple virtual screens for a range of tasks.
The AR glasses contain a micro-OLED chip that can support 49 Pixels Per Degree (PPD) at its maximum, all running at a 90Hz refresh rate. Connection is via USB-C to compatible smartphones (UK devices to be confirmed) using the Nreal Nebula app for the AR operating environment.
“We’re delighted to enter the UK market in partnership with EE and we look forward to building up the AR ecosystem together. At Nreal, we’re passionate about bringing AR into consumers’ everyday lives, which will start a revolutionary transformation just as the internet once did. AR will transcend the current mobile experience, especially when it comes to watching videos, exercising, and playing PC and cloud video games. As we continue to enrich the AR ecosystem with each update and upgrade, consumers will enjoy more mind-blowing digital innovations and experiences blended into everyday life,” said Peng Jin, Co-founder of Nreal in a statement.
Nreal Air Specifications
Form factor
· 148mm x 52mm x 159mm (opened) · 148mm x 52mm x 60mm (folded) · 3-Position adjustment for optimal gaze angle · Head width from 120-186mm
Power
· Up to 5 hours video streaming in Air Casting mode
Weight
· 79 grams
Display
· OLED · 3840 by 1080 pixels with sRGB 108% colour gamut, 8-bit depth for 16.773 million colours · Up to 400 nits perceived brightness · 100,000:1 contrast ratio · ~46-degree FoV, 49 pixels per degree (PPD) · 130″ at 4m (Air Casting Mode), 201″ at 6m (MR Space Mode) · Fingerprint resistant coating, anti-reflective coating
· Detachable cable · Prescription-lens frame · 3 nose pads · Case · Cleaning cloth · Light shield
“We’re working with the best content providers and the most innovative technology companies in the world to create entirely new experiences for our customers. Nreal are at the forefront of AR, and we’re delighted to be the exclusive UK partner for the launch of their new Nreal Air AR glasses,” Alistair Wilson, Director of Devices and Partnerships, EE adds. “When combined with the power of 5G, it really does open up new possibilities for seamless streaming and access to new types of content on the move – these are really exciting times for mobile.”
EE will launch the Nreal Air AR glasses later this spring, no prices have been revealed thus far. The device arrived in Japan back in March retailing for 39,799 yen ($345 USD) so that would put the UK price around the £270 GBP mark, directly in competition with Ray-Ban Stories, the smart glasses collaboration with Meta.
Augmented reality (AR) is a key pillar of Industry 4.0 (or the fourth industrial revolution), side-by-side with other potentially transformative technologies like machine learning and big data. Indeed, consultancy firm PwC has estimated that industrial manufacturing and design is one of the biggest areas for augmented and virtual reality (VR), with their use in heavy industry having the potential to deliver a $360bn GDP boost by 2030.
In this latest edition of our series on how augmented reality is faring across a range of industries, we’ll be taking a closer look at why AR is proving so useful in heavy industry, in particular the fields of construction, manufacturing and energy.
Construction
AR is proving to be a key tool for the construction industry, whether in the design stage or actually in the construction process itself, leading a 2020 study of the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry to say that AR and VR would see “strong growth” in the next 5 to 10 years.
On the design side, numerous architectural tools exist to help with space visualisation using augmented reality. One such example is The Wild, which allows designers to view 3D models in both virtual and augmented reality. Such tools can layer virtual details onto a building plan so that plans can be more readily understood by stakeholders.
That requires highly detailed and accurate 3D models, which is where the technology overlaps with digital twin technology. Using those digital twins, companies like Akular can enable clients to see what a building would look like on-site in the real world before it is built via a mobile application.
When it comes to actual construction, augmented reality again finds a number of uses, not least training workers on safety. That might involve AR headsets that interact with tags on potentially dangerous areas to bring up safety information, but even before workers are on-site, AR can help with training them on how to use heavy machinery – as with the construction equipment training simulators offered by CM Labs or the Arvizio AR Instructor.
“Industries are experiencing a shortage of skilled front-line employees and view augmented reality as a means to accelerate training and efficiently transfer the expertise of experienced workers,” said Jonathan Reeves, CEO of Arvizio. “Arvizio enables organizations to rapidly upskill employees without the need for on-site coaching and mentoring. By delivering no-code authored augmented reality instruction and remote expert connectivity, AR Instructor can substantially increase productivity and reduce errors of workers performing complex operational activities.”
Meanwhile, progress capture and tracking functionality directly compares real-world sites with virtual models to ensure they aren’t deviating – all in real-time. A host of companies provide variations on that technology such as VisualLive, which enables users to witness 3D models in real life via headsets such as the Microsoft HoloLens or mobile devices.
Manufacturing
Much of the technology we’ve covered for construction can equally apply to the manufacturing industry, whether that’s learning how to use dangerous equipment or visualising the layout of equipment and machinery in a factory. None of this is to say there aren’t plenty of bespoke uses for augmented reality in the manufacturing space, however.
One early pioneer was Volkswagen, which was using augmented reality to assist service workers way back in 2013. The MARTA app showed step-by-step instructions on how to repair and replace certain components, overlaying its advice on the car via an iPad app. Along similar lines is Boeing’s more recent use of augmented reality to give technicians real-time, hands-free, interactive 3D wiring diagrams.
Interestingly, that technology has bled over into the consumer space with AR manuals that assist car-owners with basic maintenance operations by showing precisely where components are located within a car.
In the design space, AR has been deployed by the largest manufacturers to rapidly iterate and do away with expensive and time-consuming physical prototypes. In the case of Ford and its partnership with HoloLens, changes can be made to a design and reflected in real-time to collaboratively sculpt a new vehicle.
AR has been trusted at the very highest levels of manufacturing, too. Lockheed Martin utilised augmented reality in the creation of NASA’s Orion Spacecraft, overlaying information to help with mission-critical procedures such as precisely aligning fasteners.
Energy
In the energy sector, AR has the potential to remedy significant problems faced by the industry, chief of which is a brain drain caused by an ageing workforce. Indeed, the US Department of Labor estimated in 2019 that 50% of the current energy utility workforce will retire within the next ten years. The institutional knowledge being lost could be replenished more quickly with the help of AR technology.
Shell is duly using the remote collaboration possibilities of AR to educate workers in the field. Expert consultants are able to see through a worker’s eyes via an AR headset, and even draw on the screen of the augmented reality display they are using. That increases safety as workers interact with potentially dangerous heavy oil and gas equipment, as well as allowing experienced but ageing employees the ability to work remotely.
Image credit: Shell
The energy sector is no slouch when it comes to more specific AR solutions either, such as Upskills’s Skylight platform which allows companies to more easily develop bespoke augmented reality apps for use with AR devices, ranging from Google Glass to Microsoft HoloLens 2 and mobile devices. Then there are solutions such as Adroit, which can provide guidance on repairing high-stakes equipment such as oil rigs by scanning and identifying faulty components and machinery.
Final Thoughts
In heavy industry, where the costs of prototyping are enormous and the potential risks from machinery are significant, leaning on the virtual possibilities of augmented reality is common sense – hence the interest in the technology from across the sector.
To find out more about how AR is progressing in other fields, read the previous entry in the series, where we explored the healthcare industry in particular.
Canon isn’t often thought of as an XR company but the camera manufacturer has been involved for quite some time, it’s just that most of its kit is very high-end and enterprise-focused. Yesterday, Canon Japan revealed its latest mixed reality (MR) device in the form of the MREAL X1, due to hit the market later this year.
MREAL X1. Image credit Canon
Just like previous models the MREAL MD-20 and last year’s MREAL S1, the new model aims to cover a range of industrial use cases, from design and training through to product demonstrations. Keeping a similar form factor to the S1, the MREAL X1 will offer a range of improvements over its predecessor, giving it a wider field of view (FOV) so that the display area is about 2.5 times larger and a better resolution of 1920 x 2160 per-eye.
The headset also boasts 6 DOF inside-out tracking to help users walk around virtual objects, hand tracking to interact with the digital space, a 120Hz refresh rate, and an adjustable IPD range of 57-76 mm. The change in some of these features has meant that the MREAL X1 comes in a little heavier than its predecessor, adding an extra 21g – for total combined weight with the head strap of 359 g.
Because the MREAL S1 is so enterprise-focused its main use is to work with CAD (computer-aided design) software, displaying very high-resolution virtual objects. As such the headset is always cabled to a PC via a Mini DisplayPort cable.
MREAL X1/S1 comparison. Image credit Canon
One of the more unusual aspects of the MREAL series is the multiple ways users can interact with the headset depending on their requirements. The most common way is as a head-mounted display (HMD) using the supplied Halo head strap. But there are additional accessories whereby the device can be fitted into either the “Handheld Unit HH-4” which has two hand grips or a more compact unit that has to be placed in front of your eyes in a similar fashion to Google Cardboard.
The Canon MREAL X1 is expected to go on sale in June 2022 in Japan only just like the previous models, no price has yet been revealed. However, the mixed reality headsets won’t be cheap. The MREAL S1 – which Canon now describes as an ‘entry model’ – retails for $38,000 USD so that gives a rough idea of what companies will have to fork out.
If you’re into 180-degree photography (and who isn’t?) then Canon does have some slightly cheaper hardware. 2021 saw the release of the Canon RF 5.2mm F2.8L Dual Fisheye lens to expand those photographic possibilities for those who have a spare £2,099.99 GBP. For further updates on Canon’s latest XR hardware, keep reading gmw3.
Amazon job listings reference a “new-to-world” AR/VR consumer product.
Spotted by Protocol, one listing explains “You will develop an advanced XR research concept into a magical and useful new-to-world consumer product” while another references “developing code for early prototypes through mass production.”
Another job listing describes the role as working on “the core system interface along with end-user applications spanning from multi-modal interfaces to 3D AR entertainment experiences”.
Protocol also spotted that in March Amazon hired Kharis O’Connell to lead a “Futures Design” group, described as “helping Amazon experience what it’s like to live in the future, today”. O’Connell once worked for the now defunct Meta View startup, and then worked on Google’s AR operating system.
Amazon is the only consumer tech giant with no announced or rumored AR or VR headset product. Meta has its Quest VR line and is working on AR glasses too. Microsoft has its HoloLens AR headsets. Multiple reliable sources claim Apple is working on a mixed reality headset, and The Verge reported Google is too.
The company currently sells “smart glasses” called Echo Frames, but these lack any display system or cameras – the use cases are talking to Alexa, taking calls, and playing music. It’s possible – even arguably likely – that Amazon intends to develop this product line into AR glasses in the long term future.
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Augmented reality (AR) is a technology with a dizzying range of potential applications. And as new and more powerful AR hardware enters the market (such as Apple’s mooted glasses), we’re likely to see even more uses for AR.
That’s not to say that AR, as it exists today, is any slouch, and to prove it we’re looking at eight of the best uses for augmented reality.
Virtual try-ons
The retail industry has been one of the most prominent embracers of AR technology over at least the past decade. Most of the industry’s biggest brands offer some form of the technology, which allows prospective buyers to see how a product would look on them without needing to physically try it on, usually utilising the ubiquitous phone camera to display the virtual elements in real-time.
Augmented Reality has found a natural home in the gaming industry, where it has powered some huge mobile game successes including Pokemon Go andPikmin Bloom, both from developer Niantic.
Pokemon Go in particular was a smash hit, peaking at over 250 million players per month on the back of an experience that transported the gameplay of the popular Pokemon video game series to real-world locations. That built on work the developer had done in its previous game Ingress, which allowed players to use their mobile phones to interact with virtual portals appearing in real-world locations as part of its science fiction story.
Construction
AR is a key tool in the construction industry, from the design stage right through to the actual building process. For architecture, numerous tools exist to aid in the visualisation of spaces, such as The Wild, which allows designers to view 3D models in both virtual and augmented reality.
On the building side of the equation, AR has uses ranging from training workers on safety to progress capture and tracking functionality that directly compares real-world sites with virtual models in real-time to ensure they aren’t deviating.
Image credit: VisualLive
Surgery
The high-stakes field of surgery is being revolutionised by augmented reality technology which can overlay vital information onto a surgeon’s field of view as they work. Mixed reality headsets such as the Microsoft HoloLens 2 allow surgeons to operate on patients more effectively, blending the real world with projections of computed Tomography (CT), and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans of the patients.
Holographic representations of the area being operated on can also be observed in 3D before surgery takes place to ensure a surgeon has full familiarity of the area they are working on. To find out more about the role of AR in healthcare, read our article on the subject.
Navigation
The tricky business of finding your way around busy spaces has been much improved with the help of AR, such as the Live View feature offered by Google Maps, which takes existing data from the map app and overlays it on the camera’s view of the real world with help from your phone’s GPS capabilities.
Individual locations have also explored using augmented reality to help guide visitors, such as Gatwick Airport, which installed navigational beacons that guide a passenger’s way back in 2018 – all accessed via a smartphone app.
Image credit: Google
Education
From a school setting to on-the-job training, AR can be used to help learners safely interact with materials they would otherwise not be able to gain access to, all while remaining in a familiar setting. Google debuted augmented reality search during the COVID-19 pandemic to help people learn by placing virtual objects such as spacesuits and animals into real-world locations. A host of apps exist to bring similar objects into a classroom setting, including the Merge Cube, which adds tactility to the experience.
Energy giants such as Shell, meanwhile, are using AR to educate workers in the field by bringing in experts who can see through a worker’s eyes and even draw on the screen of the augmented reality display they are using, boosting safety as they interact with potentially dangerous heavy oil and gas equipment.
Design
Designers at all levels are making use of AR to preview how a space will look before any changes are made physically, from those designing individual rooms all the way up to those planning cities. Non-professionals too can make use of augmented reality to aid in their designs. Just one example is furniture store IKEA’s IKEA Place app which allows users to place 3D models of the company’s goods into their own rooms in order to preview how they would look, automatically scaling them based on the room’s dimensions to ensure they are true to life.
IKEA Place AR app. Image credit: Ikea
Manufacturing
AR is one of the key pillars underpinning the phenomenon of Industry 4.0, alongside such technologies as machine learning and big data. Consultants PwC has estimated that industrial manufacturing and design is one of the biggest potential areas for augmented and virtual reality, with their use in the industry having the potential to deliver a $360bn GDP boost by 2030. As a result, examples of the technology in action for manufacturing are easy to come by. One example is Boeing’s use of augmented reality to give technicians real-time, hands-free, interactive 3D wiring diagrams. Lockheed Martin also utilised augmented reality in the creation of NASA’s Orion Spacecraft, overlaying information to help with mission-critical procedures such as precisely aligning fasteners.
