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Firefighters Are Using the Latest AR Tech to Save Lives
Firefighting is one of those important jobs where having the latest technology could mean the difference between life and death. VRFocus has reported a number of times on fire services around the world utilising virtual reality (VR) to improve training. Recently, Espon and DJI collaborated on a video showcasing how the Menlo Park Fire Department use their gear when at a scene.
The fire department is leveraging DJI’s drones alongside Epson Moverio AR Smart Glasses to save lives. The Moverio glasses provide the user with a first-person view in its transparent display, directly from the built-in camera on the drone. This allows a firefighter to not only get a birdseye view of a scene but also keep an eye on the drone as well.
One firefighter is quoted in the video saying: “If there’s a tool that can make us a little bit faster, a little bit safer and a little bit better – if it could only save one life, we should be using it.”
Combining these technologies help to give first responders the information they need to make important judgement calls, where to send firefighters first and focus their efforts when a ground-level view is just too restrictive.
Epson has been developing its range of Moverio AR Smart Glasses for a number of years now, focused solely on enterprise applications rather than consumer. In 2016 the company released the Moverio BT-300 glasses, winning awards the following year. This year saw the launch of the Moverio BT-35E Smart Glasses, Redrock Biometrics bring its PalmID solution to the BT-300, and Epson release a dedicated AR app for DJI drone pilots.
VRFocus will continue to report on the latest use cases of AR, reporting back with the latest announcements.
DJI and Epson Fly High With New AR Drone App
Epson have a history of working with drone manufacturer DJI to publish apps and videogames suitable for pairing Epson’s Moverio line of smartglasses with DJI’s drones. That partnership continues with the release of a new augmented reality (AR) drone app.
The aim of the new app is to provide better safety and productivity when piloting DJI drones using Moverio smartglasses. With drones becoming increasingly popular, both for hobbyists and professional use, learning how to get the best out of them is a worthwhile goal.
The Epson AR Flight Simulator App was developed by Epson to allow users to fly a digital 3D version of a drone in the real world using the flight controllers from the recent line of DJI drones, such as the Mavic Pro, Phantom 4, Inspire 2 and Spark. The simulator aims to mimic the smooth, natural movements of the DJI Mavic Pro, allowing rookie pilots to learn how to properly pilot a drone effectively.
In order to use the app, users will need a compatible drone first of all. Then they will need to connect to a stable WiFi connection, turn on the Moverio smartglasses, remove the propellers from the drone, turn on the aircraft and remote controllers, plug the controller into the Moverio and select the Epson AR Flight Simulator from the Moverio display in order to launch the app.
The Epson AR Flight Simulator app is available from the Epson Moverio app store. Also newly available on the Moverio app store is DronePrix AR, developed by Edgybees. Similar to Epson AR Flight Simulator, DronePrix AR allows drone pilots to practice their skills by piloting a drone through an AR mid-air obstacle course.
DronePrix AR has over 30 courses to master in single player mode, along with a multi-player mode that allows users to connect with other drone pilots all over the world to test their skills against each other and find out who is the drone pilot ace.
Further news on Epson AR apps and other news and innovative AR projects will be right here on VRFocus.
This Week in VR Sport: DJI Racing Headset, New York Jets & NASCAR Debuts 360 Content
It’s been a busy week for virtual reality (VR) news, mainly revolving around all the Black Friday deals going on, with Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and PlayStation VR all seeing new headset offers as well as plenty of content on discount. The annual sales extravaganza isn’t exactly over with most offers running through to Monday. If you’re already bored with Black Friday and want a change of pace VRFocus’ regular Saturday roundup of all things sport related should help to provide some informational respite.
DJI Introduces Racing Edition Goggles for Professional Drone Pilots
Drone manufacturer DJI is well known for its mixture of products, from the consumer Sparc and Phantom models, all the way up to the more industrial Matrice 600 Pro. This week the company has revealed a new virtual reality (VR) headset, the DJI Goggles RE (Racing Edition), offering all the functionality and dual 1080p HD screens from the original DJI Goggles but with an upgraded FPV experience.
The new headset offers a completely new look, with a redesigned metallic matte black visor and headband, along with red leather padding for better comfort. DJI has developed an external OcuSync Air Unit and camera module which can be installed or mounted on any drone or aircraft, allowing operators to pilot their drone up to 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) away with a 50 ms latency.
Features include a head tracking gimbal mode, so users can control the gimbal camera just by turning their head, while the OcuSync camera module has a 148° field of view (FOV). If you have two pairs of DJI Goggles RE then a spectator can join in for a pilots eye view.
“Innovation is at the heart of everything DJI develops, with each new product building on the previous model to offer users an unparalleled experience. The DJI Goggles RE are no exception and deliver video footage with ultimate speed, stability and clarity,” said Paul Pan, Senior Product manager in a statement. “And it’s not just racers and enthusiasts who benefit from the new DJI Goggles RE. Whether you fly a DIY drone, a fixed-wing aircraft, or a remote-controlled vehicle, the external camera and transmission module can be mounted and synced with the new DJI Goggles RE to provide you with an immersive experience and put you in the pilot’s seat.”
The DJI Goggles RE retail for £549 GBP/ $549 USD via the company’s website.
New York Jets Fans Will be Getting More Immersive 360 Content
Back in August VRFocus reported on the New York Jets partnering with content creators Xperiel to offer augmented reality (AR) experiences as part of the team’s existing mobile app. As it turns out the NFL team are keen on creating more immersive content, with the Jets 360 Productions media arm hiring experienced media professionals to build a library of 360-degree videos for fans.
The team is looking to produce multi-year storylines across its digital properties, reports SportTechie, with Chris Gargano, Vice President and Executive Producer of the Jets, saying they’re focused on unique content that includes its cheerleaders, players an the fans as well.
“Coming into the season, we wanted to tell very well-thought-out stories,” Gargano said. “We want to tell great stories with great production value so the fan base can engage with these players.”
“We try to have a 360 component on every story. It’s not just supplemental, it’s actually now a part of the experience,” he continues. “You have to pay attention to the industry, and the trends, and the way content is moving. How are sports fans consuming content and how could we best deliver it to them? It’s not necessarily what we want to do it’s what the fans want.”
NASCAR Cup Series Championship Debuts VR Experience for Fans
NASCAR has dabbled with virtual reality (VR) content in the past, but last weekend saw the racing championship take it up a notch. Through a collaboration with broadcaster Ultracast, fans were able to see live, 360-degree views of pre-race events for Sunday’s Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Ultracast setup a 360-degree camera to livestream the driver’s meeting through the NASCAR smartphone app and on NASCAR.com
“The technology around it is still evolving,” Tim Clark, managing director of NASCAR Digital Media, told Frontstretch. “It is literally a sphere-mounted camera that’s got multiple camera lenses in it so it is filming 360 degrees at all times. The user who is watching the video can control the angle they want to watch at.
“It’s a space we’ve been evaluating for a while. Daytona is something we’ve talked about, but we wanted to move a little bit quicker. We thought the championship weekend in Miami made a lot of sense since there is a lot of excitement around the weekend.”
If NASCAR is pleased with Ultracast’s results and feedback from the broadcasts then it may look at expanding content coverage to future races.
Drone Prix AR Game now Supports Epson Smart Glasses
To go along with Epson’s recently expanded Moverio line of smart glasses, developer EdgyBees has announced that the augmented reality (AR) drone-piloting videogame Drone Prix is now compatible with the Epson Moverio Drone Edition smart glasses.
Drone Prix presents a mid-air obstacle course superimposed over the real world view from your drone’s camera that users need to try and pilot their little drone through in order to hone their piloting skills and perhaps have some fun while doing so. Drone Prix features over 30 courses and features a competition mode along with a single player mode, for drone pilots who feel like testing their piloting skills against each other. The multi-player mode can connect with other drone pilots around the world, so there’s no need for users to worry about their drones colliding.
Epson America Product Manager Eric Mizufuka said in a statement: “Edgybees has created an amazing new innovation — AR drone gaming on smart glasses — that could only be possible on the Moverio platform. With the Moverio BT-300 Drone Edition, users can avoid having to look down at their smartphones or tablets in bright sunlight, providing convenience, comfort and safety as well as a one-of-a-kind gaming experience.”
The Epson BT-300 Drone Edition smart glasses were created as a collaboration between Epson and drone manufacturers DJI and were designed specifically to improve the experience for drone pilots. The Drone Prix app is available for users who don’t have the Epson smart glasses as it can be played using just a smart phone.
The app was launched last month by Edgybees specifically for DJI drones like the Phantom 3, the Phantom 4 and the Mavic Pro.
A video demo showing how the Drone Prix app works is available to view below.
VRFocus will continue to bring you news on new AR products and services.
Fly a real drone through a virtual obstacle course in DJI’s first AR game
Too nervous to fly your drone through an obstacle course? Try a virtual one instead with the first DJI-compatible augmented reality app that allows pilots to fly real drones through virtual races.
The post Fly a real drone through a virtual obstacle course in DJI’s first AR game appeared first on Digital Trends.
Fly a real drone through a virtual obstacle course in DJI’s first AR game
Too nervous to fly your drone through an obstacle course? Try a virtual one instead with the first DJI-compatible augmented reality app that allows pilots to fly real drones through virtual races.
The post Fly a real drone through a virtual obstacle course in DJI’s first AR game appeared first on Digital Trends.
Edgybees Announces Mobile AR App for DJI Drones
Augmented reality (AR) technology company Edgybees has launched a mobile app called Drone Prix AR that’s compatible with DJI drones like the Phantom 3, the Phantom 4 and the Mavic Pro.
Created using DJI’s software development kit (SDK), Drone Prix AR allows users, especially new drone pilots, to master their skills in a fun, safe and immersive way. Similar to the DJI GO 4 App, once the drone, remote controller and mobile app are connected, the user will get the drone’s camera view on their app, after which they can then select a course and start flying.
The game enables users to fly their drone through a virtual obstacle course while collecting prizes and avoiding obstacles on route. Experienced drone pilots can compete over the best performance, points and time for a place in the high-score leaderboard with other drone pilots around the world.
“When we first came up with the idea for this app, we wanted to create a new experience for pilots combining the joys of flying with the thrills of gamification. The Drone Prix AR app is really the first augmented reality social game designed specifically to do just that,” said Menashe Haskin, Edgybees CTO & Co-Founder in a statement. “In contrast with flight simulators, Drone Prix AR provides a much more immersive experience that combines virtual obstacles with real-life piloting skills. DJI’s Mobile SDK allowed us to bring our idea to life very quickly and we are really excited to see how this app will change the way people experience flying a drone.”
Drone Prix AR features single-player and multiplayer modes where users can race against the clock to beat their previous score or compete with other players around the world to make it onto the leaderboard. Over 30 different obstacle courses are included, with varying difficulties suitable for novice to experienced pilots. There’s also a Flight Assistant option with track guiding to assist pilots in the 3D space.
“DJI’s support for the startup and developer communities has not only meant creation of new usage applications, but also new business opportunities,” said Taehyun Moon, DJI’s Director of Brand Management. “The Drone Prix app is one of the many great examples of how our SDK has opened doors to new creative possibilities and expanded developers’ ability to build exciting new custom applications.”
The Drone Prix AR app is available to download now on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
VRFocus will continue its coverage relating to the latest AR developments, so stay tuned for further announcements.
DJI Goggles let you control your drone and camera with a turn of the head
Drone giant DJI launched its first pair of first-person view goggles, which allow you to turn the camera with your head. DJI Goggles are compatible with several drones and your video game console, too.
The post DJI Goggles let you control your drone and camera with a turn of the head appeared first on Digital Trends.