Category: Edgybees

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Edgybees Raises Funding To Save Lives with AR

Though most attention tends to be devoted towards augmented reality (AR) as it is used for entertainment purposes, such as videogames or camera filters, AR has some useful implications for more vital areas as well. One example of this is the AR technology deployed by Edgybees, which has seen use during the California wildfires and after the hurricane in Florida. The company has now announced the completion of a $5.5 million (USD) funding round.

The Edgybees AR technology was originally used to create an AR racing videogame or drones. Later, Edgybees developed an app called First Response, a drone app which would help emergency responders to get their bearings in confusing environments and keep personnel out of harms way, such as during the Northern California wildfires in October 2017.

Co-founder and CEO Adam Kaplan says, “What started as technology powering a racing game is now saving lives around the world. The overwhelming response by commercial and industrial drone users looking to leverage AR, and partner with us in the fields of fire, public safety, and search & rescue has been amazing, and we can’t wait to expand the next set of drone applications into new markets.”

The company is planning to bring its AR technology to new sectors and industries using its new funding, such as defence, smart cities, broadcast media and automotive. The funding round included contributions from Motorola Solutions Venture Capital, Verizon Ventures and other venture firms such as OurCrowd, NfX, 8VC and Aspect Ventures.

OurCrowd CEO Jon Medved says, “At OurCrowd we are particularly happy to invest in groundbreaking tech companies who believe they will change the world. What makes Edgybees so special is that they have already demonstrated that their drone software can save lives in addition to making software history by enabling Augmented Reality at high speed.”

Verizon Ventures’ Merav Rotem-Naaman says, “Edgybees’ technology aims to bring AR to much more challenging circumstances than currently possible – on fast-moving outdoor devices like drones and cars. As a leader in both fleet management for cars and drones, as well as in immersive consumer digital experiences, Verizon Ventures is excited to back this technology.”

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For further news from the AR and VR industry on new trends, keep watching VRFocus.

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Edgybees Mashes Up Video games and Real Drones for a Futuristic New Racer

Edgybees Mashes Up Video games and Real Drones for a Futuristic New Racer

While Amazon is busy figuring out infrastructure for its Prime Air drone empire, augmented reality startup Edgybees has launched Drone Prix AR, an AR racing game for drones.

Edgybees in fact draws from Amazon’s talent pool; Menashe Haskin, a former manager at the Amazon Prime Air office in Israel, helped cofound it in 2016. Fellow founders CEO Adam Kaplan and vice president for research and development Nitay Megides come from data virtualization and robotics backgrounds respectively.

Even as regulations have ramped up for commercial drones, they garnered some time in the limelight at the Mobile World Congress earlier this year. Industry revenue is estimated to reach more than $6 billion in 2017 and exceed $11.2 billion by 2020, according to market researcher Gartner. The Consumer Technology Association thinks that 2017 will be a big year for drones on the consumer side, estimating a 40 percent increase to 3.4 million drones bought by hobbyists, increasing the audience for drone-based games and apps.

Drone Prix creates an AR race course that overlays whatever environment the drone is in, generating collectable prizes and obstacles for the player to avoid. In a partnership with drone creator DJI and Epson, Drone Prix is optimized for DJI drones and uses the Epson Moverio BT-300 Drone Edition smart glasses. Players can stream a first-person view from their drone’s built-in camera using DJI controllers with a video screen or via their smartphones with the DJI GO app. However, the Moverio Drone Edition glasses can also provide a more seamless heads-up display.

Others have tried to create AR racing games for drones, such as Drone n Base, which sought $70,000 on Indiegogo in 2015 to create its own drone as well as the corresponding game for players’ mobile devices. The project ended up raising only about $25,000, but it nevertheless moved forward with manufacturing and released its iOS app in beta earlier this year in January.

Drone Prix is single-player game for now, though it does feature a leaderboard, and comes with 30 obstacle courses in various levels of difficulty. It’s too early to say whether the game will take off, since it seems that most people are using their drones to make films or take selfies. But if the Drone Racing League is any indication, there’s interest in more applications, which Edgybees is likely counting on. According to CNBC, 28.2 million viewers watched DRL’s first season on ESPN last year, and the second season which airs this June will be broadcast in 75 countries.

This post by Stephanie Chan originally appeared on VentureBeat. 

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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.

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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.

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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.