F8 2018 – Augmented & Virtual Reality Confabulation

May 3, 2018

F8: The Impact of VR in Nigeria

Nigeria is a country with a population of over 190 million people, many of which come from different cultures with different traditions and languages. Judith Okonkwo, founder of Imisi 3D speaks at F8 about the impact virtual reality (VR) has had on her country and what she hopes to accomplish in the future.

Okonkwo started her own company with only a VR-ready PC, a few reference books and a couple of headsets and set up shop on Lagos, Nigeria. She saw great potential in VR and an opportunity for Nigeria to get in on the ground floor of this emerging technology.

Her company, Imisi 3D, hoped to attract a diverse community to VR and augmented reality (AR), At the first VR showcase, the vast majority of attendees had never tried VR before. Since then, the company grew and hosted a VR Hackathon – the first such event in Nigeria. The challenge for those hackathon participants was to create something that could benefit education, healthcare or tourism.

One of the things that came from Imisi 3D and its VR showcase is a consultancy that uses VR to help show people what life is like for a child with Autism. This allows users to experience the kind of sensory overload that an autistic person can go through. Imisi 3D are also working on another VR app that helps people understand how best to communicate with an autistic person.

Okonkwo presented statistics showing that a large number of Nigerian children are not able to attend school. With this in mind, Imisi 3D believes that low-cost VR is a potential solution. A low-cost headset combined with a mobile phone and mobile broadband can open up many new possibilities for students in Nigeria.

Speaking of a local school, Okonkwo said it lacked many facilities that schools in Europe or the USA would take for granted, such as science labs. A VR headset would allow students to conduct experiments in VR, or visit places they might never otherwise be able to reach.

There are still challenges ahead, such as a need for relevant content for users all over the world, not just in Europe or the US and hardware needs to be accessible for all. Whatever the future holds for VR in education, VRFocus will continue to report upon it.

May 2, 2018

Oculus’ ‘Half Dome’ Uses Mechanised Lenses to Improve VR Visualisation

It’s the second day of the Facebook Developers Conference (F8) 2018 and if you thought that all the virtual reality (VR) news was over then think again, with Oculus detailing some of the technology its been working on. Some of this has been to do with the visualisation of VR and the comfort felt by players, namely being able to focus on different objects at different distances which has been achieved via a varifocal mechanism called Half Dome.

Currently all VR headsets have a fixed focal plane, so when a users eye focuses on what’s displayed at a reasonable distance it’s in focus. Most developers work on a principle of around two meters away from a player, so when items are brought much closer they become blurred and unreadable.

With Oculus Half Dome the screens can move to correct this, improving both visual comfort, clarity and up close sharpness. Further benefits also include a wider field of view (FoV), increased from Oculus Rift’s 110 degrees to 140 degrees. And Oculus has managed to fit all of this mechanism inside the Oculus Rift form factor without unnecessary weight addition.

Maria Fernandez Guajardo, Head of Product Management, at Oculus notes in the F8 keynote that even with this moving mechanism strapped to your face no noise or vibrations can be felt by the user.

This is very much still in early development by the looks of it but showcases some of the promising work Oculus is doing to advance VR hardware development. As day 2 of F8 continues VRFocus will bring you further updates from the conference.

May 2, 2018

F8 2018: Recapping all the AR, AI and Computer Vision Announcements

For VRFocus’ second recap of the first day of F8 it’s time to look at all the other technology from the keynote address. This includes plenty of augmented reality (AR), AI and computer vision for some really interesting use cases, some commercial some sentimental.

Just like its virtual reality (VR) projects Facebook is heavily investing in AR, combine the technology with its Messenger app. This was showcased via a collaboration with Nike, where users can unlock an AR experience that showcases one of the company’s new sneakers, walk up to it and examine the shoe. When it ends they then have the option to purchase if they wish.

AR is being more tightly woven into Instagram via the Camera Effects Platform. This allows developers/Instagram users to create effects that can then be seen and used by their followers straight away. While non-followers can still use the effects via their friends stories.

Mixing both AR and VR together, Facebook showcase a scenario where some buys an object for a friend, sends them a 3D model sample via messenger then using Facebook Spaces they can then both dive into VR to view said model in a 360-degree photo – in this instance it’s a food mixer and an image of a kitchen.

Whilst all of those are novel uses of AR which some may or may not use it was Facebook’s showcase of an AI/computer vision project that caught most people’s eye. Taking a users 2D pictures or videos Facebook could recreate an entire area using point cloud reconstruction. Having an almost dream like effect, the inside of a house was recreated in VR using 2D images, with the AI filling in the blank spots so that you could actually wander around an old location that previously only existed in your memories.

Check out the video to learn more about this and all the other projects Facebook has been working on. As F8 continues, VRFocus will keep you updated.

May 2, 2018

Augmenting Facebook Messenger

Facebook Messenger is commonly used all over the world to help keep family and friends in touch with each other. At the F8 conference, Facebook announced that it would be enhancing the Messenger experience by bringing Augmented Reality (AR) camera effects into the Messenger platform.

Developers will be able to add AR camera effects to their messenger bot. The idea is to enable to creation of interactive AR experiences that can be useful to customers.

Several businesses have already been experimenting with AR technology as a means to help customers get a better feel of a product, compared to what is possible with only a flat, static photo. The integration of this technology into Facebook Messenger means this service is easier to offer to consumers.

In addition, if you want a second opinion from a friend on a particular product, or you have seen something you know a family member will love, the AR effects can be shared via Messenger, so users can create a more social experience when choosing a product.

The Messenger AR effects are currently in closed Beta, featuring commercial partners ASU, Kia, Nike and Sephora. Some of the early examples of what the AR camera effects can do include a Nike shoe appearing on a plinth surrounded by velvet rope, where the user can view it from all angles and decide if it is the right shoe for them.

Another example involved a new shade of lipstick from Sephora, which users can use AR Face filters to try it on for themselves ad decide what makeup look best suits them. Similarly, ASUS will be offering an ‘unboxing’ experience with the ability to take a close look as certain phone functions and features.

There are over 300,000 active bots on the Messenger platform, with over 8 Billion messages exchanged between people and businesses every month. VRFocus will continue to bring you the latest on how business is being changed by immersive technology such as AR.

Today at #F8 we are excited to launch AR Camera Effects for the Messenger Platform and built-in NLP integration with Page inbox. Check out the full announcement for more details. https://fb.me/F82018Messenger

Posted by Facebook for Developers on Tuesday, 1 May 2018

May 2, 2018

F8 2018: An Oculus Go Recap

Facebook’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his team certainly had plenty to talk about during the opening keynote of F8 2018, touching on new Facebook features, privacy and of course virtual reality (VR). In fact VR featured fairly prominently with the major news surrounding the new standalone headset Oculus Go. VRFocus covered the announcements extensively yesterday but for those after a nice little round-up of what was going on we’ve created a quick recap video.

As mentioned Oculus Go was the main talking point when it came to VR. Retailing for $199 USD for the 32GB model and $249 for the 64GB version, consumers can now purchase the headset via the Oculus website in 23 countries. The head-mounted display (HMD) is all about making VR even more accessible to the masses. You don’t need a specific smartphone, or and expensive PC to run it as everything is built in, just an Android or iOS device that can run the accompanying app for setup and software purposes.

While the headset announcement wasn’t really a surprise – it was first shown at Oculus Connect 4 (OC4) – the accompanying software additions were certainly eye catching. Social meetup point Oculus Rooms got an overhaul, updating the original Gear VR version with a customisable environment and new games care of a collaboration with Hasbro. As part of that, Oculus Avatars also got an update adding custom skin shading, hair color, and clothing whilst making them fit with the lighting and scene better.

Then there was Oculus Venues, another social feature that’ll let friends watch live events together, from sports tournaments to comedy shows and concerts, with a big part of that helped by a collaboration with NextVR. And just to round things off there was Oculus TV, a virtual living room with a massive TV which will serve as a launch area for apps like Facebook Watch, Red Bull TV, Pluto TV and Netflix.

Then there are all the videogames and other apps that Oculus Go customers will be able to enjoy thanks to the headsets integration with Oculus’ Mobile SDK, meaning compatibility with Gear VR content, unlocking over 1000 experiences on day one.

Check out the video below for more details. VRFocus will continue its coverage of F8 as the conference moves into its second day.

May 2, 2018

Facebook and RED Partner For New VR Camera

RED are known as a producer of high-end, professional-grade camera equipment, and recently have been involved in an attempt to create a smartphone with a holographic display. The company is now teaming up with Facebook to create a new virtual reality (VR) camera system.

Announced at F8, The VR camera system is planned to be capable of capturing high-resolution imagery in six degrees-of-freedom or 6DoF, which means the footage can be viewed in real-time from within a VR headset.

Though there is little information at the moment on what the price range of release date will be, Facebook will be backing the new RED VR camera rig as the one suggested to filmmakers working with Facebook or who are engaged in producing high-fidelity VR or 360-degree content.

According to Brian Cabral, a director of engineering at Facebook who specialised in computational photography, Facebook had some fairly specific needs. Facebook required not only excellent image quality, but also a workflow that would enable capture, review and stitching all on-set in order to create VR-ready experiences.

Facebook had previously been working on a platform called Surround 360, which launched an open-source spec sheet and hardware reference design document in 2016 which specified a 17-camera array for VR capture. This was created with the idea of helping hardware manufacturers produce a product that could be sold to consumers and other businesses, and in turn stimulate the production of more VR content.

“We’ve taken all of our learnings over the past two years and all of our cameras and algorithm development to… inform a lot of our decisions on both our partnerships and the design of the cameras,” Cabral says. “We’ve also listened to a lot of people who use our prototypes and others to incorporate all the learnings in the industry to shoot with VR cams. A lot of the feedback we get is how easy to use it on set.”

RED and Facebook have yet to release an image of the prototype, and there is no indication of a price point. However, considering that RED cameras can cost up to $50,000 (USD) the device is expected to be on the expensive side. Any futher news on the RED and Facebook VR camera will be here on VRFocus.

May 1, 2018

Oculus’ Hugo Barra Unboxes the new Oculus Go

The Oculus Go standalone head-mounted display (HMD) has launched today, available in 23 countries via Oculus.com with those in the US also able to purchase the headset from Amazon, Newegg and Best Buy. The company has released plenty of details today during the Facebook Developers Conference, with Facebook VP of VR Hugo Barra taking to the stage as part of the keynote address. Barra has reappeared again this time in a new unboxing video for Oculus Go.

If you’ve been keeping up the VRFocus’ coverage then you’ll know that Oculus Go is fairly big news, with the company looking to offer a higher quality virtual reality (VR) experience than smartphone compatible headsets with a dedicated device that’s not only affordable but also easy to use.

With a starting price of $199 USD, the Oculus Go sits firmly between Gear VR and Oculus Rift, offering around two hours of gameplay on a single charge, and thanks to compatibility with the Gear VR platform there are plenty of apps and videogames to play straight away.

In the video below Barra runs through what you actually get in the box, a headset, 3DoF controller and various accessories including a wrist strap, lens cleaning cloth and a glasses spacer for users who wear specs. While the actual unboxing is fairly uninteresting itself Barra does make some interesting comments about Oculus Go, revealing that the 5.5” 2560 x 1440 WQHD, fast-switch LCD display offers a higher resolution than its bigger brother, the Oculus Rift.

Barra also showcases how the built in spatial audio works with the speakers built into the main body of the unit, then the arms are hollow to transmit the sound to users ears. He does also note that Oculus Go includes a headphone socket should users wish use their own cans.

For those interested in buying the new headset check out the video below. As further announcements are made, VRFocus will keep you updated.

May 1, 2018

TV Streaming From Within VR with Oculus TV

Streaming video services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video are incredibly popular, with many people choosing to spend long periods of time binging on a compelling TV series such as Stranger Things or Game of Thrones. At F8 today, Oculus announced that it would be bringing that experience into virtual reality (VR) with Oculus TV.

Oculus TV allows users to enter a VR environment that is like an expansive virtual living room, complete with an expansive virtual screen to display your favourite shows.

The visual controls have been specially designed to work well from within VR, so no need to blindly fumble for your remote. Like many other social VR apps, Oculus TV has been created to let people join a shared virtual space and enjoy the content together.

The streaming service is still in relatively early phases and isn’t quite ready for launch. When it does become available, Facebook Watch, Red Bull TV and Pluto TV will all be integrated, so viewers will be able to enjoy things such as the extreme sports events presented by Red Bull.

The app will serve as a launch area for other VR entertainment apps, such as Netflix, and the new ESPN+ subscription service will also launch through Oculus TV, as will Showtime’s streaming service, Showtime anytime.

The app is due to launch later on in May, though a full lit of content partners has yet to be revealed. Oculus has been making an effort towards creating non-videogame concert, and has announced an app called Oculus Venues in a similar vein to Oculus TV.

Oculus Venues is geared towards live events such as comedy nights, live concerts and sporting events, partnering with companies such as NextVR who have worked with a huge variety of sporting events, including the NBA, NFL and WWE. Live concerts are also planned for streaming in partnership with Live Nation.

For further news on Oculus VR content and news from F8, keep checking back with VRFocus.

May 1, 2018

Oculus Go Specifications Detailed, Over 2 Hours of Use per Charge

It’s come as no surprise that Facebook has now revealed the launch date for its standalone headset Oculus Go, with Mark Zuckerburg making the reveal during his keynote address. For those interested in learning more about the head-mounted display (HMD) before purchasing Oculus has now released more detailed specifications.

When Oculus first revealed the Oculus Go last year it confirmed the use of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 821 chip that would be powering the new headset. This will be paired with the company’s automatic Dynamic Throttling feature to offer better energy efficiency, for smoother frame rates and a better overall experience.

Of big importance for a standalone headset is battery life. Now this will vary depending on content but the built-in lithium ion battery should provide around two hours for videogames and up to 2.5 hours for streaming media and video states Oculus.

As for the display, Oculus Go features a 538ppi, 5.5” 2560 x 1440 WQHD, fast-switch LCD display with a new set of optics providing what the company calls ‘our best lenses yet’, helping reduce the screen door effect and quite significantly offering a higher resolution than the much more expensive Oculus Rift.

Other important additions also include built in spatial audio so that users won’t need an extra set of headphones to enjoy any of the VR experiences. With social VR also an important part of Facebook’s plans Oculus Go has an integrated microphone so users can chat to friends and other players online.

Today’s launch sees Oculus Go available in 23 countries via Oculus.com as well as select retailers in the US including Amazon, Best Buy, and Newegg. There are two different versions available, the standard 32GB version for $199 USD and a 64GB model for $249. And due to Oculus Go being able to run Oculus’ Mobile SDK and being binary-compatible with Gear VR there will be plenty of applications available. VRFocus will be covering all the news from F8 so keep reading for further updates.

May 1, 2018

Oculus Recreates Your Childhood Home

The F8 event started today. At the opening keynote speech, Mark Zuckerberg spoke at length on the idea of creating a feeling of presence, both in and out of virtual reality (VR)

Zuckerberg commented that much of what Facebook, Instagram and Oculus was aimed at was creating that sense of presence, whether that is through seeing pictures or videos of loved ones, making video calls or donning a headset and entering a VR environment. Zuckerberg said that the goal is to take this idea to a different level.

According to the presentation, Facebook can use photos from your childhood home and use computer vision and machine learning to bring your childhood home to life in VR, using just a photo.

The effect transforms the room into a kind of point cloud, giving the appearance of a Pointillism painting. The photos are used as a basis, with the Pointillism-style filling in the gaps based upon what the machine learning tools think ought to be there. The photos are then placed in the relevant locations, and users can walk around and visit the room, even bringing in friends and family.

This mapping out of significant spaces is said to be another important step in a path of creating a feeling of significance and presence.

Zuckerberg said the goal was to build relationships and put people at the centre of the experiences. He said the best part of Facebook was what people did together, and that creating a sense of community was important.

It’s not yet known in what context this new effect will be used, if it will be available to users or is simply a proof of concept. The presentation led in to the announcement about Oculus Go, so could be interpreted to be related in some way.

For further news on Facebook’s VR projects and other coverage from F8, keep checking back with VRFocus.