Category: Google Cardboard

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RE’FLEKT Announce Drag and Drop 360-degree Video Platform

Content that includes 360-degree video is becoming more common as a means to promote and publicise events and places as VRFocus notes in its regular Life In 360 feature. A barrier to wider adoption of this technology is the difficulty in creating worthwhile 360-degree experiences. Tech company RE’FLEKT believe they have an answer for that.

RE’FLEKT have previously worked with big names such as Porsche to produce immersive content and now they have announced that they are working on a new platform for 360-degree video called REFLEKT 360.

The platform allows users to create 360-degree video experiences quickly and easily with a drag and drop system that means no coding or programming experience is required. A video needs to be imported, then virtual ‘TouchPoints’ can be added that will activate various immersive interactions to create movement, sound and other functions. The content can then be pushed out through the REFLEKT 360 app to all platforms, or customised for a specific VR platform.

“We created REFLEKT 360 to make it easier for organizations and content creators to break into the burgeoning world of VR with their own content,” said RE’FLEKT CEO Wolfgang Stelzle. “This new platform is part of our vision to make virtual reality more affordable and accessible to companies around the world.”

The app supports Google Cardboard, Google Daydream and Samsung Gear VR. RE’FLEKT are looking for parties interested in helping to Beta-test the new platform. Further details can be found at the REFLEKT 360 website.

VRFocus will bring you further information on REFLEKT 360 and other VR content platforms when it becomes available.

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Visbit Launches Open Beta For VR Video Streaming Service

High-quality, reliable streaming for 360-degree video and other virtual reality (VR) content is a goal that is difficult to achieve. The nature of VR means that a lot of data must be sent very quickly in order to keep up and not cause buffering or frame-rate drops that can not only break immersion, but even cause illness in some users. Visbit are launching an open Beta for a streaming service that aims to tackle those problems.

Visbit have created an end-to-end streaming platform that can offer a stable streaming of 4K and above video, VR and 360-degree videos over standard wi-fi connections for mobile VR devices. The platform handles hosting, transcoding, streaming and playing, making the process easier for creators and users.

The service was previously in closed Beta being tested by certain selected partners, but the open Beta is adding a few new features, such as adaptive bitrate streaming, which can adjust in real-time to the bandwidth the user has available, offline playback and the ability for creators to embed 360-degree video supported by the service into their own apps.

The open Beta will be supported on Google Daydream, Gear VR and Google Cardboard with additional platform support to be introduced later in the coming months.

“Thanks to the feedback from our closed beta users and initial testing, we’ve made a number of tweaks and additions to make our all-in-one streaming service more robust and available for broader adoption,” said CY Zhou, Visbit co-founder and CEO. “We continue to push the limits of what is possible – evident in our recent industry-first 12K streaming breakthrough and support for live streaming – and are looking forward to integrating these features, and more, into our service in the near future.”

The company claim that they have overcome the problems of streaming video in 12K, and that the service can handle livestreaming 360-degree content to allow VR users to watch events broadcast in 360-degree in real-time.

Visbit will be demonstrating the streaming service at the upcoming VRLA Expo at the Los Angeles Convention Centre on 14th-15th April. Further information and the chance to be involved in the open Beta is available on the Visbit website.

VRFocus will keep you informed on Visbit and other VR services.

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Gorillaz Invite Fans to Join a Mixed Reality House Party

British virtual band Gorillaz have ended their five-year hiatus with a bang, announcing a new album called Humanz, an upcoming TV show and now an opportunity for fans to explore the Gorillaz house via virtual reality (VR).

Gorillaz were formed back in 1998 and consists of four animated characters, 2D on lead vocals and keyboard, Murdoc on bass guitar, Noodle on lead guitar and Russel Hobbs on drums. The music videos show the fictional and often off-the-wall adventures of the band, along with the official Gorillaz website, and now, VR.

The mixed reality experience uses the Gorillaz mobile app to combine virtual reality, augmented reality and 360-degree video to allow users to interact with the virtual band members to find out what they do in their spare time and get involved with the storyline narrative that is set to introduce new updates over time to allow the story to evolve.

The Gorillaz app is available for free on iOS and Android and is compatible with Google Cardboard. The app also allows users to participate in The Humanz House Party, a virtual event to celebrate the launch of the new album, due to take place on 28th April.

It seems likely that Gorillaz will continue to utilise VR as part of their new releases, since they already released a 360-degree music video for Saturnz Barz (Spirit House) in March. Other musicians such as Icelandic singer Bjork are also embracing VR technology for music videos and live performances.

You can watch a trailer for the Gorillaz app below.

VRFocus will bring you further news on VR use in music as it comes in.

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Life In 360°: Don’t Text And Drive

Being distracted while driving can cause serious, even fatal accidents. Some research has shown that up to seven in ten people have used a smartphone while driving. A US campaign called It Can Wait is using a 360 degree video to demonstrate the dangers.

The It Can Wait campaign was created by telecoms company AT&T in collaboration with ten trauma hospitals in Maryland. AT&T volunteers at each hospital have used a virtual reality (VR) application that shows the consequences of drivers taking their eyes off the road to look at their phones.

The 360-degree video, shown below and originally uploaded to YouTube in 2015. is part of a suite of online resources that hope to stop people using their phones while driving. The 360-degree video can be viewed using Oculus Rift or Google Cardboard.

“We want to continue our work to raise awareness about the dangers of using a smartphone while driving. It’s against the law in Maryland. And it’s deadly. This is an important outreach program for the trauma centers, and it’s important to AT&T, too. We’re glad we could team up with Maryland’s trauma centers to remind drivers of all ages: It Can Wait.” Dunn said.

Research into the impact of the campaign has shown a correlation between campaign activities and a reduction in the number of crashes. The campaign has received more than 14 million pledges not to drive distracted since the campaign began.

“The safety and security of Marylanders is our top priority, and we’re working every day to reduce traffic fatalities and save lives,” said  Larry Hogan, Governor of Maryland where the campaign was recently shownn off. “Distracted driving puts everyone at risk, that’s why I’m glad to see our world-class trauma centers and the private sector working together to raise awareness about the dangers of distracted driving. It’s simple: if you’re driving in Maryland, keep your eyes on the road, not on your phones.”

It isn’t the first time that VR has been used to improve car safety. Last month the University of Iowa released an app that aims to inform people about the safety features in modern vehicles. You can watch the It Can Wait 360 degree video below.

VRFocus will continue to report on VR’s use as an ediucational tool and beyond. Life In 360° will return on Friday.

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Using Google Cardboard To Improve Pedestrian Safety

A professor at the University of Alabama in the US has been focussing his research into ways to use technology to help children cross the road safely. His results have lead him towards virtual reality (VR).

Statistics have shown that pedestrian road accidents are a leading cause of death among children, both in the USA and around the world. To combat this, professor David Schwebel has begun using a mobile app for Google Cardboard to teach children the fundamentals of road safety in an easy to understand, and totally safe, environment.

Schwebel’s initial trials were on PCs, then in a large mobile simulator, but he realised that a more portable and accessible format was required, which was when the idea of using Google Cardboard was born.

The application recreates a virtual road, road crossing and pavement in front of a school and fills the road with various traffic patterns. The child must then decide when it is safe to cross and press a button on the headset to active the crossing action. Users can watch their avatar cross the road, and so learn if they managed to cross safely.

The study is still in progress, so full results are not yet available, but Schwebel says that almost all the participants, who are between 7 and 8 years of age, have been able to complete adult-level virtual scenarios safely, successfully crossing the road with realistic traffic patterns.

“The development of Google Cardboard allowed us to make our pedestrian simulator completely accessible,” Schwebel said. “It’s simple and affordable, and gives us hope that we can bring this tool to children worldwide. We have already conducted parallel research to train children in pedestrian safety in China, and envision a future where location-specific pedestrian environments are simulated, and training is distributed using mobile smartphones to schoolchildren worldwide.”

VRFocus will continue to bring you news on research into new applications of VR technology.

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ProSense Introduces Multi-Platform Ice Hockey Streaming

The sport of ice hockey has previously been involved in virtual reality (VR), from virtual tours of stadiums to live broadcasts. Developer ProSense are working on breaking down barriers between platforms with an app that can broadcast 3D Ice Hockey games to most of the popular VR platforms.

From 12th April 2017, Continental Hockey League games will be broadcast on multiple VR platforms courtesy of the ProSense app. The Continental Hockey League, also known as the Kontinental Hockey League or KHL was founded in 2008 and comprises 29 member clubs based around eastern Europe and Asia. Countries such as Russia, Finland, China and Belarus are represented, and the league is hoping to be able to further expand.

ProSense are working with CocaCola to bring streams of Hockey games to Samsung Gear VR, HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Google Cardboard or via YouTube. A media library of previous games will be available along with a virtual VIP lounge, access to game highlights interviews and other behind-the-scenes material.

The developers believe that the KHL games will be the first time a sporting event has been broadcast to all VR platforms simultaneously. ProSense are hoping to bring other sporting events to the app in the future.

The KHL broadcasts will commence on 12th April and continue until the final game of the season.

The ProSense app can be found on Gear VR, HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, and in the Google Play Store.

VRFocus will continue to bring you further news on Sports VR broadcasting as it comes in.

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Sci-Fi London Film Festival Introduces New VR Experiences

The Sci-Fi London film festival has been running for 17 years now, and has introduced its attendees to many innovative new films and live performances. The event is now including immersive virtual reality (VR) experiences in the line up.

Four VR shorts will be shown at the festival alongside regular events such as the 48 Hour Film Challenge, several world film premieres and UK film premieres. Monday 1st of May will see the debut of R.I.S.E – A Dystopian VR Experience, which aims to explore the possibility of letting robots take over, and the idea that normal work will become obsolete as technology marches on. R.I.S.E was produced as a collaboration between Sci-FiLondon and PsychFI and developed by VR content creator beLoudest. The experience will be available on iOS and Android after the Sci-Fi London premiere, and will be compatible with Google Cardboard headsets.

Also taking place at the festival with be Hackstock: Beyond 2017. The organisers have brought together almost every type of headset, from Google Cardboard to HTC Vive and Microsoft’s HoloLens will all be available for attendees to try out. Developers, musicians, artists, hackers and almost everyone else who is interested can discuss the possibilities presented by VR and AR technologies.

Other VR experiences available during the festival are VR shorts Remember, Tesla Punk, Misfits and 37th Week.

The Sci-Fi London Film Festival takes place from 27th April until 6th May 2017 in venues across London. Full details on the programme are available on the Sci-Fi London website.

Tickets have not yet gone on sale.

VRFocus will bring you updates on new Sci-Fi London and other VR events and experiences when they becomes available

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Cyber FPS EMULATED: Pylons Hits Google Cardboard and Daydream

Indie developers have been the life blood of the virtual reality (VR) industry, willing to take risks on the fledgling industry to help it grow. This week sees Southpac, a New Zealand-based studio launch its first VR title arriving for Google Cardboard a Daydream View, EMULATED: Pylons.

The videogame is a cyber infused first-person shooter (FPS) which: ‘is set in future when all humanity exists in a cyberspace. As an operative you are assigned a mission to capture communication pylons in a city infested by Vektorbots,’ the official description reads.

Emulated Pylons Screenshot 2

Southpac has created its own in-house game engine for the project rather than using middleware like Unity or Unreal Engine. This has allowed it to create a system where players can walk about in VR without feeling any nausea it claims.

Whether gamers choose to play on Cardboard or Daydream, EMULATED: Pylons will need a Bluetooth controller. The Daydream controller that comes supplied with the headset isn’t supported.

Daydream has seen growing support during 2017 with Unity now natively supporting the platform. Experiences such as Unimersiv, Vendetta Online and The Other Room have all recently launched, making the headset a more enticing prospect for those with compatible smartphones.

EMULATED: Pylons is free to download form the Google Play store now. For the latest Google Daydream updates, keep reading VRFocus.

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Unimersiv Brings Educational VR to Cardboard and Daydream

Educational virtual reality (VR) platform Unimersiv is being launched on Google’s Cardboard and Daydream platforms.

Unimersiv had previously made its educational VR experiences available for users of Samsung’s Gear VR, but now the Unimersiv experience catalogue is being made available for Cardboard and Daydream. This will bring historical experiences like exploring the ancient Greek Parthenon available to those who own Google’s Cardboard and Daydream headsets.

Unimersiv Screenshot 1

The Unimersiv catalogue offers experiences from visiting the vast monuments of Ancient Rome, to exploring the inside of the International Space Station, to journeying through the human brain. The Unimersiv app itself is available for free from the Google Play store, but individual experiences need to be bought as in-app purchases, ranging in price from £1.99 GBP to £3.09.

The developers of Unimersiv are keen to support schools, colleges and other educational centres. Educators can sign up as a school to gain special benefits. Education is beginning to use VR and augmented reality technology in a big way. Colleges and universities such as Kingston University and UC Berkeley are getting dedicated VR technology labs and classrooms in Norway have begun to experiment with using Microsoft’s HoloLens to enhance lessons. It is not surprising that educators would be keen to use the opportunity offered by Unimersiv‘s content catalogue.

The developers have confirmed compatibility with the following headsets in addition to the already supported Gear VR: Homido, View Master, FreeFly, Durovis, VRBox, Lakento, Archos and most other Google Cardboard/Daydream headsets.

VRFocus will bring you further updates on Unimersiv as they come in.

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Die besten Virtual Reality Aprilscherze

Wer gestern nach einer spannenden News gesucht hat, der musste besonders aufpassen, denn es war wieder der erste April. Auch viele Virtual Reality Unternehmen führten ihre Leser und Fans aufs Glatteis und wir zeigen euch heute die besten Aprilscherze 2017.

Die besten Virtual Reality Aprilscherze

Der Haptic Helper

Google hat ein Video veröffentlicht, welches den Haptic Helper vorstellt. Um die Immersion in VR zu steigern, hätte Google angeblich einen Service eingerichtet, der euch beispielsweise mit Gerüchen und haptischem Feedback versorgen soll. Um dies zu ermöglichen, sei der Besuch eines Mitarbeiters unabdingbar, der euch die nötigen Gerüche unter die Nase hält oder mit Wasser besprüht, wenn ihr in VR in einen Regenschauer geratet. Das Video findet ihr hier:

Cosmic Trip für den Virtual Boy

Erinnert ihr euch noch an den Virtual Boy von Nintendo? Das Gerät ist nicht wirklich mit den aktuellen Virtual Reality Brillen vergleichbar, jedoch handelte es sich ebenso um eine Brille zum Zocken von Videospielen. Da Klassiker aktuell voll  im Trend liegen, verkündete UploadVR, dass das beliebte Strategie-Spiel Cosmic Trip einen Ableger für den Virtual Boy erhalten werde. Hier findet ihr die komplette Meldung.

Pac-Man auf Google Maps

Bei dem Pac-Man-Scherz von Google handelt es sich zwar um eine Augmented Reality Anwendung, aber dennoch möchten wir ihn an dieser Stelle nennen. Wenn ihr mit eurem PC oder eurem Smartphone auf die folgende Seite geht, dann könnt ihr euch in Pac-Man-Manier durch die eigenen Straßen knabbern. Wenn ihr euren Spielbereich verändern wollt, dann müsst ihr unten auf „Return to Google Maps“ klicken, ein entsprechendes Ziel eingeben und anschließend das Spiel erneut starten.

Günstiger reisen mit VR

Brown + Hudson hat in einer Pressemitteilung verraten, dass das Reiseunternehmen zukünftig Virtual Reality Reisen anbieten möchte. Die Virtual Reality Reisen beinhalten angeblich eine Oculus Rift, die vorinstallierte Anwendung, Verpflegung und einen Koch für die Zubereitung der Speisen. Auch wenn sich das Reiseunternehmen einen Spaß erlaubt, könnte diese Idee in wenigen Jahren nicht mehr so absurd klingen wie heute.

Habt ihr weitere Aprilscherze gefunden? Dann schreibt sie gerne in die Kommentare!

Der Beitrag Die besten Virtual Reality Aprilscherze zuerst gesehen auf VR∙Nerds. VR·Nerds am Werk!