Der Einfluss von AR und VR auf den Unterricht ist immer wieder ein interessantes Thema. Die Soft- und Hardware entwickelt sich stetig weiter, wodurch neue Bildungsmöglichkeiten für Schulen und Berufe entstehen. Die Implementation von AR und VR ins Klassenzimmer ist nicht nur für die Schüler spannend, sondern bringt auch viele Vorteile mit sich. Beispielsweise im Chemieunterricht, wie die AR-App MyLab zeigt.
Eine interaktive Periodentabelle im Chemieunterricht
Der Unterricht in naturwissenschaftlichen Fächern kann oft langweilig und trocken werden, was viele Personen in ihrer eigenen Schulzeit erleben mussten. Besonders im Chemieunterricht werden sehr theoretische Inhalte vermittelt, die man selbst nicht einmal sehen kann, wie z. B. die Lehre über Atome. Zu allem Überdruss erfolgt dies über meist veraltete Lehrbücher. Spannend wurde es dann nur bei den einfachen Experimenten, die manchmal von den Lehrern vorgeführt wurden. Wäre es nicht großartig zu jedem Thema ein solches Experiment zu haben, um die damit verbundenen Interaktionen besser zu verstehen? Dies dachte sich auch Lucas Rizzotto, der Entwickler der App MyLab. Er entwickelte seine App für die Augmeted Reality Brille HoloLens von Microsoft.
Das Ganze funktioniert folgendermaßen: Vor dem VR-Nutzer entsteht das Hologramm einer interaktiven Periodentabelle. Darauf kann man verschiedene Atome anklicken, die wiederum in der Umgebung dargestellt werden. Die Strukturen der Atome werden visualisiert und können entsprechend erforscht und verglichen werden. Die App verbindet damit das Konzept des Lehrens aus Lehrbüchern mit den spannenden Interaktionen aus Experimenten durch Augmented Reality. Ein weiterer Vorteil ist die Freiheit, die durch das schwebende Interface der HoloLens entsteht. Denn beim Tragen von Laborkleidung mit Handschuhen und dem Hantieren von Chemikalien ist man dankbar für jede freie Hand.
MyLab steht zum kostenlosen Download im Microsoft Store zur Verfügung. Die Idee ist nichts Neues, jedoch ist die Umsetzung hier durchaus gut gelungen. Zudem ist die App ein weiterer Schritt in Richtung tiefgehender Integration von AR und VR in den Unterricht. Wir dürfen gespannt sein, was die Zukunft für diesen Bereich noch bringt.
Citing increased competition, falling consumer demand, a move toward digital distribution and publisher-imposed discounts during the holiday season, shares of video game retailer GameStop plunged 12% late last week after it announced Q4 revenue of just over $3 billion, down almost 14% year-over-year, a loss that was slightly greater than analysts’ expectations. GameStop’s stock is down around 31% in the past 12 months.
As reported by USA Today, GameStop saw hardware sales drop 29% as compared to 2016. Software sales didn’t fare much better with a 20% decline.
Along with the sagging sales news, GameStop announced it would shutter between 2% – 3% of their retail outlets, which could mean the closure of around 200 stores.
On a brighter note, GameStop reported better sales and revenue from its technology and collectibles brands Spring Mobile and ThinkGeek, which increased 44% and 28% respectively.
The first of many DLC characters has been released for Halo Wars 2 and with it comes a fierce new ally named Lt. Colonel Morgan Kinsano. With her comes an army of incendiary units and game-changing abilities.
Microsoft announced a new series of enhanced Xbox One controllers that are "inspired by military technology and performance patterns," promising increased accuracy and comfort during intense multiplayer matches.
In my last VRFocusarticle from September, I stressed the importance of Virtual Reality (VR) applications in focusing on usefulness and superseding reality. Then going on to highlight how content should be delivered via accessible (cheap and easy-to-use) hardware such as VR headsets connected to media boxes (e.g., Netflix) to reach mass market adoption.
Well, cases of such VR hardware are coming into play this year: Microsoft announced their VR OEM Windows “Mixed Reality” headset plans last year (previously called “Holographic”) and just provided more details at Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, beginning with key partnerships with Dell, Acer, Lenovo as well as launching their developers kits. These easy-to-setup and more affordable devices have the potential to become a home accessory for the mass market (I am not covering the gaming or B2B industries, nor their customer base or high spec VR & Augmented Reality (AR) hardware in this article, and therefore not referring to those).
The headsets don’t require external trackers and instead use their on-board sensors to provide indoor tracking, as well as other technologies, to enable what Microsoft has coined ‘6 Degrees of Freedom’. Although they are still tethered – for the moment at least as the wireless technology has been changing a lot in the past few months with cheaper solutions being offered by many different providers – their setup seems to be as simple as plug and play.
Microsoft announcing their VR headsets in 2016
Although their specifications are yet to be announced, at a price point of $300 one would hope they will be sold as bundles with new laptops and desktop computers. Indeed, as they are OEM and therefore built and distributed by computer manufacturing partners such as HP, Dell, Lenovo and more, it would make sense for Dell (as an example) to sell them as a PC with VR headset bundle this upcoming Christmas season. However, they could also lower the margins so much so that when someone is shopping for a computer the additional cost to add a VR headset would be even lower.
Also, one can expect GPU/CPU requirements and parts costs to go down, especially for the screens and chipsets; therefore, this will dramatically increase the accessibility in terms of cost and lower spec PCs requirements in future versions.
Example of a Dell online purchase bundle options, VR coming soon too?
As part of the Microsoft developer community, the Windows “Mixed Reality” or “Holographic” developer program also offers the promise of attracting an enormous pool of Microsoft developers to develop news apps, as well as extensions and browsers toolkits.
Perhaps the most important aspect here is the potential for the Windows “Mixed Reality” VR headsets to become a home accessory sitting next to one’s printer. Imagine you are browsing a website and there is a VR button to visualise the items on your basket at their real size or to watch a preview of a potential holiday; one would just click, put the headset on, experience the products and services, then remove or continue to finish your purchase in the VR mode!
The headset could become a tool which improves the customer journey experience, especially in terms of e-commerce – this is where there is truly mass-market adoption potential. Therefore, I don’t believe these VR headsets will be purchased by the mass market as a gaming or entertainment device (unlike the headsets which would be twinned with media boxes or gaming consoles, but also the Windows “Mixed Reality” VR which will be compatible with the Xbox gaming console), but instead as a tool being used sporadically to improve the internet browsing experience or through some VR apps experiences.
The browsing experience will also be seamless, with VR call to action buttons integrated within existing browsers – such as Internet Explorer – to create a seamless experience. We’ve already seen Google integrating VR functionalities in its’ Chrome browser and, therefore, it seems logical that Microsoft Explorer will also have these VR integrations. Given that there is a whole VR/Augmented Reality (AR) Windows Mixed Reality integrated development platform, we will be sure to see more and more AR, Mixed Reality (MR) and VR integrated features within the Windows Operating System and its’ core applications, such as Explorer, Apps, Office, Skype, LinkedIn and more.
At this stage, VR becomes part of the e-commerce customer journey which, amazingly, extends into an AR/MR/VR/Artificial Intelligence (AI)/Internet of Things (IoT)/Wearables circle:
A customer uses a mobile or wearable Augmented/Mixed Reality device to gain more information in a shop about a product or location, or just special offers. To do that, AI computer vision and IoT provide more information about the product whilst also learning about the customer’s behaviour. While doing this, an updated 3D pointcloud of the shop and the product has been scanned. All this information can be used in a Virtual Reality version of the shop by another customer who is shopping fully or partly in VR (i.e., browser mode).
Of course, more detailed scanning and updates will also be carried over by specific staff (and drones) in shops, with the VR versions will be customised and adapted using machine learning to deliver a personalised experience.
On the AR and MR side, which company is better positioned to provide cloud point data and then a VR rendering and version of a location such as a business? The answer is a company who has had AR products tested long before the current wave of AR and VR buzz.
Google
It seems logical that Google will be (or already is?) a central provider of those AR cloudpoints through existing data; but also of AR wearables and mobile devices, such as the hybrid DayDream/Tango phones like the Asus Zenfone AR. It’s also logical that it will release a successor to the Glass product for the mass market, since it arguably has the most experience in that area (with companies like ODG, a very experienced AR glasses maker).
ASUS ZenFone AR with Google Daydream integration
Also, bear in mind that there is already a VR version of Google Earth on Steam for the HTC Vive, which shows that having Google Maps VR is not far-fetched at all and that all AR scanning would update outdoor and indoor datasets. Google also has relationships with businesses that are mapped and on the internet through its’ SEO; this provides a great advantage for existing information and relationships to integrate those within the AR/MR information systems, as well as VR e-commerce experiences.
This illustrates how close and connected AR/MR and VR have become, as well as how intrinsic AI, IoT & wearables technologies are to the whole system.
From a hardware perspective, it also shows that Microsoft Mixed Reality VR OEM headsets are not the only potential mass market devices; it seems logical that future Google Daydream VR headsets and their wearable AR products will be fully integrated with Google Tango phones as a hybrid (beyond the current two modes in one phone).
Therefore, Google and Microsoft will have strong multi-platform AR/VR capabilities that harness their operating systems, technologies and ecosystems.
Most importantly, this means the Omni channel strategy for brands and marketers is more streamlined and effective if they ensure they harness those AR/MR/AI/IoT/Wearables interactions and prepare accordingly.
Consequently, instead of calling this a ‘circle’ or a ‘system’, it seems to be more a strategic AR/MR/VR vision relying on a product/service’s ‘omni-channel presence’ or ‘omnichannel realities’.
To prepare for their presence on those various technologies, brands and agencies must prepare for seamless integrations of AR and VR features within their marketing and e-commerce channels. It starts, for example, with adopting 3D scanning technologies to make the products available for visualisation, as well as to integrate those assets for narrated/interactive marketing experiences. However, these are not simple integrations as they require different skillsets and product management systems.
Also, by making products available in 3D, their design is out in the open, which is no different from stocking a product physically in a shop for a customer to observe. However, the most conservative brands may be slower to accept this, although they will eventually be required to adapt.
These are exciting times to prepare the grounds for augmented customer journeys, in which the focus really comes back to usefulness and personalisation.
I don’t believe in providing more information to visitors/customers in augmented shops or on e-commerce websites with VR functionalities, but instead a more seamless and customised information delivery system providing much higher satisfaction and conversion rates.
During GDC 2017, Khronos Group unveiled OpenXR as the name for their VR/AR API standard that’s currently being developed. We reported on the announcement and broke down a bit of why this standard was something for the VR industry and community to get excited about, but we also got the chance to speak with Khronos Group president Neil Trevett to get some questions answered.
OpenXR’s First Task
OpenXR’s immediate task is combating the fragmentation of the VR industry, something that can continue to get out of hand in the industry’s youth as many different developers and manufacturers create in incredibly different ways. Now that the name is out in the wild, the next step is to work with current working group members over the next 12-18 months on the specifications of the standard. The approach is to create an API standard where devs make their app and that app will be able to work on different VR SDKs with minimal changes as opposed to having to create detailed, custom code for each device.
“Less cost, less porting, and a larger available market is the bottom line for developers,” Trevett says. The Khronos Group is hoping to be able to ship the API around GDC of next year.
If it is not evident by the “XR” in the title, this standard isn’t going to be limited to VR experiences though that is the immediate focus.
“The fragmentation issue is most urgent to solve in the VR community over the next 12 months or so,” Trevett explains when asked about the consideration of augmented reality solutions.
He says he “absolutely believes” augmented reality will be addressed, but the major push for it will likely come in the 2nd wave after the API starts to ship out.
“We’re going to take care that we don’t paint ourselves into any VR-only corners,” he said. “We want things to be applicable as far as possible to different mixed reality devices in the future.”
Will Microsoft Join The Effort?
The standard Khronos is working toward has sparked excitement across the tech industry, to the point that those involved have specifically asked to have their logos added to OpenXR’s partner image. The current collection of partners is dominated by those more involved in VR, including names like Sony, Oculus, Google, and more. When asked if there were any specific entities missing that Khronos Group would welcome, Trevett immediately mentioned one of the biggest faces of AR: Microsoft. He noted the company’s input now would be around the emerging Windows Mixed Reality platform, which we recently did a hands-on with, but they’d obviously be able to bring AR expertise to that 2nd round of the API’s development as well.
While this initiative’s purpose is to simplify things across the mixed reality industry, one would wonder if having so many entities involved in the development of a single standard could get noisy despite the obvious benefits down the line. Trevett details a democratic decision-making process that includes voting mechanisms to resolve disagreements when they occur, but he says that’s a rare occurrence.
“The weird thing is we actually don’t need the formal voting mechanisms very often,” he says. “The working groups tend to, quite successfully, work to unanimous consensus. It’s actually quite normal for a whole specification to be created and no formal voting is needed. The whole process is surprisingly non-political.”
Mixed reality is set to dominate the working world in the years to come, arguably even more so than virtual reality. But a lot of companies that want to use the tech lack to expertise to actually develop for it. That’s where Microsoft’s HoloLens Agency Readiness Partner Program comes in.
Just as its long-winded title suggests, this scheme is designed to recognize studios that have a broad knowledge of and lots of experience with Microsoft’s MR headset. It’s essentially a recommendations list of potential partners for companies looking to utilize the technology. These studios will collaborate on the development of apps that suit the client’s needs. Imagine a healthcare app that hospitals worked with software developers to make, for example.
Current partners in the US already include Taqtile, and POP but, today, Microsoft is announcing an expansion into the EU with six new partners. They include France-based Holoforge and Immersion as well as Zuhlke in Germany. In the UK, Microsoft is adding FundamentalVR, Black Marble, and REWIND to the list.
We already saw FundamentalVR’s surgery training application at Mobile World Congress a few weeks back, and the company is also developing the experience for MR. REWIND, meanwhile, is developing an app for the Red Bull Air Race. Company CEO and Founder Sol Rogers told UploadVR that the team had been through “extensive training” in order to become a part of the program.
The company’s new MR tech is looking to bring live sports to headsets like HoloLens, and this first app will showcase it. “It gives users a first glimpse at REWIND’s proprietary ‘Holemetry’ technology that can enhance live sport,” Rogers said, “bringing spectators an unparalleled never before seen experience.”
Other organizations partnering with HoloLens developers to make MR experiences include Paccar, Lowe’s, CDM Smith, UK Police Forces, and Alstom.
HoloLens might not be ready for consumers, but Microsoft is clearly keen to get it into the hands of as many businesses as possible. While the wait for a retail launch continues, the company is deploying its own set of VR headsets, made in partnership with major manufacturers, to bridge the gap. We got hands-on with one such kit two weeks back.
Microsoft hat bekannt gegeben, dass ihr HoloLens Agency Readiness Partner Programm den Sprung über den großen Teich schafft. Damit können ausgewählte Agenturen kostenlos Apps für das Augmented-Reality-System entwickeln. Denn noch wissen zu wenige Menschen, was die HoloLens eigentlich leisten kann.
Nur wenige wissen, was die HoloLens kann
Wer bereits einmal eine HoloLens ausprobiert hat, weiß, was für beeindruckende Dinge die Augmented-Reality-Brille des Software- und Hardware-Giganten aus Redmond leisten kann. Und davon würden sicherlich auch zahlreiche Unternehmen und Privatpersonen profitieren – wenn sie Kenntnis von der Leistungsfähigkeit hätten. Hier liegt allerdings das Problem: Zu wenige haben Zugang zu Microsofts AR-Brille. Aber das dürfte niemanden überraschen. Denn bis jetzt konnte die HoloLens erst von einzelnen Personen getestet werden: Microsoft verkauft seit Oktober 2016 die HoloLens in einer Developer-Version für einen Preis von 3.299 Euro in Europa.
Zühlke aus Deutschland mit dabei
Unternehmen, die sich registrieren und über die notwendige Expertise verfügen, bekommen jedoch Zugang zu Microsofts Development Kit (SDK) und können kostenlos Apps entwickeln. Sechs Agenturen aus Europa wird jetzt die Ehre zuteil, ein intensives Training direkt vom HoloLens-Team zu bekommen. Dazu gehören: Black Marble, Rewind, Fundamental VR (Großbritannien), Holoforge und Immersion (Frankreich) sowie Zühlke aus Deutschland. Mit den bereits bestehenden zehn Stück aus den USA und Kanada steigt die Anzahl an HoloLens Agency Readiness Partner somit auf 16 Stück.
Die HoloLens ist eine eigenständige Augmented-Reality-Brille und funktioniert ohne Smartphone oder Computer. Als Nutzer schaut man durch transparente Bildschirme, die hochauflösende Projektionen darstellen. Diese werden im Vergleich zur Oculus Rift oder der Samsung GearVR nicht durch Pixel oder Raster sondern durch projizierte Lichtpunkte angezeigt.
Microsofts HoloLens befindet sich zwar noch in einem Entwicklungsstadium, aber einige interessante neue Ideen und Anwendungen für das Gerät wurden in dieser Woche schon vorgestellt. Ein Video zeigt dabei, wie sich euer Telefon in einen Controller für das Mixed-Reality-Headset verwandeln kann.
AfterNow setzt auf eine andere Art von Controller
Derzeit wird HoloLens hauptsächlich per Hand durch Gesten gesteuert. Die Navigation ist zwar auch durch Spracherkennung und Blicke möglich, doch den Entwicklern von AfterNow reichte das nicht. Sie wollten die Möglichkeiten zur Kontrolle bieten, die auch VR-Controller schon liefern wie z.B. die ansichtsbasierte 6DoF-Objekterkennung der HTC Vive. Anstelle eines Vive-Controllers setzt AfterNow auf das Smartphone – ein Gerät, das schon Millionen von uns besitzen.
Das Smartphone des Anwenders funktioniert nicht nur als 6DOF-Controller, sondern auch als eine Art virtuelles Startgerät. Im Video zaubert der User virtuelle Würfel auf den Bildschirm des Smartphones und kann sie dann vom Screen wischen, um sie als Objekte in der realen Welt vor sich zu sehen.
Einige Einschränkungen bleiben bestehen
Auch wenn es sich um ein faszinierendes Mittel zur Kontrolle für die Plattform handelt, könnte es durchaus sein, dass Microsoft selbst vielleicht nicht zustimmen könnte. Jesse Vander von AfterNow ließ in einem Blog-Post verlauten, dass sämtliche Interaktionen 1,5 Meter vom Benutzer stattfinden sollten, um sowohl die Belastung für die Augen zu reduzieren, als auch sicherzustellen, dass die Elemente, mit denen der Benutzer interagiert sich innerhalb des Rahmens befinden. Vander fügte jedoch hinzu:
„Trotzdem gibt es auf jeden Fall Einsatzmöglichkeiten, bei denen sich die Controller lohnen. Darüber hinaus gibt es viele lustige Dinge die wir mit einem 6DoF-Controller machen können, der zudem einen Touchscreen hat.“
Er nannte Beispiele, darunter eine Mixed-Reality-Version von Tilt Brush, bei der Benutzer beginnen, eine Linie auf dem Handy zu erstellen und sie dann anschließend durch einen realen Raum ziehen, um 3D-Bilder entstehen zu lassen. Wiederum lassen sich 3D-Assets auf das Display packen.
Während HoloLens keine Controller anbietet, bringt Microsoft auch VR-Headsets auf den Markt, bei der physische Controller verwendet werden können. Das Unternehmen stellte dazu fest, dass 6DOF-Controller auf der Plattform ebenfalls noch an Bedeutung gewinnen werden.
