VRFocus Ltd. today announces the return of the VR Diversity Initiative, the hugely successful series of events aiming to upskill underrepresented groups in media and technology, including women, LGBTQ, disabled people, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic professionals who are considering a career in the VR space. The VR Diversity Initiative 2018 Kick-Off event will take place on 28th February 2018, at Here East, supported by Hobs Studio.
Taking on board feedback from the initial 2017 event, the VR Diversity Initiative will deliver a more targeted agenda in 2018. Limiting the number of attendees by way of application, each participant will have the opportunity to work with an experienced VR mentor and will produce a unique prototype within a single day.
Nina Salomons, Video Content Producer at VRFocus and lead organiser of the VR Diversity Initiative, said: “We need to ensure that new immersive technologies stay open and diverse. The VR Diversity Initiative is aimed specifically at bringing under-represented groups into the space that want to move their careers into the space, are looking to add VR into their existing role or have little to no knowledge of XR technologies. By the end of 2018, 180 participants will get hands-on with VR and build a rough prototype in a single day. I am confident that the VR Diversity Initiative will strengthen the future of immersive technology by diversifying the individuals who get hired and work in the space.”
The VR Diversity Initiative 2018 Kick-Off will be supported by Hobs Studio, who will be providing space for the workshops within their Here East venue and catering services throughout the day.
Kadine James, 3D tech lead, Mentor and STEM Ambassador at @HobsStudio, said:
“We are absolutely delighted to be supporting VRFocus and the incredible VR Diversity program.
“At Hobs studios we are already delivering #FutureSkills programs offering learning and development opportunities to boost skills and create a fast track into tech in particular for girls and those on lower incomes.
“Female role models are important to Hobs studios and I want to use my platform as a woman in tech to empower the next generation of female tech leaders. When I visit universities, colleges and sixth forms, I seek to make our company appeal to a diverse range of students. I also want to ensure that VR doesn’t become a male eco chamber and that we create jobs for female VR artists/developers. VR has the power to transform the way we educate, communicate and entertain. Unless more is done to tackle the disparities around the gender gap in tech then it will be only half the population that benefits and this would be a wrong.”
Applications for VR Diversity Initiative 2018 Kick-Off are now live at https://goo.gl/forms/0QSYwTp6L4td6PfF3. The VR Diversity Initiative 2018 Kick-Off event will take place on 28th February 2018, at Hobs Studio, Here East, Unit 3, 3-4 East Bay Lane, London E20 3BS and selected participants will be contacted in due course.
Additional supporters of the VR Diversity Initiative include HTC Vive, Innovate UK and the Realities Centre, with more announcements to follow.
CES 2018 is the most exciting showcase of innovative technology every year. With over 170,000 attendees and over 3,900 exhibitors, there has to be some virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) here, right? Today, VRFocus is doing a Post CES #XR event Review at the Realities Centre in London, UK bringing some of the companies together for those that couldn’t attend the main event. However if you aren’t attending the Post CES event, VRFocus has put a little recap together. From head-mounted displays (HMDs), VR platforms, VR content, 360 cameras, AR, audio, and MR to accessories to accompany new immersive technologies, you’ll find a sizable list in the run down below.
Big Announcements at Press Conferences
The HTC Vive Pro was the most exciting pre-CES announcement from HTC Vive.
Before CES even started VRFocus attended the Nvidia press event, where the company showcased its latest technology in autonomous cars. The biggest trend by far at this year’s CES, was how both VR and AR are being used to help ensure the safety of future cars, but also testing autonomous cars in environments that otherwise could not be controlled. Nvidia announced AutoSim, a VR simulator for self-driving cars as well as Drive AR, software that gives drivers information about what is around the car. All this information will be featured on the windscreen or dashboard screen. Think Google Maps on your heads-up-display (HUD).
It was HTC Vive that really stole the show that day after its initial Twitter tease of a HMD with new resolution, announcing the new HTC Vive Pro and Wireless adapter. The promise of no screen door effect and going untethered? It was a big day for VR lovers around the world. To add a cherry on top, the HTC Vive Pro will feature two microphones for noise cancellation capabilities and it’ll work with both 1.0 and 2.0 base stations.
Not exactly room-scale virtual reality, but a quick and easy access to transport users into a digital re-created world.
With the announcement of the HTC Vive Pro, Dell revealed at its press conference a partnership with HTC Vive to make it easier for consumers to get a full VR package with their desktop by allowing customers to purchase both the VR-Ready Dell Inspiron Gaming Desktop and an HTC Vive.
With no new Oculus Rift being teased or showcased, VRFocus managed to catch up with Kopin, showcasing the Elf VR headset. With a pixel density of 2,940 PPI, dual 2K resolution, 120 Hz for each eye, and a promise of smaller, lighter size and no screen door effect, Kopin is making ambitious promises for VR applications in the future. The Elf VR HMD is not yet available for consumers, but Kopin has said to keep an ear out for news just before the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2018.
Pico Interactive showcased its standalone headsets Pico Goblin and Pico Neo CV. Both headsets will be compatible with the Vive Wave platform, giving Pico customers access to 400 titles from the Vive owned store. A taster perhaps of what other standalone headsets might be such as Oculus Go and Vive Focus. The Pico Goblin is retailing for $269 USD and the Pico Neo CV can be pre-ordered for $749 on Pico’s website.
Lenovo also demonstrated its standalone device, Lenovo Mirage Solo. The headset utilises the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835, has 4GB RAM, with 110-degree field-of-view (FoV). The headset also uses Google’s WorldSense technology for inside-out tracking and comes with a wireless Daydream controller. The HMD is set to be released in Q2 this year.
Zeiss VR One Connect is now also compatible with Steam VR. Supporting both iOS and Android, the Zeiss VR One will need two wireless three degrees of freedom (3DoF) controllers that are linked via Bluetooth to enjoy full VR. The Zeiss VR One Connect is set to be available at major US retailers in the spring of 2018 at $129. No details on an international launch date are currently available.
Then there was Timescope’s terminal, which wasn’t what one would call “true VR”, in the sense that it’s not room-scale, you are not able to teleport or physically pick up objects with controllers – but still a form of new VR for public spaces. From the age of seven, members of the public are able to use the Timescope terminal to then see into the past or future of certain locations. All 3D content is as historical accurate as possible, with historians and engineers that have worked hard on making the terminals suitable for everybody – including people wearing glasses.
VR Platforms, VRContent, Training and Social VR
It might become easier to start a platform when making numerous amounts of VR content, and trying to find a solution to distribute the content to their clients and audience. This seems to be exactly the case for Jaunt, Ikonospace Art and Serious Factory.
Jaunt has created the Jaunt XR platform, which gives clients an easy way to distribute large amounts of VR content. With a media manager, player engine and intelligence suite to track information of how users interact with 360 content – its biggest benefit is that it allows all 360, VR films to be distributed across various VR HMDs.
Ikonospace is a small Dutch start-up company that use VR to create virtual art exhibitions. The platform would enable any artist around the world to build, create, digitise and finally curate their own art exhibition. CEO and Co-Founder Joris Demnard, personally comes from a family that specialise in curating and putting together art exhibitions. With simple design tools, one can create a building, decorate the interior and then place their art in it.
Serious Factory have a special toolkit that enables users to create social scenarios. Think of it as directing a social space where you can control the characters interactions, facial expressions, reactions and create the perfect social training scenarios. The platform allows for full customisation of characters from ethnicity, outfit, and interactions to the 3D environment where the interactions would take place. The final scene also has a point system, which would allow recruiters to see in which category users failed in or excelled in.
Fibrum is the largest Russian developer for VR games and applications, having dipped its toes into e-sports as well as creating the Fibrum Pro HMD. Fibrum now focuses on a platform called Desirium, a mobile VR app and platform that’s similar to Jaunt’s app, where the company can host 360-degree and VR content. You can download the app on Google Play, App Store, Google Daydream or Samsung Gear VR for a free trial period now.
Make your dreary gym workout plan fun with VR, gaming and highscores.
VRFocus got into the grind of CES with Black Box VR, a new concept that combines gaming with gym workouts. Instead of getting bored at the gym, trying to make your exercise routine more interesting by listening to your ‘Gym Workout Session 1’ playlist on Spotify or attempting to enjoy the visual images on the TV screen, you’ll soon be able to dive into a HTC Vive headset (accompanied with special trackers on each arm) and carry out various work outs through Black Box VR. Several Black Box VR gyms will be opening on the West coast of the United States, to make your average gym workout more interesting.
Anybody who’s been trying to use VR for exercise will have heard of Sprint Vector, Survios’ action-packed multiplayer VR title. Survios announced several Sprint Vector tournaments and that it would be coming to various VR arcades soon, which can also be experienced in California.
Serious VR takes things very serious indeed, specialising in VR training and performance data focusing on industrial companies such as defence, metal and automotive sectors. The plan is to change manuals and e-learning into an information schedule to implement VR for training processes. The benefits of immersion that VR offers seem be very cost-effective and more efficient than conventional training for industrial companies at the moment.
French company Light and Shadows use both VR and AR to provide solutions to major industrial enterprises, having created various devices and training applications for companies that are looking for ways to train or operate in VR. With a background in 3D environments, they showcased a training simulation that combined leap motion with the HTC Vive. Using just your hands, VRFocus managed to pick up mechanical and industrial pieces in a factory.
vTime gets an audio boost with DTS custom audio technology.
All in all, VR companies exhibiting at CES showcased various platforms that wanted to be cross-platform friendly and were looking to have users create and generate their own content in order to boost their platform. For the most part, it seems like these platforms are oriented at large industrial companies looking to train staff or employees, whether it be in factories or in social situations. With it comes a lot of responsibility to create easy-to-use toolkits, quick production work flows as well as the tools to create the best immersion. For the most part, it has been HTC Vive that’s been the winner when looking at how companies are using the HMD to help introduce VR to the masses.
360 Cameras
Kodak’s three lense camera shoots 8K and will have a waterproof case to film underwater in.
There were only two cameras that really showcased what 360 VR could offer in the future. Besides Sony and Zeiss’s previously mentioned, it was Chinese company Pisoftech and Kodak that offered 8K capabilities. Lenovo also dips into VR, but uses 180 degrees instead.
Pisoftech has a background in mass surveillance and data. They decided to venture into the realm of hardware when they saw that the products their clients were making could be more efficient if they made it. The Pilot Era camera can shoot 8K and has the capability to stitch internally. In other words, no need for an external device or software to stitch for you anymore. It’s quite big as well, 61mm x 61 mm x 159mm and weighs around 565g, however it may be worth it if you don’t want the hassle of stitching your images and if you want 180 minutes of battery life. 8K comes at a huge price though, its estimated price is at £3,000 GBP, not exactly affordable for the average consumer. The product is expected to be available on Amazon in April 2018.
What Pisoftech offer in 8K internal stitching, Kodak makes up for in size. Showcasing two brand new cameras that as of yet have no name, Kodak is also dedicated to creating 8K VR footage but in stereoscopic 3D VR. The first to be shown is the three-lens 8K PixPro 360 camera that is able to film at 30 frames per second (FPS) or 4K at 60FPS, potentially even at 120FPS. A waterproof version is said to be released around the same time to enable underwater filming. Half the size of the Pilot Era camera, this camera does not offer internal stitching but is very small and could potentially last a long time if combined with external batteries.
The second camera shoots 4K 30 FPS and can fold out and do 3D stereoscopic 180 images. It was designed specifically to please the push YouTube and Google are making into 3D on their platforms. You can also tether the cameras together and make a full 360 3D unit, if you were to have three of them. When speaking to Kevin Kunze, he mentioned that the three-lens 8K camera would be $1,000-$2,000 cheaper than other 8K cameras on the market and both cameras would hopefully be coming out in Q4 this year.
Lenovo hasn’t exactly created a 360-degree camera but instead opted for the Lenovo Mirage Camera. The device enables users to capture VR video in broad 180-degrees from its two front facing lenses, which can then be viewed on the Lenovo Mirage Solo HMD (mentioned in the HMD section).
It really depends on what you’re looking for when it comes to cameras, 8K, size, weight, price or the effort of stitching. It’s interesting to note that both Lenovo and Kodak have created VR 180 degree cameras due to the push that Google have made for this content on the YouTube platform. Lenovo’s Mirage Camera for example natively integrates VR 180 images and videos onto both YouTube and Google photos.
Augmented Reality
AR was a big buzz word when it came to autonomous cars. Nvidia showcased this with their Drive AR, but it was WayRay that really got people on the show floor queuing up to have a try.
WayRay, is a Swiss developer of holographic AR navigation system for connected cars. They showcased NAVION, the world’s first ever holographic AR navigator, and the advanced version of the AR Infotainment System for cars. Placed on a dashboard, NAVION shows directions, trip details and display real-time indicators for things like pedestrians, POIs or alerting to hazards exactly where the driver needs them to be — on the road ahead — with no headgear or eye wear required. NAVION works hands-free and responds to the simple voice commands or to unique hand gestures.
Hololampon the other hand depends on interactions with your hands. Tracking individual faces, it’s able to change and alter the perspective of holograms to appear 3D. This can include anything, from food to architectural buildings. The holograms can be interacted with as well, so you can choose to change the colour of a room for example by tapping on the hologram.
AstroReality takes 3D printed objects and then uses their AR app AstroReality to help inform users about planets. AstroReality showcased how this was done by using 3D printed planets such as Mars, Earth and the Moon for example at CES. They hinted at working on other 3D printed objects and AR for other uses cases such as Dinosaurs, Rocks and other things. They’ve been very popular with astrologists, space-enthusiasts and classrooms.
uSens has not only partnered with Pico interactive on hand-tracking for mobile VR, but has managed to find a way to bring AR to almost all Android phones with the uSensAR app. uSens also announced a partnership with Chinese technology firm Spreadtrum, and uSensAR will be bringing AR camera effects to the Spreadtrum SC9853 chipset platform which will be in “hundreds of millions” of smartphones in 2018.
AiFishowcased the Wonderlens app which remarkably manages to capture individuals from their phones or tablets to anywhere they want without the need for green screen. This is all done in real-time as well, so no need for Chroma keying or masking – it’s all done on your phone or tablet. For those who aren’t filmmakers – this is remarkable and ground breaking technology at the tips of your consumer fingers and should definitely be tried (it can be argued that Wonderlens is actually MR). AiFi also showcased Holo Messenger turning you into a hologram which then gets projected in a personal video message to friends and family. Founded by former Google and Apple engineers, AiFi is currently working on the advanced checkout-free shopping experiences in the US. Apparently they’re doing Amazon Go, but on a much larger scale in US retail stores.
XXII is a French company that has taken the profits made in VR and AR and have gone into Artificial Intelligence (A.I.). Its created various escape room VR experiences and have now gone into smart retail, where the system uses sensors to analyse customers. They use AR to show and explain how their smart retail AI can be used. Similar, but smaller in size to AiFi it looks like the combination of immersive technologies and A.I. are proving to be a great combination for selling products.
The feedback VRFocus was getting from exhibitors was that AR was the first step to bring VR into the mass market. AR was an easier and less drastic way of introducing the technology to consumers. The buzz around autonomous cars and AR definitely looks like a new exciting possibility for future entertainment – right there on your dashboard. Stepping into an autonomous car in the future, will possibly be like stepping into a theatre. The combining of AI with both VR and AR can be very interesting, but is just at the start. Booth AiFi and XXII are blurring the lines and we could potentially see various interesting outcomes from both companies if they were to apply it in new and exciting ways.
Audio
Can you imagine being in a busy and loud room where only you hear the sound and voices?
Audio is equal, if not more important when it comes to feeling immersed. You can hear a mistake a lot quicker than seeing a mistake. If audio doesn’t quite work the way it does in real life, it breaks the immersion for many people. Besides vTime’s partnership with DTS, Dirac and Noveto aim to help create more immersive environments for both VR and AR.
Some tech needs to be experienced first hand, VR is certainly one while Noveto’s audio tech is another. The company showcased what it called ‘virtual headphones’, named Sowlo, projecting sound into your ear like a pair of headphones. The system tracks the users’ ears as well, so even if you turn your head a certain degree, the sound and volume would stay the same. Noveto demonstrated this for a conference call and interior of car use cases, explaining that the days of ‘headphones’ would soon be over. The system works with no need for any accessories on the user at all, no headphones, cables or added accessories. It just needed you and your ears.
Swedish company Dirac launched Dirac VR last year, a 3D audio platform for VR. This year at CES Dirac showcased the next iteration of the Dirac VR platform. The audio rendering of a virtual environment showcase how the location and volume level of the audio adjusts as the head rotates with a VR headset. In other words, if you move your head, sounds bounce off the walls the same way they would if you were doing this in real life.
Noveto’s Sowlo has the potential to not only change the way users interact with audio for VR, but also for everyday use cases. It has the potential to really enable social VR and really alter the way we can experience audio as a whole. Dirac’s experience in audio means that the re-creation of environments will create more immersive and realistic sound environments. Both look very promising to enhance VR worlds through means of audio.
Mixed Reality
Being hands-free would enable health care providers to work more efficiently.
There was not too much MR that VRFocus saw on the show floor at CES. Luckily the company that did showcase MR are doing something that could revolutionise the future of public health care. Making it more efficient, quicker and potentially lifesaving.
Exelus, a French telemedicine solution company has created a comprehensible mobile diagnostic platform using Microsoft’s Hololens. Partnering with Holoforge, they’ve created Nomadeec. It’s focused on delivering and providing the most accurate information as efficiently and quickly as possible between healthcare providers. Designed for nursing homes and out-of-hospital care facilities, it would allow nurses, care assistants, night watchmen and doctors to communicate with one another. Nomadeec is currently being used in France and could be a glimpse of what future healthcare methods healthcare providers will be using in future.
The last part of this recap is dedicated to accessories that are made to enhance your VR experience or can be used by developers to help develop and create new VR content.
When it comes to untethered VR, or VR without wires and cables that attach you to a laptop or desktop, HTC Vive users can rejoice at the announcement of the HTC Vive Wireless Adapter. However TPCast are also providing another option. The TPCast 2.0, which according to TPCast will utilise the latest generation of ultra-low latency codecs and upgraded real-time data control protocol. This will allow the company to deliver high quality video with low latency and real-time transmission at a range of distances. TPCast’s General Manager for Americas Udi Yuhjtman confirms that regardless of which HTC Vive HMD you’re using (Vive or Vive Pro), you’re able to use the TPCast 2.0 for both.
Feeling and Touching in VR: Gloves and Haptic Feedback
French company Go Touch VR uses haptic feedback to create the illusion of touch, except you don’t need to wear a glove. So no matter what size your hands or fingers are, you will be able to feel haptic feedback. It’s probably important to note, that long fingernails do not work with the system. By wearing small devices at the user’s fingertips, the units provide pressure on the fingers, allowing for multiple haptic feedback sensations. The VRTouch Developer Kit began selling in October 2017 and has since sold to several companies that include BMW.
Dutch start-up company Sense Glove is also seeking to find a solution for haptic feedback. However instead of putting items on your fingers, you need to put on what looks like a very complicated exoskeleton of a glove. It not only provides haptic feedback though, but force feedback as well. This was demonstrated at CES by having users trying to crack an egg and various other circular objects. The idea is to help the user feel the shape and density of virtual objects.
BeBop Sensors showcased their newly announced BeBop Sensors Marcel Modular Data Gloves that allow for either 6 or 9 degrees of freedom with a sensor sub-frame latency at 120 Hz. The data glove uses smart fabrics, with sensors tracking force, location, size, weight, bend and twist.
TreeTech is a Dutch company that realised that PC gamers were moving to the couch with VR and Steam Link box. So they created the PO!NT Controller, a modular game controller that brings the keyboard and mouse shortcuts to a controller. TreeTech also create custom module controls, and can be approached by developer for custom experiences. They will start producing the PO!NT controller in Q3, and on the market in Q4 retailing at $149.
Jamzone is a Dutch company that’s created a videogame to help train users to learn and cope with stress. Stressjamuses a special waistband that measures heart rate variability to read your body’s state of mind. So in other words it knows when you are calm or stressed. Stressjam then takes you on a guided journey where you can only complete certain tasks by making yourself calm or stressed. Jamzone want to use it for B2B purposes and want large companies to use it to help prevent stress, burnout and depression in their employees by training them to control their stress levels in VR.
VRFocusstumbled upon the Yaw VR Motion Simulator which makes VR more like a Cinema 4D experience. The Yaw VR offers full 360 degrees swivel, tilts, shakes, spins and motions that make you feel like you’re in real life. You can pre-order the Yaw VR and it is compatible with the Gear VR, Oculus Rift and HTC Vive for £629 if you get an Early Bird version.
On a special note, Pico Zense, AiFi and various other companies seem to be working on depth sensing technology at CES. The ability for VR or AR headsets to recognise the location around them could change and alter the way we interact with digital objects as well as pave the way forward for mixed reality content. All in all, it’s clear that there are numerous exhibitors who are looking for new solutions to solve problems in the fields of VR and AR.
Conclusion
CES 2018 showcased untethered VR without the need to link to a PC or laptop, trying both the HTC Vive Wireless Adapter and TPCast 2.0 was very strange in the sense that the usual ‘safety net’ or umbilical cord that kept you grounded to the sense of existing reality was gone. However with Oculus’s Santa Cruz and HTC Vive’s Wireless Adapter coming to the market – TPCast may struggle to stay relevant by the end of the year. The most common trend amongst HMD manufacturers such as Kopin or Zeiss One and VR content producers such as Jaunt, Fibrum, Ikonospace or vTime was that they wanted to be cross-platform and enable user generated content. This means that users need access or full customisation to what they’re creating in VR, but also make VR a much more accessible platform. It was very refreshing to see Timescope take VR outdoors and to public places where numerous tourists, and anybody from the age of seven is able to experience a location in a new way. It just goes to show that no matter which HMD you have, it’s all about content.
With regards to 360-degree cameras the trend is looking to get higher quality resolution and bumping up the cameras to 8K. It’s then just a matter of size, prize, weight and intent. There’s a definite trend towards using 3D 180 degree cameras for YouTube and Google’s sake, as is seen in Lenovo Mirage Camera – although not many except the Lenovo Mirage Solo seem to be discussing being a platform for the 3D 180 degree video or image content that would be created with the cameras. The foldable Kodak camera seems to try and combine both stereoscopic 180-degree 3D as well as full 360-degree filming – but at what cost? Stitching is still a massive problem when it comes to creating 360 content, but is paying $3,000 worth the price for not having to stitch?
When it comes to AR, the autonomous cars were the winners. AR on the dashboard or windscreen were two of the biggest hypes at CES when Nvidia and WayRay discussed them. Not only would information become easier, but it seemed like a natural progression having all this information accessible. Within five years, it will be expected that every new vehicle should have AR integrated in it. This means that in some sense AR will have reached the general consumer population to a certain degree. uSens as well as AiFi do deserve a special mention. uSens not only showcase impressive finger tracking, but uSens AR would also bring AR to cheaper android phones – especially in China opens up the AR market to various new types of content, users and market. No longer will AR be something only iPhone users can afford, but something that is for everybody. AiFi is one to watch with regards to how they are using A.I. with AR and VR. Though Wonderlens and Holo Messenger seem like small quirky apps, the technology behind it really showcase the intelligent sensors and software created by AiFi that enable them to go into the mass smart retail market.
When it comes to audio, it’s clear that vTime is trying to address immersion through realistic audio. It’s great to see a company such as Dirac who have built custom made audio for various locations and applications intently try and create a realistic audio as possible for VR. It was however Noveto that really blew VRFocusout of the water. Not only could this revolutionise the way users interact with audio as a whole, but it would also enable various users to go into a public space without the need to wear headphones on their VR headsets to enjoy an experience. No unnecessary wires, hygiene problems or headphones that aren’t suited to your specific ear shape.
There was only one real contender that truly showcased a working platform and model that is revolutionising the healthcare industry, and that is Nomadeec. A small thing such as enabling hands-free care whilst giving real time data back to the hospital as well as being able to call a doctor regarding the patient can be life changing and perhaps even life saving for patients that need immediate care. Though Nomadeec would be implemented in large business such as care homes or out of-hospital care facilities, it’s clear to see the potential of it as Nomadeec roles out. Hopefully Nomadeec will be brought to more countries and have a quick as well as immediate positive impact on patients in need. The only barrier to entry then becomes the price as well as training of staff the use the expensive Microsoft Hololens.
And last but not least, accessories. Now it’s hard to say which glove or accessory was the best at CES. When we reached BeBop Sensors it was nice to see something that felt complete, I personally was unable to use Go Touch VR because I have long fingernails and my colleague Peter demoed the Sense Glove. However after much discussion VRFocusconcluded that when it comes to being prepared for consumers, BeBop Sensors was the closest to being ready. Go Touch VR and Sense Glove both felt like early prototypes which needed several iterations whilst BeBop Sensors was almost there, had haptics on the fingers, was small and worked for both myself and Peter who have very different hand sizes.
A personal favourite of mine was Stressjam. This was probably because of how drastic and immediate of a change was asked from me whilst at CES in my state of mind. When I came out of Stressjam, it had a similar effect to how I felt when I used Noveto’s Sowlo system. Personally, I also believe that being able to control stress is a very healthy and useful ability for a population that suffers a lot from stress, depression and other illnesses as a result of that. It would be great to see VR implemented in a healthy and fun way that is not only associated with shooting zombies, scary horror VR videogames or training simulations.
Finally one thing that was most prominent from the whole show, was the continuous showcasing of VR experiences by using HTC Vive. Almost every single experience used the headset, from Black Box VR to training simulations that combined it with magic leap. Another thing that was noticeable was the incredible number of Asian or Chinese people at CES. It’s very clear that China is a huge market to be tapped, and it will be interesting to see more Chinese VR and AR tech coming out of the continent as well as seeing how HTC Vive will fare in the Eastern market.
The biggest problem facing start-up companies working in virtual reality (VR) is finding the money to fund their projects. VR is expensive and to get an experience made requires high-end PC’s or laptops, expensive head-mounted displays to test prototypes on, developers that comprehend videogame engines such as Unreal or Unity and with no real proper distribution model for 360 films that can be monetized, the waves are rather rocky and VR is a risky investment. VRFocus speaks to Thomas Gere, there CEO of the Realities Centre in London about investment for VR projects.
Those who are on the ‘in’ within the VR London scene are aware of the Realities Centre, an incubator space for augmented reality (AR) and VR. The Realities Centre has two different spaces dedicated to new immersive technologies. The first centre is located near Moorgate and focuses on training as well as remote collaboration for corporate whilst the second centre is based in Huckletree West in White City, which helps content creators in the creative industries. Since it’s existence last year, the Realities Centre has hosted 18 events. Each event focuses on a particular aspect such as retail or artificial intelligence (A.I.) and links a hackathon as well in order to feel what developers and investors are interested in. This puts Thomas Gere in a position where he can see what investors are looking for and where technology is lacking.
Gere explains that in the last two years he grew frustrated with so many events around VR being so broad, with no real focus to expanding or building upon the existing VR hardware and software. With the Realities Centre he has built a community of over 150 developers, the involvement of 25 corporate companies and over 30 mentors. It doesn’t stop there. The Realities Centre also have an acceleration programme called the Vision Programme. This has been specifically created to improve VR and AR experiences by bringing together innovators that work in the medical or Fintech industries together with start-up companies to share their knowledge on machine learning, computer vision and A.I. to help incubate ideas and potentially spin off new technologies. The programme is starting later this year and in quarter 1. Besides the hackathons and events, the Realities Centre also have academy courses which help introduce the concept of AR and VR to coporates or anybody interested really into making VR or AR applications. They are also starting Microsoft hololens courses, to future proof developers and corporates for mixed reality (MR).
What are investors looking for?
When it comes to B2B investors are looking for any type of technology that is involved in training and education. This is cross media and can range from areas such as medical to engineering.
For longer term projects, investors are looking for applications in retail and mixed reality. In other words the future of user experiences, lighter head-mounted displays, hardware technology or cloud computing.
With regards to content, investors are looking at seriable content that can bring in brand loyalty or returning customers. This can be five to ten episodes that have interactivity inside of them and can bring people wanting to come back for more.
Where can UK companies find funding for their projects?
At the moment it is easiest to get money from the US when you are based in the UK. Most early stage investment come from companies such as BoostVC or the VR Fund. It’s taking a little longer to gain traction here in the UK, because going through the traditional routes of finding investment in Tech or Media do not comprehend the technology as it is disruptive or think it’s still too risky. Gere admits this is slowly changing and is happy to see that Digital Catapult and the Arts Council have started to acknowledge the new forms of content with the Creative XR Programme that offers £20,000 to fund a prototype in immersive technology. At the moment this is a small step into the right direction, Gere explains that in Europe and specifically France finding public funding is a lot easier to find due to its structure.
How much can I ask for funding for a VR project?
Besides the £20,000 offered in the Creative XR Programme mentioned above, it’s good to start with £100k – £200k in the UK. This is through traditional early stage VC’s. Gere says that angel groups are not interested in AR and VR, but their funds might be interested. If a project is over £300k it will require going across the Atlantic and bringing in several investors.
The Realities Centre have been working together with various investors in the US, sharing pitchdesks and aiding companies that want incubation with the Realities Centre. Gere says that he has also been working to get Chinese investment. The first centre is located in a Cocoon building – owned by the Chinese, and China has a long history of investing in media companies.
Find out more in the video below where Gere discusses the future for investment next year and how SteamVR is the key to making your VR experience cross-platform.
It’s sometimes hard to keep track of all the events that take place surrounding virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR). Various events, conferences, demos and meetups try to showcase or bring together people who are interested in the latest technologies, include a new event organised by Level 39 in partnership with PwC, the London VR and AR Association , VRFocus as well as the Realities Centre, held at Level 39 in Canary Wharf, London this week. Featuring numerous exhibitors showcased their VR or AR products, software, hardware and experiences, the event also had a list of speakers from various companies.
VRFocushas put a list and little video together so you can see what you missed out on. The line-up of the exhibitors included:
The UK, like most places, is still developing its virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) sectors, but it has already become an important centre for VR and AR development.
In recognition of this, financial technology firm Level39 is setting up a meetup and demonstration event later this month.
Level39 were set up in 2012 to act as an accelerator for innovative and disruptive technologies that could apply to the finance sector, to ensure British businesses received the benefit of progress in those areas. The company has now teamed up with PwC’s VR Division VRARA and the Realities Centre to organise a meetup of experts and industry leaders in the VR and AR fields to show some of their projects.
There are expected to be over 300 representatives from the tech industry in attendance, with half coming from VR and AR related industries. There are more than ten exhibits planned which will feature VR or AR showcases, these will be located around the venue to encourage exploration.
The event organisers are still accepting applications for creators who wish to exhibit their work, though names will be shortlisted next week, so creators are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. Level39 emphasise that showcases must be visual, to encourage engagement from the audience.
If you are interested in attending or showing your work please sign up via the Eventbrite. Any questions, please email QM@Level39.co.
The event is due to take place on Thursday 26th October at Canary Wharf in London. There will be no charge to enter or exhibit at the event, but attendees will need to register through the Eventbrite page in order to gain entry. The event will start at 5:30pm until 9:30pm.
A video showing some of the venue is available to view below. VRFocus will continue to bring you news on upcoming VR/AR events.
For those based in London looking for virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) or mixed reality (MR) experiences, workshops, events or co-working space may have come across the Realities Centre, one of the leading innovation spaces for immersive technologies. Most of their events have been held in the Cocoon network in East London (4 Christopher Street, EC2A 2BS), but since the 7th of September the Realities Centre is also coming to West London in Huckletree West.
The new partnership between Huckletree West and the Realities Centre was celebrated by hosting the event ‘Augmented & Virtual Reality in the Media & Creative Industries’ at Huckletree West (191 Wood Ln, W12 7FP). It offered members of the public a chance to see the new coworking spaces in Huckletree West and try out some Google Tilt Brush in the HTC Vive.
Ultrahaptics also showcased Virtual Reality Magic. Virtual Reality Magic is a VR game that was shown on the HTC Vive which combined Ultrahaptic’s haptic’s technology with the game so players could use their hands to shoot fire or electricity from their hands after learning the spells from your master’s spell book. Watch the trailer below to get an idea of what Ultrahaptics were showing at the Event.
The evening had a number of talks from industry specialists. Thomas Gere, CEO & Founder of the Realities Centre and Gabriela Hersham, CEO of Huckletree announced their partnership and introduced the speakers. The event kicked off with Matthew Drinkwater, Head of Fashion Innovation Agency at London College of Fashion (UAL) discussing how 3D and immersive experiences will disrupt the fashion industry. The even had speakers from Ravensbourne, BBC, Raindance Film Festival and Ultrahaptics discussing how companies were adapting to new technologies and how VR and AR would distrupt various creative sectors. The evening concluded with a panel discussion with Kevin Joyce, Editor of VRFocus hosting panel with the speakers and Dave Haynes from Seedcamp and WaveVR discussing the future of immersive technologies.
London, UK-based Realities Centre has built itself up since its launch late last year as one of the leading innovation spaces for virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) technologies. Now the centre has announced a new partnership with Huckletree, a coworking space for tech businesses, to provide services relevant to immersive tech at the company’s new digital lifestyle workspace, Huckletree West.
The partnership, commencing 7th September 2017, will begin with an opening event that evening, from 6:30pm – 9:00pm, at Huckletree West, 191 Wood Ln, White City, London W12 7FP. Huckletree West and Realities Centre invites those working in media and creative industries to attend or showcase at an evening of workshops and networking, featuring the debut of the new VR studio. The evening event will also allow the two companies an opportunity to showcase their upcoming programme of activities.
Thomas Gere, CEO of Realities Centre, said in statement: “We are very excited to work with Huckletree West to focus on supporting individuals and companies who innovate using Augmented and Virtual Reality in the creative and media industry. The UK is a world class creative centre and we are fully committed to help talented people engage and harness immersive technologies.”
Gabriela Hersham, co-founder of Huckletree, said: “We’re delighted to be partnering with Realities Centre to showcase the latest innovations in VR and AR at Huckletree West. Realities Centre’s expertise will be essential in helping our members grow their businesses and expand their knowledge.”
For further info head to the Huckletree website. As ever, keep reading VRFocusfor the latest VR news from around the world.
Whether you’re an experienced designer, programmer, engineer, or maybe you’ve just been inspired after reading VRFocus articles, the jobs listed here are located worldwide, from major game players to humble indie developers – the one thing they all have in common is that they are all jobs in VR.
As usual, you can check last week’s edition for further job listings. If you are an employer looking for someone to fill a role in a VR or AR related area and want that position to be featured on next week’s VR Job Hub, please send details to either pgraham@vrfocus.com or keva@vrfocus.com.
Check back with VRFocus next Sunday at 3PM BST every Sunday for the latest roles in the VR industry.
London, UK-based the Realities Centre holds regular virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) events at its location in the city, covering a range of topics from Edtech to MedTech and more. Now the centre has announced its latest programme, with three events scheduled for the coming month ahead.
The first will take place on 12th June, focusing on emerging retail technology. As part of London’s Tech Week, the Realities Centre in conjunction with TLA RetailTech will be running a evening of presentations, demos and networking at The Trampery, Old Street. Here, attendees will be able to discuss how the retail industry is evolving through the implementation of VR, AR, AI and other technologies. Further details and ticket availability are due to be released soon.
On 16th June, during the third day of the China-UK Hi! Festival, the centre will be holding an event looking at ‘How AR/VR tech are impacting the Product Lifecycle’. As part of this the Realities Centre will unveil its theme for its accelerator programme. This runs from 10:30 am through to 12:30 pm, with tickets available through Eventbrite.
Lastly towards the end of the month, on 29th June, Realities Centre will be running an evening focused on healthcare called ‘HealthTech – VR /AR for good Conference’. With a focus on mental health, rehabilitation and VR for good, the evening conference will include several panel sessions and demonstrations. This will then be followed by a 24-hours hackathon over the weekend. Tickets for the conference can be found here, while those wishing to take part in the hackathon can register here.
VRFocus will continue its coverage of the latest VR and AR events from around the world, reporting back with the latest announcements.
Every month, London, UK-based The Realities Centre holds a conference or game jam dedicated to some part of the virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) or mixed reality (MR) industries. While previous events have focused on healthcare or education, for April, The Realities Centre will be dedicating its events to gaming.
Only a few details have been released so far, stating that a conference will be held on Thursday, 27th April featuring some of the biggest VR studios and industry insiders. Then on the weekend of 29th – 30th April, there will be a 24 hour game jam. Tickets for the conference and game jam sign-ups will be announced shortly.
In March, The Realities Centre ran a conference highlighting the combination of AI + VR, supported by PwC, Reincubate and The Trampery with IBM Waston, Oculus, Improbable, HP, HTC and more. Rob Whitehead, co-founder and CTO of Improbable, spoke about ‘A high level introduction of the AI and VR industry’, while Phil Westcott, European ecosystem leader at IBM Watson held a talk on ‘IBM Watson in IoT & VR’.
The conference was then followed by a weekend hackathon with teams working together to build a VR project in 24h. The winners were Carlous, Jonathan, Cynthia and Ankur from team PSYCH, creating an anxiety busting app.
Checkout the hackathon video below, and for further Realities Centre updates, keep reading VRFocus.
![Huckletree West (1)[2]](https://www.vrfocus.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Huckletree-West-12-1024x614.jpg)
