Author name: Rejus Almole

announcing-tnw-conference-2023:-reclaim-the-future

Announcing TNW Conference 2023: Reclaim the future

Ecosystems, Events, Insider, Next Featured, Startups and technology / /
Announcing TNW Conference 2023: Reclaim the future

Zach Butler

Story by

Zach Butler

Events Director at TNW. Events Director at TNW.

When TNW Conference first took place in 2006, the digital disruption was still in its early stages. The conference served as a platform for forward thinkers to explore what a tech-enabled future could, and eventually would, look like.

Today, technology has transformed everything. Yet somehow, the future used to feel more promising than it does now. There’s no need to elaborate on the emotions that come to mind when thinking about the future in a time of such uncertainty and anxiety.

As one of the premier tech events and media brands in Europe, we are acutely aware of the power and responsibility that comes with being able to reach millions of people and promote impactful messages. And I believe that this period in TNW Conference’s 17-year history is perhaps more important than ever before.

In the past few turbulent years, we chose not to have an evolving annual theme for the event. Instead, we focused on showcasing our beloved conference as the place where “the next in tech” is discovered, right now. That fundamental aspect will never change, but in 2023, it’s time for us to be bold again.

So, if TNW is the heart of tech, then we need to be the place where the passionate individuals creating, investing in, or utilising technology for a better future can come together. And even better, in a space that is inclusive, engaging, and enjoyable.

We’ve been doing this for 17 years without explicitly saying it, but TNW Conference is the place where you can reclaim the future. This year, we’re making it the main theme of the event.

This summer, let’s go back to when the future excited us. When technology meant hope, innovation, endless possibilities. Not with the all-encompassing techno-optimism of the 2000s, but with a responsible, balanced approach of the 2020s that still leaves us the mental space to be inspired, curious, and empowered.

Join us in Amsterdam on June 15–16, 2023 to rediscover the excitement and promise that technology holds, and let’s shape a brighter tomorrow together. See you in the future.

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Influencing the Metaverse: The Sandbox and Influential Join Forces to Level Up Brand Experiences

featured, Marketing, metaverse / /

The Sandbox, the company that brought Netflix’s Squid Game experience to the VR world, has forged a partnership with Influential to bring influencer marketing into the metaverse. Influential is one of the biggest influencer marketing agencies, with over 3 million creators on its network. The partnership allows brands to tap into this global network and create immersive brand experiences on The Sandbox.

A New Way to Reach Audiences in the Metaverse

Influencer marketing has disrupted the traditional marketing industry. With its focus on peer power instead of celebrity endorsements, influencers have made their mark on many industries. And with this partnership, Web3 opens up more marketing opportunities for brands and creators alike. The collaboration between a prominent marketing agency and a massive 3D virtual universe opens up new marketing channels for brands.

The Sandbox is a decentralized, virtual gaming world where creators can build different types of assets and gaming experiences. Users can then either monetize their content via the Ethereum blockchain or simply share it with others.

The Sandbox metaverse

It uses a no-code platform for creating digital assets and experiences. This is good news for Influential creators, who will undergo training on navigating and using The Sandbox virtual world to create immersive experiences for players. By leveraging these new skills, creators can increase their reach and drive engagement for their communities. It becomes a new way to interact with audiences and build their influence.

Connecting Brands, Creators, and Communities With Immersive Experiences

Both The Sandbox and Influential are excited about the new opportunities this collaboration will bring. While not entirely novel, influencer marketing in Web3 is still largely untapped. Experts predict, however, that influencer marketing in the metaverse will have a huge impact on how brands, creators, and audiences interact with each other.

Influential believes that the metaverse can bring influencer marketing to a higher level of entertainment and engagement. “Consumers and brands are craving immersive experiences with creators,” Influential CEO Ryan Detert said in a press release shared with ARPost.

Unlike influencer marketing on social media, VR delivers more interactive and immersive experiences for consumers. Instead of passively viewing sponsored posts and videos, audiences can participate in games and other VR experiences. This can yield positive sentiment toward brands, and give consumers a chance to interact virtually with products or brand advocates. Brands benefit from a wider reach and increased engagement with their audience.

These opportunities for influencer marketing in the metaverse are not lost on Detert. He believes that working with The Sandbox is a positive step toward the future of influencer marketing. “We’re delighted to partner with The Sandbox to add another dimension to our offering and help some of the world’s most ambitious brands explore the limitless opportunities in this space as they take their first steps into the metaverse,” he said.

The Metaverse: The Future of Entertainment Culture

Meanwhile, for Mathieu Cervety, The Sandbox’s Ecosystem Partnerships Director, Influential’s entrance into the company’s VR gaming world provides brands with exciting possibilities in the Web3 community. “Influential is in a unique position to help major brands become stronger in the new entertainment culture at the crossroads of gaming, the creator economy, and true digital ownership,” he said.

With influencer marketing reaching a market value of $16.4 billion in 2022, its potential impact on the metaverse is noteworthy. Add to that The Sandbox’s huge network of players and the possibilities for engagement and community-driven experiences are phenomenal.

Influencing the Metaverse: The Sandbox and Influential Join Forces to Level Up Brand Experiences Read More »

psvr-2:-‘pavlov’-&-‘kayak-vr’-reaffirmed-as-top-downloads-in-first-full-month-since-launch

PSVR 2: ‘Pavlov’ & ‘Kayak VR’ Reaffirmed as Top Downloads in First Full Month Since Launch

kaya vr mirage, kayak vr, News, pavlov, PlayStation VR 2 / /

PlayStation VR 2 launched in late February, and it wasn’t certain just how its smallish library of games would stack up in the headset’s first monthly top download report, which critically only accounted for the first week of user downloads. Now it’s clear: Pavlov and Kayak VR: Mirage are undoubtedly fan favorites.

Taking the top spot across the US & Canada and the EU is Vankrupt Games’ online multiplayer shooter Pavlov, which offers up a wide range of content beyond its classic 5v5 attack & defend mode.

Outside of being a popular game on basically all major VR platforms, Vankrupt is continuously expanding Pavlov’s modes, which now includes a murder mystery-inspired mode, a monster hunting mode which pits one player against nine others, and even a WWII map that lets you attack or defend Stalingrad in a 4v4 tank battle.

In PSVR 2’s inaugural top download list, Pavlov was rated number two across US & Canada and Europe, coming just below Kayak VR: Mirage, a kayak racing sim initially released on SteamVR headsets in 2022 by Amsterdam-based indie studio Better Than Life.

Kayak VR is still alive and kicking though, as it remains in the top three across the US & Canada, EU, and Japan, although it’s a good sign that any online multiplayer game is doing well on the platform, since it relies so heavily on populated servers to stay relevant.

Meanwhile, the platform’s premier single-player VR-native Horizon Call of the Mountain is no longer stacking up as the third most downloaded game in the US & Canada and Europe; it’s still remaining strong in Japan though.

That doesn’t mean people aren’t playing Horizon Call of the Mountain through. It’s important to note that the chart below is counting PS Store purchases and not bundled or upgraded content, which notably includes big titles such as Horizon Call of the Mountain, Gran Turismo 7, and Resident Evil Village.

Check out the full list below:

PSVR 2 March Top Downloads

US/Canada EU Japan
1 Pavlov Pavlov

Kayak VR: Mirage
2 The Dark Pictures: Switchback Kayak VR: Mirage

The Dark Pictures: Switchback
3 Kayak VR: Mirage The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners – Chapter 2: Retribution

Horizon Call of the Mountain
4 The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners – Chapter 2: Retribution Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge Drums Rock
5 Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge Drums Rock

DYSCHRONIA: Chronos Alternate
6 PISTOL WHIP PISTOL WHIP Puzzling Places
7 Horizon Call of the Mountain Synth Riders

Onogoro Monogatari ~The Tale of Onogoro~
8 Swordsman VR Swordsman VR PISTOL WHIP
9 Drums Rock Horizon Call of the Mountain

The Light Brigade
10 Job Simulator Job Simulator Swordsman VR

PSVR 2: ‘Pavlov’ & ‘Kayak VR’ Reaffirmed as Top Downloads in First Full Month Since Launch Read More »

meta-shows-new-progress-on-key-tech-for-making-ar-genuinely-useful

Meta Shows New Progress on Key Tech for Making AR Genuinely Useful

ar, Artificial Intelligence, augmented reality, Meta, meta sam, News, object segmentation, sa-1b / /

Meta has introduced the Segment Anything Model, which aims to set a new bar for computer-vision-based ‘object segmentation’—the ability for computers to understand the difference between individual objects in an image or video. Segmentation will be key for making AR genuinely useful by enabling a comprehensive understanding of the world around the user.

Object segmentation is the process of identifying and separating objects in an image or video. With the help of AI, this process can be automated, making it possible to identify and isolate objects in real-time. This technology will be critical for creating a more useful AR experience by giving the system an awareness of various objects in the world around the user.

The Challenge

Imagine, for instance, that you’re wearing a pair of AR glasses and you’d like to have two floating virtual monitors on the left and right of your real monitor. Unless you’re going to manually tell the system where your real monitor is, it must be able to understand what a monitor looks like so that when it sees your monitor it can place the virtual monitors accordingly.

But monitors come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. Sometimes reflections or occluded objects make it even harder for a computer-vision system to recognize.

Having a fast and reliable segmentation system that can identify each object in the room around you (like your monitor) will be key to unlocking tons of AR use-cases so the tech can be genuinely useful.

Computer-vision based object segmentation has been an ongoing area of research for many years now, but one of the key issues is that in order to help computers understand what they’re looking at, you need to train an AI model by giving it lots images to learn from.

Such models can be quite effective at identifying the objects they were trained on, but if they will struggle on objects they haven’t seen before. That means that one of the biggest challenges for object segmentation is simply having a large enough set of images for the systems to learn from, but collecting those images and annotating them in a way that makes them useful for training is no small task.

SAM I Am

Meta recently published work on a new project called the Segment Anything Model (SAM). It’s both a segmentation model and a massive set of training images the company is releasing for others to build upon.

The project aims to reduce the need for task-specific modeling expertise. SAM is a general segmentation model that can identify any object in any image or video, even for objects and image types that it didn’t see during training.

SAM allows for both automatic and interactive segmentation, allowing it to identify individual objects in a scene with simple inputs from the user. SAM can be ‘prompted’ with clicks, boxes, and other prompts, giving users control over what the system is attempting to identifying at any given moment.

It’s easy to see how this point-based prompting could work great if coupled with eye-tracking on an AR headset. In fact that’s exactly one of the use-cases that Meta has demonstrated with the system:

Here’s another example of SAM being used on first-person video captured by Meta’s Project Aria glasses:

You can try SAM for yourself in your browser right now.

How SAM Knows So Much

Part of SAM’s impressive abilities come from its training data which contains a massive 10 million images and 1 billion identified object shapes.  It’s far more comprehensive than contemporary datasets, according to Meta, giving SAM much more experience in the learning process and enabling it to segment a broad range of objects.

Image courtesy Meta

Meta calls the SAM dataset SA-1B, and the company is releasing the entire set for other researchers to build upon.

Meta hopes this work on promptable segmentation, and the release of this massive training dataset, will accelerate research into image and video understanding. The company expects the SAM model can be used as a component in larger systems, enabling versatile applications in areas like AR, content creation, scientific domains, and general AI systems.

Meta Shows New Progress on Key Tech for Making AR Genuinely Useful Read More »

the-rise-of-europe’s-drone-sector-sees-new-jobs-taking-off

The rise of Europe’s drone sector sees new jobs taking off

Future of Work, Startups and technology / /

There was plenty of excitement late last year when Alphabet, Google’s parent company, announced a European testbed for its drone delivery subsidiary, Wing.

Wing’s delivery drone network is already being tested at scale in Australia and, last October, a small suburb of Dublin was selected for its first trials in the EU.

It signalled a vote of confidence from the Big Tech giant for the region’s drone ecosystem, with a spokesperson from Wing citing “the progress on drone regulations” in the EU as a reason for moving forward with tests there.

Ireland has already served as a successful launchpad for drone delivery startup Manna, which is now starting trials in the US, and there are many more drone startups taking off across Europe.

UK company Skyports plans to expand its drone delivery service across Europe and beyond, and recently opened offices in South Korea. Germany-based Wingcopter is currently looking into how hydrogen might power its fleet of delivery drones.

The drone industry isn’t just about delivery, either. Proveye, another Irish company, is advancing drone-based image processing for use in agriculture.

Swedish company Skyqraft uses a system of drones and AI to conduct power line inspections. Dutch startup Fusion Engineering develops flight controls for commercial drones. France-headquartered IVA Drones is spearheading the new business category of drones-as-a-service, offering businesses a way to book drones for any mission they might have for them.

Drones are in the entertainment business too, with companies such as Dronisos, also based in France, choreographing drone flights for dazzling light shows, and many more specialist operators working on film sets and photoshoots.

Putting drones to work

Also known as uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) or uncrewed aircraft systems (UASs), businesses are finding many uses for drones in their work.

While a prime opportunity has been identified in last-mile delivery services, this has proven a tough course to chart. Even a major player such as Amazon, which has spent many years trying to get its Prime Air project off the ground, has hit upon challenges that have set its plans back time and time again.

While this segment of the drone industry has experienced its rises and falls, there are other implementations of this technology making steady progress.

Drone photography and video capture is not only being used by creatives, but also in the industrial sector where the vantage point only drones can offer proves useful.

Drones give visibility to towering structures with minimal safety risk for the workers tasked with maintaining them. When combined with computer vision technology, they can be of further assistance in detection and monitoring.

Jobs in the drone industry

The industry rising up around drone technology means new jobs are being created in this sector.

First and foremost, companies who want to put drones to work need people who can fly them, such as drone operators and pilots.

Mechanical engineers are needed in the build and manufacturing stage, while drone technicians and mechanics are also required to ensure entire fleets are kept up to spec and flight-ready.

Photographers and videographers who have mastered the art of flying a drone while capturing stunning, steady visuals can find work in the creative sector or even provide a feed of stock footage and images for the industry.

Purpose-built drones also require purpose-built software, opening up a new category of software development. Autonomous drones in particular present a challenge for programmers, making use of AI for navigation and route-mapping.

And, as this is still an emerging tech space, companies going deep into the research and development of drones are hiring flight sciences teams to help understand, inspect, and improve aerodynamics, propulsion, performance, stability, and flight controls.

This is where specialists from the aviation industry can pivot to a career the drone sector, where their experience and skills come at a premium.

Getting on board

For those who have more than a fleeting interest in drones, a good place to start would be to invest in a craft and familiarise yourself with local regulations, such as height limits and geographic restrictions. If it’s a drone equipped with a camera or sensor, you’ll need to be extra careful in terms of data collection rules, and always be careful not to trespass on private property.

To fly it, you must register as a drone operator and pass a drone pilot exam. This can be completed following online training with your national aviation authority.

Ready to build an exciting career in the drone industry? Check out the House of Talent Job Board to find companies hiring now

The rise of Europe’s drone sector sees new jobs taking off Read More »

top-5-e-commerce-ar-and-vr-trends-to-follow-in-2023

Top 5 E-Commerce AR and VR Trends To Follow in 2023

augmented reality, e-commerce, featured, Guest Post, Retail & E-Commerce, virtual reality / /

AR and VR are two of the most promising technologies of the modern era. Both can potentially revolutionize how we interact with the world around us. However, these technologies have taken a long time to reach their full potential.

While AR and VR have been around for decades, it wasn’t until recently that they offered a quality experience without being too limited by technological constraints or not being portable enough for widespread use.

Nevertheless, they’ve been making waves in many industries. And now, the e-commerce industry is hopping on board. Statista reports that by 2023, there will be 1.4 billion AR devices worldwide, projected to rise to 1.73 billion by 2024.

Number of mobile augmented reality (AR) active user devices worldwide from 2019 to 2024 - Statista
Source: Statista

What should we expect from AR and VR in 2023 and beyond? In this article, we will explore the potential of AR and VR for e-commerce and how they can enhance your shopping experience.

1. Increased Adoption of AR in E-Commerce

According to a recent survey, 38% of marketers reported using AR in 2022. It’s a significant increase from the 23% reported in 2017. And it’s understandable, given AR technology’s benefits to e-commerce customers.

For example, it allows them to feel like they’re physically interacting with products in a brick-and-mortar store while being online. AR can also help consumers visualize how products will look in their homes or on their bodies, improving the shopping experience and leading to more informed purchasing decisions and fewer returns.

Looking ahead to 2023, there are six exciting trends in the AR shopping space to keep an eye on. They are:

1. Social Media Apps and Camera Filters

Social media apps and camera filters, with Snapchat and Instagram leading the charge by incorporating AR into their platforms. Brands can use SnapAR Lens Studio or Meta Spark to create engaging AR filters and lenses that bring products to life. A case in point is Gucci.

Gucci AR instagram filter
Screenshots taken on the official Gucci Instagram account

2. Virtual Try-On Technology

Virtual try-on technology to see how products look on shoppers like on the Sephora Snapchat page.

Sephora Snapcaht Lens
Screenshots taken on the official Sephora Snapchat account

3. Virtual Showrooms

Virtual showrooms are similar to try-on but involve the buyer flipping the camera around. For example, it’s popular among furniture stores like EQ3.

virtual showroom EQ3
Screenshots taken on the official EQ3 website

4. Better AR Hardware Options

Better AR hardware options, caused by innovations in mobile technology, such as LiDAR and ToF (depth sensing hardware). Companies like Google, Microsoft, Lenovo, and Vuzix are developing smart glasses to enhance the AR experience.

5. AR Mirrors

AR mirrors for in-store shopping, assisting buyers who are in-store and either don’t want to test various alternatives or can’t for whatever reasons.

6. Gamifying

Gamifying in-store shopping to connect physical products with apps, creating a fun and interactive shopping experience.

2. VR-Enabled Online Shopping Experiences

VR creates an immersive visual environment, including 360-degree videos, photos, product demos, and complex experiences using devices such as the HTC Vive or Oculus Quest.

Unlike AR, VR is entirely simulated and disconnected from the physical world. VR can benefit businesses in various ways, such as:

  • virtual tours of showrooms and stores;
  • visualization of products;
  • greater user engagement;
  • increased consumer trust;
  • enhanced conversion rates;
  • better retention rates;
  • improved customer service.

However, it’s essential to remember the “shiny toy syndrome” and avoid it. Ensure that VR experiences align with your business goals and customer needs before opting for them. E-commerce stores can use VR for the following purposes:

  • virtual stores with virtual clothing racks, an opportunity to meet with friends and shop together online;
  • “try before you buy”;
  • in-store experiences;
  • live events;
  • interactive education.

3. Introducing AI Into AR and VR Solutions

Artificial intelligence can integrate with AR and VR technologies to revolutionize the shopping experience. AI-powered 3D representation of products in a user’s environment can increase conversions. How? Here is how AI can enhance virtual experiences:

1. Object Recognition

AR and VR experiences can adjust to the user’s movements and actions thanks to AI algorithms’ ability to detect and track things in real time.

2. Computer Vision

It involves image recognition and tracking, enabling the system to respond to the environment.

3. Natural Language Processing (NLP)

NLP is about using voice commands for people to explore and interact with virtual worlds.

4. Predictive Analytics

As AI can predict user behavior, merchants can build personalized and proactive experiences.

5. Usage Analytics

AI can also help analyze usage data and client feedback. You can optimize your AR/VR services and boost buyer satisfaction based on the results.

6. Personalized Experiences

One of the ways to employ customer insights is to tailor offers to their tastes. It can boost satisfaction and sales.

4. Creating Digital Twins

The past year has seen an increase in AR and 3D technology use by fashion brands to boost sales and brand recognition in physical and virtual worlds. And in 2023, we can expect more brands to utilize AR innovatively.

It includes the ability to try on digital versions of physical clothing on your avatar. Another example is unlocking special effects for physical apparel. Some brands create digital-only looks that users can capture on camera and share on social media.

This trend becomes possible thanks to avatar platforms and AR features such as image targets and body tracking. So brands can offer and sell virtual goods. And with NFC (Near Field Communication) and QR codes embedded in physical apparel, you can transform one thing (for example, a T-shirt) into infinite designs.

5. Security Concerns Over the Usage of AR and VR

Consumers are increasingly concerned about privacy, security, and safety in computing. The metaverse, new headsets, and more AR and VR content have made safety a greater focus. Devices can now gather more information through eye and hand tracking. AR also relies on spatial data to immerse users. That’s why customers remain skeptical about using such devices daily.

How can people safely enjoy digital realities? We need new frameworks, regulations, and social contracts prioritizing safety. All these require collaboration through working groups, policy and standard discussions, and new software solutions for moderation and cyber threats.

Final Word

To sum up, AR and VR can enhance the e-commerce industry by improving the customer experience, driving more engagement, and cutting costs. But there are many challenges to overcome before these technologies can become mainstream.

For example, some websites are incompatible with VR headsets or AR apps. Why? The reason is that they were not built with those devices in mind. And not everyone owns a headset or smartphone capable of using these technologies.

That’s why e-commerce merchants should take advantage of these new opportunities to not lose potential clients due to incompatibility issues. As these technologies get better, more online stores will use AR and VR to give shoppers immersive shopping experiences. The future of e-commerce is exciting. And augmented and virtual reality are sure to play a significant role in shaping it.

Guest Post

About the Guest Author(s)

Art Malkovich

Art Malkovich

Art Malkovich is CEO and co-founder of Onilab, an e-commerce development company. He has about 10 years of experience in team management and web development. He is passionate about keeping up with recent technologies and working on innovative projects like headless commerce solutions and PWAs in particular.

Top 5 E-Commerce AR and VR Trends To Follow in 2023 Read More »

catching-up-with-varjo-partnerships-and-experiences-around-the-world

Catching Up With Varjo Partnerships and Experiences Around the World

extended reality, featured, Mixed Reality, News, varjo, virtual reality, XR experiences / /

Varjo hasn’t been hibernating over the winter but they’ve definitely had a very active spring. ARPost typically reports on the Finnish XR company’s groundbreaking hardware and software developments, but the company also helps develop and distribute XR experiences and solutions ranging from operas to flight simulations.

An Opera Produced Entirely Through XR

The Finnish National Opera and Ballet (FNOB) spent two years producing Turandot opera with Sweden’s Malmö Opera. The ambitious international product involved designing complex sets and orchestrating intricate scene transitions. FNOB has commented before that Varjo is the only headset manufacturer that matches their high-quality requirements.

Varjo x FNOB and Sweden’s Malmö Opera - Digital Twin vs real-world comparison
Varjo partners with FNOB and Sweden’s Malmö Opera – Digital Twin vs real-world view comparison

FNOB, which has been gradually implementing XR production tools over the last three years, started with two things: the in-house Unreal Engine-driven “XR Stage” visualization tool, and a 3D model of the main stage created by ZOAN – a 3D content agency that uses the same hardware to bring employees into their virtual headquarters.

“Our artists were only open to using virtual tools if models would be photorealistic and it was an intuitive user experience,” FNOB Production and Technical Director Timo Tuovila, said in a release shared with ARPost. “We have been able to create a digital twin of our stage that actually is true to life, matching the expectations of our ambitious artistic and technical teams.”

The virtual stage was used collaboratively between the two opera houses to virtually design and redesign sets – a process that would normally have taken tremendous time, resources, and materials. It is estimated that using XR preproduction instead saved over $82,000 and 1,500 hours of production time, not to mention enhanced crew safety.

Varjo x FNOB and Sweden’s Malmö Opera.png
Varjo partners with FNOB and Sweden’s Malmö Opera for Turandot

This is the eighth FNOB production using XR preproduction, but this is the first time that they – or anybody – have used the technology at every step from proof-of-concept to final production, according to the release. It would be interesting to see XR also being used in recording and distributing live content at this level.

Twinmotion Programs Come to Varjo Devices

The virtual production of Turandot is a highly artistic example of using Varjo for architecture and design. That use case is about to get a big leg up as the company recently announced support for its hardware on Twinmotion. Users of the real-time visualization platform’s most recent update will be able to view its high-fidelity models on Varjo devices.

According to the hardware manufacturer, Twinmotion works with all headsets including Aero – the closest thing that the company offers to an entry-level headset. The headset, priced below the company’s other offerings but still within the almost exclusively enterprise range, comes without mandatory software subscriptions making compatibility with other solutions crucial.

Advancing Brain Health With MachineMD

Aero also plays an important part in a partnership with Swiss medical device company machineMD. The partnership’s goal is the development of “neos™” – a proposed device that would use eye-tracking technology for earlier diagnosis of brain disorders. In addition to helping specialists, the device could also be more accessible to doctors that aren’t neuro specialists.

“As a neuro-ophthalmologist, I use the eye as a window to the brain,” said michineMD Medical Director Professor Mathias Abegg in a blog post announcing the partnership. “The Varjo Aero provides me with the most powerful and precise view through this window.”

Varjo and machineMD
machineMD’s solution will be based on Varjo Aero to perform comprehensive eye exams for the diagnosis of brain disorders

Between the advancement of the technology and healthy financial support, machineMD expects neos to be ready by the end of this year. Of course, Varjo is also excited to be a part of the important work which could have far-reaching benefits in the brain health world.

“VR-based eye tracking in combination with ophthalmology and neuroscience is opening up important new avenues for researchers and the larger medical community,” co-founder and CTO of Varjo, Seppo Aaltonen, said in the post. “A rare window into the brain is possible with the Varjo Aero headset and we are proud to partner with machineMD to make this technology a reality.”

Hardware Built for Flight Simulation

Varjo is also a leading player in the simulation world, particularly automotive and flight simulation. In fact, one of its premiere headsets, XR-3, was recently released in a specially-tooled edition with cockpit simulations in mind. The variable-passthrough headset has a specially calibrated focal plane to optimize the display of the user’s immediate surroundings.

More recently, Varjo partnered with Leonardo – an aerospace, defense, and security developer. The relationship is intended to “enhance the capability of Leonardo’s aircraft training devices.” The above-mentioned XR-3 Focal Edition headset is already being used.

Varjo and Leonardo
Varjo and Leonardo partner in developing and deploying immersive solutions for flight training

“Leonardo simulation and training experience, coupled with advanced Varjo technology, will allow our products to increase pilots’ training experience, bringing it into a more immersive environment, both within the specific customer training pipelines and within the scope of International Flight Training School,” said Leonardo Aircraft Division’s Head of Simulation and Training Systems Giuseppe Pietroniro.

Jumping Off of Virtual Cliffs

Simulation has a special place in the consumer space as well, where it allows individuals to experience convincing replications of activities that are costly, dangerous, or both. A recent experience offered by Varjo and Red Bull recreates diving from an 80 ft cliff.

“The VR cliff diving experience is really something that you cannot miss,” real-life cliff diver Orlando Duque said of the activation. “It places you right there in the location, in the middle of the action. It’s probably the closest thing to the real deal.”

Varjo and Red Bull - mixed reality watersports experience
Varjo and Red Bull partnership – Mixed reality watersports experience “Water – Breaking the Surface”

The experience is still not coming to a living room near you anytime soon. In addition to using the XR-3 rather than the more consumer-available Aero, the experience is currently only being offered as part of an exhibit at the Swiss Museum of Transport. The complete exhibit also uses AR technology and virtual production to replicate activities like surfing.

While available materials don’t mention plans for a more widely available version, it sure sounds like it would be a step up from Richie’s Plank Experience.

A Virtually Imagined Real World

Varjo is still pushing the limits of extended reality technology – and that means that a lot of its experiences and hardware aren’t available to just anybody. While some people get to put on the headset and jump off of a cliff, the benefits of the technology are definitely benefiting more and more people through the ramifications of work in design, defense, and the arts.

Catching Up With Varjo Partnerships and Experiences Around the World Read More »

denny’s-celebrates-its-70th-anniversary-with-ar-food-menu-that-enhances-dining-experience

Denny’s Celebrates Its 70th Anniversary With AR Food Menu That Enhances Dining Experience

8th wall, AR experiences, augmented reality, featured, food and beverage industry, hospitality industry / /

While celebrating its 70th anniversary, Denny’s partnered with QReal to produce AR menus where food items seem to leap off its pages. You don’t need to install the restaurant chain’s app on your phone for the AR food menu to work. Just activate your phone’s camera and launch 8th Wall‘s web-based AR platform from your phone’s browser to watch the images come alive.

AR food menu Denny's

Denny’s AR Food Menu: What to Expect

With the new AR food menu, you’ll see flames surround the classic Moons Over My Hammy egg sandwich and hear the new Mac N’ Brisket Sizzlin’ Skillet sizzle as it emerges from a barbecue smoker. Also making an appearance is a 3D model of the original diner in 1953—then known as Danny’s Donuts—before becoming the beloved establishment it is today.

Denny's AR food menu

Denny’s AR food menu, only accessible when dining at physical outlets across America, is part of Denny’s “It’s Diner Time” brand platform. The campaign also involves the remodeling of its kitchens, the rollout of improved food offerings, and the unveiling of new staff uniforms.

AR Food Menu: Denny’s Latest Foray Into AR

When Denny’s shared its 2022 results in February, CEO Kelli Valade said that one of the company’s strategic priorities is “to lead with technology and innovation.” She also mentioned that “Denny’s is skewing towards younger generations with Millennials and Gen Z currently representing about 45% of our customer base.” So, augmented reality makes perfect sense.

However, this is not the first time the company has tapped into the world of AR. The last time it used this type of computer-generated content was in late 2016 when the diner chain launched its “Shrek the Halls” campaign for the Christmas and New Year holidays. Using the DreamWorks COLOR app, the restaurant’s customers saw characters from Shrek, The Penguins of Madagascar, Puss in Boots, and Turbo Fast arise from the kids’ menus as their phones scanned its pages.

QReal and the Appeal of the AR Food Menu

QReal (formerly Kabaq.io) specializes in creating lifelike, 3D, and AR content for e-commerce platforms and social media campaigns. It works for various industries, from real estate and automotive to fashion and beauty. However, its original passion was food, becoming the first company to make photorealistic AR models of cuisine in 2016 with its KabaQ AR Food Menu app.

“The traditional way people interact with menus is being transformed utilizing [AR and life-like 3D models], leading to an enhanced experience, strong branding, and potentially higher order throughput,” said Mike Cadoux, QReal’s General Manager.

Researchers from several universities who studied QReal’s AR food models attest that such presentations can improve “decision comfort” or “craveability,” spread positive feedback about products, and increase the desire for “higher-value” types of food. Because QReal’s app hardly uses post-production, its users can see their order in advance from different angles in the most realistic way possible.

How the AR Food Menu Will Transform the Restaurant Industry 

If we are to believe Cadoux’s forecast, “high-fidelity digital cuisine” will only increase in demand due to its strong potential to boost branding and sales.

Businesses predict that AR food menus will enable customers to order more smartly because AR renders the item’s size and quantity more accurately. Another benefit of such transparency is lower food waste.

Moreover, establishments can use AR to promote new products and enhance engagement with prospects and loyal clientele through behind-the-scenes tours, which can include how they prepare and cook food.

Denny’s Celebrates Its 70th Anniversary With AR Food Menu That Enhances Dining Experience Read More »

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This AR Drum Kit Makes a Compelling Case for the Future of Music Lessons

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There’s a million things you could do to enhance your life if you had the power to seamlessly augment the world around you with digital and interactive information. And while we’re far from the “seamless” part of that reality, we’re getting early glimpses of how the world could be better with this power.

Take, for example, this project which uses augmented reality to turn a regular electronic drum set into a fully functional rhythm ‘game’ that provides real practice for drum players.

This isn’t a concept—it’s a live demo running on a Quest Pro headset, powered by the VR drumming app Paradiddle. While the app already allows players to play a fully virtual drum set of their dreams, or align virtual drums with their real ones, in the future this AR mode will be added to the app to give drummers a view of their real drums while retaining all the benefits of the digital overlay.

And what benefits are those? Well practicing existing techniques is obvious, but imagine learning entirely new songs in this interactive way, complete with gamified metrics for how well you’re doing and how quickly you’re improving. And how about turning down a song’s speed until you get the fundamentals, and then slowly cranking it up until you’re hitting every note?

While we might think of drum lessons as a fairly niche use-case for AR, it’s easy to imagine how similar systems could apply to almost any instrument. And what do you know—there’s already a similar project for piano players! Somebody give me one for the sax because I’ve been saying I’d pick it up for years!

There’s still a lot of work to be done to make experiences like these easy enough that anyone can use them, but there’s a real possibility that the future of ‘rhythm games’ could actually teach players how to play real instruments at a high level.

This AR Drum Kit Makes a Compelling Case for the Future of Music Lessons Read More »

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Joy Way’s New Roguelike Shooter Looks Like Spider-Man Meets ‘DOOM’, Coming to Quest May 18th

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Joy Way, the studio behind STRIDE and AGAINST, revealed a new VR game which seems to combine the web-slinging action of Spider-Man with the demon-slaying melee carnage of DOOM.

Called Dead Hook, the studio calls the upcoming Quest title an “explosive mix of roguelike and shooter genre with brutal combat and captivating storytelling.”

Prior to Dead Hook, Joy Way released a game called Outlier on Steam Early Access for PC VR, which was then cancelled shortly thereafter. At the time, the studio cited “overestimated demand” as a reason for pulling the plug on the alien-centric roguelike. Joy Way says it has since reworked the mechanics, storyline, and overall gameplay of Outlier to create Dead Hook.

In Dead Hook, you take on the role of Adam Stone, a mercenary, smuggler, and thief. In it, you explore the elder planet Resaract, collect legendary weapons and customize your character with what the studio says is “100 buffs and permanent upgrades to make each run unique.”

Enemies include regular and elite elders, which try to stop you in the air and on the ground as they defend their tombs, the studio says. Joy Way also says there’s bosses too which have “multiple phases, making each encounter feel tense and exciting.”

The roguelike shooter is also set to have a story. In it, you’ll “uncover the secrets of Resaract and AI duality, facing tough choices and unexpected twists along the way,” the studio says.

Joy Way, which late last year also released two games on Quest’s App Lab—RED FLOWERS and STACK—is slated to launch Dead Hook on the main store on May 18th.

Additionally, the studio confirmed with Road to VR that it’s still actively developing RED FLOWERS and STACK.

Joy Way’s New Roguelike Shooter Looks Like Spider-Man Meets ‘DOOM’, Coming to Quest May 18th Read More »

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The world’s first self-driving bus fleet will soon hit Scotland’s streets

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Next time you board a bus in Scotland and it’s driving itself, don’t freak out — this is all part of a government plan to bring self-driving tech into the mainstream.

Five fully autonomous buses will be taking to the streets near Edinburgh next month, announced Stagecoach, the UK’s largest bus and coach operator, who will be managing the fleet.

The UK government said the project, named CAVForth, would be the world’s first full-size, self-driving public bus service. CAV stands for “connected and autonomous vehicles.”

The service, which aims to transport 10,000 passengers weekly, will initially run a 22.5km circuit route, including a stretch across the iconic Forth Road Bridge – one of Scotland’s major landmarks. 

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The vehicles have sensors enabling them to travel on pre-selected roads at up to 80kph. The buses will be operating at AV Level 4, meaning they have a trained safety driver onboard, but the driver will not be expected to touch the controls whilst the vehicle is in autonomous mode.

Fully driverless cars are not legally permitted in the UK. A safety driver is required at all times in all autonomous vehicles, although the government is working on an updated legal and assurance framework.

The iconic Forth Road Bridge connects Edinburgh to Fife. Credit: Ian Cardwell

Scottish Minister for Transport, Kevin Stewart, said the “innovative and ambitious project” was an “exciting milestone” that will help Scotland “establish its credentials on the world stage.” 

Estimated to cost around £6.1m, Project CAVForth is part-funded by the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV), delivered in partnership with Innovate UK. It is part of the UK government’s £100 million Intelligent Mobility Fund, which aims to speed up the commercialisation of self-driving transport technology. 

CAVForth’s rollout of the autonomous bus fleet next month will mark a culmination of over four years’ of research, planning, and development. Similar CAV projects are planned in Sunderland and Belfast.  

Driverless buses are not a new concept. In 2021, a new driverless electric bus began operating in Malaga, Spain, in a project presented as a first in Europe.

In the UK, the Cambridge Connector project, which aims to deploy 13 automated electric vehicles across the city, is set to launch next year. 

Perhaps Europe’s biggest self-driving car project is ULTIMO, which has a budget of over €55m and will test autonomous public transport services in three European cities: Geneva, Switzerland; Kronach, Germany; and Oslo, Norway. 

Fully autonomous vehicles have long been a goal for major automakers and companies, with plenty of startups vying for a stake in the industry. It is, however, unlikely that self-driving cars without safety drivers will be spotted on public roads within the next decade. 

The world’s first self-driving bus fleet will soon hit Scotland’s streets Read More »

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Digital twins could save your life. Here’s how

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Digital twins — virtual replicas of real-world things — are already commonplace in manufacturing, industry, and aerospace. There are highly complex digital models of cities, ports, and power stations — but what about people? 

The idea of digital doppelgängers has long been confined to the realm of science fiction. But a new book presented at London’s Science Museum last week suggests the concept could be coming to life.  

In Virtual You, Peter Coveney, professor of chemistry and computer science at University College London, and Roger Highfield, science director at London’s Science Museum, show how far researchers have already got in their quest for accurate digital simulations of people. 

At the book launch, the authors were joined by leading experts in healthcare digital twins from the University of Oxford, UCL, and the Barcelona Supercomputing Centre (BSC). The panel discussed the opportunities and challenges in creating a digital twin version of the human body, and its implications for medicine.  

The BSC has already created virtual models of living cells and whole organs. The most notable example is Alya Red, a digital twin of a heart comprising around 100 million virtual cells. 

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The heart beats not within a person but inside MareNostrum, one of the most powerful supercomputers in Europe. Working with the medical technology company Medtronic, the Alya Red simulations can help position a pacemaker, fine-tune its electrical stimulus, and model its effects. 

MareNostrum is located in the Torre Girona chapel, Barcelona. Credit: Karolina Moon Photography.Perhaps one of the most striking examples is Yoon-sun, a 26-year-old Korean woman whose entire circulation — a 95,000km-long network of vessels — has been mapped virtually through an international collaboration using several supercomputers. Researchers are using the model to study blood pressure and the movement of clots throughout the vascular system.

In silico 

These digital twins are not just confined to the lab. Several are already in use and, in some cases, approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). 

So far, these models have been deployed mainly for in silico trials — when a drug or disease is tested virtually rather than on real human or animal tissue. 

These trials allow companies to test their drug in ‘virtual patients’ before testing them in humans. This can help companies detect a “failure in the making” early on in the drug development cycle, says François-Henri Boissel, CEO of French clinical trial simulation platform Novadiscovery. This can result in significant time and cost savings for companies undertaking clinical trials. 

In silico trials also eliminate the ethical issues associated with animal testing, explained Blanca Rodriguez, professor of computational medicine at the University of Oxford, during the panel discussion last Wednesday. 

Rodriguez’s team has created a digital twin of a heart that is used to simulate the effects of different drugs and diseases on heart function. In one virtual trial, her team tested the effects of 66 different drugs on over a thousand different heart cell simulations, and were able to predict the risk of abnormal heart rhythms with 89% accuracy. Comparable research on animals was 75% accurate.  

These trials can also help fight the next public health emergency. During the COVID-19 pandemic, supercomputers were used to simulate nearly everything, from potential treatments to predicting how the virus might spread, as highlighted in the video below.