Mike M. – Page 74

Highlighting the Top 3 XR Trends of 2023 [Insights From This Year’s AWE USA]

augmented reality, AWE, Editor's Pick, extended reality, featured, Guest Post, virtual reality / Mike M. / August 2, 2023

The 2023 edition of AWE USA not only lived up to its reputation but also reached new heights, reportedly marking its largest event to date. From cutting-edge hardware to new, groundbreaking technology and software solutions, this year had it all.

3 Trends That Will Shape the Future of XR

Let’s dive in and explore the main three trends that stood out and are bound to shape the narrative for the future of XR.

Main Focus on AR

There was a lot of discussion this year about artificial intelligence and how it will enable XR rather than replace it. Just like with the metaverse last year, AI became a new hot topic, but in terms of hardware, the spotlight was clearly on AR.

There were, of course, some notable VR-first devices presented: Lenovo announced their new ThinkReality VRX headset, which is now available for purchase ($1,299). I had a chance to give it a try and was impressed with its large sweet spot, visual clarity, and a high degree of comfort. The headset includes a cooling system that takes the heat away from your face and makes the inside feel almost air-conditioned.

HTC presented their modular HTC Vive XR Elite ($1,099) for which they had won a “Best Headworn Device” award. It can be worn both like a traditional headset with a head strap or akin to glasses with an external power source instead of the battery in the back. In detached form, the Vive XR Elite weighs only 270 grams.

These devices were more of an exception rather than the rule, however, and pale in comparison to the amount of AR devices showcased this year. Just on the main floor, we had Vuzix promoting their Ultralite turnkey AR solution, Sightful with a screenless Spacetop AR laptop, XREAL presenting XREAL Air glasses, and Magic Leap returning with Magic Leap 2. Right next to those was C-Real with their unique light field display and Tilt Five. In the lobby, Zappar was demonstrating its $75 Cardboard-inspired device.

And that’s just the hardware, the list doesn’t include smartphone-based solutions like Snapchat’s SnapAR and Snap Lenses or Ffface.me digital clothing. Many software providers were experimenting with AR as well. Whether it was enterprise and training applications or entertainment like a laser-tag-inspired Laser Limbo, the focus on augmented reality was prevalent.

Subjectively, I found the XREAL and Tilt Five glasses to be the most promising choices in terms of their usefulness and affordability. Tilt Five ($359) offers six degrees of freedom and a wide 110° field of view, plus a whole range of tabletop applications and games. It also comes with a tracked controller.

The XREAL Air ($488 with XReal Beam) might only have three degrees of freedom and a smaller FOV of 46°, but makes up for it with its versatility. It weighs only 79 grams and is compatible with phones, consoles, and laptops. Almost any device with a screen can be beamed into the glasses. For those looking to start experimenting with AR, both offer a good and inexpensive entry point.

The Renaissance of Haptics

It was hard to ignore the sheer volume of haptic-related products at AWE. There was a surge of novel startups and original concepts along with many industry veterans returning to show off their latest progress.

I did not expect haptics to have such a strong showing and was positively taken aback. Bhaptics were busy presenting their new TactGlove and Contact CI came out with a new product called Maestro. The most established player in the space, HaptX, was there as well.

Among newer entrants, SenseGlove was celebrating their €3.25M Series A funding with a newly updated Nova 2 haptic glove. Weart demoed their TouchDIVER glove capable of not only feedback but also temperature variations, while OWO showed off their latest haptic vest that uses electrical impulses to simulate sensations. Fluid Reality stole the show with its electroosmotic device that uses an electric field to create feedback.

There were too many to list but even this short rundown underscores how noticeable haptics were this year. Most of these products target industrial and business markets, with the notable exceptions being the OWO vest ($499) and Bhaptics (also $499). Both devices have their strengths and weaknesses, though I have to give extra points to OWO for taking a bold, unique approach and allowing users to configure the vest so that it can simulate discomfort as well as other unpleasant feedback. This can result in a significantly more visceral experience and a heightened feeling of presence that’s hard to replicate using other methods.

Seeing all the new and creative ways to model and recreate tactile data left me impressed with what’s to come, but at the same time, underwhelmed with the more conventional approaches.

Full resistance feedback, which restricts your movement, felt detached and did not properly mirror what I was seeing inside the headset. That was the case for both SenseGlove Nova and the high-end HaptX.

Their feedback, while indeed powerful, felt very mechanical and arbitrary. There are two paradigms here at play, one is trying to nail the fidelity but approximate the sensation, while the other one is trying to provide the exact, realistic sensation at the cost of fidelity.

New Optics Solutions Are Coming

There were a number of booths dealing with optics and display solutions this year. It’s possible the latest push into AR helped supercharge this progress in optics. Many booths had some kind of developer kit or proof-of-concept ready. Visitors would come and literally peer into the future through these stationary prototypes.

One example was Ant Reality demonstrating their mixed waveguide solution called Crossfire. While the displays (ranging in field of view from 56° to 120°) were impressive, what made them unique was their ability to do both AR and VR. At a press of a button, the surroundings would go completely dark, turning the augmented overlay into an immersive experience. Magic Leap 2 is known for offering what is called segmented dimming, but in the case of the Crossfire, the glasses would become completely opaque despite the AWE show floor being exceptionally bright.

*Ant Display demonstrating their prototypes*

Another never-before-achieved breakthrough was a light field display incorporated into an AR headset, courtesy of CREAL. Light field displays promise to solve a lot of issues, the most common one being correct focal depth. Harnessing the direction of light can produce outstanding results, but shrinking light field tech to fit into a glasses form factor still proves tricky. CREAL’s headset is an important, pioneering step in this field.

Another interesting innovation came from a company called Hypervision. Their claim to fame is their ultra-wide display capable of achieving a human vision 240° field of view. To make this happen, Hypervision used not one, not two, but four pancake lenses. Vertically, the screen has 95° so it doesn’t quite match the human eye top to bottom, but horizontally there’s full peripheral vision. While the stitching between the screens was slightly perceptible, the ability to achieve human FOV in such a small form factor is a massive step forward.

Overall, this means that the future generations of XR devices will have access to a wide variety of new, next-gen optics and display solutions, most of which are not even known to the general public. Display tech doesn’t follow Moore’s Law so it’s always difficult to make any specific predictions, but there’s clearly no stagnation in the field and some of the breakthroughs we saw this year are truly exciting.

Closing Thoughts

These are just some of the main trends and shifts we saw this year. There was a notable increase in 3D spatial display panels, such as Leia Lume Pad 2, Sony’s Spatial Display, Looking Glass, and a human-sized holographic box by ARHT.

This forms part of a larger trend of broadening the definition of spatial computing, which is sometimes expanded to include other real-world tools and technologies like visualizations, projection mapping, and 3D screens.

What also caught my eye was a noticeable reduction in locomotion solutions. Gone are the days of omnidirectional treadmills or big simulator seats. The only two exceptions were the unconventional EXIT SUIT, which suspends the wearer slightly above the ground allowing them to run in the air, sit, fly, and do a range of other motions (for which the team had won this year “AWEsome” award) and the Freeaim shoes that act like rollers, pushing the wearer backward as they walk.

This was the last AWE hosted in Santa Clara. From next year on, the event is moving to the Long Beach Convention Center. This shift to a new, bigger venue highlights the constant growth of the XR space and that’s one trend that speaks for itself.

Guest Post

About the Guest Author(s)

Mat Pawluczuk

Mat Pawluczuk is an XR / VR writer and content creator.

Highlighting the Top 3 XR Trends of 2023 [Insights From This Year’s AWE USA] Read More »

Meta’s New First-person Shooter Aims to Highlight Improvements to ‘Horizon Worlds’

horizon worlds, meta horizon worlds, meta social vr, News, rec room, roblox, Social VR, VR Game, vrchat / Mike M. / August 1, 2023

Meta introduced a new game called ‘Super Rumble‘ to Horizon Worlds, something the company hopes will showcase a new generation of improved experiences on its own social VR platform.

Released after a successful beta weekend in May, the free-for-all first-person shooter is said to highlight new improvements to Horizon Worlds, such as “better graphics, deeper gameplay, and a variety of quests and rewards.”

Players can choose from six superpowers before each session, allowing them to outmaneuver opponents and develop their playstyles. Here’s how Meta describes each power:

Super Dash gives you super speed
Super Jump lets you launch into the air with explosive force
Super Ammo saves you from having to reload
Super Tough reduces the damage you’ll take from each hit
Super Net lets you immobilize other players
Super Punch lets you attack with a powerful punch

Super Rumble is aiming to offer a fast-paced experience, which serves up to two to six players, with each match lasting five minutes. The game also serves as a launching point for a new integrated system of player levels, quests, rewards, the latter of which includes avatar clothing, emotes, and nameplate titles.

Check out the action below:

We’ve seen a few first-party worlds alongside a number of third-party brand engagement experiences on Horizon Worlds since the platform launched in late 2021, however going the ‘full featured’ minigame route is a fairly recent move that has more potential to attract and keep users. It’s certainly helped Rec Room to become one of the most prolific social VR platforms to thrive on both VR headsets and traditional flatscreen devices.

Interestingly enough, this comes only one day after Meta opened Quest up the online gaming powerhouse Roblox, which is in direct competition with Horizon Worlds. Now, Quest users can choose between Roblox, Rec Room, VRChat, Horizon Worlds, and Gym Class to name a few of the top free social VR platforms.

Meta’s New First-person Shooter Aims to Highlight Improvements to ‘Horizon Worlds’ Read More »

Tech is breaking accessibility barriers in transport — here’s how

Next Featured, Startups and technology, Sustainability / Mike M. / August 1, 2023

According to WHO, people with disabilities represent 16% of the world population. They also find transportation 15 times more challenging than non-disabled individuals. But for mobility to truly be sustainable, it has to go beyond reducing emissions; it has to be inclusive and cater for every member of society.

To this end, technology represents a beacon of hope as much as an invaluable tool. To find out more about its role in enabling universally accessible transportation, I spoke with Jonathan Chacón Barbero, Senior Accessibility Software Engineer at Cabify.

“Technology helps us overcome our limits.

Chacón Barbero joined the ride-hailing scaleup in 2019 and is the person behind the accessibility menu of its app. He has led a multi-year-long career in the design and development of accessible applications, and has worked as an accessibility consultant and lecturer. He is also amongst the few blind software engineers in Europe.

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“The first time I got a personal computer as a child, it was love at first sight,” Chacón Barbero says. “That’s when I decided I wanted to be a computer scientist.”At the age of five he built his first software programme, and at the age of nine, he decided to focus on hardware.

Chacón Barbero could see with his right eye until he was 15 years old, at which point he fully lost his vision, leading him to work on software instead.

Jonathan Chacon Barbero — Jonathan Chacón Barbero. Credit: Cabify

“The worst moment in my life was when I became blind and I had to be out of technology for three months,” he recalls. “I didn’t know braille. I didn’t understand computers for blind people. I didn’t know anything about the blind world. I had to understand and study everything. I think at that moment, I set my mind for the rest of my life.”

He emphasises that from this point onwards, technology acquired a double meaning in his life: it was no longer just a passion, but also a tool to address challenges related to his condition.

“Technology helps us overcome our limits,” he adds. and And that’s what he set out to do.

Accessibility barriers and impact

The transportation challenges people with disabilities face go far beyond the lack of accessible ramps. Among others, they include inaccessible vehicles; poorly designed curbs, crosswalks, and sidewalks; and non-existent or inaccessible signage, wayfinding, and journey planning information.

Furthermore, studies have shown that social and infrastructural barriers render specific transport modes unavailable to travellers with disabilities and increase journey time. As a result, people with disabilities make fewer trips and travel shorter distances.

“Disability isn’t recognised by all of society yet.

In the UK, for instance, a 2022 survey found that one in five disabled individuals are unable to travel due to the lack of appropriate transport options, while one in four said that negative attitudes from other passengers prevent them from using public transport.

Chacón Barbero shares an example from his experience with using taxi services.

“I have to call a taxi company. I hold on the call as I’m waiting for the driver to arrive. But there is a problem: he doesn’t know that I can’t see the car and I can’t know where the car is. I waste time and money because there hasn’t been direct communication between the driver and the user.”

Putting tech to work

Optimistically, the past few years have seen an increasing number of both public and private initiatives employing new technologies to rise to the challenge of universal accessibility.

For instance, the city of Lyon has developed a public transport app that uses real-time data to assist disabled individuals in getting around, including a feature that helps them identify the most accessible itinerary and the shortest routes.

European startups are also getting active in the field. Think of London-based Wayfindr, which helps vision impaired people travel independently using audio navigation. Or Noteabox whose Button App enables users to press buttons — such as those on pedestrian crossings — through their smartphone.

“Technology is the solution to many accessibility aspects.

Cabify presents another example of how technology can increase inclusiveness in ride-hailing services.

When Chacón Barbero joined the Spanish scaleup, his first step was to build a semantic basement for the app’s digital interface to enable the gradual addition of multiple accessibility features and disability profiles. During the same year, Cabify’s app became 100% accessible for blind people.

In 2020, the company launched its accessibility menu. Since then, it has been adding functionalities and expanding its target groups, such as the hearing impaired, individuals with cognitive disabilities, and the elderly.

“We created a special menu for accessibility in our journey to offer the user the possibility to identify their special needs,” says Chacón Barbero.

Users can choose between the three options displayed in the image below:

Cabify's accessibility menu — Cabify’s accessibility menu. Credit: Cabify

The first option is designed to help the visually impaired, the elderly, and people with reduced mobility inform drivers that they need help reaching the vehicle.

For users with a hearing impairment, the second accessibility option offers the possibility to chat instead of calling. Finally, receiving and playing back important alerts via voice caters for multiple groups, such as the elderly, the visually impaired, and individuals with cognitive impairments.

According to Cabify, by the end of 2022, over 99,000 users had activated at least one of the accessibility menu functionalities. Now, this number exceeds 110,000 users worldwide.

Chacón Barbero says that non-disabled users have also activated the accessibility features as they feel they optimise the experience. He mentions the preference for a bigger font size and the option to chat instead of calling “simply because many people hate phone calls.”

But for Chacón Barbero his work is far from over — on the contrary, he champions the need for continuous improvement. His future plans include adding new in-app functionalities, extending the disability user profiles, and increasing the number of accessible cars.

The biggest barrier to break

For Chacón Barbero the biggest barrier to inclusive mobility is the lack of awareness and social acceptance.

“Accessibility is unknown, because disability is not recognised by all of society yet. Only when you have a friend, a parent, or someone in your environment with disabilities, do you understand what accessibility is. And that’s the problem,” he says.

Eurostat’s numbers are telling: in 2022, 29.7% of the EU population with disabilities aged over 16 were at higher risk from poverty or social exclusion.

Chacón Barbero hopes that, in the future, society will be more inclusive and recognise that people with disabilities are, above all, people. He believes that the younger generations can drive change forward by further embracing individuals who are different and diverse.

“Technology is the solution to many aspects related to accessibility, but it has its limits,” Chacón Barbero concludes, pointing to the need for human action as well. “The solution isn’t only technology. The solution is technology for people and with people.”

Tech is breaking accessibility barriers in transport — here’s how Read More »

Virtual worlds pioneer targets sports for revival of metaverse dream

Corporates and innovation, Deep tech, Insider, Next Featured, Startups and technology / Mike M. / July 31, 2023

On a typical visit to a sports stadium, you don’t bump into 20-metre-tall giants outside the gates. But this isn’t your typical sports stadium. It’s the MLB virtual ballpark — the first metaverse for a pro sports league.

The venue opened on July 8, for a watch party during Major League Baseball’s All-Star Weekend. Hosting the event were the aforementioned giants, who begin the festivities with a tease:

“Who knows what prizes will be up for grabs? Make sure you explore and have fun.”

The incentives for engagement are accentuated. Sure, you could just chat with fellow fans and watch the game on the venue’s jumbotrons, which flick into full-screen mode on your device. But the giants really want you to collect points for prizes. They offer myriad ways of winning them: traversing the site, playing mini-games, doing quizzes, collecting baseball cards, or just staying till the final whistle.

The friendly giants kindly shrunk down to human size before entering the stadium. Credit: Improbable

As a purist, it can’t compare with the traditional matchday experience of pre-match beers, expletive-laden chants, and good old-fashioned hooliganism. But this isn’t a traditional matchday experience. The target audience is fans watching in homes around the world — and there are big opportunities to monetise them.

Surveys show that most TV viewers are also using second screens. Among Gen Z and Millenials, the percentage is as high as 95%. While watching sports, they’re also using social media, shopping, texting, and gaming. Gen Z is also twice as likely to pay for sports content than boomers are. But they’re far less likely to watch entire live events.

“We know that the older generations are still consuming the full event in a more traditional experience,” said Luis Vicente, chairman of Apex Capital, a sports and entertainment investment company. “For the younger audience, you need to be more innovative and keep delivering them content in new and fresh ways that fit with how they naturally want to consume their favourite sporting moments”

The MLB virtual ballpark promises to integrate these methods of consumption. But more proof is needed that it’s more than just a gimmick or a Second Life knock-off.

“Then the value propositions of what that space enables come to life.

A few days later, there’s a new attempt to convert the cynics. Another virtual world has opened for a very difficult sporting experience: a Q&A with Nwankwo Kanu, an iconic former footballer for English side Arsenal.

In this virtual world, the focus shifts from leagues and teams to athletes and communities. Over 1,100 attendees could interact with one another and Kanu. Adding a sprinkle of stardust to the session was Oleksandr Zinchenko, a stalwart of the current Arsenal team, who popped by to ask a question. There was also a more formal interview, hosted by Robbie Lyle, the founder of Arsenal fan platform AFTV.

“Football is all about opinions and these experiences allow for fans to come and converse about football,” said Lyle. “I see the metaverse becoming another platform like Twitter, TikTok, YouTube where fans can engage and have fun together.”

Both the ballpark and the Kanu Q&A were developed by Improbable, a London-based tech firm. Founded in 2012, the company’s massive simulations have attracted a $3bn (€2.7bn) valuation, but the path to profitability has been a rocky one. In 2021, the company recorded losses of £152mn.

The following January, Improbable unveiled a new strategy: a pivot away from multiplayer games and towards tech’s latest obsession: the metaverse.

Moving to a new world

After the announcement, Improbable sold its stakes in game studios Midwinter and Inflexion, as well as its defence and national security business. In their place was a new focus on critical infrastructure for virtual worlds — the plumbing of the metaverse.

The bedrock of the project is Improbable’s Morpheus technology. A descendant of the company’s earlier SpatialOS product, Morpheus provides a sense of presence and social interactions for over 10,000 people in dense virtual spaces.

Morpheus also powers the centrepiece of Improbable’s strategy: MSquared (M2) — a network of interoperable metaverses. Launched in June, the network combines technologies, services, and standards — as well as $150mn (€138mn) in funding — to provide and interlink digital experiences.

Among the early users is the MLB virtual ballpark, which can tap M2 to interconnect with other virtual worlds.

“Now that baseball fans can technically hang out with football fans on M2, you might find some very strange crossovers and connections,” Herman Narula, the CEO and co-founder of Improbable, tells TNW.

Narula co-founded Improbable in 2021. Credit: Improbable — Narula initially ran Improbable from his parent’s house in Hertfordshire, England. Credit: Improbable

Despite growing scepticism about the metaverse, Narula, remains bullish about his ambition. He argues that clearer use cases are emerging.

“I think it’s a lot like the dot-com boom,” Narula tells TNW over Zoom. “We all remember the crash, but what happened after the crash was really amazing companies formed. Because the world had the right idea. Yes, online experiences were going to matter a lot. But it took time for the technology, the consumer awareness, and the experiences to catch up.”

Narula recalls a famous Bill Gates appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman. It was 1995, and Microsoft had just launched Internet Explorer — its first online tool. Patiently, Gates told his host about the internet’s potential.

Letterman was unimpressed. Derisively, he referenced a “breakthrough” about a baseball game being streamed online. “You could listen to a baseball game on your computer. And just thought to myself, does radio ring a bell?” he scoffed.

Undeterred, Gates explained that fans could watch the game whenever they wanted. ″Do tape recorders ring a bell?” Letterman quipped.

Narula thinks we’re at a similar moment for sports in the metaverse. Initially, he admits, most fans don’t recognise the possibilities.

“But then the value propositions of what that space enables come to life. You could meet football players, interact with them or see their interviews, but to have the entire crowd seen by them — that ended up being the killer feature. That completely changed everything. That changes everyone’s attitude, that changes everyone’s reactions, that provides more fulfilment.”

Sport enters the metaverse

Metaverse boosters have high hopes for sports. Analysts at investment firm Web3 Studios predict that the value of the sports metaverse could hit $80bn (€72.3bn) by 2030.

Naturally, such optimistic estimates will provoke cynicism — particularly when they serve a vested interest. But sports are notoriously undermonetised.

Take the football club Manchester United. The English side is estimated to have 1.1 billion fans — the most of any team in the world. In the financial year ending June 2022, the club recorded revenues of £583.2mn (€674.9mn), which means United effectively generated just €0.61 per fan that year.

Amazon, by contrast, has previously reported 200 million unique monthly visitors in the US alone. Across a year, they’re monetised at an annual revenue of over €902 per visitor.

“What keeps people on the platform is each other.

Gaming also gets more money from users. In 2020, Blizzard Entertainment, the maker of World of Warcraft, generated $62 in revenue per monthly active user. That money comes through sales of games and in-game spending — two avenues that sports can capitalise on.

Improbable is betting that the metaverse can close the gap for sports. The company envisions various new revenue streams for the sector, from virtual experiences and digital apparel to broadcast models and advertising services.

“In terms of economics, it’s really simple,” says Narula. “If the metaverse succeeds, it will vastly increase the value of sport.”

The ballpark experience extends from inside the stadium to the surrounding area. Credit: Improbable

The metaverse is often described as an extension of gaming. Improbable, however, has pitched a very different business model. At its core is interoperable virtual worlds.

The plan dramatically expands an immensely popular feature of Fortnite and Roblox. Both gaming platforms — sometimes described as “proto-metaverses” — allow creators to build and monetise their own content. But the content remains economically locked to the platform.

Evidently, the proposition is still attracting interest from the sports sector. The NFL, for instance, has produced a Roblox experience, where fans can build stadiums, draft teams, and roleplay as franchise owners.

“Suddenly, my business has more value.

With over 66 million daily Roblox users, the project has obvious promotional appeal. The product, however, is trapped in Roblox — which limits its scope.

“You can’t really build a business on someone else’s business where they’re taking a ridiculous percentage. But more importantly, they control the relationship with the user,” says Narula.

The MLB ballpark, by contrast, is a white-label product. Users enter by clicking a link on the Major League Baseball website. There’s no M2 logo in the experience, but the network allows digital assets to move between virtual worlds, which opens up cross-platform opportunities. A Red Bull Salzburg sports kit, for instance, could be sold and worn in multiple arenas — and give you wings in all of them.

“You’re building a strong network effect, because what keeps people on the platform is each other,” says Narula. “It’s the cross-referencing of their content; it’s the fact that I can take my Kanu-signed shirt to a baseball match, that makes it more valuable.”

Zinchenko in the metaverse — Cross-marketing is a key revenue stream for the sports metaverse. Credit: Improbable

Network effects are integral to the sports metaverse. In current virtual worlds — such as Meta’s — assets can’t be used outside the platform, which inhibits the network effects. Improbable, however, applies a more decentralised strategy.

The company designed M2 as a utility, with profit captured by using the service. After a business creates an experience, it can spread the asset across the entire network.

“By being part of the network, I get users from baseball, I get users from football, and I get to sell items that can be more valuable in other places,” says Narula. “Suddenly, my business has more value.”

Another crucial concept is “intimacy at scale.” In essence, this transmits the atmosphere and interactions from physical events to online spaces. To make this feeling accessible, the technical requirements must be minimised.

Improbable takes a dual approach to the issue. One option provides access to the metaverse via an internet connection and a basic smartphone, laptop, or desktop. But if users don’t have fast broadband, an AI-powered bandwidth compressor can condense a virtual world into only the specific updates that they need to see.

According to Narula, the system can condense the requirements of some cases to under 1Mbps.

“It’s vitally important that we get away from the idea that the metaverse requires a $3,000 headset,” he says. ”I want to reach an Arsenal fan on 3G anywhere in the world.”

Virtual worlds pioneer targets sports for revival of metaverse dream Read More »

Meta’s XR Revenue Down 39% “due to lower Quest 2 sales,” as Quest 3 & Vision Pro Loom

apple vision pro, Meta, Meta Quest 2, Meta Quest 3, Meta Quest Pro, meta reality labs, meta revenue, meta xr revenue, News, Quest 2, quest 3, reality labs, reality labs q2 2023, reality labs revenue, VR Industry / Mike M. / July 28, 2023

Meta’s latest quarterly results show its Reality Labs XR division is again reporting an operating loss just south of $4 billion. Now, for its Q2 2023 results, the company says Reality Labs’ revenue was down by 39% due to lower Quest 2 sales, making for the worst quarterly performance in the past two years.

Meta has been clear about its plan to spend aggressively on XR over the next several years, so it’s again no surprise we’re seeing operating budgets in the billions with only a fraction of that coming back in via Quest 2 hardware and software sales.

In fact, Quest 2 sales play such an important role in Reality Labs’ quarterly performance that Meta has reported $276 million in revenue in Q2 2023, or 39% lower than last quarter.

Meta reported that Reality Labs expenses were $4 billion, which was up 23% since the same period last year. The company says this was due to lapping a reduction in Reality Labs loss reserves and growth in employee-related costs, bringing the XR division’s operating loss to $3.7 billion for Q2 2023.

Meta says it expects continued operating losses in the future, saying losses will likely “increase meaningfully year-over-year due to our ongoing product development efforts in AR/VR and our investments to further scale our ecosystem.”

Meanwhile, the company is preparing to launch Quest 3 in late 2023, the $500 follow-up headset that integrates many of Quest Pro’s mixed reality capabilities. Meta’s $1,000 Quest Pro has also reportedly been discontinued, however (without substantiating that particular claim) Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth implied earlier this month that a Quest Pro 2 isn’t off the table.

Apple’s Vision Pro is also looming, set to launch sometime next year. As rising tides lift all boats, hype around Vision Pro could actually benefit Meta in the short term. Apple’s $3,500 XR headset has attracted new attention to the space, however Meta’s consumer-friendly pricing and extensive game catalogue for Quest 3 may be well positioned this holiday to capitalize on that Apple-adjacent cachet.

Meta’s XR Revenue Down 39% “due to lower Quest 2 sales,” as Quest 3 & Vision Pro Loom Read More »

VR Education App ‘Human Anatomy’ Now Available on PSVR 2

human anatomy, human anatomy psvr 2, human anatomy vr, News, virtual medicine, VR Education, VR Game / Mike M. / July 28, 2023

The PlayStation Store has a growing number of games built specifically (or optimized) for PSVR 2, although there aren’t a ton of educational apps yet that you might use to get a better understanding of complex subjects like the human body. Now the creators of Human Anatomy VR have released their medical educational tool on PSVR 2.

Initially released on the original PSVR and Quest 2, the PSVR 2 app includes both high school and University-level content. High school content is simplified for “anybody who is curious about the human body,” while University-level content includes detailed 3D models and info that developers Virtual Medicine say “matches the needs of a medical doctor or a medical student who needs to prepare for their anatomical exams.”

Human Anatomy VR includes 15 body systems with more than 13,000 realistic anatomical structures designed by medical professionals, the studio says. This includes bone mapping with 5,000 bone features organized into parts, surfaces, borders, and landmarks. You’ll also be able to handle 21 microanatomy models, and see over 500 movement animations in action.

“It is perfect for sport, fitness & workout enthusiasts, science enthusiasts, high school students, medical and nursing students, universities, libraries and health practitioners,” Virtual Medicine says in the app’s description. “Feature rich content is delivered in a deeply engaging experience with excellent graphics, innovative presentation, and visual delivery.”

You can find Human Anatomy VR on PSVR 2 today, priced at $30. You can also find it on Quest 2 via App Lab as a free trial, and on the original PSVR for $10.

VR Education App ‘Human Anatomy’ Now Available on PSVR 2 Read More »

Looking Forward to AWE Asia 2023

AI, AR/VR events, augmented reality, AWE, Events, featured, metaverse, trending, virtual reality / Mike M. / July 27, 2023

If you get all of your AWE coverage from ARPost, you might be under the impression that the event is only in California – but it wouldn’t be much of a “World Expo” then, would it? In addition to frequent all-online events, AWE consists of three in-person events each year: AWE USA, AWE Europe, and AWE Asia.

AWE Asia, this year taking place in Singapore, is fast approaching, with the agenda now finalized. Attendees can look forward to hearing from over 60 speakers in over 60 sessions including keynotes, talks, and panels over the course of the two-day conference. Let’s take a look at some of the most exciting sessions.

AWE Asia Keynotes and Addresses

Day One starts off with an opening ceremony by AWE co-founder Ori Inbar, joined on-stage by AWE Asia President and Vice President, Gavin Newton-Tanzer and Ryan Hu. This session is followed by back-to-back keynotes by HTC Global Vice President of Corporate Development Alvin Graylin and University of South Australia professor Dr. Mark Billinghurst.

Day Two also starts off with keynotes. First, “Metaverse as the Next Biggest Thing: Challenges, Roadmaps, and Standardization” by IEEE president Dr. Yu Yuan. This is followed by “ifland: A Case Study on Telco Collaboration in Building a Global Metaverse Platform” presented by SK Telecom Vice President Ikhwan Cho and Deutsche Telekom Senior Director of XR and the Metaverse Terry Schussler.

Day Two then closes with remarks and awards from Inbar, Newton-Tanzer, and AWE Asia COO and Content Director David Weeks.

The keynotes and addresses are great because they often feature some of a conference’s biggest announcements and most anticipated speakers. They’re also great because nothing is scheduled at the same time as a keynote. From here, we’ll have to start making some tough calls.

Day One Sessions

Following the AWE Asia welcome address and keynotes on Day One, the crowd is sure to split. Remain near the main stage to hear NVIDIA’s Vanessa Ching discuss “Developers, Platforms, and AI.” Venture off to a substage to hear Joe Millward and Kyle Jackson of Talespin talk about “Scaling XR Content for the Enterprise With Generative AI.”

Next up. Niantic Senior VP of Engineering, Brian McClendon, explains how “Niantic is Powering AR, Everywhere, All at Once.” Having seen this talk at AWE USA, I can tell you it’s worth seeing, but I can also point out that you could watch the recording online and stretch your day a little further.

Another tough decision follows. Will it be “How AI Will Enhance the Metaverse and Education” with Meta Head of Global Education Partnerships Leticia Jauregui and Zoe Immersive CEO and co-founder Emilie Joly? Or will it be “Beyond Loudness: Spatial Chat and the Future of Virtual World Communication” with Dolby Laboratories Developer Advocate Angelik Laboy?

Day One’s Marathon on the Main Stage

The afternoon of Day One has a lineup of promising presentations on the main stage. Starting, Immersal Chief Marketing Officer Päivi Laakso-Kuivalainen and Graviton Interactive co-founder and Managing Director Declan Dwyer talk “Revolutionizing Fan Engagement: Augmented Reality in Stadiums Powered by Visual Positioning Systems and Spatial Computing.”

This is followed by Linux Foundation General Manager Royal O’Brien talking about “Inspiring Game Development Through Open Source.” Then, keep your seat to hear Trigger XR founder and CEO Jason Yim talk about retail, advertising, and e-commerce. A little later on the same stage, Mindverse.AI co-founder and COO Kisson Lin talks about the Web3 creator economy.

Day Two Sessions Main Stage Sessions

One can’t-miss session on Day Two comes from Dispelix APAC VP of Sales and Partnerships Andy Lin, presenting “PERFECTING COMFORT – Vision Behind Dispelix Waveguide Combiners for Near-to-Eye XR Displays.”

Some of the last regular sessions on the main stage before the AWE Asia closing address look promising as well.

First, Infocomm Assistant Director of Innovation Joanne Teh, Deloitte Center for the Edge Southeast Asia Leader Michelle Khoo, Serl.io co-founder and CEO Terence Loo, and SMRT Corporation Learning Technologies Lead Benjamin Chen have a panel discussion about “The Future of Immersive Experiences: Navigating the World of XR.”

Immediately following the panel discussion, Google’s Toshihiro Ohnuma takes the stage to discuss “Connecting Both Worlds – Google Maps and AR Core.”

In between those sessions, the substages look pretty promising.

Major Side-Stage Attractions

After Lin’s talk, head over to Substage 1 for a series of promising talks. These start with Maxar Technologies Business Development Manager Andrew Steele presenting “Experience the Digital Twin Built for Connecting Your XR Content With the Real World. “ The world-scale digital twin won the Auggie for Best Use of AI at the awards ceremony in Santa Clara this spring.

Up next on the same stage, Anything World co-founder and Creative Director Sebastian Hofer explains “How AI Is Powering a Golden Age in Games Development.”

A quick break between sessions and then back to learn about “ThinkReality Solutions Powering the Enterprise Metaverse” with Lenovo Emerging Technologies Lead Martand Srivastava and Qualcomm’s Kai Ping Tee.

Lots to Take In

AWE Asia being two days instead of three certainly doesn’t solve the classic AWE problem of there being just too much amazing content to take in everything. At least, not live anyway.

To attend AWE Asia yourself, get tickets here, and use our code AW323SEB25 for 30% off the standard ticket and PAR23VSEB for 35% off the VIP ticket.

Looking Forward to AWE Asia 2023 Read More »

Official AmazeVR Concerts App Launches With an Exclusive Zara Larsson Concert

Entertainment, featured, music, News, virtual reality / Mike M. / July 24, 2023

Do you remember missing an amazing concert by your favorite artist because you could not travel to another country or continent to attend it? This is no longer a problem. Thanks to AmazeVR, anyone can experience live shows using their newly-launched VR Concerts app.

Drawing on their previous experience working with artists like Megan Thee Stallion and Ceraadi, the company is celebrating the launch of their AmazeVR Concerts app with “Zara Larsson VR Concert”, the one-of-a-kind show by Swedish pop star Zara Larsson. Now, anyone can install the AmazeVR Concerts app and attend any concert available on the platform from the comfort of their home.

Virtual Events – the Future of Entertainment

The global health crisis we experienced made us rethink all types of interactions, from healthcare appointments and business meetings to concerts and theater shows. The VR concerts app developed by AmazeVR is one of the latest additions to immersive and interactive tools for entertainment.

This is a huge step forward both for artists and audiences. For artists, VR shows allow them to interact with more fans and monetize their work in new ways. For music fans, the barriers represented by long distances and finances for traveling suddenly disappear.

Zara Larsson Excited to Collaborate with AmazeVR

Known for hits such as “Lush Life”, “Ain’t My Fault”, and “End of Time”, Swedish pop star Zara Larsson exuded enthusiasm for collaborating with AmazeVR for the launch of AmazeVR Concerts app.

“I’ve always believed that live music has the power to unite and transcend boundaries. As an artist, finding new ways to connect with my fans and deliver a truly immersive and unforgettable experience is super important to me,” she said in a press release shared with ARPost. “I’m thrilled to be working with AmazeVR to break through the fourth wall, and directly into the homes of fans around the world.”

Bringing Artists and Fans Together in the Virtual World

For AmazeVR, their VR Concerts app, available on Meta Quest 2 (App Lab) and SteamVR, is the crowning of years of developing and improving immersive solutions for the entertainment industry. Creating the first VR concerts and measuring the public response to them showed them that they were on the right path.

“At AmazeVR we are ushering a new wave of innovation for music experiences, by providing artists with extraordinary and unparalleled avenues to be up close and personal with their fans,” said AmazeVR co-CEO and co-founder Steve Lee. “It is an honor to be launching the AmazeVR app alongside such an incredible artist like Zara. Her creativity has come together to create a showstopping performance and we can’t wait for her fans to enjoy the experience.”

A Busy Schedule for the Newly Launched AmazeVR Concerts App

The virtual reality concert experience app is set to attract fans of all types of music, including pop-rock, hip-hop, K-pop, rap, and more. Right now, the app is downloadable for free and offers one free song per artist. For the exclusive Zara Larsson VR concert, fans can purchase access for one year at an exclusive launch price of $6.99.

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Critical infrastructure radio tech ‘easily hacked’ through deliberate backdoor

Data and security, Government and policy, Startups and technology / Mike M. / July 24, 2023

Dutch researchers have found vulnerabilities in TETRA — a radio technology used across the world to control critical infrastructure such as power grids, gas pipelines, and trains.

The researchers, Job Wetzels, Carlo Meijer, and Wouter Bokslag of cybersecurity firm Midnight Blue, found a deliberate backdoor in the encryption algorithm of these radios — made by Motorola, Damm, Hytera, and others — that was “easy” to hack.

“The results of this research are serious,” said Jacobs, who is also a professor of computer security at Radboud University Nijmegen. “It is serious for the government, but also for business. It concerns vital infrastructure whose functioning can be affected by serious attacks.”

According to researchers, attackers could hack the network to send malicious commands that would disrupt critical infrastructure. They could also listen in on emergency services. “These are all realistic scenarios,” said Wetzels.

Worryingly, critical infrastructure from all over the world is controlled using TETRA.

In the Netherlands, the port of Rotterdam, several public transport companies, and most airports use the system. C2000, the communication system of the police, fire brigade, ambulance services, and parts of the Ministry of Defence, is also based on TETRA.

Many critical infrastructure authorities in Germany, France, Spain, and other European countries rely on the network, and so do several equivalent entities in the USA, according to a WIRED investigation. TETRA is estimated to be in use in 120 countries.

And you don’t even have to be an expert hacker to tap the network. According to Midnight Blue, you could crack the system in a minute using simple hardware such as a radio and dongle. Once cracked, hackers could send malicious commands to critical infrastructure undetected.

The researchers first uncovered the vulnerabilities in 2021 and immediately reported them to the Dutch National Cyber Security Centre. Over the last two years, the NCSC has been hard at work informing the governments of various countries about the dangerous loopholes.

The Midnight Blue team also took it upon themselves to notify as many manufacturers and users of the technology as possible. Assumably, the researchers and the authorities only now deemed it safe enough to make the information public.

Going forward, Midnight Blue warns that anyone using radio technologies should check with their manufacturer to determine if their devices are using TETRA and what fixes or mitigations are available.

Aside from their day jobs, Wetzels, Meijer, and Bokslag are so-called ethical hackers. Meijer previously cracked the technology behind the OV-chipcard, the Dutch transport card, and Bokslag hacked the wireless car keys of Peugeot, Opel, and Fiat. Both did so to make the technology more secure.

Despite their best efforts to raise awareness of the TETRA backdoor vulnerabilities, the researchers say that many critical infrastructure companies are nonresponsive, and for all we know, could still be at risk.

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Greek AI shipping startup acquired by Japanese automation giant

Artificial Intelligence, Deep tech, Europe, Startups and technology / Mike M. / July 24, 2023

Greek shipping software startup DeepSea Technologies has sold a majority share to Japan’s automation giant Nabtesco for an undisclosed amount.

DeepSea will continue to develop the company’s fuel optimisation platforms that reduce emissions (and cut costs) of fossil-based maritime fleets, while also becoming a “centre of excellence for AI research and product development.” Furthermore, the Athens-based startup will support Nabtesco Marine Control Systems in its quest for scalable semi-autonomous shipping.

The company will continue to function (fittingly enough) autonomously, and carry on work on its two platforms — Cassandra and Pythia — and on “the broader digital transformation of the maritime industry.”

Cassandra is a vessel monitoring and optimisation platform that allows customers to see emissions for a specific vessel and across an entire fleet, while also understanding how each component of the ship contributes to its performance. In addition, the tool offers notifications in real-time when something requires attention, such as fuel waste and maintenance requirements.

Meanwhile, Pythia is a world-first weather routing platform, tailored to the exact performance of a specific ship. It comes up with tailor-made routes, speed and trim policies, assessing overall cost and CO2 emissions, while providing minute-by-minute updates on conditions.

The company claims that it is possible to unlock energy efficiency improvements of up to 10% across almost any fleet in 12 months, using its optimisation technologies.

Best of both worlds

DeepSea was founded in 2017 and has previously raised €8mn, five of which came from Nabtesco Technology Ventures in 2021. The company has offices in Athens, London, and Rotterdam, and employs over 70 specialised engineers, most in AI and software development. The two co-founders of DeepSea, Dr. Konstantinos Kyriakopoulos and Roberto Coustas, will continue on in their roles of CEO and President, respectively.

“The deepening of our existing partnership with Nabtesco unlocks even greater potential for our technology and approach, and will be key to unlocking the next wave of innovation for our customers,” Kyriakopoulous stated when announcing the news last week.

“It’s truly the best of both worlds: DeepSea will maintain its startup culture and focus on disruptive technology, whilst harnessing all the expertise and support of a global powerhouse.”

Staying on top of CO2 emissions will become increasingly important for shipping companies worldwide. Not only from a “the world is burning, let’s get our act together” kind of perspective, but also from a business and regulatory point of view.

Maritime carbon emissions regulations

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), in 2022, maritime shipping accounted for about 2% of energy-related global CO2 emissions. While there is no legally binding agreement holding the industry to emission reduction targets, the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), a specialised agency of the UN, has adopted measures to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases from international shipping.

As stated in the latest version of the IMO’s GHG strategy from July 2023, it is now targeting net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Member states have agreed to “indicative checkpoints.” These include reducing total emissions by 20% and striving for 30% by 2030, with targets increased to 70% and 80% by 2040.

From 2024, shipping will also be included in the EU emissions trading scheme (ETS), which means that every kilogram of CO2 will be of financial — not to mention planetary — importance.

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AI in healthcare could exacerbate ethnic and income inequalities, scientists warn

Deep tech, Insider / Mike M. / July 21, 2023

Scientists fear using AI models such as ChatGPT in healthcare will exacerbate inequalities.

The epidemiologists, from the universities of Cambridge and Leicester, warn that large language models (LLMs) could entrench inequities for ethnic minorities and lower-income countries.

Their concern stems from systemic data biases. AI models used in healthcare are trained on information from websites and scientific literature. But evidence shows that ethnicity data is often missing from these sources.

As a result, AI tools can be less accurate for underrepresented groups. This can lead to ineffective drug recommendations or racist medical advice.

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“It is widely accepted that a differential risk is associated with being from an ethnic minority background across many disease groups,” the researchers said in their study paper.

“If the published literature already contains biases and less precision, it is logical that future AI models will maintain and further exacerbate them.”

The scientists are also concerned about the threat to low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). AI models are primarily developed in wealthier nations, which also dominate funding for medical research.

Consequently, LMICs are “vastly underrepresented” in healthcare training data. This can lead AI tools to provide bad advice to people in these countries.

Despite these qualms, the researchers recognise the benefits that AI can bring to medicine. To mitigate the risks, they suggest several measures.

First, they want the models to clearly describe the data used in their development. They also call for further work to address health inequalities in research, including better recruitment and recording of ethnicity information.

Training data should be adequately representative, while more research is needed on the use of AI for marginalised groups. These interventions, say the researchers, will promote fair and inclusive healthcare.

“We must exercise caution, acknowledging we cannot and should not stem the flow of progress,” said Dr Mohammad Ali from Leicester University.

AI in healthcare could exacerbate ethnic and income inequalities, scientists warn Read More »

Room-scale VR Adventure ‘Tea for God’ Comes to Quest & PC VR, Launch Trailer Here

News, roguelike, roguelite, tea for god, tea for god vr, void room, VR Game, vr roguelite / Mike M. / July 20, 2023

You might have seen the demo floating around for Tea for God for a few years now, however indie studio Void Room has finally released the full version of its VR roguelike adventure for Quest and SteamVR headsets.

Tea For God is a unique VR adventure that uses “impossible spaces”, allowing players infinite movement within their own room. While there is optional stick movement, the game’s true claim to fame is its ability to smartly guide you around your own room with your own two feet, which it does thanks to procedural generation.

Since the game dynamically scales to each user’s room, there are a few minimum space requirements. Void Room says users should have at least 1.8m x 1.2m (6ft x 4ft), although if you have less, the game will use horizontal scaling to make the world appear larger, bringing the minimum space down to 90cm x 60cm (3ft x 2ft).

You can choose to play three modes: a relaxing no-story mode, an intense arcade shooter with story, and a roguelite shooter-explorer.

There’s also an interesting narrative behind it all. Here’s how the studio describes it:

In the distant future, humankind has been united, ruled by God Emperor. Endowed with advanced technology we reached stars, colonised new worlds, went onto endless crusades against myriads of civilisations.

Personal tragedies tend to be meaningless against the time. But once in a while, one person may start a fire that can change the fate of the whole universe. A man who lost his family, who holds God Emperor accountable for their death, seeking answers and vengeance, embarks onto his last journey to the place no human has ever left alive, where God Emperor is believed to reside.

You’ll find the full version available on Quest App Lab, Oculus PC and Steam, priced at $20.

Room-scale VR Adventure ‘Tea for God’ Comes to Quest & PC VR, Launch Trailer Here Read More »

Author name: Mike M.