augmented reality

ROSE and Mastercard® Augment the Miami Design District in a New Immersive Experience

AR experiences, art, Art & Culture, augmented reality, featured, Mastercard, ROSE, trending / Ryan Harris / January 11, 2023

Mastercard cardholders can see Miami’s Design District in a whole new light, thanks to an immersive experience from ROSE. Follow along for a look at the #Priceless experience and exclusive insight from ROSE on how it came together.

Experience Miami’s Design District In AR

The newest experience on Mastercard’s “Priceless” platform is an AR tour of Miami’s Design District, led by CEO, entrepreneur, and art collector Craig Robins. Some of the seven stops in the viewer’s virtual tour are currently in Robins’ private collection.

ROSE and Mastercard immersive experience - Miami Design District AR tour

“This iconic destination provides enthusiasts with special access to the vibrant arts scene in Miami, as well as the multi-sensory dimensions of the Mastercard brand through our sonic music and immersive visual branding,” said Mastercard Executive VP of Consumer Marketing and Revenue, Monica Biagiotti. “To ensure the experience captures everything the Design District represents, we’re thrilled to partner with the ultimate insider, Craig Robins who introduces a special, curated tour for our guests.”

Each of the stops is marked by an orb that appears in the viewer’s camera feed on their connected smart device. Viewers can select experiences by tapping the orb or by moving toward it. Each bubble transports viewers to its own immersive experience, wherein they can further navigate around the artworks and architecture presented in the tour.

ROSE and Mastercard Augment the Miami Design District in a New Immersive Experience

“We’ve been dipping our toes in the AR space to better understand how people want to engage with this new technology,” said Biagiotti. “AR and other emerging data-driven technologies provide us with an opportunity to connect more consumers with their passions – like travel – in innovative ways so they can learn or experience something new and enriching.”

The stops along the tour include:

Sol LeWitt’s Wall Drawing #1138;
Virgil Abloh’s Dollar a Gallon III;
Buckminster Fuller’s Fly’s Eye Dome;
Criola’s Interdimensional Portal;
John Baldessari’s Fun Mural (Part 1);
Urs Fischer’s Standing Julian;
Jana Euler’s Two Brides.

ROSE and Mastercard - Priceless immersive experience

“Miami is becoming a destination for art and technology, this experience really marries the two as a way for Mastercard™ cardholders everywhere to experience iconic and large-scale art pieces from anywhere using immersive technology,” ROSE Associate Creative Director Nicole Riemer said in an emailed response.

How the Immersive Experience Came Together

This immersive experience is the second XR experience created by ROSE and Mastercard. The first was a Snapchat Lens for Mastercard’s Stand Up To Cancer campaign that launched last summer.

“Working with Mastercard™ has been great!” said Riemer. “For both projects, the Mastercard™ teams have been super excited about using augmented reality and have trusted us as experts in this space. That has allowed us to have a very collaborative relationship.”

Another familiar piece of the puzzle was 8th Wall. ROSE had been working with the company since before it was purchased by Niantic, and the relationship shows no signs of souring.

“Their support is always great. Their team is very available to work through how to implement our ideas on their platform, and being open to feedback about features,” said Riemer. “During the development of this project, their team checked in often to see if they could offer support, as well as planning for using this as a case study for their platform.”

How to Experience Miami From Anywhere

Mastercard cardholders can virtually visit Miami’s Design District here. The immersive experience runs through June 1, 2023.

(Terms apply. Quantities limited.)

ROSE and Mastercard® Augment the Miami Design District in a New Immersive Experience Read More »

XRA Survey: Teachers Pin Hopes on XR for Better Classroom Engagement

augmented reality, education, Education & Training, extended reality, Industry Reports, learning, study, virtual reality, XR Association / Ryan Harris / January 6, 2023

Incorporating XR—the umbrella term for virtual, augmented, and mixed reality—in classroom education can make learning more fun. It can also motivate students to take their studies more seriously. A recent survey by XR Association (XRA) and the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) presented this conclusion based on a poll of over 1,400 high school teachers across 50 US states. Let’s look at the survey results.

Optimism High for XR’s Classroom Use

Foremost of the highlights in the nationwide poll was the finding that 77% of educators believe in the power of extended reality to ignite curiosity and engagement in class. This is especially important given that student motivation and morale are reported to have dropped in the 2020-2021 school year.

As Sean Wybrant, a computer science teacher at Colorado Spring’s William J. Palmer High School, put it: “Imagine how much better a student will understand what happens in Othello if they could actually step into the play and see it. Imagine how much better we could tell historical narratives if we could put people in recreations of famous situations based on documentation of those time periods.”

Secondly, XR doesn’t only make students eager to learn. Seventy-seven percent of teachers also see its potential in spurring interaction and building empathy among classmates. XRA says in its report that creating immersive worlds allows students to exchange ideas and understand each other in new ways.

Thirdly, 67% of respondents agree with XRA’s advocacy to incorporate extended reality technology into the curricula. Educators teaching the following subjects believe that course-specific XR experiences would be beneficial for students:

Earth sciences (94%)
Physics and space science (91%)
Math (89%)
English language (86%)
World languages (87%)
History and social studies (90%)
Social sciences (91%)
Computer science (91%)
Visual and performing arts (91%)
Physical education (88%)
Career and technical education (91%)

“To get a good sense of XR’s potential in schools, you have to ask the teachers and staff who will be administering this technology,” said Stephanie Montgomery, the XRA Vice President of Research and Best Practices. “The survey’s results suggest that VR, AR, and MR technology is well-positioned to become an essential teaching tool in school classrooms across the country.”

At the same time, 58% of the survey respondents said that teachers should get training for XR classroom use. Moreover, 62% believe in developing XR standards before integrating the technologies into regular curricula.

XR Association CEO Elizabeth Hyman believes in the extensive ripple effect that will result from making educators XR-ready. “If teachers understand XR technology and are empowered to contribute to the way in which it is incorporated into the curriculum, everyone—students, their guardians, and the surrounding community—will be able to take advantage of its benefits,” she said.

However, despite the positive outlook, 57% of teachers recognize the costs of using AR and VR devices and admit that access to funds will determine access to such technology. Nevertheless, poll participants believe XR’s benefits will extend beyond the classroom. Seventy-seven percent of teachers said the technology helps equip students with skills they can apply in their chosen careers, especially since, according to forecasts, jobs in extended reality may reach 23 million by 2030.

Myths About XR Classroom Use Debunked

The XRA-ISTE survey dispelled several myths about extended reality’s acceptance in education. One of these misconceptions is that XR is only for gaming. The poll results and teachers’ comments reveal that they are aware of the usefulness of this technology in geography, math, history, and other subjects.

Moreover, the survey response from educators refutes the popular notion that XR technology would not be the “best fit” for the classroom. Seventy-eight percent of respondents believe in the benefits of extended reality technologies in class.

Finally, the belief that XR will distract students from learning only got a 15% vote among the survey participants. The majority support the opportunities that come with extended reality when incorporated into lessons.

Teens Excited About XR

Earlier last year, XRA also conducted a separate survey that sought teens’ views on current use cases for XR and their expectations for this technology. The results released in May 2022 revealed that 40% of teens have used either AR or VR in school and 50% describe their experience with these technologies as positive. Thirty-eight percent would like to own a headset in the future.

Even though there are potential concerns around immersive technologies, which teens are aware of, they are still excited about using XR in education, in a responsible way. Almost 4 in 5 teens think extended reality can impact lives positively. They believe that XR can improve their lives in the areas of fun (67%), creativity (61%), and learning (48%). Moreover, 52% of respondents expressed interest in taking a college course with extended reality integrated into its curriculum.

Read the Latest Addition to the XRA Developers’ Guide

XRA is proactively advancing XR application in classroom learning. It recently launched a new chapter in its Developers Guide on designing immersive lessons for high schoolers. The fresh chapter discusses current classroom needs, successful use cases, and industry-backed best practices for promoting safe and inclusive classroom learning through extended reality that addresses parent, teacher, and student concerns.

XRA Survey: Teachers Pin Hopes on XR for Better Classroom Engagement Read More »

2023 will be the year of AR glasses – here’s what to expect

augmented reality / Ryan Harris / January 4, 2023

Augmented Reality (AR) has promised some pretty big things, such as, you know, a total disruption to how we live and work. By overlaying a virtual world over our IRL one, endless possibilities in how we communicate with one another, take in information, and see the world, come into focus.

But AR has fallen short of expectations. While many of us have used dog filters on social media platforms like Instagram and Snapchat, and played games like Pokemon Go!, we can’t really say it’s truly disrupted our daily lives — yet.

One of the most cited reasons for AR’s lack of wider adoption is that the hardware just isn’t there to support it. How many people do you know who wear smart glasses regularly? Still, adoption is on the rise, and the global AR/VR smart glasses market is set to grow by $7297.59M between 2023 and 2027.

2023 is poised to be the year of AR glasses, but why exactly? In this video, AR/VR expert and tech journalist Boy Visser dissects the recent technological developments that lead to this ‘perfect storm’ for smart glasses, and what’s next for AR.

And with buzzy new sectors like the metaverse and 5G flying around, it’s only a matter of time before we see an AR boom. So where is it now? And where is it headed?

The current state of AR

AR-enabled smart glasses may not have taken over yet, but there are still plenty of areas where AR is already being deployed.

Today’s applications often take the form of HUDs, or Head-up Displays, which is a transparent display that shows data without distracting from the view — kind of like a window with notes on it. Except the notes are data that change and adapt to the viewed environment.

HUDs were originally developed for military aviation. This year, the United States Army rolled out a $22bn program to develop mixed reality combat goggles, called the Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS). The new goggles allow soldiers in combat to see and share data, such as maps or enemy positions, with one another in real-time.

But now HUDs are used in other sectors, like automobiles and commercial aircraft. With cars, in particular, HUDs are seen as the next step in pushing driver experience into the future, as they can display key information on a driver’s windshield, like directions, without taking the driver’s eyes off the road. This type of AR HUD is already being implemented by car manufacturers like Kia, which has the HUD in models such as the Kia EV6, Kia Niro, and more.

Another iteration of AR that is being deployed across industries is assisted reality, which is similar to Augmented Reality in that data is displayed on a screen over the user’s environment, but it’s less immersive. RealWear is one company that develops assisted reality wearables like smart goggles for frontline professionals across fields like healthcare, energy, manufacturing, automotive, and more.

Jon Arnold, RealWear’s VP of EMEA, tells TNW that today’s use cases for XR (or extended reality, which both augmented reality and assisted reality fall under) are mainly centered around industry and safety:

“The goals of assisted reality are to keep the user’s attention and situational awareness in the real world, with a direct line of sight,“ he says.

Arnold gives the example of RealWear goggles being used in manufacturing environments, where they’re used to remotely support engineers. “These wearables enable a local engineer in an extremely austere and perhaps hazardous environment — in the rain, up high, or at sea — to send data to a remote expert in real-time across the other side of the world. That remote expert can then clearly see the problem through the eyes of the worker, help identify and diagnose the issue, and help the local engineer safely make the fix in real-time,” Arnold explains.

What’s next for AR and smart glasses?

As tech giants like Google, Apple, and Magic Leap get closer to launching new smart glasses models, the possibilities for how these glasses will transform our user experience — and lives — grow.

Take the metaverse, for example. XR hardware isn’t yet ready for the metaverse (they’re too expensive, too bulky, or just not very good), but headsets like The Magic Leap 2 allow for a wholly immersive experience. Back in March, we wrote about how The Magic Leap 2 blurs the line between AR and VR, with its massive, and dimmable, field of view. If users are going to spend any real time in the metaverse, they’ll need smart glasses and goggles like these to take them there.

But hardware aside, AR’s next steps seem to largely rely on one thing: 5G.

“Over the last four years, one of the most publicized technologies within the AR sector is 5G, with expectations that the technology will, among other things, unlock the true value of AR,” says Arnold.

5G should offer a new network for AR to operate on that is ultra-low latency and high bandwidth, which means that it will be much faster. This is crucial in enabling use cases like being able to train someone remotely, or allowing for guided maintenance and repairs, such as a remote repairs technician being able to leave notes on broken parts that on-site workers can read and then fix accordingly.

Let’s actually wear smart glasses in 2023

For everyday workers, faster networks for AR mean they will be able to better collaborate in real-time with their global teams. What does this look like exactly? 5G-enabled AR would allow everyone involved in a virtual meeting or presentation to get the same information at the same time, and interact with digital content in real-time, collaboratively.

But, Arnold says, today’s 5G is still a long way from fully supporting AR and VR: “We are tracking the market closely, however, the reality is, it will be quite a while before this vision becomes a reality, because 5G in the public network today currently offers no uplink bandwidth improvement.”

In the meantime, we’ll likely continue to see innovative smart glasses applications continue to roll out, such as Japan’s customs office using them to tackle smuggling, as customs officials can share images of cargo in real-time with experienced officials elsewhere.

And while we wait for 5G to reach its full potential, Arnold says we should start getting used to actually wearing the smart glasses now: “The most important thing companies should do more 2023 is working on people… to improve adoption of wearables now, and get people used to them.”

2023 will be the year of AR glasses – here’s what to expect Read More »

Minimizing Augmented Reality Security Risks: A Brief Roadmap

augmented reality, featured, safety, Sponsored / Ryan Harris / January 3, 2023

Steps to Minimize Augmented Reality Security Risk

Here are some measures to help curtail augmented reality security risks.

Read the Fine Print in Privacy Policies

Who has the time to peruse long data privacy rules? Unfortunately, this flaw results in horrifying implications.

Contrary to popular belief, it is worth your while to scrutinize privacy policies or terms of service, so that you are aware of how AR/VR networks and businesses utilize your information.

For example, you will learn whether the network is sharing your information with third parties for marketing purposes or they have strict data protection rules.

Armed with this knowledge, users decide how much information they want the businesses to acquire.

Install Anti-Malware/Antivirus Software

Anti-malware apps are developed to defend users and devices against cyberattacks like ransomware, viruses, and malware.

So make sure to install formidable software that can protect you against common cyberattacks.

Opt for a Reliable VPN Service Provider

VPNs have become indispensable tools for businesses and individuals for the entirety of their online activities.

If you wonder what is VPN, it stands for a virtual private network. They establish a secure network connection by concealing Internet traffic, especially when using public networks.

Furthermore, VPNs disguise IP addresses, making it challenging for third parties to monitor users’ activities online and loot data.

So, using a VPN service is one of the most efficient ways of keeping your data and identity secure on the web. If it is mandatory to share confidential information, a VPN can safeguard you against compromised sensitive data. Since data is encrypted and scrambled, hackers cannot comprehend your data even if they intercept it.

Only Disclose Necessary Information

When using or working on AR systems, avoid revealing information that is too personal.

For example, you can provide your email address to create an account but only reveal your debit or credit card details if you buy something.

Furthermore, AR servers must have robust security protocols to safeguard user information, data, and identity. Double-check these protocols before using an AR network or services from businesses with this technology.

Implementation of Accurate Filters by AR Portals

The use of accurate filters by AR portals, such as facial recognition software and computer vision algorithms, can streamline image recognition. This will prevent attackers from hacking into users’ profiles and stealing their data.

Run-Of-The-Mill AR Weaknesses

Privacy is a primary concern because AR technologies keep tabs on user activity by collecting user information. So if hackers gain access, the possible loss of data and privacy is harrowing.

AR’s security risks are attributed to the following:

Ransomware

Hackers persistently use the most sophisticated technologies to achieve their pernicious goals. For example, ransomware records user behavior or interactions.

After employing the software and gaining access to user data, hackers may issue threats to release the data publicly unless the user pays a hefty ransom.

Web Browser Dependency

WebAR is browser-dependent. Unfortunately, web browsers do not have in-built AR support functionality. Hence, developers create tools to make AR options available to users. Generally, these tools deactivate the browser’s security filters.

Hence, browsers become vulnerable and highly susceptible to security threats.

Malicious Software

Cybercriminals can plant harmful content through advertising on AR channels, websites, or applications. Users unwittingly clicking on the tampered ads or promo codes get redirected to virus-infected servers or websites.

Then, these unsuspecting users become victims of malware attacks that compromise their data and may even damage their devices.

Stolen Network Credentials

Hacking is a serious cyber threat for retailers implementing AR technology into their shopping applications. Most users already have their mobile payment solutions and credit/debit card details stored in their user profiles. It is easy for attackers to gain access to this data and tamper with the accounts stealthily.

The Threat of Social Engineering

Cybercriminals may employ AR systems to dupe users and provide them with unreliable content as part of social engineering attacks.

For instance, the perception of reality might be distorted via fake signs and displays. As a result, users might be tempted to take some actions by looking at these counterfeit signs and end up becoming a hacker’s victim.

Absence of Standardized Security

AR is an up-and-coming technology, and there’s a long way to go. Moreover, this technology is constantly evolving. As a result, uniform security standards are absent.

ARML or Augmented Reality Markup Language lacks comprehensive security controls, and the implemented security standards are not universally followed.

Besides all these, there’s also the risk of losing the human connection and psychological dependence on virtual worlds, as well as theft or physical harm if you’re wearing augmented reality devices.

Final Words

Security risks are consistently showing an upward trajectory, and you can do nothing to stop these attacks other than protect yourself. If you face security and privacy issues, refer to the techniques mentioned earlier to decrease those risks. Also, remember to stay alert and never click unknown links or download apps from unverified sources.

Minimizing Augmented Reality Security Risks: A Brief Roadmap Read More »

ARPost’s 22 Most-Read XR and Metaverse Articles of 2022

augmented reality, extended reality, featured, metaverse, trending, virtual reality / Blake Jones / December 31, 2022

From top XR trends and must-have skills for an AR/VR career, to XR hardware reviews, to the potential of the metaverse in various industries, to discussing why we’re not all wearing AR/VR headsets, these are the 22 stories ARPost readers clicked on the most this year.

22

Hands-On Review: AI and AR Art Instruction App Cupixel

ARPost demoed Cupixel, a new app that uses AR and AI to help anyone realize their artistic potential. In this article, we introduce you to Cupixel, show you how it works, and share what we think about it.

21

Hands-On Review of VR Wave Prescription Lenses for Quest 2

A hands-on review and a cost analysis of the VR Wave prescription lens inserts with optional blue light and glare protection for Meta Quest 2.

20

KKCOBVR Quest 2 Strap and Battery Pack: Hands-On Hardware Review

Our honest opinion about KKCOBVR Quest 2 strap and battery Pack. Spoiler alert – it’s way better than the native Quest strap.

19

Will Magic Leap 2 AR Glasses Lead the Way to the Metaverse?

When Magic Leap released a preview of its new AR glasses, Magic Leap 2, we discussed whether the hardware will attract consumers to the metaverse.

18

Top 5 AR SDKs for Building Augmented Reality Mobile Apps

An AR SDK is a key to AR app development. In this guest post, Gourav Sharma from Arka Softwares lists some popular software development tools used for AR app development.

17

Vuzix M400C Smart Glasses Become Publicly Available, Consumer Model at CES

We share more information about the Vuzix enterprise headset, Vuzix M400C, and the coming consumer model, Ultralite.

16

The Best VR Apps for Socializing With Friends

VR apps for socializing allow friends and families to stay in touch even in the most challenging situations and feel close to each other. We give you a list of 8 VR apps you can check out.

15

CX and the Metaverse: The Changing Face of Customer Service in a Virtual World

Customer experience is a crucial factor that determines a brand’s success. As we begin to shift to the metaverse, more companies are working on bringing a new dimension to CX.

14

Real-World Applications and Benefits of AR Cloud

AR cloud is an emerging trend in the field of AR technology that can change the way we interact with both the digital and physical world.

13

Industrial Metaverse: The Factory of the Future

The advent of the metaverse is transforming the manufacturing industry significantly, making it immersive, more agile, and safe. Here are some of the applications of industrial metaverse.

12

Dive Into a Hyper-Realistic Metaverse Built on Unreal Engine

In this article, we introduce you to Victoria VR, a hyper-realistic metaverse created and owned by users, and powered by Unreal Engine.

11

Luxury Brands Embrace the E-Commerce Metaverse With Virtual Stores

“Shopify of the Metaverse,” ByondXR, has teamed up with luxury brands L’Oreal Luxe for Armani Beauty and YSL Beauty Thailand to enhance the e-commerce experience with virtual stores.

10

Lowe’s Opens 3D Product Library to Metaverse Developers

Metaverse developers now have free access to Lowe’s Open Builder. This grants them permission to use 3D digital assets from the product library for free in their metaverse projects.

09

The Future of VR in Education: Full Immersion in Learning

VR in education provides the optimal compromise between students and educators, making learning relevant, interesting, and interactive. In this article, we take a look at the future of this technology in the educational field.

08

The Best Examples of VR Museum Tours From Across the World

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we experience art and culture and introduced VR museum tours as part of people’s daily lives.

07

The Most Innovative AR and VR Companies in 2021

This article presents some of the most innovative AR and VR companies in 2021 and the impact they had on the way the average person experiences immersive games and apps.

06

Top AR/VR Trends for 2022

We cover some of the most important AR/VR trends for 2022 and their impact on the way we live, work, shop, and discover entertainment opportunities.

05

Why We’re Not All Wearing AR/VR Headsets

Spatial computing enthusiasts said we’d all be in the metaverse by now. Why is it not so? Why aren’t we all equipped with a headset?

04

How Artificial Intelligence Can Reshape AR, VR, and MR Technologies

Artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies are widely used to deliver unparalleled experiences and interactions. Find out how AI can be applied to elevate AR, MR, and VR technologies.

03

AWE 2022 Day One: An AR-Heavy Day Focusing on Presence

ARPost covered the AWE USA 2022 event, which took place in June. Day one saw major announcements from Qualcomm, ThinkReality, and the CyberXR Coalition, Ori Inbar’s AWE opener, and insights from Unity, Blippar, XRA, and others.

02

7 Benefits of AR and VR for People With Disability

Immersive technology can be a game-changer for people with health conditions or impairments. Here are some of the many benefits that augmented and virtual reality provide to people with disability.

01

7 Must-Have Skills in an AR/VR Career

This article summarizes the skills needed in the AR/VR industry, as well as tips to guide you through your skill-building.

ARPost’s 22 Most-Read XR and Metaverse Articles of 2022 Read More »

HomeAR Geolocates Virtual Homes, New Metrics for Developers

AEC industry, AR platform, augmented reality, construction, featured / Ryan Harris / December 29, 2022

We first met homeAR in March. The solution for homebuilders and their clients creates virtual models of homes that are visible on-site or in a “dollhouse mode” from anywhere. So, what’s next? Entire AR communities? Actually, yes. Other recent updates to the platform include an “Always-On” feature and more compatibility with other applications.

Welcome homeAR

HomeAR has been around for quite a while now, but it has only existed in its current iteration for the last few years after CEO Richard Penny was inspired by his own experience in having a house built.

Always-On homeAR

The last time that we checked in with homeAR, prospective homeowners could see the AR model of their home on-site or wherever they happened to be. Either of these solutions made it easier for them to envision their future dwelling to better work with contractors to make sure that everything went according to plan (or change the plan).

“When a person is using this and expecting it to behave like a house, we want to make it usable so people aren’t just interacting with a 3D widget, they’re interacting with a house,” Penny told ARPost at the time.

The application was good for exactly that. People having a house built could view their house virtually before the ground was even broken on their property. But, not all houses are custom-built by a property owner working with a private contractor. What about people looking to move into a new housing complex or subdivision? That’s where some of the new features come in.

Your Next Home Hasn’t Been Built Yet

HomeAR has been rolling out a bunch of new features, but one of the most exciting is the Always-On feature. Builders can import their CAD models to the homeAR backend and then associate the model with a QR code on-site. Visitors to the site can then scan the QR code to launch the experience.

Always-On feature homeAR

That experience consists of virtual houses pinned to their future locations in the physical world. Potentially replacing a single model home and an artist’s 2D rendering of the building site, this experience allows visitors to envision an entire unbuilt community in the physical environment around them.

“Being able to take buyers on a journey where they can experience not only an individual home, but a whole community, is hugely powerful for both parties,” Penny said in a release shared with ARPost. “This Always-On technology provides a glimpse of the future at the site of the build and is the perfect tool to help someone imagine what lies in store for them.”

This tool doesn’t only provide information to visitors, it also provides information to developers. Metrics gathered from users interacting with the virtual development help project managers understand how potential residents are exploring the site.

What’s Next?

This isn’t the end of homeAR. Some of the features that Penny told us to expect in the future still aren’t here – like spatially anchored notes within the virtual model homes, and recording video within the app. We aren’t sure when to expect these features, but it’s nice to see that the company isn’t standing still.

HomeAR Geolocates Virtual Homes, New Metrics for Developers Read More »

OVER’s Map2Earn Beta Program to Make the Creation of 3D World Maps More Accessible

augmented reality, featured, metaverse, News / Mike M. / December 26, 2022

OVER’s Map2Earn Beta program makes creating 3D world maps more accessible to users with smartphones. Using the OVER app, they can now take photos of any physical location and generate an OVRMap. As a result, they can take part in OVER’s global mapping initiative, while also getting the opportunity to earn rewards.

Paving the Way for Richer AR Experiences

According to OVER, Map2Earn is the company’s’ “biggest project yet.” It introduces more accurate data collection capabilities and takes geolocalization capabilities to the next level.

The accuracy of GPS systems in outdoor spaces is limited to about 6 meters. However, with Map2Earn Beta, OVER has increased the localization accuracy to 20 centimeters.

This broadens the horizon for newer and more immersive AR experiences and use cases. For instance, users can have superimposed AR experiences on existing real-world structures or accurate geolocation of assets in indoor and multi-floor settings.

“When we think about the future of AR, we imagine an augmented world with contextualized 3D experiences that seamlessly merge with the physical world,” said Diego Di Tommaso, COO and co-founder of OVER, in a press release shared with ARPost. “In order to achieve this, we need a system to precisely locate the observer in space – we need geolocalization accuracy. That’s why we built Map2Earn, a system to precisely relocate you in space using computer vision that goes far beyond what can be achieved with GPS only. Such a system will finally enable the creation of the AR use cases that, as of right now, we can only just dream about.”

Its Alpha testing phase, which involved more than 1,200 maps created by 300 early users, was a success. Now, the Beta version is accessible to all users via the OVER app (available for both iOS and Android).

How the Map2Earn Beta Program Works

The Map2Earn Beta program is backed by an intuitive UX that guides the users through the capture process. Users, or – as OVER calls them – the mappers, will film each OVRLand location to generate three assets:

The location’s 3D point cloud, which delivers a precise visual reference of the location the user wants to augment through AR;
Relocalization algorithms, which use the point cloud to locate the observer and create a more immersive AR experience;
A NeRF (neural radiance fields)-generated digital twin of the mapped area, which creates a simulation of the mapped location.

The user-creator will own the 3D structure of the locations that they’ve mapped using their smartphone. As of this writing, users can view the digital twin via a virtual drone fly-through. However, OVER will be working toward making these locations freely explorable.

A New Way to Explore the Metaverse

With the Map2Earn Beta program, OVER and its users can build up-to-date, Web3-based 3D maps of significant locations. Also, the scope of the program covers both indoor and outdoor spaces.

“OVER’s vision is to create a Web3-based, community-owned, up-to-date 3D map of the most important indoor and outdoor locations in the world – the likes of which we have not seen before,” said Di Tommaso. “OVRMaps have a fundamental importance for AR. They are the portal to the AR metaverse, without which there is no way to reliably and coherently augment the physical world.”

The Map2Earn production release is scheduled for late January, when users will be able to mint their 3D maps as NFTs. Then, they can trade these assets via the OVER marketplace, as well as other decentralized marketplaces, such as OpenSea. This is one of the ways through which users can earn.

In the future, OVER will be launching a direct incentivization program. Through this, users will be able to access the so-called open-to-buy orders and acquire the maps of their desired locations.

To access the Beta program, download the OVER app on Google Play or the App Store and follow the directions, which you can find under “Map2Earn”.

OVER’s Map2Earn Beta Program to Make the Creation of 3D World Maps More Accessible Read More »

Snap Celebrates the Fifth Annual Lens Fest

augmented reality, Events, featured, lenses, Snap Inc., Snapchat / Ryan Harris / December 9, 2022

Snap Lens Fest took place on December 6 and 7. The annual event is a celebration of the Snap Lens creator community, as well as an opportunity for the company to announce initiatives and software offerings. The event is also home to the Lens Fest Awards.

If you’re a Snapchat user, Lens Fest gives you an insight into what’s happening behind the lens and what’s coming next. If you aren’t a Snapchat user, you should still pay attention as Snap’s design tools are used by other organizations to develop their AR tools and games as well.

Welcome Back!

Four Snap leads used the keynote to set the stage for the rest of Lens Fest (as well as make the first major announcements). First, Snap Chief Technology Officer, Bobby Murphy, presented Lens Studio – Snap’s developer suite – as being an organic collaboration between the company and the users of the platform.

Lens Studio - Snap Lens Fest 2022

“We’re excited to be here to celebrate you, the global Lens developer community,” said Murphy. “We’re excited to continue developing Lens Studio along with you … There is so much opportunity ahead of us.”

To Murphy, this two-way development of Lens Studio is a major part of the development of AR as a whole. This draws on Snap’s longstanding position that AR is the future of immersive tech. It would come to be an ongoing theme for later presentations as well.

“The best and most engaging AR filters add to the world rather than replace it,” said Murphy. “Over time, we see the potential for wearable technology, like our Spectacles, to make it even more accessible.”

Updates and Opportunities

Following Murphy, Software Engineering Senior Manager, Trevor Stephenson, discussed some of the big updates to Lens Studio in the past year, including Ray Tracing. The feature, which was announced at Snap’s Partner Summit in April, is already in the hands of select partners but is coming to the platform more publicly next year.

Next, Joe Darko, Global Head of AR Developer Relations, spoke about learning and development opportunities culminating in a new “Lensathon.” The remote opportunity opened on the first day of Lens Fest and continues through the end of January. Following the event, a total of $200,000 will be awarded, including $40,000 to the top project.

The Future of Creator Monetization?

Finally, Director of AR Platform Partnerships and Ecosystems, Sophia Dominguez, took the virtual stage. She teased early experiments with creators to create AR items and assets available to Snap users in exchange for tokens – but didn’t suggest a release date. The coming feature, which was promoted as a creator monetization option, tied back into Murphy’s opening themes.

“We believe that as more developers like you establish businesses, we move closer to our wearable future,” said Dominguez. “We’re committed to pushing the AR industry forward alongside you.”

More on the Economic Future of AR

For the Lens Fest next session, a non-Snapchatter took the stage – Mike Boland of ARtillery Intelligence. He discussed the trajectory of AR as a market, specifically for advertising.

Boland likened AR to the early internet, saying that it will meet and even exceed all of our expectations provided that we remember that that kind of development will take time. Boland also said that, historically, emerging technologies had done well in market economic slowdowns as they cut their legacy ad spending while continuing to find the next big thing.

According to Boland, we’re already seeing signs of AR maturing as a market, such as the shift from the selfie cam to the world-facing cam. While Boland said that AR glasses are “years away,” he also pointed out that AR glasses only have world-facing cameras. He also pointed to the shift to more productive and informative AR lenses as a further sign of maturity.

“In addition to fun and whimsical lenses, we see an increase in practical lenses,” said Boland. “We’ll still see lots of fun and games in AR just like we do on the web today.”

“What’s New in Lens Studio”

The next Lens Fest session took a closer look at the more near-term future. Lens Studio Product Marketing Manager Leigh Brown and Product Manager Charmain Lee presented updates to Snap Lens Cloud and collision mesh software.

Lens Cloud was announced at the Partner Summit and allows lens creators to store assets remotely so that running a lens is less of a technical task for the device. An impending update to Lens Cloud will allow users to edit the live version of their lens by changing which assets are in the Lens Cloud version of the project.

Another coming update to Lens Studio can automatically make a collision mesh of both virtual objects and the physical world. There will also be new filters for finding a mesh that will provide just the right collision.

The Lens Fest Awards

This is the Fifth annual Lens Fest, but only the second annual Lens Fest Awards. The event recognized 50 finalists across five categories with one winner in each. Hosting the Awards was Snap’s European AR Developer Relations Lead, Oscar Falmer. Once again, judges came from across Snap, though the categories were different this year.

“We’re thrilled to be here today to celebrate the year’s most creative lenses and the developers who build them,” said Falmer. “All great AR begins with the creativity of Lens developers and creators.”

Play

The first category recognized lenses “that use gaming or entertainment to enhance how we experience the world” and the award went to Table Trenches: Operation Living Room by DB Creations. The multi-player game uses scans of a player’s environment to create a reactive map for a tower-defense-style strategy game.

The Lens Fest Awards - Table Trenches

“Thanks so much to everyone who helped us make this game a reality,” said DB Creations co-founder Dustin Kochensparger. “I can’t wait to show you what we’re working on next.”

Fashion

The Fashion category recognized lenses that “revolutionize the world of personal style.” The award went to Vishal Yadav’s Flux Fashion, a lens that allows users to customize a virtual garment using colors sourced from their physical environments.

The Lens Fest Awards - Vishal Yadav’s Flux Fashion

Yadav, also a nominee in the Wellness category, expressed gratitude at recognition of his lens saying, “It means a lot to me.”

Education

The Education category “celebrates lenses that raise awareness for important causes or foster knowledge through AR.” The award went to Inna Horobchuk for Sky Map. Sky Map is an interactive annotated map of stars and constellations – something that took a whole dedicated app when this XR journalist started writing.

“I’m super excited that people from all around the globe can engage with my lens and learn about stars and constellations in AR,” said Horobchuk, who was also a nominee for the Wellness category.

Wellness

The Wellness category celebrated “lenses that contribute to physical and mental well-being” and was awarded to Soft Drink Info by Wasim Ghole.

The lens displays nutrition information for a number of popular sodas and energy drinks. Ghole thanked Snap for recognizing the lens, and for providing the tools to create and distribute it.

Moonshot

The final Lens Fest Award category “highlights creators who have seen the limitless potential of AR and have challenged themselves to do something that has never been done before.” The award went to Dennis Rossiev’s Imaginary Friends, which allows users to turn scans of objects in their environment into cartoon companions.

The Lens Fest Awards - Dennis Rossiev Imaginary Friends

“With machine learning, I was able to build a lens that I’ve been dreaming about for so long,” said Rossiev. In addition to having been a nominee in two other categories this year, Rossiev also won in an “originality” category at last year’s Lens Fest Awards.

The Camera That Keeps on Giving

For the outfit that still calls itself a “camera company,” Snap is leaning more into AR than ever before. Dedicated specifically to Lenses, Lens Fest is a necessarily AR-focused event. If the company stays consistent, the next Partner Summit should be in a few months to key us into other elements of the company’s strategy.

Snap Celebrates the Fifth Annual Lens Fest Read More »

Learning in AR: Bring Textbooks to Life With Ludenso

AR Apps, augmented reality, education, Education & Training, featured, learning / Ryan Harris / December 8, 2022

Augmented reality is exciting. It’s interactive and can be a great visual aid for information that might otherwise be difficult to visualize or that might be just plain dull in 2D. As such, it has huge potential for educators. Unfortunately, good AR content can also be difficult to make for people who aren’t experts. That’s where Ludenso comes in.

Ludenso works with textbook publishers, educators, and tech experts to create an app for augmenting textbooks with an easy-to-use interface. I talked with co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer, Ingrid Skrede, to learn more.

What Is Ludenso?

Ludenso gives educators low-and-no-code tools to bring augmented reality into the classroom. The company can and does work with educators and publishers to create models in-house, but they also make libraries of educational 3D assets available in a drag-and-drop interface.

“Bringing AR [textbooks] to life on mobile is not new. What’s new is the ability to view it and update it without technical expertise,” said Skrede. “We put the studio’s creative power into the hands of content experts, not just our development team.”

Ludenso AR app for learning

With a few keystrokes, educators with no AR development experience can add their own notations to existing 3D models that launch when a phone with the Ludenso Explore app recognizes images in a textbook. They can also add images, videos, or links – whether to more resources, online quizzes, or something else.

I saw this process in a screen share during a demo with Skrede but spent most of my time on the user side of the app. The app recognizes the target images instantly. Manipulating the model to scale and rotate it is easy, as is finding the annotations and contextual information that the educator (played by Skrede) attributed to it.

The app doesn’t only feature image detection, it also features planar detection. So, I can view a mini 3D model on the textbook page with the context of the words around it. I can also switch my view to place a 3D model in my office and scale it up as much as I want.

What’s more, once I’ve opened the models associated with a textbook, I can place them in my environment without the image target. So, a student could study the 3D models in a textbook chapter even if they left their textbook at school.

How Ludenso Inspires Learning

Of course, Ludenso isn’t just for educators – as no educational service should be. The application is also for students. Over the course of our remote interview, Skrede brought up numerous studies showing that AR helps students maintain attention and retain information.

More than that, Skrede says that working with Ludenso has put her in numerous positions to see “underperforming” students drawn into their lessons in ways that shocked their teachers.

“When we’re born, we want to learn. But, we have sixteen thousand hours of learning ahead of us and that’s a long time to sit and learn what everyone else is learning,” said Skrede. “When using AR, you’re challenging the perceptions teachers have and what it means to be a strong student.”

Living and Learning

Ludenso has been around for a couple of years now. The Oslo-based company is finally starting to get the buzz that it deserves, as well as a recently-cleared $1M funding round.

One of the pillars of Ludenso’s philosophy is that the best educational content is going to be made by educators – not by tech moguls. As a result, they started out working with schools directly. This was a great way to work directly with educators, as they wanted, but it came with its own challenges.

AR app for learning - Ludenso

“We saw how excited the students were, and how excited the teachers were,” said Skrede. “We also realized that it’s challenging to scale in the school sector.”

Working with individual schools meant that Ludenso was working with individual curricula. What the company enabled one school to make might only work for that one school. Some of the tools that make the current (and upcoming) iteration of Ludenso possible were developed at this time, but the company’s outreach structure changed.

“We were rather fortunate to get in touch with a publishing house here,” said Skrede. The company is currently partnered with three major textbook publishers, which serve as a distribution channel for educators. “We’re interested in building a learning platform.”

Using textbooks to launch the experience also helps educators implement the technology that they might not be familiar with – particularly as a part of a structured curriculum.

“We go with textbooks because teachers want to use AR but they need a tool that they can come back to over and over,” said Skrede.

As this article was being written, Ludenso also announced a partnership with Cambridge University Press & Assessment. The partnership allows Cambridge University to carry Ludenso content and gives Ludenso global exposure with a renowned publishing company.

Where Was This a Decade Ago?

One of the most challenging things about covering emerging technology is seeing an application like Ludenso that would have been great to have when I was in school. At the same time, it helps to remind us why emerging technologies are so exciting. Most readers might have been born too late for this particular app, but there’s a whole generation that’s just in time.

Learning in AR: Bring Textbooks to Life With Ludenso Read More »

QReal Launches Multi-Brand, Multi-Category AR Virtual Try-On App TRYO

AR Apps, augmented reality, featured, Retail, shopping / Ryan Harris / November 30, 2022

Virtual try-on is not an entirely novel concept. Converse, for one, first offered this shopping experience back in 2010 through The Sampler iPhone app which leveraged augmented reality. However, limitations on technology and devices hampered the adoption of virtual try-on.

With the rising popularity of online shopping today, virtual try-on is getting the spotlight. As it helps address challenges in online shopping, it enables consumers to get the best possible experiences when shopping on digital platforms.

Addressing Challenges in Online Shopping

In 2021, online retail sales in the United States amounted to $1.050 trillion. However, the amount of merchandise returned accounts for approximately 20.8 percent of this figure. That’s a whopping $218 billion in returns.

One contributing problem to this loss is the difficulty shoppers face in finding out how an item will fit or look on them without trying it on. This results in ill-fitting clothing, wrong shades, unmet expectations, and other issues that compel buyers to return the products.

Leveraging advanced AR and VR technology, virtual try-on presents an effective solution to this problem. This digital tool lets shoppers try on items before purchasing them. A smartphone, an app, and a few taps of their fingertips are all they need to make better selections when shopping online.

A Snap research substantiates how effective virtual try-on is. In their recent research, 80% of shoppers said that they feel more confident in their purchases as a result of using AR. The same research shows that 2 out of 3 shoppers are less likely to return a product after using AR.

Still, shoppers have limited options when it comes to using this functionality. Not all brands have virtual try-on apps. Also, shoppers have to visit different online boutiques or download multiple apps to use the virtual try-on.

This is something the newly-launched TRYO – a virtual try-on experience that lets shoppers view multiple brands and multiple categories in one library – could help with.

QReal AR Virtual Try-On App TRYO

TRYO’s Virtual Try-On: Revolutionizing How People Shop Online

TRYO strives to become the engine that powers the next evolution of shopping. It is creating a vast library of 3D branded models including products from Gucci, Cartier, and Adidas to name a few.

TRYO provides online shoppers with a one-stop shopping experience. Through advanced AR tech, shoppers can virtually try on footwear, watches, hats, eyewear, and other merchandise. From over 500 items at the time of the launch, TRYO’s library of ultra-realistic branded models will be growing fast with new products planned to be added weekly.

TRYO AR virtual try-on app

As TRYO offers brands an easy way to provide exceptional shopping experiences, we can expect more rapid adoption of virtual try-on technology across the industry.

“We want to show brands how easy it could be to embed a virtual try-on experience into their own websites,” said Mike Cadoux, co-founder of TRYO, and Managing Director at QReal, in a press release shared with ARPost. “It may seem like a daunting task, but we’re able to do it. TRYO shows it can be done.”

Developed by QReal, The Glimpse Group subsidiary, TRYO features world-class 3D and AR capabilities. It is now available for download in the App Store. Shoppers can also view the 3D models in the TRYO digital showroom.

The Future of Shopping Is More Exciting

Virtual try-on apps bring value to both brands and shoppers. Brands are able to deliver memorable shopping experiences that delight shoppers and make their buyer journeys seamless and enjoyable. They are also able to ensure customer satisfaction and lessen the need for returns. Ultimately, utilizing virtual try-on technology impacts the entire industry and makes shopping more exciting.

QReal Launches Multi-Brand, Multi-Category AR Virtual Try-On App TRYO Read More »

Zappar Presents AR Pioneers 2022

AR/VR events, augmented reality, Events, featured, News, zappar / Mike M. / November 30, 2022

Last week saw Zappar’s second annual AR Pioneers event. The two-day event started last year to celebrate the WebXR company’s 10th anniversary but continued on as part industry summit and part company product showcase. We couldn’t watch all of the sessions, but we have some highlights.

“Everyone Is Invited”

“It is great to be back and fantastic to see the level of engagement with this event once again,” Zappar CEO and co-founder, Caspar Thykier, said in a welcome address on the morning of day one. “Everyone is invited as this is all about our continued mission to democratize AR. . . . It’s a chance to give back to the AR community.”

While there were some interesting panel discussions, some of the most engaging conversations for Zappar and potentially the community were an update to the Zapbox timeline, the announcement of an as-yet-unnamed developers tool, and more information on Zapvision.

Zapbox: Mixed Reality for Everyone

Zappar started developing a Google Cardboard-inspired MR headset in 2016. With that extra Zappar flair, the mobile phone adapter also came with printable “controllers” that really just allowed image-based hand tracking.

Zappar AR Pioneers 2022 - Zapbox

However, a more robust version appeared on Kickstarter four years later. The new and improved Zapbox would come with plastic parts, including a halo-style headset and a fisheye lens adapter to increase the field of view of the mobile device. After passing Kickstarter, the headset went to preorder at last year’s AR Pioneers event.

Zappar AR Pioneers 2022 - Zapbox

This year’s event saw updates to the Zapbox design and roadmap, as well as the first demos of in-app use. The biggest hardware update is that the controllers are no longer passive trackers. Rather they have input modeled after that of the Meta Quest 2 to encourage content porting. A future update may also allow the Zapbox to play streaming PCVR content.

We also saw the first gameplay within the headset: a multi-player AR billiards game. The presentation included footage of two Zappar product designers playing the game together while one was in London and one was in Scotland. Further, one played on Zapbox’s mobile AR and one played on a Quest 2 via passthrough.

Zappar AR Pioneers 2022 - Zapbox

Further, we have a release target for buyers that missed the Kickstarter and preorders. Expect Zapbox to be available for sale early next year for $80.

The Next Generation of AR Creative Tooling

The other big announcement for the event was the generation of Zappar’s XR offering software. So far, that’s a full creator studio as well as an SDK for publishing within the web – both of which won Auggies this spring in Santa Clara. Trying to get the best of both of these tools in a single package is leading to “StudioTNG.”

Here, “TNG” stands for “the next generation.” It’s a working title, and the project won’t go into beta until early next year. The browser-based tool for building 3D content for Web3D, AR, MR, and VR experiences brings a number of powerhouse tools including:

Physically-based lighting and dynamic shadows;
Custom shaders;
glTF support;
Fully configurable rendering engine support;
Hot loading local and remote live previews;
Real-time collaboration;
“First-class animation” tools.

Zappar AR Pioneers 2022 - StudioTNG

Updates to Existing Zappar Toolsets

For the near future, at least, Zappar’s more familiar authoring tools are still the way to go. And, while we wait for The Next Generation, we get some updates to these platforms.

First off, Zappar now supports curved surface targets. While a number of AR experiences no longer require targets at all, sometimes launching from a target is the way to go. And, until now, those targets needed to be flat. Now, they can be curved – for example, on cups, cans, etc. It might not be thrilling for all readers, but I guarantee some are just thrilled about this development.

Next, Zappar builders can now embed AR and 3D products directly into their webpages. This allows users to interact with 3D models on a desktop or when they can’t use mobile AR for whatever reason. This includes exploring models of products, configurators, and other options for product education.

Zapvision

Unilever leads Sarah Masters and Mark Hewitt talked with Thykier about working with Zapvision, a Zappar tool that uses beefed-up QR codes and computer vision to provide accessible product information to people with vision impairment. An interdepartmental project within Uniliver is working on rolling out Zapvision on their product packaging.

Zappar AR Pioneers 2022 - zapvision panel - Sarah Masters, Mark Hewitt and Caspar Thykier

“Neither Mark nor I are anything like accessibility specialists,” said Masters. “Through the connected pack project, people started talking that might not otherwise have worked together.”

“Connected pack” or “connected packaging” is the move toward using images on packaging to bring consumers to information and experiences hosted online, usually through QR codes or other image targets. One of the reasons that Zapvision has so much promise is that it’s not that much more space on a pack than a conventional QR code, which a lot of packers already use.

“The solution you guys came up with at Zappar really helped us solve a number of our business challenges,” said Hewitt. “Hopefully, by Q1, we will be in a position where – from our Unilever point of view – we can start promoting this.”

Zapvision, which started life as a testing accident that developers realized they could use for good, has been a passion project with Unilever as well as within Zappar. Thykier in particular is thrilled to see it moving forward.

“This is where the heft of a brand like Unilever can do a lot of good . . . this is the power of brands to move forward,” said Thykier. “We really want to get to the point where all [consumer packaged goods] brands are asking themselves why they aren’t doing this.”

Lessons Learned

Not everything at AR Pioneers was about things coming next year. The event also featured a number of panel discussions on how companies and individuals are already using AR.

One trending point of discussion was that users still need to be told why to open an experience, or many will ignore experience launchers like connected packaging targets.

“When we are inviting consumers to an experience, we have to tell them what they are doing,” said Gabriela Coroa, Head of Consumer Experience Lab at Pernod Ricard.

Further, companies still lack meaningful metrics for tracking whether or not XR experiences are “successful” from a business perspective.

“How do I know that the user being there for 15 minutes impacts my sales?” asked Ares Subira, an AR/VR technology specialist and Product Manager AR/VR at Nestlé.

The point was also raised by Rikard Wikander, Global Head of Customer Experience, Kidswear, at H&M.

“We want to create an experience, not just transactions all the time,” said Wikander. “AR is still not easy to explain to a stakeholder who has never seen it.”

Stakeholders should also understand that XR is still a learning experience for many, and that’s okay. Companies can keep their plays relatively small and remember that they can reuse assets and work projects in together instead of creating a series of potentially costly one-off experiences.

“To me, the successful people are those that have dipped their toes into the pool in a lot of different places and have learned from what happened,” said Accenture Global Consumer Metaverse Technology Lead Fadi Chehimi. “You can work with consumer markets and not sell to the consumer.”

See You Next Year

By the numbers, this two-day event spanned 28 sessions by 45 speakers and over one thousand hours of content viewed by over one thousand virtual attendees. So, yes, the company is planning on bringing the conference back next year.

If you missed this year’s event and want to catch up, fear not – recordings will be made available on the Zappar website in the next few days.

Zappar Presents AR Pioneers 2022 Read More »

With Music In New Realities, We Can Go Deeper Together

augmented reality, extended reality, featured, Guest Post, music, virtual reality / Ryan Harris / November 30, 2022

A look around the media landscape will make it clear that virtual reality has become a major player in the music industry and virtual concerts are on the rise with performances by mainstream artists in popular games and other platforms.

Yet, with all the hope promised by the “metaverse,” not only do these events fail to optimally leverage the innovation of VR, but they also fall short in using music to help create immersive social spaces for people to gather virtually where they feel connected to each other and their humanity.

Today, music-related virtual reality and augmented reality content falls into 3 major categories:

Virtual concerts and music videos by mainstream, popular artists represented by their avatar likeness;
“Rhythm games” and music-making apps focused on popular music;
Music visualizers.

Audiences and Artists Still Adjusting

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing, many artists are including virtual and hybrid events as part of their tour schedules.

Last year, United Talent Agency (UTA) polls indicated that three out of four people attended online events during the pandemic and, of those, 88% planned to continue even when in-person events came back.

Given the investment in this virtual space by companies including Meta, HTC, ByteDance’s Pico, and soon… Apple with their anticipated headset likely to be announced in 2023, the AR/VR market is a major player in the music industry, even spawning the “Best Metaverse Performance” category in the 2022 MTV VMAs.

With virtual concerts on the rise, major artists like Eminem and Snoop Dogg, Travis Scott, Ariana Grande, and BTS are presenting in-game music events—albeit with mixed results.

Some of these events are being called nothing more than a “kiddie cash grab,” leaving audiences wanting more out of the virtual experience that will truly make use of VR as a medium and a new form of expression.

Possibility for a New Mode of Discovery

There are, however, burgeoning examples of innovative and thoughtful approaches to VR/AR music experiences. The 2018 Sigur Rós and Magic Leap collaboration, Tónandi, demonstrated what can be possible with an immersive and interactive AR music experience, though not currently available on all platforms. This ambitious project featured the Icelandic pop-rock band in a music experience for a high-end AR device that brought music, visuals, and interaction together equally to create a synesthetic experience.

Tónandi - an interactive audio-visual exploration — *An interactive audio-visual exploration Tónandi*

One of the promises of the metaverse is to bring people together virtually. Traditionally, live music events have been a place where people could gather for a communal experience. This is the missing piece to current VR music events, which have yet to find an organic way for audience members to interact both with the artist and with each other.

Then, there is the possibility of bringing composed scores into virtual spaces, to connect with people’s psyches and emotions as music has done in concert halls, films, and television shows for a long time.

Music and… Miniature Golf?

While not a music-centered app, Mighty Coconut’s Walkabout Mini Golf – a virtual reality game for which I compose the original scores – gives an example of how VR/AR can become a gathering space for people to experience visuals and music while exploring the virtual world or just hanging out together.

VR and music - game Walkabout Mini Golf — *VR game Walkabout Mini Golf*

Each course presents a captivating world with a distinct mood, created by the music, visuals, and course design that present an alternative to typical VR/AR games and music experiences. Players consider it a place as much as a game, and their connection to the soundtrack has led them to stream it on various services just to bring them back to that sense of place.

VR Music Experience Is Here to Stay

Virtual reality music experiences are here to stay. While VR/AR is currently most strongly associated with games and major companies, there is much to hope for with content put out by independent studios and artists, who are able to be more flexible in adapting to changes in technology and audience demographics. This virtual space will offer new and exciting possibilities for musicians and audiences.

Anyone invested in music going forward—artists, academia, fans, bookers, labels, music supervisors, and even advertisers—would be well advised to keep an eye on VR/AR and to start learning what’s happening in this space.

Like music albums and films, these tools are just another mode of expression for artists to connect to audiences and, hopefully, encourage people to connect with each other.

Guest Post

With Music In New Realities, We Can Go Deeper Together Read More »

augmented reality

Experience Miami’s Design District In AR

How the Immersive Experience Came Together

How to Experience Miami From Anywhere

(Terms apply. Quantities limited.)

Optimism High for XR’s Classroom Use

Myths About XR Classroom Use Debunked

Teens Excited About XR

Read the Latest Addition to the XRA Developers’ Guide

The current state of AR

What’s next for AR and smart glasses?

Let’s actually wear smart glasses in 2023

Sponsored by Mediazoma Private Limited

Steps to Minimize Augmented Reality Security Risk

Read the Fine Print in Privacy Policies

Install Anti-Malware/Antivirus Software

Opt for a Reliable VPN Service Provider

Only Disclose Necessary Information

Implementation of Accurate Filters by AR Portals

Run-Of-The-Mill AR Weaknesses

Ransomware

Web Browser Dependency

Malicious Software

Stolen Network Credentials

The Threat of Social Engineering

Absence of Standardized Security

Final Words

22

21

20

19

18

17

16

15

14

13

12

11

10

09

08

07

06

05

04

03

02

01

Welcome homeAR

Your Next Home Hasn’t Been Built Yet

What’s Next?

Paving the Way for Richer AR Experiences

How the Map2Earn Beta Program Works

A New Way to Explore the Metaverse

Welcome Back!

Updates and Opportunities

The Future of Creator Monetization?

More on the Economic Future of AR

“What’s New in Lens Studio”

The Lens Fest Awards

Play

Fashion

Education

Wellness

Moonshot

The Camera That Keeps on Giving

What Is Ludenso?

How Ludenso Inspires Learning

Living and Learning

Where Was This a Decade Ago?

Addressing Challenges in Online Shopping

TRYO’s Virtual Try-On: Revolutionizing How People Shop Online

The Future of Shopping Is More Exciting

“Everyone Is Invited”

Zapbox: Mixed Reality for Everyone

The Next Generation of AR Creative Tooling

Updates to Existing Zappar Toolsets

Zapvision

Lessons Learned