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Applications of Virtual Reality for Nonprofits

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Nonprofit leaders always seek ways to raise funding and spread awareness about their causes. You wouldn’t think technology has anything to do with this since you mostly see commercial companies investing in it.

However, times have changed, and technology has become more accessible. Therefore, some nonprofits have started using virtual reality technology to assist them in their fundraising efforts.

Here are some examples of how organizations are applying VR for charity initiatives.

Spreading Awareness of Causes

When nonprofits talk to potential donors, bringing their causes to life can be challenging. The intention is to stir an emotional reaction so people feel compelled to donate.

Images can be useful tools, but there’s nothing like the effectiveness of a first-person view of what someone is experiencing.

For instance, this could be a virtual reality video that provides a perspective of someone’s daily life if they have dementia. VR headsets let nonprofits show the donor how they would be helping someone.

Increased awareness of a nonprofit’s message is not the key to increased donations. Relationships built from stronger awareness means donors will be more likely to support organizations financially. Organizations must form trusting relationships with donors to confirm their funds are making an impact. VR enables donors to connect with the people they’re helping.

Bringing an immersive experience to donors lets them see the people they are helping. Instead of using meaningless reports, organizations can remind supporters how much their donations mean to their cause.

Educating Employees

Nonprofit organizations can apply VR technology to teach employees the manual skills needed in case of emergencies. This tech is excellent for introducing processes and getting people to participate in solving a problem.

Detailed guidance allows employees to learn how to perform a procedure correctly. One successful VR application in nonprofit education is the Lifesaver app, which teaches people how to help others if they experience cardiac arrest. It shows you how to conduct CPR and act during an emergency.

This app helps perceive the force and frequency of movements to determine if someone is executing CPR correctly. If they don’t, they must restart until they get it right.

Garnering Attention Through Storytelling

Most businesses use video content to capture the attention of their audience. One way they achieve this is by telling a story.

Storytelling is key to standing out and helping people remember the organization. However, part of ensuring it holds their attention is through the quality of video content. Nonprofits can immerse users in virtual reality and draw attention to the issues and solutions they’re advocating.

Applying Gamification

Sometimes preaching alone isn’t enough to receive donations. Therefore, organizations have to think out of the box to continue raising awareness. They can do this through gamification.

Gamification is an excellent tool for boosting interest and engagement. Games can reward players with badges and educate them about a nonprofit’s cause.

Nonprofits can incorporate gaming into VR to make the experience more engaging. For example, they could create an immersive scavenger hunt experience that translates to monetary donations. This can produce a fun experience for donors and encourage more contributions.

Organizing Events

Another way nonprofits leverage VR is by hosting online events such as meetings, conferences, and summits. This guarantees greater attendance than gatherings that are just in person. Participants can discuss social issues, play interactive games and watch movies.

UNICEF has held events like these and prepared the content for an international audience. It had voiceovers translating the content into different languages.

Providing Access to the Inaccessible

VR goes beyond connecting people from faraway locations. It also takes users to places where it’s impossible to go. For example, The Body VR can take you inside the human body and allows you to explore, including examining the bloodstream and explaining how research is expanding leukemia treatments.

Tech like this could also showcase tours through sewage pipes and streams so people can see how plastic ends up in the ocean.

VR can make it possible for organizations to help people visualize complex concepts of philanthropic causes.

Offering Tours

Automotive and architecture industries have already started using VR to showcase the inside of a car or new building.

Nonprofits can use the same approach by helping donors visualize a new hospital wing or a clean waterway. VR headsets allow users to see what a project would look like in real life — getting people excited about what possibilities a nonprofit could create.

There’s nothing quite like seeing concepts come to life, and this could prompt additional financial support for various projects.

Virtual Reality Is Solving Problems

Virtual reality isn’t only for gaming and entertainment. It can also bring attention to global causes and inspire people to join their initiatives. Nonprofits need to embrace everything technology offers if they truly want to make an impact.

VR proves that immersive content works, and nonprofits should use it to their advantage. It can help them increase donations and do more good in the world.

Guest Post

Applications of Virtual Reality for Nonprofits Read More »

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The Best Apps and Games to Get Seniors Into VR

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VR is a lot of fun and it can be a good way to keep moving. That’s true at any age. However, virtual reality can be a little … intense. Here, we’ll recommend some games and apps that might be the perfect introduction – or long-time favorite – for players coming to the medium a little later on.

We’ll be focusing on games and apps that move a little slower – after all, “VR sickness” can be a problem for newcomers at any age. Most of these games can also be played seated. We’ll also stay away from social experiences for now, because those can be a little … unpredictable. And, don’t worry, we try to run the gamut with titles available on Quest as well as PS VR and Steam.

First Steps (Quest 2)

Everyone should play First Steps for Quest 2. You might have thought you were too cool for this demo that comes pre-installed on the Quest 2, but you might learn something.

VR apps and games - First Steps for Oculus 2

Even if you already knew all of the controls that this little app takes you through, the dance game and target practice games are both embarrassingly fun – even for this VR veteran.

PlayStation VR Worlds (PS VR)

This may seem hard to believe for some, but PlayStation VR Worlds was released six years ago. At the time, it was how a lot of people had their first experience in virtual reality. And, it’s still a pretty good introduction.

PlayStation VR worlds

You might want to give the adventures a chance yourself. Some of them can be pretty hair-raising. But, some of them are pretty peaceful. The underwater adventure (the one without the sharks) is still a pretty laid-back VR experience.

Educational Content from Alchemy Immersive (Quest, Mobile)

From the microscopic world to outer space, to the neighbor that you never knew, Alchemy Immersive, available via Meta Quest TV, partners with world-renowned presenters and content producers to create XR versions of educational classics.

Kingdom of Plants with David Attenborough - Alchemy Immersive

Some of the experiences are 360 video, while others are full VR. Some are even mobile AR experiences that allow viewers to navigate their own experiences on a tabletop of floor space.

BRINK Traveler (Quest, PCVR, Mobile)

BRINK Traveler virtually takes viewers into volumetric captures of over a dozen of the world’s most impressive natural locations.

VR app BRINK Traveler

Whether in the mobile AR version or in a VR headset, these volumetric scenes can be navigated in full six degrees of freedom. Users can even travel the wonders of the world in joint adventures with other users.

Wander (Quest)

Wander is a VR classic – a port to Quest from the older Oculus Go.

Wander VR app

The app uses content from Wikipedia and Google Earth to create interactive and educational self-guided tours of just about anywhere. Virtually visit world heritage sites or places of personal significance.

Nature Treks VR (Quest, PCVR)

Nature Treks VR is another world-exploration experience. Beautifully crafted virtual environments range from forests, to deserts and jungles, to under the waves. Players also interact with virtual wildlife, with over 60 different species roaming the various biomes.



Be aware that the biome selected may impact overall comfort level. For example, a player might not be as comfortable under water as they are on solid ground.

Real VR Fishing (Quest)

Real VR Fishing is very real indeed. In addition to a dedicated reproduction of the act of fishing itself, the various locations in the game are all recreated virtual replicas of real places around the world.

Real VR Fishing

The base game currently costs $20, but additional locations can be purchased as optional downloadable content.

GOLF+ (Quest)

GOLF+ is cut from the same cloth as Real VR Fishing. The game presents itself as “the ultimate VR golf experience” and it’s hard to argue. After all, it has a seal of approval from the PGA. The experience is built around realistic physics and virtual recreations of real golf courses.

Golf+ VR game

Incidentally, GOLF+ is also a partner of Ready Player Golf, a virtual reality charity event that takes place each year.

Bait! (Quest)

Bait! is another VR fishing game but this one is free. Well, there are optional in-app purchases including expansion packs. But, the basic gameplay is free. Upgrades like new rods, reels, and bait are purchased using an in-game currency that players earn throughout the game.

Bait! VR game

The plot of the game: you are employed by a museum in pursuit of rare fish and it’s your job to catch them. The graphics and interfaces are more stylized than in other games like Real VR Fishing, but the gameplay is surprisingly intricate. Don’t get your reel rhythm just right and your hand slips. Fight the fish too hard, and your line breaks.

Walkabout Mini Golf (Quest, PCVR)

Real VR Fishing is to GOLF+ as Bait! is to Walkabout Mini Golf. This game focuses less on realism and more on a fun experience.

Walkabout Mini Golf VR app

The physics on the ball are accurate (as they must be in mini golf) but the courses in the game are often otherworldly. That’s true literally – the game recently released a course based on the fantasy film Labyrinth.

Puzzling Places (PS VR, Quest)

For another spatial version of a classic pastime, Puzzling Places is a virtual reality puzzle app with 3D pieces. Each of more than a dozen puzzles is a digital miniature version of a real location from around the world.

The puzzles come in “packs” so that you can buy them thematically to fit your taste – or buy them all as you need new challenges.

Moss (PS VR, Quest, PCVR)

Quill the mouse is the hero of the two-part Moss series. Quill fights baddies, solves puzzles, and gets into trouble. It could be a little disorienting at times except for one key feature: you don’t play as Quill. Instead, you watch Quill as he goes through his adventure while you manipulate the world around him to get him where he needs to go.

Moss VR game

In addition to being exciting and stimulating while remaining easy on the stomach, Moss is a beautiful game without uncomfortable content or images.

ASTRO BOT: Rescue Mission (PS VR)

ASTRO BOT: Rescue Mission has a lot of the same gameplay and graphic elements that lands Moss on this list, but it’s more sci-fi than fantasy. Cartoony characters and comfortable viewing make this action game more palatable despite a faster pace.

Supernatural (Quest)

Supernatural is a fitness app that takes the “live trainer” model that’s worked so well in non-VR fitness and makes it more immersive. Some of the exercises like the boxing exercise or the rhythm game “Flow” might be intense at first, but there are also the more laid-back meditation and stretching activities. Other elements include fitness tracking, leaderboards, and more.

Supernatural VR

Supernatural was even championed as a good app to get older users moving during Meta Connect this year. It was also announced that knee strikes are coming to the boxing exercise.

VR Isn’t Just for Kids

From documentaries, to workout apps, to simulations, to classic sit-down adventure games, virtual reality isn’t just shooting games. However, an ocean of content rife with high prices and technical concerns can make getting into VR difficult for anyone, not just seniors. Hopefully, this list will help you explore virtual reality, or introduce it to someone close to you.

The Best Apps and Games to Get Seniors Into VR Read More »

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How Different XR Companies Approach Cloud Services

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XR hardware is on the move. But, software is important too. The bigger your XR needs are, the larger your software needs are. So, more and more XR providers are providing cloud services in addition to their hardware and platform offerings. But, what is the cloud anyway?

Generally, “the cloud” refers to remote servers that do work off of a device. This allows devices to become smaller while running more robust software. For example, some of the cloud services that we’ll look at are cloud storage solutions. Cloud storage is increasingly important because 3D assets can take up a lot of space. Others run computations on the cloud.

Other solutions make up “local clouds.” These are networks of devices managed from a central portal all on location. This kind of solution is usually used by organizations managing a large number of devices from one central computer.

Varjo’s Reality Cloud

“Cloud” takes on yet another meaning for Varjo. For Varjo clients, a lot of the management and IT solutions that make up cloud services for other developers are handled through software subscriptions bundled with almost all Varjo hardware. Varjo’s “Reality Cloud” allows users to join XR meetings including remotely present coworkers and virtual assets.

Varjo Reality Cloud - XR cloud services

“Varjo Reality Cloud is our platform that will allow the ultimate science fiction dream – photo-realistic teleportation – to come true,” CTO Urho Konttori said in a launch event last summer. “What this means, in practice, is true virtual teleportation – sharing your reality, your environment, with other people in real time so that others can experience your world.”

At the beginning of this year, Varjo announced that XR content will soon stream through Reality Cloud services as well. Just like streaming other forms of media, XR streaming aims to provide more content to smaller devices by hosting that content remotely and serving it to users on demand.

“These scalability opportunities that the cloud provides are significantly meaningful when we talk about XR deployment in the corporate world,” Konttori told ARPost in January. “We are now at the level that we are super happy with the latency and deployments.”

In a recent funding announcement, Varjo announced the most recent development in their cloud services. Patrick Wyatt, a C-suite veteran, has been appointed the company’s new CPO and “will be the primary lead for Varjo’s software and cloud development initiatives.” As this article was being written, Varjo further expanded its cloud with Unreal and Unity engine integrations.

CloudXR From NVIDIA

XR streaming is already a reality on other cloud platforms. NVIDIA offers CloudXR that streams XR content to Android and Windows devices. (Remember that Android isn’t a hardware manufacturer, but an operating system. While almost all non-Apple mobile devices run Android, it is also the backbone of many XR headsets.)

NVIDIA CloudXR - XR cloud services

According to NVIDIA, “CloudXR lets you leverage NVIDIA RTX-powered servers with GPU virtualization software to stream stunning augmented and virtual reality experiences from any OpenVR application. This means you can run the most complex VR and AR experiences from a remote server across 5G and Wi-Fi networks to any device, while embracing the freedom to move—no wires, no limits.”

This can be a “pure” cloud application, but it can also be an “edge” application that does some lifting on the device and some remotely. While NVIDIA promotes their cloud services for use cases like location-based experiences and virtual production, edge computing is being embraced by enterprises who may want to keep sensitive content offline.

RealWear’s New Cloud Services

Enterprise XR hardware manufacturer RealWear recently launched their own cloud. This is of the last kind of cloud discussed above. The solution allows IT specialists to “easily control and manage their entire RealWear device fleet from one easy-to-use interface.” That includes content, but it also includes managing updates.

If you own one headset, you know that installing software and updates can be a chore. Now, imagine owning a dozen headsets, or even a hundred or more. Putting on each headset individually to add content and install updates quickly becomes unscalable. The RealWear Cloud also allows real-time tech support, which wouldn’t be possible otherwise.

RealWear Cloud

The RealWear Cloud also allows data analysis across headsets. This is vital in enterprise applications which may be tracking items as they move through a supply chain or tracking employees as they move through tasks or training modules. Handling this data for an individual on an individual headset is possible but, again, becomes unbearable at scale sans cloud.

Cloud Storage in Lens Studio

As for cloud storage, Snapchat recently announced a solution in a Lens Studio update that gives creators up to 25MB of remote storage. While the file size is still capped per asset (you can’t have one 25MB asset), it drastically increases the abilities of Lens Creators working with large or complex models.

Snap Lens Cloud

“Prior to the launch of Remote Assets, if a project was over the Lens size limit, you only had two options: either remove the asset if it wasn’t critical to the experience or resize the image to lower its RAM usage and re-submit,” reads the release. “Now you can utilize our Lens Cloud service to host assets of larger sizes outside of the Lens, and then load them in at run time.”

This is significant because Snap Lenses run on mobile devices that not only have limited space but also share that computing power with a slew of non-XR applications. At least, until Snapchat makes a consumer version of Spectacles.

“At first, we were just building for the phone and porting to the glasses,” Lens Creator Alex Bradt told me when I got to demo Snap’s Spectacles at AWE. “Now we’re like, ‘what can we actually do with these that will solve problems for people that they didn’t know they had?’”

Parents and Partners

Not all XR companies offer their own cloud services. For example, Magic Leap has had a partnership with Google Cloud for the past year now. Likewise, AutoDesk offers its XR cloud services through a partnership with Amazon.

Similarly, ThinkReality cloud services are offered through parent company Lenovo. A similar relationship exists between Azure and Microsoft’s MR hardware.

Partnerships like these help each company get the most out of their existing offerings without needing to build services from the ground up. As enterprises explore entering XR, these offerings also help them integrate into cloud services offered by suppliers that they may already be working with, like Microsoft, Google, Amazon, or Lenovo.

Your Forecast: Cloudy

Right now, a lot of cloud services serve industry – where it is doing very impactful things for industry. That doesn’t mean that people with just one headset (or a phone) shouldn’t be taking note. Developments in XR cloud development (for enterprise or for consumer applications) are making smoother, faster, lighter-weight, and more robust XR applications possible for everyone.

How Different XR Companies Approach Cloud Services Read More »

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VR Robots: Enhancing Robot Functions With VR Technology

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VR robots are slowly moving into the mainstream with applications that go beyond the usual manufacturing processes. Robots have been in use for years in industrial settings where they perform automated repetitive tasks. But their practical use has been quite limited. Today, however, we see some of them in the consumer sector delivering robotic solutions that require customization.

Augmented by other technologies such as AR, VR, and AI, robots show improved efficiency and safety in accomplishing more complex processes. With VR, humans can supervise the robots remotely to enhance their performance. VR technology provides human operators with a more immersive environment. This enables them to interact with robots better and view the actual surroundings of the robots in real time. Consequently, this opens vast opportunities for practical uses that enhance our lives.

Real-Life Use Cases of VR Robots

1. TX SCARA: Automated Restocking of Refrigerated Shelves

Developed by Telexistence, TX SCARA is powered by three main technologies—robotics, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality. This robot specializes in restocking refrigerated shelves in stores. It relies on GORDON, its AI system, to know when and where to place products. When issues arise due to external factors or system miscalculation, Telexistence employees use VR headsets to control the robot remotely and address the problem.

TX SCARA is present in 300 FamilyMart stores in Japan. Plans to expand their use in convenience stores in the United States are already underway. With TX SCARA capable of working 24/7 with a pace of up to 1,000 bottles or cans per day, it can replace up to three hours of human work each day for a single store alone.

2. Reachy: A Robot That Shows Emotions

Reachy gives VR robots a human side. An expressive humanoid platform, Reachy mimics human expressions and body language. It conveys human emotions through its antennas and motions.

VR robots - Reachy
Reachy

Users operate Reachy remotely using VR equipment that shows the environment surrounding the robot. They can move Reachy’s head, arms, and hands to manipulate objects and interact with people around the robot. They can also control Reachy’s mobile base to move around and explore its environment.

Since it can be programmed with Python and ROS to perform almost any task, its use cases are virtually limitless. It has applications across various sectors, such as research (to explore new frontiers in robotics), healthcare (to replace mechanical tasks), retail (to enhance customer experiences), education (to make learning more immersive), and many others. Reachy is also fully customizable, with many different configurations, modules, and hardware options available.

3. Robotic VR: Haptic Technology for Medical Care

A team of researchers co-led by the City University of Hong Kong has developed an advanced robotic VR system that has great potential for use in healthcare. Robotic VR, an innovative human-machine interface (HMI), can be used to perform medical procedures. This includes conducting swab tests and caring for patients with infectious diseases.

Doctors, nurses, and other health practitioners control the VR robot using a VR headset and flexible electronic skin that enables them to experience tactile sensations while interacting remotely with patients. This allows them to control and adjust the robot’s motion and strength as they collect bio-samples or provide nursing care. Robotic VR can help minimize the risk of infection and prevent contagion.

4. Skippy: Your Neighborhood Delivery Robot

Skippy elevates deliveries to a whole new level. Human operators, called Skipsters, control these VR robots remotely. They use VR headsets to supervise the robots as they move about the neighborhood. When you order food or groceries from a partner establishment, Skippy picks it up and delivers it to your doorstep. Powered by AI and controlled by Skipsters, the cute robot rolls through pedestrian paths while avoiding foot traffic and obstacles.

VR robots - Skippy
Skippy

You can now have Skippy deliver your food orders from a handful of restaurants in Minneapolis and Jacksonville. With its maker, Carbon Origins, planning to expand the fleet this year, it won’t be long until you spot a Skippy around your city.

Watch Out for More VR-Enabled Robots

Virtual reality is an enabling technology in robotics. By merging these two technologies, we’re bound to see more practical uses of VR-enabled robots in the consumer market. As the technologies become more advanced and the hardware required becomes more affordable, we can expect to see more VR robots that we can interact with as we go through our daily lives.

Developments in VR interface and robotics technology will eventually pave the way for advancements in the usability of VR robots in real-world applications.

VR Robots: Enhancing Robot Functions With VR Technology Read More »

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Snap Celebrates the Fifth Annual Lens Fest

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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.

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Report: Commercial Real Estate Virtual Tours to Be the Norm in the Near Future

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The COVID-19 pandemic turned almost all business activities from in-person to remote. Using video conferences, as well as new technologies, such as AR and VR, businesses continued to operate. One of the things that proved extremely effective were the real estate virtual tours, enhanced by AR/VR features. In fact, they were so effective that virtual tours are set to be the norm in the commercial real estate sector in the future.

These are the findings of a report published by Resonai, a software company that develops solutions transforming physical spaces into smart digital environments. Some of the applications developed by Resonai help facility management and commercial real estate companies provide enhanced experiences to employees and customers.

Resonai Report: 90% of Real Estate Tours Will Be Virtual

In the survey “The State of Virtual Tours in Commercial Real Estate”, Resonai collected data from 300 commercial real estate professionals in July 2022. The survey focused on the use of real estate virtual tours during the pandemic and the plans to continue using them in the future.

The findings published in the real estate virtual tours report indicate that the commercial sector will not return to traditional property tours. Namely:

  • 90% of commercial property tours will be virtual in the next 2 years;
  • 90% of commercial realtors who used virtual real estate tours reported an increase in revenue;
  • 86% of real estate companies generating between $50 and $500 million in revenue use virtual tours.

Real Estate Virtual Tours Improve Brand Perception

Using new technologies equals a better brand image. At least, this is one of the opinions of the real estate professionals who participated in the Resonai survey. In fact, 95% of them believe that virtual real estate tours help improve brand perception.

At the same time, these hi-tech remote tours help with prospect qualification. The survey found an 85% improvement in this respect, compared to in-person tours. Also, the prospects who took part in a virtual tour reported a superior viewing experience (92%). Overall, the use of tours enhanced by AR and VR helped real estate professionals work more efficiently and increase their revenues.

Large Companies Have Higher Virtual Tour Adoption Rates 

According to the report, 86% of organizations generating between $50 million and $500 million, and 79% of those generating more than $500 million in revenue use real estate virtual tours. The adoption rate of virtual tours among companies with less than $50 million in revenue is lower (69%), though still noteworthy.

Reasonai real estate virtual tours report - Adoption by revenue
Source: Resonai survey “The State of Virtual Tours in Commercial Real Estate”

When it comes to differences between commercial real estate industry segments, the survey found that the real estate segment that’s making the most use of virtual tours is hospitality (93%), followed by industrial real estate (84%).

Reasonai real estate virtual tours report - Adoption by category
Source: Resonai survey “The State of Virtual Tours in Commercial Real Estate”

What Are the Barriers to Adoption?

Some real estate professionals stated that the companies they work for have not yet adopted real estate virtual tours. Moreover, there are no plans of doing so in the near future.

The main reasons for this attitude towards new tech in real estate are:

  • 28% – lack of consideration;
  • 18% – not necessary;
  • 15% – no value to prospects;
  • 15% – lack of resources.

Some respondents also stated that AR/VR technology is too complex to implement and use.

On the other hand, the report identified marketing improvement, better viewing experience, the ability to offer remote building tours, and building a positive brand image as the most important benefits that drive the adoption of real estate virtual tours.

Reasonai real estate virtual tours report - Top reasons for implementing virtual tours
Source: Resonai survey “The State of Virtual Tours in Commercial Real Estate”

How AR/VR Can Enhance Real Estate Tours

The findings of the Resonai report indicate that the commercial real estate industry is already familiar with AR/VR technology and plans to continue using it as one of the main tools. Real estate virtual tours offer benefits both for realtors and for prospects.

Some of these benefits are:

  • Ability to create custom property presentations by adding AR content onto real-world environments;
  • Flexibility – virtual real estate tours can be delivered by desktop, laptop, mobile phone, or tablet;
  • Live or recorded – depending on the prospect’s schedule, they can participate in a real-time tour or watch a recorded tour;
  • Ability to visualize work in progress using VR models.

 

Report: Commercial Real Estate Virtual Tours to Be the Norm in the Near Future Read More »

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Learning in AR: Bring Textbooks to Life With Ludenso

AR Apps, augmented reality, education, Education & Training, featured, learning / /

 

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.

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GigXR Continues Content Rollouts and Partnerships

featured, Healthcare/Medicine, Mixed Reality, MR apps, News / /

 

GigXR creates and hosts some of the most mind-blowing educational experiences in what spokespeople call “the mediverse.” Through partnerships with some of the world’s best educational institutions and the world’s most innovative technology companies, the company is helping to bring medical education into the 21st century.

Catching Up With GigXR

GigXR was founded three years ago specifically to take on XR projects from textbook publisher Pearson. By partnering with other creators to host a variety of content, the platform is still like a publishing house of sorts, but a bit more interesting. No offense, Pearson.

The last time ARPost caught up with GigXR was back in May when the company announced a partnership with ANIMA RES, a 3D medical animation company. The partnership added the Insight Series by ANIMA RES content to their library, which already hosted content from Pearson, Microsoft, and medical universities like Cambridge and the University of Michigan.

Insight works kind of like a product configurator, but instead of changing the color of a virtual car, you’re increasing the stroke volume of a holographic heart, or decreasing the respiratory rate of a holographic lung. Don’t worry, there’s a fresh update from the ANIMA RES series too, we’ll get to that. But first, let’s step back to a developing story from this summer.

The HoloScenarios Mixed Reality App

This June, GigXR released a mixed reality app HoloScenarios. For the first module, called HoloScenarios: Respiratory module, the company partnered with the University of Cambridge and Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. This module sees trainees (from med students to veteran care providers) gathered around a virtual patient undergoing very real conditions like asthma, pneumonia, or a pulmonary embolism.

GigXR - HoloScenarios module Basic Life Support

“Empowering instructors with 360-degree preparation for clinical practice represents a milestone for GigXR that allows us to provide our customers with a library of applications that offers solutions for students from their first courses to continuing education,” company founder, David King Lassman, said in a release shared with ARPost.

The trainees must then not only diagnose the condition, but interact with holographic medical tools to stabilize their virtual patient.

“With HoloScenarios, we’re helping to evolve education from a mentorship-based model to one where students around the world can have equal access to top-flight expertise for mastering invention-based clinical skills,” Cambridge University Health Partnership Director of Postgraduate Education, Arun Gupta, said in the release.

Since then, an additional HoloScenarios module, simulating basic life support, has been released in collaboration with a subsidiary of Northwest Permanente P.C., Morlen Health. In partnership with the same institution, GigXR will, early next year, release HoloScenarios: Advanced Cardiac Life Support module, as well as HoloScenarios: Neurology module, created in collaboration with Michigan Medicine.

Further, as this article was being written, HoloScenarios was named one of the 200 best inventions of 2022 by TIME.

Insight Series Globally Available

In November, GigXR announced a massive availability expansion for the Insight Series, accessible through mixed reality headsets or Android or iOS mobile phones or tablets. The modules are now available to “medical schools, nursing schools, healthcare providers, and government and defense agencies worldwide,” according to a release shared with ARPost.

GigXR and ANIMA RES - Insight Kidney module

“Partnering with GigXR gives us the springboard to expand our geographic reach to match GigXR’s global footprint and get our market-leading content into the hands of educators and learners worldwide,” ANIMA RES CEO, Pablo Olmos, said in the release. “Together, we aim to give learners the best tools for success throughout training and clinical practice.”

Anatomy and Physiology Inside and Out

These announcements are both exciting, but become even more interesting discussed together. The ANIMA RES Insight Series help to get up-close and personal with the interior bodily conditions that can cause the external symptoms that trainees encounter and solve in the HoloScenarios. GigXR offers these and other modules in a tidy package.

 

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bringing-multi-sensory-xr-experiences-to-life-with-“symbiosis”-at-pam-cut

Bringing Multi-Sensory XR Experiences to Life With “Symbiosis” at PAM CUT

featured, haptics, Immersive Technology, XR experience, XR experiences / /

 

Symbiosis, an award-winning multi-sensory XR experience directed by Marcel van Brakel and Mark Meeuwenoord, debuted at the Portland Art Museum Center for an Untold Tomorrow (PAM CUT) on November 12, 2022. It’s one of the world’s first multi-user and multi-sensory XR experiences that leverages storytelling and engages all of the participant’s five senses, including their olfactory and gustatory systems.

Redefining Multi-Sensory XR Experiences With “Symbiosis”

In Symbiosis, participants are taken 200 years into the future, to a world where mixed life forms walk the earth and have a symbiotic relationship. To access this multi-sensory experience, participants need to first select a character and role.

Multi-Sensory XR experience Symbiosis - Flora

They wear individualized haptic suits that manipulate their body and posture, as well as alter their sensory perceptions. This technology, coupled with soft robotics, VR sensors, and VR headsets, allows the participants to transform into new beings with altered bodies and new senses and explore a new, greatly altered world populated by mixed, post-human life forms.

Multi-Sensory XR Experience Symbiosis - haptic suit

Participants first follow a personal storyline in the Symbiosis world but eventually come to meet other participants via their altered characters and engage with them in a collective eating ritual. Here, they share foods in both the virtual and real worlds.

Multi-Sensory XR Experience Symbiosis - food

One very notable aspect of the haptic suits is that they are designed to help participants feel all the different stimuli that come with this new futuristic world, thus altering their perceptions. Furthermore, the suits enable the wearers to be in sync with the post-human character that they’re playing, helping make the experience even more immersive.

To bring the multi-sensory XR experiences a step further, the participants’ senses of taste and smell are also engaged. Specially-designed aromas are released in sync with each unique experience. Moreover, the vegetarian snacks designed by a Michelin-starred restaurant in the Netherlands, are offered to further enrich the experience.

The multi-sensory XR experience is inspired by the book Staying with the Trouble and its chapter “The Camille Stories: Children of Compost,” by Donna J. Haraway, a distinguished professor emerita in the humanities division at UC Santa Cruz.

How “Symbiosis” XR Experience Works

Brought to life by Polymorf, a Dutch experience design collective, and Studio Biarritz, Symbiosis transforms participants and turns them into not just spectators but also performers.

Multi-Sensory XR Experience Symbiosis PAM CUT

Participants will be welcomed in the lobby and fitted into individual haptic suits that are equipped with VR sensors. Furthermore, they will don VR headsets that are equipped with olfactory fixtures, which will release specially-designed aromas to further enrich the experience.

Multi-Sensory XR experience Symbiosis - Landscape

Throughout the entire experience, participants will be guided by the PAM CUT staff. Each session takes approximately 45 minutes, with 15 minutes allotted for experiencing the virtual world. The experience is suitable for participants ages 12 years old and up and can accommodate up to six people at a time.

Note that there are six different suits, each with a different design. They’re one-size-fits-all and are adjustable. You can view the suit size ranges, as well as food allergen information for the snacks here.

Symbiosis runs from November 12, 2022, until February 12, 2023, at PAM CUT. Tickets are $30 per participant and $25 for PAM members.

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vibe-to-hit-music-and-hit-fitness-goals-with-new-music-collections-in-fitxr

Vibe to Hit Music and Hit Fitness Goals With New Music Collections in FitXR

featured, fitness, FitXR, music, News, Sports & Fitness, VR Apps / /

 

FitXR is capping the year off with new music collections of chart-topping hits. The latest collections feature over two dozen new workout classes in Box, HIIT, and Dance that’ll give users a head start in their fitness resolution goals next year.

Themed Collections of Music Hits From Then ‘Til Now

On November 25, FitXR launched its 80s and 90s Favorites Collection featuring iconic hits from Billy Idol, Chic, A-ha, Wham!, Chaka Khan, Survivor, Sister Sledge, the Weather Girls, and Backstreet Boys. Get your fit bod back and work out with throwback music in four Box, three HIIT, and three Dance studio classes.

Right on the heels of this launch is the release of two more collections on December 12. FitXR is bringing us Pop Hits Volume 1 and Holiday Jams for 15 more new classes.

Pop Hits Volume 1 Collection lets you groove to music from Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga, Pink, Dua Lipa, Zara Larsson, Troye Sivan, Megan Thee Stallion, and the British girl group Little Mix. Enjoy these pop hits in three Box, two HIIT, and three Dance classes.

To feel the holiday cheer you can work out in two Box, two HIIT, and three Dance classes set to music from the Holiday Jams Collection— which will go live just in time to get you looking your best this season while spreading holiday cheer.

We’re in for more awesome music as FitXR prepares to launch Pop Hits Volume 2 in February 2023. Along with more hits from Lady Gaga, Pink, Dua Lipa, and Megan Thee Stallion, FitXR is adding smash hits from Green Day, Tegan & Sara, and Nicky Youre. Music from rappers DMX, Lil Nas X, and SAINt JHN will also pump up classes in this collection.

FitXR: Good Music for Great Workouts

FitXR brings more than good music. At the core of this virtual reality fitness club is a vast library of total body workouts designed by top fitness experts. All on-demand classes are choreographed by professionals and led by world-class trainers.

During the workouts, users are transported to a virtual workout environment as they don their VR headsets. The digital avatars of trainers direct their movements and provide motivation. Multiplayer mode allows users to interact with each other through voice.

An analysis of energy expenditure shows that one workout in FitXR burns approximately 8.34 to 8.84 calories per minute. That’s similar to the energy used in one game of tennis. This substantiates the effectiveness of the virtual workouts even when done in limited space inside homes.

FitXR is available on Meta Quest. A monthly subscription of $9.99 gives members access to on-demand classes within three distinct workout studios—Box, Dance, and HIIT. It also gives them access to a community of professional trainers and fitness enthusiasts where they can share stories, hear advice, and get inspiration.

An Exciting Future for the World of Fitness

Immersive fitness apps like FitXR usher us into a future where having fun and working out overlap. By holding fitness classes in virtual studios, users feel more like they are playing in an arcade rather than having a gym session. This gamification makes them forget they are working out, so they often end up spending more time exercising.

Moreover, virtual studios foster interaction with other people from all over the globe without users having to leave the comfort of their own homes. Indeed, combining music and fitness in a virtual environment is bound to be the norm for group fitness from hereon.

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miketeevee-launches-its-first-studio-vr-puzzle-game:-shores-of-loci

MikeTeeVee Launches Its First Studio VR Puzzle Game: Shores of Loci

featured, Quest 2, VR experiences, VR games, well-being / /

 

 

After the exponential growth in the global VR market during the pandemic, the demand for more immersive gaming experiences continues to increase at a steady rate. In fact, the VR gaming market is expected to reach $33.65 billion by 2026.

One clear indication of this growth is the wide variety of virtual reality games available today. We can easily play RPGs, VR puzzle games, platformers, and other game genres on various devices such as VR headsets, gaming consoles, mobile devices, and PCs.

One of the latest additions to the growing list of immersive VR games is Shores of Loci, a single-player narrative puzzle game developed by a women-led production studio, MikeTeeVee. By combining mentally stimulating challenges and soothing sound effects, the game provides users with a unique VR puzzle game experience that eases stress and calms the mind.

Shores of Loci: A Puzzling Adventure

Shores of Loci transports players into a surreal world where they become part of a multidimensional story set in mystical realms. Each chapter takes players into a different dimension where they embark on an adventure, helping giants and villagers reclaim their land and rebuild their homes.

Shores of Loci VR puzzle game

They must reconstruct the virtual domains by finding the right pieces of land and putting them together. Once all the correct puzzle pieces are in place, they merge together into spectacular scenery delivered in crisp 4K resolution.

The gameplay is highly intuitive, creating an inclusive experience as players travel through the different realms. As they complete the puzzles, unique characters start populating the cities and villages they have rebuilt. Aside from having a sense of accomplishment for successfully solving challenging puzzles, players also feel a sense of fulfillment for rebuilding and restoring forgotten civilizations and quaint towns, albeit virtually.

Shores of Loci is also one of the few VR games that are completely for all ages and all genders. The game can be played while standing or sitting, so it’s also inclusive. There are currently five chapters with twelve different puzzles and a sixth chapter set underwater that’s being developed.

The VR puzzle game is available in Meta Quest Store for $14.99.

An Immersive VR Puzzle Game Set in a Meditative Environment

What sets Shores of Loci apart from other VR puzzle games is the way it integrates a meditative ambience into its gameplay. With the game developed in the midst of the pandemic, its designers were intent on creating a VR game that nurtured the mental health and well-being of players.

Unlike other games that boost adrenaline by putting players in combat environments or competitive scenarios, Shores of Loci encourages peaceful exploration where there are no enemies, no battles, and no time limits. There are no penalties for choosing the wrong puzzle pieces, so players can go leisurely through each puzzle without stressing over scores or rankings. To make the game more relaxing, there are serene sound effects and calming music.

VR puzzle game Shores of Loci

This relaxing gameplay allows users to see virtual reality games from a different perspective. Its compelling puzzles stimulate the brain and enhance logical thinking while its visually striking scenery, beautifully woven story, and tranquil ambient sound soothe the mind and provide a peaceful escape from hectic lives.

VR Games That Positively Impact Lives

As the demand for more meaningful experiences in virtual reality grows, we can expect to see more games like Shores of Loci that aim to positively impact its players. VR games that are both immersive and meditative will provide unique experiences that can uplift our well-being. They will transport us to virtual worlds where we can clear our minds and relieve our stress.

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3lb-games’-“space-dragon”-introduces-groundbreaking-new-widget

3lb Games’ “Space Dragon” Introduces Groundbreaking New Widget

featured, Quest 2, VR games / /

 

Space Dragon: Unchained is a new offering from 3lb Games. In addition to being an intergalactic good time, it debuts what could become every streamer’s new favorite widget. I talked with CEO, Robin Moulder, about how the game came together and where it’s going next.

“Space Dragon: Unchained”

In addition to building immersive training solutions for enterprise clients, 3lb Games makes fun and moving VR games like Slime Rancher and Vault of Stars. In 2017, the company released Space Dragon for PCVR. Space Dragon: Unchained, is the new release of Space Dragon for Quest 2.

Play as Not Just One, but Two Fire-Breathing Dragons

Space Dragon is an arcade-style shooter. Each hand controls one dragon, both capable of launching fireballs at various targets throughout the game. Both controllers can also help to control movement within the space setting of the game.

3lb Games - VR game Space Dragon

“The game was born out of the movement system. The flight mechanic was a huge favorite in the game,” said Moulder. “That kind of led us into [the idea that] we should be flying because flying is cool. Why would we want to walk? I can walk in real life.”

Playing as both dragons, the player begins the game escaping from a mysterious facility. Once out, the player encounters planets and space dragons that have been similarly contained. The main action of the game is freeing these planets and space dragons by destroying robot satellites.



Of course, the robots shoot back. Your dragons begin to grow darker and visibly take damage when hit. When your dragons die, the level restarts. At the end of each level is a boss that behaves differently and is guarded by different degrees of enemies.

The World and Inhabitants of Space Dragon

Reading releases and other material about the game gives hints about the plot. A player can choose to fly through the levels destroying everything and wrap the game up relatively quickly but taking more time to explore the levels gives other hints about the universe in which the game takes place and about the creatures that inhabit it.

“We talked a lot about the backstory of Space Dragon,” said Moulder. “We really wanted to tap into letting the player come up with the why. … You start thinking and making up your own version of reality.”

Space Dragon VR game

One update to the game has already gone live since its initial release in November, and Moulder said that there are plans for an upcoming multiplayer mode. While she says that a multiplayer title would focus less on the story and more on the gameplay, it would likely give us a bit more food for thought.

Plenty of food for thought is already provided by the level and character design of the game. The levels are beautifully animated and each of the boss characters has its own drastically different nature in appearance and movement. Each level also has its own original metal score written and performed by Moulder inspired by the boss of the level.

“The space whale is more funky because he’s got bigger, wider movements,” said Moulder. “For the phoenix, I took a different approach – it’s very time-dependent … that gave me this tick-tock kind of more pensive feeling.”

Playing “Space Dragon: Unchained”

Playing Space Dragon: Unchained is a delight. I played through the tutorial and the first level in relatively short order and got stuck on the second boss. For the first time in a long time, I found that I was thinking about the game with the headset off – trying to come up with a strategy for how to defeat the boss while I wasn’t actually in the game.

I realized that I was under-utilizing the motion controls (before Moulder told me that the motion controls were the inspiration for the whole game). With that idea in mind, I went back the next day and got to the penultimate stage where I got stuck again, this time lost in a surprisingly intricate level design.

VR game Space Dragon

With another gem that Moulder told me in our interview, I’m pretty sure that I can get through that obstacle as well. I’m looking forward to conquering Space Dragon: Unchained as it is now, as well as revisiting it with future updates. The VR game is currently available for $8 on the Quest Store ((through App Lab).

A Game-Changing New Tool

One feature of Space Dragon that could have huge potential beyond the game itself is a new widget that displays a Twitch chat live on the gamer’s in-game view. The widget was inspired by Moulder’s own affection for the game streaming platform.

“It threw me back to the days at the arcade when you put your quarters in the machine and everyone gathered around and cheered you on. That’s Twitch,” said Moulder. “We’re definitely going to add this to every game we produce … if we’re able to put this out as a Unity asset, we will. If it’s too much pulled together, we’ll probably write a blog telling everyone how to do it.”

The widget, in whatever form it takes in the future, has a huge potential not just for gamers but for designers. Streaming platforms like Twitch (and Twitch content streamed or uploaded to other platforms like YouTube) contribute to the hype and discoverability around VR games in a major way. Bringing Twitch and VR together through this integration could be huge.

The Arcade Gamer’s Arcade Game

“Arcade” kept coming back up in our conversations. From the style of level design, to the way that the controls and strategies stick in your head, to the Twitch integration, and even to Moulder’s metal soundtrack. Space Dragon: Unchained is a seemingly simple but rich and beautiful game definitely worth the $8. I mean, that’s really just $4 per fire-breathing dragon.

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