virtual reality

AR and VR Content Creation Platform Fectar Integrates Ultraleap Hand Tracking

augmented reality, content creation, featured, hand tracking, News, Software, training, virtual reality / Rejus Almole / April 4, 2023

For the Fectar AR and VR content creation platform users, creating XR content with hand tracking feature has just become simpler and easier.

Launched in 2020, Fectar is “the multi-sided platform that makes the metaverse accessible for everyone, everywhere.” Focused on creating AR and VR spaces for education, training, onboarding, events, and more, and aimed at non-technical users, the company provides a cross-platform, no-code AR/VR building tool.

Last week, Fectar integrated the Ultraleap hand tracking feature within its AR and VR content creation platform, allowing users to build VR training experiences with hand tracking from the beginning.

AR and VR Content Creation With Integrated Ultraleap Hand Tracking

Ultraleap was founded in 2019 when Leap Motion was acquired by Ultrahaptics, and the two companies were rebranded under the new name. Ultraleap’s hand tracking and mid-air haptic technologies allow XR users to engage with the digital world naturally – with their hands, and without touchscreens, keypads, and controllers.

Thanks to the Ultraleap feature, Fectar’s users will now be able to create and share immersive VR experiences that use hands, rather than VR controllers. According to Ultraleap, this makes the interaction more intuitive, positively impacts the training outcomes, reduces the effort of adoption, and makes the experiences more accessible.

Non-Technical People Can Develop Immersive Experiences

The new addition to the AR and VR content creation platform is a strategic decision for Fectar. The company’s target clients are non-technical content creators. They don’t need to know how to code to create VR apps and tools, including training programs.

This is, in fact, one of the most frequent use cases of the Fectar AR and VR content creation platform. “We want our customers to be able to create world-class VR training experiences,” said Fectar CTO and founder, Rens Lensvelt, in a press release. “By introducing Ultraleap hand tracking to our platform we’re giving them an opportunity to level up their programs by adding an intuitive interaction method.”

VR Programs and Tools – the Future of Collaborative Work and Training

Virtual reality content has expanded beyond the field of games or applications for entertainment. VR is part of education and training, medicine, business, banking, and, actually, any kind of work.

This is why an AR and VR content creation platform for non-technical users, like Fectar, is so successful. Companies worldwide want to create their own training and collaborative VR tools, without hiring developers.

“The combination of Ultraleap and Fectar provides people with the right tools they need to develop the best education or training programs – and makes it easy to do so. We already know that enterprise VR programs improve productivity by 32%,” said Matt Tullis, Ultraleap VP of XR. “By making that experience even more natural with hand tracking, Fectar customers can expect to see their VR training ROI increase even further.”

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FitXR Boosts Its VR Fitness Offerings With Pico and Strava Collaborations

featured, fitness, FitXR, pico, Sports & Fitness, virtual reality / Paul Patrick / April 3, 2023

The global VR fitness app FitXR is expanding its horizons through exciting recent collaborations with Pico, a VR company focusing on all-in-one VR technology, and Strava, a tracking physical exercise company. These partnerships aim to offer a more comprehensive and accessible fitness experience to users across the globe.

FitXR Partners With Pico to Reach New Audiences

Demonstrating FitXR’s commitment to making VR fitness available to everyone, the VR fitness app is extending its reach to the UK, EU, and Asian markets through a new partnership with Pico VR headsets. As VR gains mass market appeal, FitXR’s multi-platform offerings will become increasingly desirable.

FitXR on Pico

FitXR’s offers a myriad of workout options in a single app. Earlier this year, FitXR launched Sculpt, a workout suite inspired by isometric strength training, and Combat, a workout suite influenced by various martial arts. These two new training alternatives expand the VR fitness app’s current suite of workout options, which include HIIT, Dancing, and Box. FitXR emphasizes its mission to create the most diversified training experiences in the metaverse through this expansion.

FitXR is now broadening its reach by introducing its at-home virtual fitness experience to Pico headsets. Now Pico headset users can enjoy participating in multiplayer workouts for some friendly competition or choose to work out individually when they prefer to control their speed.

VR fitness FitXR on Pico

New users can experience fresh music, diverse classes, and innovative workout styles as the VR fitness app consistently introduces updates. And individuals who install FitXR on their Pico 4 or Pico Neo 3 Link headset can take advantage of a 30-day free membership until the end of April.

New Partnerships Aim for a Fun, Consistent Fitness Journey

Taking fitness to heart, the company’s CEO and co-founder, Sam Cole, commented on the new partnership, stating, “We already offer the most diverse and unique fitness experience, and by expanding to the new Pico headset, we’re furthering our aim to provide this to every person, in every household, in every geography, and on any hardware device.”

Peter Li, Pico’s Head of Gaming Partnerships, emphasized Pico’s dedication to delivering a wide variety of high-quality fitness experiences to its users.“For Pico, launching FitXR as a subscription app on our platform underlines our commitment to bring the widest variety of high-quality and customizable fitness experiences to our customers,” Li said in a press release shared with ARPost.

The collaboration highlights the increasing appetite for amalgamating new tech and gaming to create optimal fitness experiences. FitXR enables clients to visit various fitness studios and tailor their workouts to meet their goals. With fully immersive 3D workout environments, they can enjoy fun, engaging, and result-driven fitness experiences. “We never forget to bring the fun. The fun matters just as much as the results,” said FitXR’s CMO, Lisa Raggiri.

Furthermore, FitXR also collaborated with Olympic Boxing Champion Nicola Adams to launch the “Box Like a Pro” training program, covering boxing basics for all skill levels. Adams aims to promote active lifestyles by demonstrating that fitness can be enjoyable.

FitXR Integrates With Strava for Comprehensive Progress Tracking

Apart from the new partnership with Pico, FitXR has also recently teamed up with Strava, a connected fitness subscription platform. By merging data from both platforms, this partnership aims to provide FitXR users with a more comprehensive view of their exercise journey. The partnership reflects FitXR’s drive to offer a more enriched and inclusive digital experience, allowing users to establish and attain fitness goals more efficiently.

FitXR on Strava

Kelly Cosentino, FitXR’s Fitness Chief, stated that as more and more people aim to manage their health and fitness goals, there is a heightened demand for simple access to crucial data across platforms. “FitXR’s integration with Strava provides our members with a holistic digital solution that easily fits into their lifestyles,” Cosentino said in a press release shared with ARPost. “ The collaboration intends to support individuals of all fitness levels by allowing them to monitor every step, action, and motion in both virtual and real environments.

With the free companion app for FitXR, users can easily send their workout data to Strava after every session. FitXR users can now join Strava’s dynamic community of over 100 million users in 190 nations. Additionally, this partnership allows them to set goals and key milestones, monitor improvement, and share their virtual accomplishments with fellow fitness enthusiasts worldwide.

Pairing a user’s FitXR mobile app with their Strava account is a straightforward task that requires only a few clicks. To initiate the syncing procedure, the user must launch the FitXR app and select the profile icon located at the bottom right-hand corner of the screen. Next, they should proceed by selecting the “Connected Apps” option from the menu and then choose “Strava.” After that, the user will be presented with a prompt to select the types of data they wish to sync with Strava, with the ability to modify their selections later. Once the user completes this quick setup, their workout information will automatically synchronize with Strava after each session.

This strategic collaboration of FitXR with Strava is pushing the company’s goal to offer a customizable virtual health club experience. The enhanced data connectivity will allow FitXR users to maximize the potential of the virtual activities and accompanying apps that encourage them to stay active.

New Partnerships Drive the Demand for a More Holistic VR Fitness Approach

FitXR’s recent partnerships with Pico and Strava highlight the increasing impact of virtual reality technology in the fitness industry and its potential to transform how individuals approach their health and wellness objectives.

By expanding the accessibility of its immersive training programs to a wider range of users, regardless of their hardware preferences, FitXR is reinforcing its dedication to providing a comprehensive and user-friendly digital experience. Consequently, FitXR empowers people of all fitness levels to track their progress more efficiently and stay motivated in their pursuit of a healthier lifestyle.

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VR Takes Center Stage at Dubai’s DEAL 2023 Expo: Highlights and Takeaways

AR/VR events, Events, featured, Guest Post, Location Based VR, Review, Reviews, trending, virtual reality, VR experiences / Paul Patrick / March 31, 2023

So, in the past few weeks we have seen big tech, including Meta and Microsoft, announce massive layoffs, mostly to their XR division and at the same time, pivoting towards artificial intelligence and generative content.

Despite the news, this year’s DEAL expo was as busy as ever. Teeming with an array of VR devices, games, contraptions, and a myriad of other VR-related gizmos that filled the halls, it, quite frankly, surpassed expectations.

It’s clear that there’s an appetite for virtual reality and that the VR industry as a whole has no intention of slowing down. Here’s a short rundown of the most interesting things that caught my eye.

Meta4 Interactive

Meta4 Interactive were on the floor showcasing their arena player vs. player battler based on the well-known Transformers IP. I had the chance to battle it out with the CBDO of Meta4, Sylvain Croteau, as well as other members of the team.

They were all great at the game, which might seem obvious since it’s their product after all, but you would be surprised how often management is actually disconnected from their games or brands. It was nice to see that in this case the team is not only up to speed with their products, but also plays Transformers: VR Battle Arena for fun.

The hardware consisted of blue HTC Vive Pros connected to the gaming PCs above. This kept the headsets tethered without me actually feeling the tether as the cables were suspended from above. Also, the game is stationary, as you teleport from platform to platform (not unlike Tower Tag). I dodged bullets and turned in all directions without any issues.

Transformers VR: Battle Arena was originally developed in 2019 but I only had a chance to try it out recently. On their website, Meta4 claims their games run at a 90hz refresh rate, but it felt like less. Perhaps more like 60fps or 45fps with reprojection to 90hz?

The HTC Vive Pros were tethered, so there was no latency but the game did have a peculiar dense, dreamlike aspect to it, which often stems from lower refresh rates. I would gladly play a slightly stripped-down version of the game if it meant running it at 120hz native.

PvP arenas are very engaging thanks to their competitive aspect but it also means they work best for groups of friends, gamers, and people who want to compete and see who’s the best. All in all, I had fun and can’t wait to see what Meta4 has in store next.

VEX Solutions

VEX Solutions showcased two turnkey solutions side by side. The first one, “VEX Adventure,” offered a more comprehensive LBE-type experience with a motorized floor, wind and heat, onboarding, and full cooperative plot-driven gameplay. The other one, “VEX Arena,” is a lighter, less premium version, aimed at higher throughput.

VEX Arena and VEX Adventure — *VEX Arena (front) and VEX Adventure (back)*

Both setups used haptic vests but otherwise, the hardware differed significantly. VR Arena used a Vive Focus 3, while the more premium VR Adventure opted for some kind of hybrid setup. It looked like Pico Neo 3, combined with SteamVR tracking, hand tracking, and Pico 3 controllers that were mounted into the guns. A true patchwork of all the different technologies.

VEX Adventure — *Pico Neo 3 together with Vive trackers, hand tracking, and Pico 3 controllers*

The VEX representative declined to discuss hardware aspects, which I can understand. When it works, it works. However, having a multitude of varying components increases the number of potential failure points, which is not desirable. To that end, their other less premium offering, VR Arena, seemed a bit more manageable, but again I didn’t have the chance to ask about any specifics.

WARPOINT

For those looking to get into VR arenas on the cheap, WARPOINT had their own super basic solution. All it requires is 10 Meta Quest 2 headsets and a tablet. This must be the most affordable turnkey solution I saw at DEAL 2023. You could even forgo buying brand-new headsets and instead opt for second-hand ones to lower the costs even further.

All the Meta Quests operate in standalone mode using software developed by WARPOINT themselves. All the modes and maps are designed for PvP combat and marketed as a form of e-sport.

WARPOINT VR — *WARPOINT booth in action*

Moviemex3D

Moving on, I encountered Moviemex3D. It’s a company that specializes in VR movies and VR simulators, but they also offer an arena experience called VR Labyrinth. It’s a popup box that features redirected walking, gaming elements, and even some motorized rumble effects.

If you ever tried TraVRsal or Tea For God, you will know what the deal is. Even if the pop-up box looks small, the VR game area is much larger thanks to redirected walking, elevators, and so on. Expect traps, action, and shooting. Overall it’s a fun single-player experience.

From a hardware perspective, Moviemex3D used a Pico Neo 3 headset streaming from a PCVR computer. It’s not a bad solution but again, just like with the Transformers VR, I felt like the game wasn’t running at high enough refresh rates, making the entire experience feel heavy and dreamlike.

FuninVR

FuninVR had this pretty, eye-catching centerpiece.

It’s a massive UFO-shaped VR simulator. Not exactly a VR arena, but I had to try it out. The team was running a variety of experiences. People before me tried some kind of moon landing. In my case, it was a fantasy-themed rollercoaster.

Unfortunately, the VR simulator was out of sync with the roller coaster animation. Sometimes the track would turn left but the UFO didn’t – forcing me to either turn my head 90 degrees or face the walls. This left many participants nauseous.

There were also other questionable elements, like sudden impacts that made the roller coaster stop in place — basically, it’s like the developers deliberately broke every established rule on what not to do. I have strong VR legs, but still felt queasy.

Each participant had buttons on each side of the seat, which we used to shoot enemies, dragons, and other baddies. Aiming was done with head-tracking and it was a fun interactive element that I enjoyed, even if the shooting was only done for theatrical purposes — we were all running separate instances of the roller-coaster animation and there was no way to stop the simulator from progressing further.

Perhaps it would be better if I had tried the moon landing demo because, unfortunately, the roller-coaster had too many sync and motion issues to be enjoyable.

Hero Zone VR

One last turnkey VR solution worth mentioning is Hero Zone VR. It’s another fully standalone arena experience, this time running on a Vive Focus 3. This allowed the developers to take advantage of the headset’s larger resolution and higher-clocked XR2+ chipset.

There was a queue of people waiting to try out Hero Zone VR, so I didn’t get the chance to try it myself, but it looked like there was a selection of both cooperative and PvP games. I spoke briefly to one of the team members and he seemed to be quite proud of what they managed to achieve by going full standalone.

No Beat Saber?

There were also a lot of usual suspects: VR cabinets, VR kiosks, and VR arcades. Notably, Beat Saber was nowhere to be found. I wonder if it became too expensive to license or perhaps it has lost a bit of its novelty value. Instead, Synth Riders came in to fill the void, along with other fast-paced games like Zombieland VR.

Synth Riders Kiosk — *Synth Riders. By all accounts a great rhythm game.*

One arcade cabinet I really enjoyed was VR Shotgun by VR 360 Action. You step into a minigun cart and it’s basically laser shooting reinvented. Spooks and baddies come from left and right and you just have to blast away.

The minigun prop felt heavy and it had some nice haptic feedback to it. I was also happy with the decision to use the HP Reverb G2 headset, which still presents a very high bar when it comes to clarity and resolution. The game was running buttery smooth. Of course, the gameplay was pretty unsophisticated and there was no locomotion (it would be nice to have some kind of on-rails movement to break the mold), but VR Shotgun did make me wish all the arena and LBE software would have this level of visual comfort and fluidity.

Summary and Takeaways

So, what are my main takeaways from this year’s DEAL?

» Even if the early days are behind us, we’re still in the days of rapid innovation and prototyping. This makes it hard for VR arcades and arenas to keep up. I saw almost every kind of headset this year, from the oldest Oculus Rift CV1s, through Vive Pro, Windows Mixed Reality, Quest 2, Pico 4, and Vive Focus 3, running standalone, streaming, and wired.

» Meta presence in the amusement and entertainment sector could be stronger. Despite spending egregious amounts, most of the money went towards metaverse and mixed reality — both of which do not gel very well with the arcade environment. The Quest Pro was nowhere to be seen but maybe because it’s such a fresh headset.

» Virtual reality is becoming more and more normalized. At least 30-40% of the booths were virtual reality oriented. With everyone around wearing and trying headsets, people have stopped feeling insecure about how they look with a headset on and instead enjoy their experiences, treating VR like any other tech.

Have fun and keep on rocking in the virtual world!

About the Guest Author(s)

Mat Pawluczuk

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

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Spatial Releases Toolkit for “Gaming and Interactivity”

content creation, featured, gaming, Immersive Technology, News, virtual reality, XR platform / Rejus Almole / March 28, 2023

Spatial started out as an enterprise remote collaboration solution. Then, it changed lanes to offer virtual worlds for consumer social uses. Now, it could become an immersive gaming platform. At least, in part.

A Look at the Toolkit

The new “Spatial Creator Toolkit” is a Unity-powered interface that allows users to create custom avatars, items, and “quests.” The quests can be “games and immersive stories” as well as “interactive exhibitions” according to a release shared with ARPost.

Spatial Creator Toolkit

“This evolution to gamified and interactive co-experiences is a natural expansion for the platform and the internet,” said Jinha Lee, CPO and co-founder. “With more than 1 million registered creators on the platform today, and almost 2 million worlds, we are committed to empowering all creators.”

The toolkit also features advanced tools for linking virtual worlds together. All of it is powered by visual scripting as opposed to conventional coding. The company said that this allows “zero learning curve and instant scalability.” During a closed alpha phase that began in December, companies with advanced access including Vogue and McDonald’s broke in the toolkit.

Spatial’s Room to Grow

According to the release, the company hopes to become the YouTube of 3D games. “As Adobe is for 2D video, Unity is the software unlocking 3D games and the new medium of the internet. Spatial is like the YouTube for these games, enabling instant publishing to the mass market,” said CEO and co-founder of Spatial, Anand Agarawala. “Anyone can build, the key is unlocking the capabilities to allow the magic to happen.”

Considering plans for a creator marketplace by the end of the year, the new business model is also similar to platforms like Roblox. That platform is a flagship of the gaming creator economy but has so far stayed away from NFTs.

Having fully embraced NFTs, along with other Web3 building blocks like cross-platform avatar compatibility through Ready Player Me, Spatial has a lot of opportunities and tools at its disposal that platforms like Roblox don’t. These include partnerships in the larger Web3 community, and at least some level of interoperability with other immersive platforms.

In short, we still have to see where this direction takes the company. But, it looks like calling the platform a “YouTube” or a “Roblox” might be selling it short. Both of those are massive creator-driven online marketplaces and communities, but both of them are limited by their own walls and that might not be true of this new side of Spatial.

Let’s See How Far it Goes

Skepticism about what may seem like another blockchain game drive is understandable. However, blockchain games that have let users down in the past were largely trying to shill their own products with questionable infrastructure. Spatial is a proven company with an open ecosystem that has nothing to gain by anyone losing. This should be fun.

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The Future of VR: What’s Next for the World of VR Gaming?

featured, gaming, interview, virtual reality, VR games / Rejus Almole / March 20, 2023

The VR gaming market is constantly evolving and has grown significantly in the past few years. With key developments in VR technology, hardware, and software driving the market forward, VR game revenues are projected to increase sixfold in five years, from $0.5 billion in 2019 to $3.2 billion in 2024.

However, declining sales of VR headsets dampen this positive outlook. In the United States, sales in 2022 dropped by 2%, from a year earlier, to $1.1 billion in December 2022. Moreover, 2023 is expected to be another slow year for the VR market, with a weak economy and inflation causing non-essential purchases like VR headsets to be put on hold.

Now many are wondering what the near-term future holds for VR. Marcus Segal, CEO and founder of ForeVR Games, shares his thoughts on the current state of VR and what’s in store in the future.

Dissecting the Decline in the VR Gaming Market

Asked about why VR sales have declined in the US despite the launch of Quest Pro and other highly-anticipated VR devices, Segal said that there are many factors at play. According to him, the decline could be due to a recession or a market correction following COVID-19.

“When all signs point to a financial downturn, people hold on more tightly to their money,” Segal told us. Or it could be the excitement about new headsets coming from Sony, Apple, Pico, and HTC that is keeping potential buyers on the sidelines.

Then we also have to factor in the return to in-person social gatherings, so VR gaming now has to compete with movie theaters, concerts, and other live experiences as the world returns to in-person social gatherings.

Like in any other industry, the recent decline in VR sales is disheartening, but, according to Segal, this is not uncommon in nascent industries.

It is worth noting that the market is not as bleak as it appears. Despite the seemingly downward trend, a flood of new VR headsets is coming from Sony, Pico, Apple, HTC, and more. Competition between manufacturers means better products, lower prices, and a larger user base for VR gaming in the future.

Segal suggests “try before you buy” mall installations, immersive classroom settings, and other creative efforts to drive consumer awareness.

Barriers to VR Adoption

Segal also notes that while VR has made significant progress in recent years, there are still some barriers to adoption, including cost and the need for powerful hardware. He believes that the biggest barrier to VR adoption is still the form factor. New headsets’ design must be lighter and less bulky to become more appealing and comfortable to use.

According to Segal, discoverability is also a challenge for VR. Traditional forms of advertising are not as effective, and manufacturers need to get headsets into the hands of consumers who haven’t tried VR yet. He stresses that sustaining and improving engagement is critical to VR’s success.

Lastly, Segal stressed how crucial accessibility is for VR adoption. Games must be playable for people of all ages and abilities. ForeVR Bowl is an example of this, designed to be played with a single button in a seated or standing position.

The Role of Content in Driving VR Adoption

One of the biggest drivers of VR adoption is compelling content. Segal believes that game developers have a critical role to play in shaping the future of VR. “Game developers need to reach new audiences, and that requires manufacturers promoting new games and hidden gems,” he said. “We as developers also need retention features and content to motivate players to pick up their headsets and plug in more frequently.”

As a former Zynga executive, Segal witnessed the power of social games, like FarmVille, to connect hundreds of millions of people of all ages. “In my view, play is one of the best things about being alive,” he said. For ForeVR Games, the focus is on taking the feeling of connection in play to the next level with VR, allowing players to feel as though they are in the same location regardless of their physical distance.

Customization is also key, allowing players to have fun while improving their skills over time. Segal explains, “Today, we believe that the most successful VR games and experiences are those that are easy to pick up and play, but also offer depth and complexity for players who want that option.”

A Future of Growth and Innovation in VR Gaming

The world of VR gaming holds immense potential for growth and innovation. As game developers like ForeVR Games continue to push the boundaries of what is possible in VR and advancements in hardware technology emerge, entrepreneurs have many reasons to be optimistic as they venture into VR gaming.

However, success in VR gaming requires a passionate team that sees challenges as opportunities to further what is possible, and the ability to listen to and incorporate feedback from the player base.

As the VR industry continues to evolve, those who are willing to take on the challenges and embrace the opportunities can shape the future of this exciting and dynamic field.

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Treble Technologies Brings Realistic Sound to Virtual Spaces

audio, featured, Immersive Technology, virtual reality / Rejus Almole / March 17, 2023

Immersive spaces can be very immersive visually. But they can still sound pretty flat. This can disrupt immersion in games and social applications but in automotive, engineering, and construction (AEC), understanding how a space sounds can be crucial to the design process. That’s why Treble is working on realistic sound reproduction for virtual spaces.

We spoke with Treble CEO Finnur Pind about the opportunities and obstacles in believable immersive sound in enterprise and beyond.

Sound Simulation and Rendering

A conversation inside of a car can sound a lot different than a conversation in your living room. A conversation in your living room can sound a lot different than a conversation in an auditorium. If you’re trying to hear that conversation with an assistive device like hearing aids, the conversation can be even more complicated.

Right now, a conversation in any of those spaces recreated in a virtual environment probably sounds about the same. Designers can include environmental sound like water or wind or a crackling fire as they often do for games, but the sonic profile of the environment itself is difficult to replicate.

That’s because sound is caused by vibrations of the air. In different physical environments, the environment itself absorbs and reflects those vibrations in unique ways based on their physical properties. But, virtual environments don’t have physical properties and sound is conveyed electronically rather than acoustically.

The closest we’ve come to real immersive sound is “spatial audio.” Spatial audio represents where a sound is coming from and how far away it is from a listener by manipulating stereo volume but it still doesn’t account for environmental factors. That doesn’t mean spatial audio isn’t good enough. It does what it does and it plays a part in “sound simulation and rendering.”

Sound simulation and sound rendering are “two sides of the same coin,” according to Pind. The process, which has its roots in academia before Treble started in 2020, involves simulating acoustics and rendering the environment that produces them.

How Treble Rethinks Virtual Sound

“Solving the mathematics of sound has been developed for some time but it never found practice because it’s too computationally heavy,” said Pind. “What people have been doing until now is this kind of ray-tracing simulation. … It works up to a certain degree.”

Treble - Acoustic simulation suite Treble uses a “wave-based approach” that accounts for the source of the audio, as well as the geometry of the space and the physical properties of the building material. In the event that the virtual space includes fantastical or unspecified materials, the company assigns a set of physical characteristics from a known real-world material.

That kind of situation doesn’t arise often so far because, while Pind is open to Treble working with entertainment and consumer applications, the company is mainly focused on enhancing digital design models for the AEC industry.

“It’s not just seeing what your building will look like, but hearing what your building will sound like,” said Pind. “As long as you have a 3D building model … our platform connects directly, understands the geometry, building models, and sound sources.”

Pind says that the concept may one day have applications in augmented reality and mixed reality as well. Say in a platform like Microsoft Mesh or Varjo Reality Cloud where users are essentially sharing or exchanging surroundings via VR, recreating the real spaces of one user as the virtual space of the other user can greatly aid immersion and realism.

Treble - sound in VR

“Research has shown that having realistic sound in a VR environment improves the immersion,” said Pind. “In AR it’s more the idea of being in a real space but having sound augmented.”

Machine Learning, R&D, and Beyond

As strange as it may sound, this approach also works essentially backwards. Instead of recreating a physical environment, Treble can create sound profiles for physically-based spaces that may or may not exist – or ever exist. Why? To model how sound would behave in that environment. It’s an approach called “synthetic data generation.”

Treble - synthetic data generation “AI is kind of the talk of the town these days and one of the major issues of training AI is a lack of data,” said Pind. Training AI to work with sound requires a lot of audio which, historically, had to be sourced from physical equipment transported and set up in physical environments. “Now they’re starting to come to us to synthetically generate it.”

This same approach is increasingly being used to test audio hardware ranging from hearing aids to XR headsets.

Sounds Pretty Good

Pind thinks that the idea of using sound simulation and rendering for things like immersive concerts is interesting, even though that’s not what Treble does right now. It’s another resource already in the hands of forward-thinking companies and potentially soon coming to an XR venue in your headset.

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Arthur Releases Productivity and Display Updates

collaboration, Enterprise, featured, remote work, virtual reality, VR platform / Rejus Almole / March 15, 2023

Arthur, an immersive virtual collaboration platform for enterprise, has recently rolled out its first major set of updates since its “Pro” version launched in 2021. The update brings solutions that are helpful in the platform but that VR in general has needed for a long time.

To learn more about the platform’s growth in the space and the technology coming of age in the enterprise sector, I met in the platform with Arthur Business Development Consultant Lakshman Lattipally. We also showed off our full-body avatars and explored the platform’s many features both old and new.

The Road So Far

Arthur was founded in 2016 but became publicly available in 2020. The platform rolled out its first major updates the following year, which is when ARPost first introduced our readers to the platform. At the time, the company was largely presented as a “virtual real estate company” before that language was adopted by consumer applications in the NFT space.

“We see ourselves as a virtual real estate company. We just provide the office,” Demand Manager Simon Berger told ARPost at the time.

At the time, the company seemed to be doing a new thing – just like everyone else. The main distinguishing feature between Arthur and other solutions in what has since been dubbed “the officeverse” were the avatars featuring a photo-realistic face on a poorly-matched and semi-corporeal frame.

Later that year, the platform’s professional version came out of beta. This version introduced more hosting tools, larger capacity spaces, screen sharing, and other productivity features, and – perhaps the largest differentiator – end-to-end session encryption. The free version still works and you can use it to explore the platform. You can also request a demo of the Pro version.

Recent Improvements

Some of Arthur’s most recent updates are completely new tools, while others are developments building on the platform’s existing tools and features. In either case, all of the updates are great advancements.

New Access Options

Arthur has long had desktop access – a website and an app. The website is a sort of back-end way to manage assets for and from the VR version, similar to an AltspaceVR profile. The app offered many of the conveniences of the website and some of the accessibility of the VR version, similar to the desktop version of ENGAGE.

This update brings an option for users to join virtual environments entirely via browser. There are pros and cons to a browser-based virtual collaboration space over an app. For example, the browser interface allows users to use the platform when they’re away from an office computer with the app installed. But, web users can’t join app sessions. At least, not directly.

VR platform Arthur

One of the big updates that Lattipally showed me was the ability of a VR user to open an Arthur browser window and screen share it with VR users creating an entirely virtual version of a hybrid meeting. The solution was a little disorienting but entirely practical.

Of course, that browser window can be used for other things as well. While the pinboard and note features already provided on the platform can be used to create things like workflows and project management boards, your favorite dedicated tools can exist in-world through browser windows or in some cases through direct app integrations.

Display Updates

After all of the shade thrown on earlier iterations of avatars, they really have gotten a lot better in this most recent update. The avatar creation process still starts with a photograph, but that photograph is better mapped onto a better-proportioned head on a full body – complete with arms and legs. The more responsive faces are even compatible with eye tracking if you’ve got it.

Jon - Arthur VR platform

My favorite update overall might be the MR desk – a feature that I’ve long wanted in every VR productivity app ever. The tool allows you to draw in your physical desktop to appear in your VR space. This process is similar to when you first set up the Quest’s seated play space. However, the desktop isn’t just an opaque rectangle, it’s a passthrough window to your actual desk.

Other users can’t see this desk, but you can turn it on and off when you need (or don’t need) to access your computer, notes, or anything else in the physical world while in VR. The obvious downside is that this feature is only as useful as your available passthrough. If you have a Quest 2 (review), this isn’t great. But, if you’re rocking a Quest Pro (info), word is it’s a lot better.

Everything Else Is Still Good

A lot of the quality features that Arthur had before are largely unchanged, and that’s okay. Spaces are still beautiful and easy to set up, complete with private audio zones. The larger main menu is still powerful and navigable, but the smaller menus for things like the notes feature and some basic in-world assets are even easier to use.

Arthur VR

And, maybe this is just me, but I’m a big fan of the desktop user back-end. Taking screenshots in VR is a simple operation and those screenshots are easily accessible from the web profile. Further, user support is great if you need a helping hand.

The New and Improved Arthur

Arthur is holding its own in the developing world of enterprise VR solutions and remains one of the best offerings that I’ve seen in the space.

One of the most enlightening parts of my time in the platform with Lattipally was his stance on the maturity of the space as he says companies are moving from presence to productivity to complete virtual work environments. And Arthur is rising to that challenge.

Arthur Releases Productivity and Display Updates Read More »

FitXR Workout Classes: New Pop Music Collection to Add Variety to Your VR Fitness Routine

featured, fitness, FitXR, News, Sports & Fitness, virtual reality, VR Apps / Rejus Almole / March 13, 2023

It is no secret that music makes exercise routines fun, but it actually does more than that. In fact, music has been scientifically proven to improve the quality of workouts. One research shows that music is particularly helpful during endurance and high-intensity exercises. It also shows that a faster tempo increases energy demand during exercise. Aside from promoting metabolic efficiency, upbeat music has also been found to be effective in increasing endurance as it distracts people from discomfort.

The VR fitness app FitXR understands the key role music plays in fitness. So the team continues to expand and diversify music content on its platform to cater to individual preferences. FitXR workout classes across five distinct studios are constantly updated with new music collections to give users more motivation to achieve their fitness goals.

New Pop Music Collection Amps Up FitXR Workout Classes

Recently, FitXR launched a new pop music collection that gives users more music options in all workout classes across its five studios—Box, Dance, HIIT, Sculpt, and Combat. It features hits from the best pop, hip-hop, and rock artists. Whether you’re in the mood for a high-intensity boxing class or a beginner HIIT session, you can definitely find the right workout for you.

There’s a whole collection of workout classes with smash hits from Dua Lipa, Lil Nas X, Megan Thee Stallion, and other popular artists. Let Pink and Lady Gaga set the mood and inspire you to finish the 11-minute “Get This Party Started” HIIT class for beginners. Groove to the beat as you do a quick 4-minute workout in the intermediate boxing class “Green Day Blitz.” You can choose from a variety of classes based on your fitness level and time availability.

“FitXR is all about making fitness fun, and music is so often what fuels a workout, and makes it an enjoyable experience,” said Kelly Cosentino, Director of Fitness at FitXR, in a press release shared with ARPost. “This is just another way we’re showing our commitment to creating experiences unique to each member’s personal preference and motivators!”

The new pop music collection is just another addition to FitXR’s already extensive music offerings, which include top billboard artists, independent artists, and international artists. With the app’s wide range of classes and music options, there are no excuses for skipping a workout.

Committed to Elevating Immersive VR Workout Classes

FitXR’s new pop music collection is a testament to the app’s dedication to creating unique and engaging fitness experiences for its users. Continuously adding new music and themed studios to its already robust offerings shows its commitment to making fitness more fun and accessible for everyone.

FitXR workout

Leading the way to the future of fitness, we can expect to see more additions and innovations on the platform. These will allow beginners and seasoned fitness enthusiasts alike to personalize their fitness journey and enhance their overall workout experiences.

FitXR Workout Classes: New Pop Music Collection to Add Variety to Your VR Fitness Routine Read More »

Lark Optics is targeting your retinas for AR without nausea and other sickness

augmented reality, Deep tech, Next Featured, Startups and technology, Tech, UK, virtual reality / Mike M. / March 8, 2023

This story is syndicated from the premium edition of PreSeed Now, a newsletter that digs into the product, market, and founder story of UK-founded startups so you can understand how they fit into what’s happening in the wider world and startup ecosystem.

Whether you believe it’s the future of everything, or just a useful tool that will be part of the mix of tech we regularly use a few years from now, augmented reality is a rapidly developing field with one major drawback – like VR, it can leave you feeling sick.

For example, US soldiers who tried Microsoft’s HoloLens goggles last year suffered “‘mission-affecting physical impairments’ including headaches, eyestrain and nausea,” Bloomberg reported.

While the technology could “bring net economic benefits of $1.5 trillion by 2030” according to PwC, this sickness is a massive inhibitor to the growth of AR and VR.

One startup looking to tackle the problem is Cambridge-based Lark Optics, which has developed a way of bypassing the issues that cause these problems.

“In the real world, we perceive depth by our eyes rotating and focusing. Two different cues need to work in harmony. However, in all existing AR glasses, these cues fundamentally mismatch,” explains Lark Optics CEO Pawan Shrestha.

Having to focus on a ‘virtual screen’ on augmented reality glasses, means users have to switch focus between the real world and the augmented one. This depth mismatch causes physical discomfort and conditions like nausea, dizziness, eyestrain, and headaches.

What Lark Optics does differently, Shrestha says, is it projects the augmented reality image onto the user’s retina. This means the AR is always in focus no matter what your eyes do to adjust to the real world around you.

So far the startup has developed a proof of concept and is now iterating to refine its demonstrator model. Shrestha says they conducted two successful user studies with their proof of concept; one in their own lab and another with an external partner he prefers not to name.

When the tech is ready, they want to use a fabless model for producing the components they design, which they will then sell to original equipment manufacturers who make AR headsets.

Given they’re addressing such a fundamental challenge to the mass adoption of AR, it’s unsurprising that other companies are tackling it in other ways (more on that below). But Shrestha says his startup’s approach is the most efficient in terms of processing power and battery power, and doesn’t affect the user’s field of vision.

Shrestha grew up in rural Nepal (“really rural… I was nearly nine years old before I saw electric lights”). He says his parents’ enthusiasm for his education eventually led him to New Zealand where he obtained a masters degree in Electronics Engineering from the University of Waikato.

Keen to develop technology he could commercialise, he says he developed an interferometer. While that venture didn’t work out, his work led him on to a PhD from the University of Cambridge, where he spotted the commercial potential of a new approach to AR displays.

“It was scientifically challenging, but it was also something that could touch the lives of many, many people,” he says.

Shrestha co-founded Lark Optics (which was previously known as AR-X Photonics) with his friend Xin Chang, and Daping Chu who previously oversaw the PhD work of Shrestha and Chang. The trio have been working together for around a decade but only got started with Lark Optics in earnest last year,

Shrestha says this week they have been joined by a new recruit, Andreas Georgiou, who previously worked at Microsoft as a principal researcher in the field of optical engineering.

The Lark Optics team (L-R): Weijie Wu, Dr Pawan Kumar Shrestha, Professor Daping Chu, Dr Andreas Georgiou, Dr Xin Chang

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Shrestha says being based in Cambridge is a big benefit to them, with a community of experienced advisers around them, and access to relevant investors. He is particularly inspired by the progress made by Micro LED tech startup Porotech, which has raised a total of $26.1 million to date.

And Shrestha has warm words for the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Enterprise Fellowship, of which he is a part. This provides up to £75,000 in equity-free funding to cover salary and business costs, along with mentoring, training and coaching. This was what allowed him to get started on developing Lark Optics as a business.

Lark Optics itself raised a pre-seed round of £210,000 in October last year, Shrestha says, and will be raising a seed round in Q2 this year.

As mentioned above, others are tackling the problem of AR sickness in different ways. LetinAR uses a ‘pin mirror’ method, Kura Technologies has developed a ‘structured geometric waveguide eyepiece’, while VividQ “compute[s] holograms in real-time on low power devices and integrate[s] them with off-the-shelf display hardware.”

Another company, SeeReal develops holography-based solutions to address depth issues in 3D displays.

But Shrestha says these rival technologies either require a very high level of data throughput, with a related computational and battery power overhead, or require very high resolution displays. And while some techniques decouple the AR display from the real world like Lark Optics does, Shrestha says they are “like looking through a chicken fence.

“We solved the problem without getting a significant penalty on processing power or battery power, or artefacts. So that’s why I think our approach is the best.”

Lark Optics’ ambition is to become established as the best optics for AR, VR, and mixed reality glasses.

“We want to realise the full potential of AR and VR. Now we have AR and VR you can wear for 20 minutes or 30 minutes. We want to make it feel as natural to look at real objects, VR ,or AR, and allow people to use it for all-day, everyday use.”

Shrestha sees the biggest challenge to achieving this is being able to recruit the right people in what is quite a specialised field. But he’s optimistic that attracting just one or two high-level people will end up attracting more, and the endorsement of a good seed round raise in the coming months won’t hurt either.

AR, VR, and MR has been massively hyped in recent years but there have been questions over how much of a future it has. Investor disquiet over Meta’s huge spending in the ‘metaverse’ space, and Microsoft’s job cuts in its HoloLens division as it struggles to turn it into a viable business, show that there’s no straight line from here to a future where this tech is widely used.

But that said, the current jitters of the public markets over stock prices and tech company spending isn’t an end for AR, VR, and MR at all. Apple’s first headset is on the horizon, which will no doubt spin up another wave of interest in the space (although the latest report says it’s been delayed two months, until June).

If technology like Lark Optics’ can help prepare AR, VR, and MR for the mainstream, the startup could be well positioned to reap the rewards.

The article you just read is from the premium edition of PreSeed Now. This is a newsletter that digs into the product, market, and story of startups that were founded in the UK. The goal is to help you understand how these businesses fit into what’s happening in the wider world and startup ecosystem.

Lark Optics is targeting your retinas for AR without nausea and other sickness Read More »

The 2023 Polys WebXR Awards Recap

AR/VR events, augmented reality, Events, extended reality, featured, virtual reality, webXR / Rejus Almole / March 8, 2023

The third Annual Polys WebXR Awards took place this weekend. The show was bigger than ever thanks to the first-ever in-person awards and a special event saying farewell to AltspaceVR. However, despite some new categories, the overall category list was shorter this year as a number of previous awards were combined.

A Very Special Polys

The Polys launched during the height of the pandemic. Fortunately, not being in person has a way of not greatly hindering an event that’s already dedicated to WebXR.

The event took place in a bespoke AltspaceVR world, with watch parties on YouTube as well as other remote platforms. However, this time, people were able to get together in person but they did it in a very “metaverse” way.

The Polys 2023 WebXR Awards

In-person hosts, producers, presenters, and an audience gathered at ZeroSpace, an XR stage and motion capture studio in Brooklyn. Their actions on the stage were volumetrically captured and displayed in The Polys’ AltspaceVR environment, similar to the launch of Microsoft Mesh. Polys Director Ginna Lambert said that this was the first award show to use the technology.

Further, while winners and honorees had previously received their Polys Awards as NFTs, the team worked with Looking Glass Factory so that this year’s Polys can be presented in a physical frame. This is as physical as The Polys can get, seeing as Linda Ricci designed the award to defy physics.

A Funeral for AltspaceVR

In lieu of a half-time show, Big Rock Creative CEO, co-founder, and producer Athena Demos held a eulogy for AltspaceVR. Virtual attendees lined the aisle to a pulpit adorned with flowers and candles in a ceremony that was heartfelt and a little macabre. Following mourners down the aisle was a coffin containing one of the iconic robot avatars that AltspaceVR used at launch.

“AltspaceVR will always hold a special place in our hearts,” said Demos. “While we say goodbye to the platform that brought us together, we will always remember the connections that we made here.”

AltspaceVR funeral - The 2023 Polys WebXR Awards

While the WebXR team has used AltspaceVR to host The Polys Awards and numerous other town hall events and summits over the last three years, Demos and her team have been using it to bring Burning Man into virtual spaces. There is also a farewell party scheduled by Big Rock Creative to last until the moment that AltspaceVR servers shut down later this week.

The Polys Awards

Where last year’s Polys saw 15 awards categories (not counting personal honors of Lifetime Achievement, Ombudsperson of the Year, and the Community Award), this year’s show had eight categories. That includes some new categories reflecting the advancement of immersive technology even over the last few months.

“We in this community are ahead of a massive shift that we call the fourth industrial revolution,” said host Julie Smithson. “We’re here to celebrate the progress made in WebXR in the year of 2022.”

Julie Smithson at The Polys WebXR Awards

Entertainment Experience of the Year

When popular culture looks at “the metaverse” they typically equate it with irresponsible escapism – something that people use to avoid the challenges of life. XR producer and director Kiira Benzing pointed out that positive escapism – using XR to take a break from life rather than to neglect it – is one of the medium’s greatest strengths.

“With the immersive medium, you get the opportunity to step into an experience,” Benzing said in presenting the award for Entertainment Experience of the year.

The award went to Project Flowerbed, an immersive gardening experience by the Meta WebXR team. The same project was nominated for Experience of the Year.

Innovator of the Year

Futurewei Technologies Senior Director for VR, Metaverse, Mobile, Apps, and Services Daniel Ljunggren presented the award for Innovator of the Year – previously “Innovation of the Year.” The award went to Sean Mann, CEO and co-founder of RP1, a “persistent, seamless, real-time platform with limitless scalability.”

“To be amongst this many pioneers and innovators in one space is amazing. I think we’re all winners,” said Mann. “I’m super excited to be a part of this.”

Developer of the Year

“Being on the frontier of the immersive web is a pioneering effort,” Yinch Yeap said in presenting this award. “It still feels like the Wild West.”

And, like in the Wild West, many of the biggest names are pseudonyms. This is certainly the case for this year’s winner, known only as “Jin.” Jin appeared as a similarly anonymized avatar to accept the award.

“I am a huge believer in WebXR,” said Jin. “I stand on the shoulders of giants. I am very humbled and I owe this to everyone building the immersive web.”

Game of the Year Award

“Game of the Year” is a broad category as most WebXR experiences are arguably “games” – and that’s what makes the award so important according to presenter Rik Cabanier, a software engineer at Meta. The award went to the mini golf game Above Par-Adowski by Paradowski Creative.

Above Par-Adowski VR game

Accepting the award was Paradowski Creative Director of Emerging Technology James Kane, who called WebXR “the best expression of the metaverse there is.” Kane was also a nominee for Innovator of the Year.

“I want to thank our team,” said Kane. “And thanks to the Meta team for creating an amazing WebXR platform as well as for directly supporting us.”

AR Passthrough Experience of the Year

“Where, for the past years AR experiences were mainly relegated to phones, now passthrough devices are everywhere,” said presenter Lucas Rizzotto. This allows more passthrough experiences on devices available today, but it also allows more impactful development of experiences for future AR devices.

The award went to Spatial Fusion by PHORIA and Meta, an experience which sees players repairing a damaged spaceship. Ben Ferns, a consulting developer, was one of those accepting the award.

“Huge thanks to the entire team – it was a huge team effort,” said Ferns. “It’s just exciting to see the promise of WebXR and passthrough.”

WebXR Platform of the Year

In presenting the award for WebXR Platform of the Year, Prestidge Group founder and CEO Briar Prestidge pointed out that every WebXR platform has strengths and weaknesses – something that she learned a lot about while famously spending “48 hours in the metaverse” for a documentary.

The award went to Croquet, “the operating system of the metaverse,” which also took home the Startup Pitch Competition Auggie Award last year. The award was accepted by The Polys on behalf of the organization.

Education Experience of the Year

The “digital divide” describes accessibility differences exacerbated by the benefit of technology only being available to those who can afford the required hardware or programs. WebXR is vital to the future of education because it lowers the cost of access for immersive experiences, according to Silicon Harlem founder Clayton Banks in presenting this award.

Banks presented the award to Prehistoric Domain, an immersive tour that brings learners up close and personal with virtual representations of dinosaurs and other extinct species. Accepting the award was creator Benjamin Dupuy. Prehistoric Domain was also nominated for Experience of the Year.

“WebXR opens so many possibilities – it’s very exciting,” said Dupuy in accepting the award. “We are all pioneers of the immersive web here and I think we’re at the beginning of an era where the line between illusion and reality is very thin.”

Experience of the Year

Demos returned to the stage – this time in volumetric capture instead of in her AltspaceVR avatar – to present the award for Experience of the Year to Spatial Fusion.

This was the experience’s second win of the night. The experience was also a nominee for Entertainment Experience of the Year. Ferns returned to accept the award and pointed out that the code has been open-sourced.

“I’m really excited to see what other people do with this now that it’s freely accessible,” said Ferns. “It’s an exciting time for trying out all of these new UX opportunities.”

This Year’s Honorees

In addition to the nominated awards categories, there are three honors categories. The honoree in each category is named by the previous year’s recipient rather than by a panel of judges.

Community Honor

Last year’s community honoree Trevor Flowers named Evo Heyning for this year, specifically for her work with the XR Guild, the Open Metaverse Interoperability Group, and [email protected].

“Whether it’s exploring AR, exploring 3D objects and NERFs, exploring interoperability of avatars and [email protected] specifically, being a part of these experiences with [Sophia Moshasha], with Ben [Irwin], with Julie [Smithson], with everyone – it’s meant so much to me,” Heyning said in accepting the honor.

Ombudsperson of the Year

The Ombudsperson of the Year Honor is specifically set up to recognize people working on the social and human aspects of WebXR. Last year’s honoree, Avi Bar-Zeev said that he was “honored to hand off the title” to Brittan Heller, a lawyer who introduced the term “biometric psychography” to describe mental and emotional profiling through an XR user’s personal data.

Brittan Heller at The Polys WebXR Awards

“I’d like to thank Avi, Kent [Bye], and everyone at the XR Guild and the Virtual World Society, and everyone in the XR community,” said Heller. “I appreciate how everyone here is so involved in making the community so welcoming to everyone.”

Bye, referenced by Heller in her acceptance speech, is a leading XR ethicist, a strong speaker in the nascent field of biometric psychography, and the first-ever recipient of this award.

Lifetime Achievement Honor

Last year’s Lifetime Achievement Honoree Brandon Jones selected Patric Cozzi for this year’s honor. Cozzi is the CEO of Cesium, but he was selected for this award because of his work co-creating glTF as a contributor to the Khronos Group.

Patric Cozzi at The Polys WebXR Awards

“I’m really honored for glTF and the community,” said Cozzi. “It was a grassroots effort for years.”

Looking Forward to the Future

This was the last year that The Polys WebXR awards will be hosted in AltspaceVR, but the team is still looking forward to next year’s event. While they haven’t yet said what platform (or platforms) it will take place on, there’s a full year to figure that out. And a year is a long time in this industry. If you missed this year’s ceremony, you can find the recording here.

The 2023 Polys WebXR Awards Recap Read More »

Jackson Public Schools Implement Virtual Reality in the Classroom

education, Education & Training, featured, News, virtual reality / Rejus Almole / March 6, 2023

Virtual reality in the classroom is one of the many uses of immersive technologies. And, wherever it is in use, it has proven to be a great success. The latest educational organization to adopt it is Jackson Public Schools in Mississippi.

The second-largest school district in the Magnolia State, comprising seven high schools, 10 middle schools, 31 elementary schools, and four special program schools, has recently announced that its students will now be able to learn using VR.

VR Learning Made Available to a Large Number of Students

Currently, Jackson Public Schools enrolls 80% of the children in the capital city of Mississippi. Thanks to the partnership with a local company specializing in developing VR solutions for the educational field, Lobaki, the school district’s 19,000 students will soon have access to virtual reality in the classroom.

This partnership resulted in the full equipment of the entire school system with the necessary hardware and applications. They will allow the students to enjoy an immersive and hands-on learning experience in every class – from history to biology.

Teachers Are Happy to Use Virtual Reality in the Classroom

Not only students, but teachers are also excited to use the modern tools made available through the multiyear partnership with Lobaki. During the COVID-19 lockdown, they had the opportunity to learn how to use remote learning solutions.

And virtual reality in the classroom is a way of bringing together the best of both worlds; real and virtual.

“We have been interested in using virtual reality in our schools for quite some time now, as we are always looking to improve the educational experience,” said Dr. Rajeeni Scott, the Executive Director of School Support for Jackson Public School District, in a press release shared with ARPost. “With the additional challenge of learning loss created by the COVID-19 pandemic, we knew it was time to implement this solution within our schools.”

The New Project Showcases the Practical Role of VR in Our Lives

Virtual reality is no longer just for fun, entertainment, and hi-tech industries. It is becoming a part of our lives, from the simplest to the most advanced levels. For Lobaki, virtual reality in the classroom is proof of the huge potential of this technology.

“As one of the oldest and largest school systems in the state of Mississippi, Jackson Public School District’s decision to implement virtual reality technology stands out as one of the largest implementations in the United States to date,” said the CEO of Lobaki, Amber Coeur.

Using VR headsets and immersive experiences created by Lobaki, students will be able to interact with for example Civil Rights leaders or explore the structures of the smallest cells in the animal and vegetal world.

As a local company based in Mississippi, Lobaki is the ideal partner for this type of long-term partnership with Jackson Public Schools.

“As Mississippi’s only owned and operated virtual reality content creation company, the level of support from installation to training is unmatched,” explained Scott “We know they aren’t going to drop off hardware and leave …they are our next-door neighbors and fellow Mississippians.”

Jackson Public Schools Implement Virtual Reality in the Classroom Read More »

Onboarding in the Boardroom: Starting the Conversation on Enterprise VR

Enterprise, Enterprise VR, featured, virtual reality / Rejus Almole / March 4, 2023

Gaming and social experiences are great uses for virtual reality. However, enterprise VR is also making huge strides to solve big problems in the world of work. Companies that do things like manufacturing, retail management, advertising, and just about anything else have a lot to gain from enterprise VR. But, they don’t always know where to start.

Everyone who runs a business making enterprise VR solutions has to have a decent pitch on why companies should sign on, but there are also some organizations that make onboarding their companies part of the experience.

Finding Direction With Endava

Endava is a tech services provider that helps companies use new technologies to solve problems, increase efficiency, and grow their business models. They aren’t exclusively interested in emerging technologies like extended reality and the metaverse, but they’re seeing a lot of client interest in those fields. And that’s a good thing.

“Don’t wait until the need or the use case is defined because by then you’re just chasing everyone else,” said Scott Harkey, the Executive Vice President of Financial Services and Payments at Endava.

Where to Begin

This often means that companies that do actively want to develop an enterprise VR strategy can be stuck in the awkward position of feeling that they should do something without knowing where to begin. That’s the point where working with a consultancy can help.

“Figuring out where to start is often one of the biggest parts of it,” said Harkey. “That, of course, is different for each organization. But, generally, thinking from a consumer experience perspective helps you focus on what is the problem that you’re actually trying to solve.”

Working with the entire company can help to keep the enterprise VR project on track. Uncertain executives might want to put everything in the hands of their builders, but that can lead to an over-developed and underperforming solution. Putting too much on the executives instead of the builders might hobble the project before it’s begun.

“Individual engineers often get really excited about new tech,” said Harkey. “As you get more senior in the organization, I think they tend to have a more pragmatic view of the technology… they tend to be more conservative with new technologies and want something that is more proven.”

Before proving something, it needs to work. From there, the learning can really begin.

“First it needs to work… It needs to solve the problem. If it’s cool, that’s great. But, does it work?” explained Harkey. “There’s definitely a desire to be experimenting with new tech.”

Gauging Success

Determining whether or not an emerging technology project is successful is a challenging task in enterprise VR. Some in the XR space have even suggested new metrics for XR experiences on the grounds that the way that we track engagement with more conventional media doesn’t do XR justice.

“Definitely experiment. Definitely play with things. There’s no better way to understand how this can impact your business than to play with it,” said Harkey. “But, set the expectations upfront if that’s what you’re doing… If you’re misaligned on the objectives, that’s when you can have a failed experience.”

Those expectations might be things like “engagement” – how many people are accessing the experience, and how long are they using it? However, it can be just as important to understand what they’re doing while they’re in the enterprise VR experience. According to Harkey, some companies use “investigation” as their only metric.

“If I’m doing anything in VR right now and I’m anyone other than Meta, and this is probably true for them too, I don’t really know what I’m doing in VR and I want to see what people engage with,” said Harkey. Harkey added that sometimes experimenting leads to an idea for a more practical or goal-driven solution. “A lot of the time, you’ll see those use cases start to emerge.”

Putting on the Headset With Morpheus

Morpheus is an enterprise VR engagement platform. It started off as a VR events coordinator using AltspaceVR, but has developed into a full-service solution provider with its own virtual world platform and headset distribution arm. And headset distribution is still a big deal.

“We looked at the market and were like, ‘no one has headsets’ so that’s one – that’s the first thing we need to tackle,” CEO Jeffrey Chernick told me during an in-world interview. “We actually send teams headsets and teach them how to use VR. We do one-on-one onboarding with everyone on a team.”

Upon entering the world, before the interview started, COO Jennifer Regan led a “grounding exercise,” acclimating to being in VR. “We are really focused on the least common denominator, which is the first-time user but we also want to make sure that we’re creating enriching spaces for advanced users,” said Regan.

Morpheus enterprise VR platform

Chernick believes that in the next couple of years, as headset adoption picks up, things like hardware distribution will shrink as a part of their business model. Morpheus also works on desktop and mobile devices, and they’re planning on expanding the availability of their enterprise VR application, which is currently only in Quest’s App Lab.

“A huge piece for a lot of corporate HR teams is the employee benefit of giving a headset,” commented Regan. “A Quest 2 gives them access to Supernatural, other fitness apps – there’s other programming that they can at least conceive of using.”

Exploring a Morpheus World

Users can bring their own enterprise VR content into Morpheus, or work with the team to create bespoke worlds. However, the available worlds in Morpheus have a lot to offer already. Some of the settings speak to their earlier days as a “one-off experience” platform but different areas can be built onto one another via a portal system to create vast multi-venue virtual worlds.

“Space is the most valuable tool and we try to maximize its power,” explained president Mikhail Krymov. Krymov is the “chief architect” behind the Morpheus worlds which include sunny knolls, rock gardens, firefly caves, lounges, lecture halls, and ethereal forests.

Interactions and assets come alive in the worlds as well. A hands-in interaction triggers fireworks. “Unofficially the best drinks in VR” slosh in the cup and clink during a toast. A minigame initiates between two avatars wearing boxing gloves. Speakers have their choice between holding a microphone or using a floating microphone that follows them as they move.

“Once you’re in the world, what do you do that’s not just a novelty?” asked Chernick. “No one’s coming in here for a four-person board meeting that they could just do on Zoom.”

These interactions aren’t just fun – they’re exercises in embodiment that help users get comfortable with the feeling of being in virtual spaces. As Regan pointed out, there’s still an “intimidation factor for newer users.” It’s easy to imagine familiar objects, whether fun or practical, helping users feel at home.

Enterprise VR Beyond “The Officeverse”

Enterprise VR solutions that do little more than add depth to a video call have been dubbed “the officeverse.” While those kinds of experiences are a natural way for enterprise companies to dip their toes into the immersive waters, they’re by no means the end of what companies are exploring or what builders are creating.

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