Virtual events are getting more exciting with the latest technological developments in virtual reality. One such product is Dreamwave, a web-based metaverse platform that provides companies, brands, and creators with a unique way to host online events.
Dreamwave boasts ready-made and custom 3D environments called “microverses” to make brand experiences stand out. The platform enables participants to experience virtual and hybrid events in a unique and exciting way. Microverse events are accessible on all types of devices with just a click, ensuring that as many audiences as possible can attend.
Microverses: Dreamwave’s Secret to Enhanced Virtual Events
Dreamwave’s microverses contribute to the growing economy of virtual events. These microverses enhance the user experience of online eventgoers. Participants can immerse themselves in the 3D environments, chat and engage with other people, and check out different forms of content from the organizer. From live video streaming, on-demand videos, photo galleries, and sponsored content, brands can display the types of media that suits their event the best.
Created in 2020 by award-winning creative technology company Active Theory, Dreamwave sets the stage for enhanced custom 3D experiences with its microverses. Currently, Dreamwave offers eight ready-made microverse templates that customers can choose from:
Amphitheater – mimics a theater setup where guests gather around a virtual stage;
Blossom – a picturesque island ideal for chilling, relaxing, and meeting new people;
Cube – a more futuristic interior world that features a big screen reflected on cubes;
Cyber – suitable for presenting videos and images in a cyberpunk setting;
Fantasy – an out-of-this-world island with fantastical elements;
Fun – guests can participate in this obstacle race course for high engagement;
Garden – another island setting featuring classic garden ruins;
Showroom – for brands who want to exhibit their products.
Dreamwave template environment Fantasy
Custom Microverses for Custom Experiences
Aside from these template microverses, customers can also avail of a custom-built 3D environment that aligns more with their own branding. For instance, Dreamwave has developed custom microverses for brands such as Xbox (The 20 Years of Xbox Museum), ESPN (Fifty/50 World), the Wall Street Journal (Iconic Mints), and the Secret Sky music festival.
Wall Street Journal’s Iconic Mints
These custom projects can be tailored specifically to the client’s requirements. With Active Theory’s expertise in building immersive 3D environments with virtual reality, brands can stage almost any type of event, from product launches to concerts and conferences. They can also organize entirely virtual events or incorporate their custom microverses to complement real-world functions.
The Future of Live Virtual Events
Since the pandemic, live events have evolved to include hybrid and fully virtual events. What’s great about Dreamwave is that they aim to enhance the online experience for companies and brands that choose to have an online component for their events.
Because of this, event organizers can stop worrying about geographical restrictions. Companies can reach more audiences with online events, building their identity and brand for a global market. In fact, virtual events have been on the rise since 2020, revealing marketers’ increasing acceptance of online events as a good alternative to in-person events.
Augmented reality (AR) transforms how we view the world and do things. Since its first introduction in the 1960s, it has rapidly developed and been used extensively in fashion, marketing, the military, aviation, manufacturing, tourism, and many others.
Consumers are increasingly becoming adept at using augmented reality apps to try on products, learn new things, and discover information about their surroundings. Research shows that 56% of shoppers cite AR as giving them more confidence about a product’s quality, and 61% prefer to shop with retailers with AR experiences.
Aside from its impact on brands, AR is also transforming how companies operate internally by introducing better ways to perform jobs, train employees, and develop new designs.
No-Code Platform for Creating Your Own Immersive Experience
Creating AR experiences is no walk in the park. Firms that want to implement their own augmented reality apps require working with talented in-house app builders or purchasing from third-party app builders, with costs ranging from tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Treedis makes the process simple with its Software-as-a-Service platform, which helps users create immersive experiences using a no-code drag-and-drop visual editor. Users can create digital, virtual reality, and augmented reality dimensions of their digital twin with just a single scan.
Digital twins are immersive, interactive, and accurate 3D models of physical spaces. They’re a digital replica of devices, people, processes, and systems whose purpose is to create cost-effective simulations that help decision-makers make data-driven choices.
Powered by Matterport technology, Treedis helps companies create these immersive experiences for retail, training, marketing, onboarding, games, and more.
Enhancing Digital Twins With an Augmented Reality App
According to Treedis CEO Omer Shamay, the Treedis augmented reality app helps you “view enhanced versions of your digital twins within their physical counterparts.” You can visualize any changes or modifications in real time and view all the 3D objects, tags, directions, and content in the digital twin.
“Any changes made to your digital twin will be instantly visible in AR, ensuring seamless collaboration and communication across your team,” Shamay adds.
The platform helps 3D creators and enterprises create an immersive and powerful digital experience for their users, so they can fully harness the benefits of AR solutions without huge developmental costs or challenges.
It can be used extensively for creating unique shopping experiences that incorporate elements of virtual commerce and gamification features. It’s ideal for developing immersive learning experiences to help learners grasp concepts better through physical interaction with their environment. The app can also be used to provide indoor navigation for guiding visitors to different access points and key locations within a space.
The app is already available for Treedis’ enterprise users and promises to be “an accessible app with low prices and an easy-to-use AR solution,” according to Shamay.
With AR becoming more accessible, it won’t be long before more brands and firms adapt the technology and provide better and enhanced experiences to their audiences.
Varjo hasn’t been hibernating over the winter but they’ve definitely had a very active spring. ARPost typically reports on the Finnish XR company’s groundbreaking hardware and software developments, but the company also helps develop and distribute XR experiences and solutions ranging from operas to flight simulations.
An Opera Produced Entirely Through XR
The Finnish National Opera and Ballet (FNOB) spent two years producing Turandot opera with Sweden’s Malmö Opera. The ambitious international product involved designing complex sets and orchestrating intricate scene transitions. FNOB has commented before that Varjo is the only headset manufacturer that matches their high-quality requirements.
Varjo partners with FNOB and Sweden’s Malmö Opera – Digital Twin vs real-world view comparison
FNOB, which has been gradually implementing XR production tools over the last three years, started with two things: the in-house Unreal Engine-driven “XR Stage” visualization tool, and a 3D model of the main stage created by ZOAN – a 3D content agency that uses the same hardware to bring employees into their virtual headquarters.
“Our artists were only open to using virtual tools if models would be photorealistic and it was an intuitive user experience,” FNOB Production and Technical Director Timo Tuovila, said in a release shared with ARPost. “We have been able to create a digital twin of our stage that actually is true to life, matching the expectations of our ambitious artistic and technical teams.”
The virtual stage was used collaboratively between the two opera houses to virtually design and redesign sets – a process that would normally have taken tremendous time, resources, and materials. It is estimated that using XR preproduction instead saved over $82,000 and 1,500 hours of production time, not to mention enhanced crew safety.
Varjo partners with FNOB and Sweden’s Malmö Opera for Turandot
This is the eighth FNOB production using XR preproduction, but this is the first time that they – or anybody – have used the technology at every step from proof-of-concept to final production, according to the release. It would be interesting to see XR also being used in recording and distributing live content at this level.
Twinmotion Programs Come to Varjo Devices
The virtual production of Turandot is a highly artistic example of using Varjo for architecture and design. That use case is about to get a big leg up as the company recently announced support for its hardware on Twinmotion. Users of the real-time visualization platform’s most recent update will be able to view its high-fidelity models on Varjo devices.
According to the hardware manufacturer, Twinmotion works with all headsets including Aero – the closest thing that the company offers to an entry-level headset. The headset, priced below the company’s other offerings but still within the almost exclusively enterprise range, comes without mandatory software subscriptions making compatibility with other solutions crucial.
Advancing Brain Health With MachineMD
Aero also plays an important part in a partnership with Swiss medical device company machineMD. The partnership’s goal is the development of “neos™” – a proposed device that would use eye-tracking technology for earlier diagnosis of brain disorders. In addition to helping specialists, the device could also be more accessible to doctors that aren’t neuro specialists.
“As a neuro-ophthalmologist, I use the eye as a window to the brain,” said michineMD Medical Director Professor Mathias Abegg in a blog post announcing the partnership. “The Varjo Aero provides me with the most powerful and precise view through this window.”
machineMD’s solution will be based on Varjo Aero to perform comprehensive eye exams for the diagnosis of brain disorders
Between the advancement of the technology and healthy financial support, machineMD expects neos to be ready by the end of this year. Of course, Varjo is also excited to be a part of the important work which could have far-reaching benefits in the brain health world.
“VR-based eye tracking in combination with ophthalmology and neuroscience is opening up important new avenues for researchers and the larger medical community,” co-founder and CTO of Varjo, Seppo Aaltonen, said in the post. “A rare window into the brain is possible with the Varjo Aero headset and we are proud to partner with machineMD to make this technology a reality.”
Hardware Built for Flight Simulation
Varjo is also a leading player in the simulation world, particularly automotive and flight simulation. In fact, one of its premiere headsets, XR-3, was recently released in a specially-tooled edition with cockpit simulations in mind. The variable-passthrough headset has a specially calibrated focal plane to optimize the display of the user’s immediate surroundings.
More recently, Varjo partnered with Leonardo – an aerospace, defense, and security developer. The relationship is intended to “enhance the capability of Leonardo’s aircraft training devices.” The above-mentioned XR-3 Focal Edition headset is already being used.
Varjo and Leonardo partner in developing and deploying immersive solutions for flight training
“Leonardo simulation and training experience, coupled with advanced Varjo technology, will allow our products to increase pilots’ training experience, bringing it into a more immersive environment, both within the specific customer training pipelines and within the scope of International Flight Training School,” said Leonardo Aircraft Division’s Head of Simulation and Training Systems Giuseppe Pietroniro.
Jumping Off of Virtual Cliffs
Simulation has a special place in the consumer space as well, where it allows individuals to experience convincing replications of activities that are costly, dangerous, or both. A recent experience offered by Varjo and Red Bull recreates diving from an 80 ft cliff.
“The VR cliff diving experience is really something that you cannot miss,” real-life cliff diver Orlando Duque said of the activation. “It places you right there in the location, in the middle of the action. It’s probably the closest thing to the real deal.”
Varjo and Red Bull partnership – Mixed reality watersports experience “Water – Breaking the Surface”
The experience is still not coming to a living room near you anytime soon. In addition to using the XR-3 rather than the more consumer-available Aero, the experience is currently only being offered as part of an exhibit at the Swiss Museum of Transport. The complete exhibit also uses AR technology and virtual production to replicate activities like surfing.
While available materials don’t mention plans for a more widely available version, it sure sounds like it would be a step up from Richie’s Plank Experience.
A Virtually Imagined Real World
Varjo is still pushing the limits of extended reality technology – and that means that a lot of its experiences and hardware aren’t available to just anybody. While some people get to put on the headset and jump off of a cliff, the benefits of the technology are definitely benefiting more and more people through the ramifications of work in design, defense, and the arts.
February is Black History Month and it’s not too late to honor through the magic of XR thanks to these activations from ROSE, TIME and Meta, and Virbela.
Walk Through Black History With ROSE
As a Black-owned company, ROSE makes an effort every year to create an immersive and educational experience for Black History Month, and this year the company delivered yet again. This year’s AR experience, with “resistance” as the highlight, is titled Marching Forward.
The experience, which you can visit here on your smartphone, takes the form of a double row of AR statues. You walk down the aisle and tap the statues to learn more about their inspiration.
“We really wanted to create balance within the experience with the solid bronze look of the statues and in turn, draw the users to explore the changing Black Lives Matter text on the ground,” explained ROSE Art Director Jourdan Johnson. “The text updates to display colorized images related to the moment to get a better understanding of what they are learning about.”
This involves physically moving down the aisle, which is a powerful experience but can be complicated for example in smaller spaces. If you need more room or have mobility issues, you can reposition the experience to make it easier.
The stories start with the roots of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, moving up through the Black Panther Party, art and literature movements through the 1980s, and moving up into the current-day BLM movement. The story behind each statue is read by professional voice actress Joy Ofodu. You also have the option to read the information yourself.
“From a podium or a canvas, your voice can be heard and can make a difference. That is an important message for everyone going through this experience,” said Johnson. “We can use the knowledge of the past and get inspired, particularly for those who are not Black, to support and amplify Black voices in our communities in a multitude of ways.”
Experience the Struggle With TIME and Meta
Meta teamed up with TIME to create MLK: The Time is Now, a free experience exploring how ongoing issues like housing, voting rights, and law enforcement practices remain real issues facing the Black community 60 years after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech. The experience works comfortably while sitting and employs hand tracking.
Hand tracking is often an intimate part of the experience, bringing users into the different vignettes presented in the experiences. For example, the second experience, putting you in the seat of a Black man in a car that has just been pulled over, only progresses when you take your hands off of the steering wheel, escalating the situation with the four police officers.
The experience, available on Meta Quest, uses a combination of artistic and engaging virtual reality, moving voiceovers, recorded interviews with modern subjects, and archival footage and audio. Overall, the experience is a brief but powerful exploration of the fact that the Voting Rights Act did not bring complete equality.
This experience was not created specifically for Black History Month – it actually came out last month. But, if you’re looking for educational XR experiences to celebrate BHM, put this on your list. And, if you don’t get around to it in February, it isn’t going anywhere.
Step Into Virbela’s New and Improved Black History Library
For our final stop this Black History Month, we’re visiting Virbela. If you’ve celebrated Black History Month with ARPost in the past, you already know about Virbela’s Black History Library. It’s true, this isn’t the first time that the platform has hosted this initiative, but it is the first time since the platform got a major graphics update last spring.
The library is bigger, brighter, and better than ever in its new home. Inside, the library is divided into sections on musicians, authors, playwrights, programmers, and more. So, browse around or go straight to what interests you. The actual items in the library are links that take you to reading suggestions, music playlists, and other resources.
To find the library, enter the Virbela open campus. Then, click on the map icon in the upper right corner. At the top of the page, change the view from “Campus Map” to “World Map” and select the Black History Library from the menu on the right.
How Do You Honor Black History Month
Whether you’re walking through Black history with ROSE, putting your hands on it with TIME and Meta, or reading up on it with Virbela, we hope that you make the best of this Black History Month by diving into XR.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
