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Category: Platform

  • Osso VR raises $27 million in Series B funding to expand its Virtual Reality surgical training library and platform

    Osso VR raises $27 million in Series B funding to expand its Virtual Reality surgical training library and platform

    In Virtual Reality News

    July 8, 2021 – Osso VR, a virtual reality (VR) surgical training and assessment platform, has announced that it has secured USD $27 million in Series B funding, led by GSR Ventures, with participation from Signalfire, Kaiser Permanente Ventures, OCA Ventures, Scrum Ventures, Leslie Ventures and Anorak Ventures.

    Justin Barad, MD, CEO and Co-Founder of Osso VR, said: “With this latest round, we plan to exponentially expand our library and platform so that every patient in the world can have the peace of mind knowing they are getting access to the safest, highest-value procedures.”

    Osso VR’s surgical training technology provides on-demand, educational experiences that help surgeons reach proficiency with emerging surgical techniques and technologies. The company stated that it experienced rapid growth during 2020 to meet an increased demand in virtual training driven by the pandemic. As part of its recent growth, the company has expanded into additional specialties, including orthopedics, endoscopy, interventional procedures and more. As a result, Osso VR’s surgical training library now offers 120+ modules in 10+ specialties.

    “Osso VR is positioned to transform how surgeons are trained on new devices and surgical procedures,” said Dr. Sunny Kumar, a partner at GSR Ventures. “The Osso platform’s level of immersion provides an experience that mirrors the operating room in a manner more efficient, more accessible, and more effective than any surgical training platform that’s come before.”

    Osso VR’s platform offers a high level of visual fidelity, so as to ensure that every aspect of surgery, from anatomical detail to the OR environment, is provided to enhance the training experience. Osso VR employs a medical illustration team that is made up of alumni from Industrial Light & Magic, Electronic Arts, Microsoft, and Apple, who are able to create cinema-quality educational experiences at scale, according to the company.

    Osso VR added that with nearly 30,000 training sessions completed on its platform, providing an average of 22,000 minutes of training a month, the company’s platform can help to significantly impact surgical performance. In two recent level 1 randomized peer-reviewed studies, surgeons training with Osso VR showed anywhere from a 230 percent to 306 percent improvement in overall surgical performance compared to traditional training. Furthermore, Osso VR enables healthcare professionals to train together in Osso from anywhere in the world through remote collaboration.

    Barad continued: “Osso VR has been on an incredible journey. We have built a once-in-a-lifetime team, bringing together experts from healthcare, technology, movies and gaming to pursue our mission: improve patient outcomes, accelerate the adoption of more-effective surgical technologies and democratize access to education. After proving the clinical effectiveness of the platform and its unique ability to scale up to the millions of providers around the world, we are ready to accelerate.”

    Last year, Osso VR raised USD $14 million in Series A funding, bringing the company’s total funding in the last year to USD $41 million overall.

    For more information on Osso VR and its virtual reality surgical training platform, visit the company’s website. 

    Image credit: Osso VR

  • Harena Data introduces its new ‘COGNISAT’ cognitive Virtual Reality analytics platform

    Harena Data introduces its new ‘COGNISAT’ cognitive Virtual Reality analytics platform

    In Virtual Reality News

    July 8, 2021 – Harena Data, an esports community aggregator, has recently revealed its new cognitive analytics platform ‘COGNISAT’. The platform combines sport specific virtual reality- (VR) based analytics with video game metrics from GYO Score (an esports and gaming data analytics platform) and computer-based soft skill cognitive metrics and performance profiling into a common data set.

    According to the company, the data set provides a comprehensive cognitive view of a traditional or virtual athlete and helps athletes, recruiters and coaches to better understand the athlete today, provides tools to improve cognitive performance using the virtual world and the real world, provides insights into team management, and identifies cognitive areas most damaged by injury or setback for athletes in rehabilitation.

    “COGNISAT is Moneyball on steroids for all sports, virtual or traditional, at an extremely affordable price point, that will become more and more powerful the more athletes use it. It’s an advanced analytic and learning machine that analyzes athletes and empowers them to become better using the best systems available in both traditional and virtual worlds,” said Derek Pew, CEO at Harena Data. “We envision COGNISAT replacing many traditional assessment tools used in youth development, college recruitment and employment recruitment of scholar athletes.”

    Harena Data stated that COGNISAT is now available to license to colleges, universities, professional sports teams, esports teams, youth development organizations, sports leagues, and other interested parties.

    The company noted the following required and recommended hardware specifications for its COGNISAT platform:

    Required: 

    • HTC VIVE
    • Tracked motion controllers
    • Room Scale

    Recommended specs:

    • OS: Windows 10 (64bit)
    • Processor: Intel Core i7 Skylake or equivalent
    • Memory: 16 GB RAM
    • Graphics: Nvidia GTX 1070 or equivalent
    • DirectX: Version 12
    • Storage: 1 GB available space

    Harena Data has developed GYO Score to be a data analytics, league development, and player management tool for the esports industry. In addition to GYO Score, Harena Data specializes in esports consultation regarding the development and deployment of esports venues, scholastic esports programs, and esports league concepts. For more information on the company, please click here.

    Image credit: Harena Data

  • 8th Wall launches its Partner Program, a global network of agencies and studios that build WebAR experiences for brands

    8th Wall launches its Partner Program, a global network of agencies and studios that build WebAR experiences for brands

    In Augmented Reality News 

    July 7, 2021 – 8th Wall, a provider of an augmented reality (AR) platform that makes it easy to build frictionless AR content for the mobile web (WebAR), has today announced the official launch of the 8th Wall Partner Program, a global network of trusted agencies and creative studios that have proven experience in bringing web-based augmented reality experiences to market.

    According to the company, the Partner Program is designed to connect brands and organizations with agencies so that brands can harness the power of WebAR to engage their users in new ways and achieve business results with augmented reality. 

    The 8th Wall Partner Program will consist of over 40 partners at launch, and feature a range of agencies and creative studios from around the world, all of which have launched commercial WebAR experiences for top brands across industry verticals such as CPG, fast food, automotive, entertainment, fashion, beauty and banking. 

    “8th Wall is excited to recognize and raise up the agencies and creative studios as part of our official Partner Program, all of which have launched extraordinary WebAR experiences for major brands using the 8th Wall platform,” said Erik Murphy-Chutorian, CEO and Founder of 8th Wall. “As demand for WebAR continues to grow, brands and agencies around the world will be able to look to this network of partners to find new and innovative ways to engage with their customers.” 

    8th Wall’s AR engine has powered more than 1,000 commercial experiences since its first full year in 2019. The company states that the demand for WebAR has grown dramatically over this time, with brands increasingly seeking agencies to develop WebAR projects and agencies building businesses which center around WebAR. Behind the scenes, 8th Wall has been facilitating business between brands and agencies and the 8th Wall Partner Program formalizes and scales these efforts, making it easier for parties to connect directly.

    According to 8th Wall, its Partners have already demonstrated success with WebAR experiences for brands. For example, Buu Digital created a WebAR experience for Brazil’s C&A which was triggered by a QR code during a broadcast of Big Brother Brasil and was reported to have 50,000 users in the first 20 seconds alone. Trigger, an XR Agency, reported that its voice-enabled Web AR experience for Sony Picture’s “Jumani: The Next Level” saw an average of 5 minutes in dwell time. Rose Digital worked with NY fashion house KHAITE to bring its SS21 shoe collection to life with a WebAR-enabled lookbook, which led to a 400% increase in sales according to the brand.

    In addition to today’s announcement, 8th Wall is launching a new feature called Public Profiles. Public Profiles aim to increase the discovery of 8th Wall developers, agencies and creative development studios by providing them with their own pages to feature their work on 8thwall.com. For brands, these Public Profiles will make it easier to find partners to work with. For developers and agencies, Public Profiles can help them demonstrate the work they have created in order to attract and win more business. Brands can start to explore partner profiles and even try out WebAR experiences from the Partners page at 8thwall.com/partners. 

    To learn more about the 8th Wall Partner Program, or to find a qualified 8th Wall Partner to work with, click here.

    Image credit: 8th Wall

  • Aircards creates Augmented Reality cricket experience to promote of ‘The Hundred’ cricket tournament

    Aircards creates Augmented Reality cricket experience to promote of ‘The Hundred’ cricket tournament

    In Augmented Reality News 

    July 6, 2021 – The Hundred, a professional 100-ball cricket tournament involving eight men’s and women’s teams located in major cities across England and Wales, has partnered with Threepipe, Mobsta and Aircards to create a new game and user experience to promote the launch of the competition this summer. 

    For the first time Mobsta’s hyper-local, verified location targeting, has been combined with an immersive Web-based augmented reality (WebAR) game built by Aircards, allowing families to be a part of the event without leaving their living rooms. Mobsta, a specialist in location and audience targeting and provider of an ‘Operator Intelligence Platform’, uses operator data to validate inventory accuracy at every data point – resulting in inventory supply that can be coupled with their location derived audiences based on real world & digital behaviours.

    Mobsta has utilised this data to direct families interested in sports within 50km of The Hundred event stadiums, to a unique WebAR game, where users have a chance to immerse themselves within The Hundred stadium and compete in their own live-action version of the event from their smartphones.

    Aircards, which creates innovative brand experiences by leveraging the power of WebAR through the use of 8th Wall’s platform, has created the interactive cricket gaming experience for the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).

    The WebAR game includes features such as team-selection and character customization, allowing users to enter their initials in order to personalise their player within the game. Other features included physics simulation, haptic vibration feedback, and Spatial Analytics that allowed for granular analysis of user interactions in 3D space.

    Jonathon Webb, Brand Manager at The Hundred, said: “The Hundred has innovation at its heart, so working on an augmented reality game to drive engagement among our target audiences is a really exciting opportunity and a great addition to our wider campaign. Working closely with Threepipe, Mobsta and Aircards, this AR game gives users a taste of what The Hundred will be like, from the gameplay format through to in-game visuals and personalised kits. We want to throw crickets doors open to broader audiences and using this game across paid mobile advertising, with its sophisticated targeting, allows us to present The Hundred to our desired audiences in a fun and engaging way.”

    Jim Hawker, Co-Founder, Threepipe, commented: “We are always looking for innovative partners to feature on our media plans and we were excited to approach and work with Mobsta and Aircards for The Hundred this year. The game forms a valuable part of our engagement strategy in driving awareness and ticket sales for this unique competition.”

    For more information on Aircards and its WebAR experiences, please visit the company’s website.

    Video credit: Aircards / YouTube

  • ViewAR secures multi-million Euro strategic investment to expand its AR offering

    ViewAR secures multi-million Euro strategic investment to expand its AR offering

    In Augmented Reality News 

    July 6, 2021 – ViewAR, a provider of augmented reality (AR) software, has today announced a strategic investment from Lansdowne Investment Company Cyprus Ltd (LICC) and Breeze Invest GmbH.

    According to ViewAR, the multi-million Euro capital investment from LICC and Breeze Invest will allow the company to increase its head count, accelerate the development of its technology, and further enhance its ability to address key markets and industry segments globally.

    LICC is an investment vehicle managed by Lansdowne Partners Austria GmbH (LPA), which is an Austrian Alternative Investment Fund Manager with a strong focus on investing in and fostering European innovation. LPA is part of the Lansdowne Partners group of companies. 

    Breeze Invest, based in Vienna and Liechtenstein, is a private equity company focusing on investments in medium-sized industrial companies in the DACH region and neighbouring CEE countries.

    Founded in Vienna in 2010, ViewAR has created an AR solution that provides a complete infrastructure to create, manage, test and publish augmented reality applications. The ViewAR platform allows developers and inexperienced creators to use AR technologies to create immersive AR experiences across a broad range of domains. The ViewAR All-in-One system covers solutions for indoor navigation and guidance; Industry 4.0 & IoT; remote assistance and product visualization. 

    Commenting on the investment, Markus Meixner, founder and CEO of ViewAR, said: “There is enormous potential to optimize business operations and customer experiences using augmented reality. With our technology we will be able to provide a significant contribution towards an augmented world bridging the gap between digital and physical. We are excited to receive such support from our investors who see the possibilities of this technology and actively help us reach our goals. Together with Breeze Invest and LICC, we have the right partners on board.”

    For more information on ViewAR and its All-in-One augmented reality platform, please visit the company’s website.

    Image credit: ViewAR

  • Campfire announces summer Demo Days to allow companies to experience its AR and VR platform

    Campfire announces summer Demo Days to allow companies to experience its AR and VR platform

    In Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality News

    July 6, 2021 – Campfire, a developer of all-new devices and applications for holographic collaboration, has today announced a series of ‘Demo Days’ in conjunction with design firm, frog, part of Capgemini Invent. Companies will be able to experience Campfire’s recently-launched collaborative augmented/virtual reality (AR/VR) system for design and engineering at frog design studios this Summer. The events will allow Enterprise guests to work with their own data, giving them a live preview of how Campfire can integrate with and accelerate their workflows. 

    Space is limited so enterprise guests can register here to request an invitation for the below events:

    • July 14, Brooklyn,  9AM – 7PM
    • August 11, Austin, 9AM – 7PM
    • September 8, San Francisco, CA  9AM – 7PM 

    Campfire brings a new approach to AR/VR collaboration with innovative devices and applications designed to visualize and collaborate with 3D models and data. The company states that the resulting experience helps to advance the visual experience, ease-of-use, and workflow integration for users. Features of the Campfire platform include:

    • The Campfire Headset, which has a 92° diagonal field-of-view in AR, and a new level of comfort in VR;
    • The Campfire Console acts like a holographic projector to bring the intuitiveness and robustness of traditional monitors to shared holographic experiences; 
    • The Campfire Pack turns a phone into a hand held controller to reduce the learning curve of dedicated controllers and gestural interfaces;
    • The Campfire Scenes app enables users to create, share, and control scenes composed from 40+ types of CAD/3D files;
    • The Campfire Viewer app enables users to work within 3D scenes alone or during video calls using a Campfire Headset, tablet, or phone. 

    With Demo Days, Campfire also brings a new approach for companies to experience AR/VR collaboration prior to purchase. “Campfire Demo Days make it easy to experience holographic collaboration without purchasing hardware, or configuring or developing software. Guests can even provide their own 3D models to customize the demo experience for their workflow,” said Jay Wright, CEO of Campfire. 

    Graeme Waitzkin, North American Ventures lead at frog, commented: “We are working with Campfire because we believe they are building the next generation of design collaboration. We’re excited to host these events at our studios so others can experience Campfire holographic collaboration for themselves.”

    For more information on Campfire and its holographic collaboration for design and engineering workflows, please visit the company’s website.

    Image / video credit: Campfire

  • Doritos launches Augmented Reality campaign created by Poplar Studio in the UK

    Doritos launches Augmented Reality campaign created by Poplar Studio in the UK

    In Augmented Reality News 

    July 5, 2021 – Doritos has recently launched its ‘Make Your Play’ platform, supported by an augmented reality (AR) campaign provided by Poplar Studio, an AR and 3D company that designs and creates campaigns for brands. The campaign will encourage music fans to enter into a competition to win tickets for festivals, events and discounted tickets. The UK will see several ‘play buttons’ pop up physically and virtually, which will lead them to the campaign.

    The webAR effect, designed and created with the support of WebAR platform 8th Wall, is being displayed throughout the UK across interactive posters that have been appearing since June 21 across London, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Glasgow, Liverpool, Bristol, Brighton, Cardiff and Southampton. Those who spot the posters can scan a QR code to access the augmented reality experience, where they place a play button in the form of a Doritos chip into their surroundings. When they place the play button, it then transforms and an audio reactive portal opens showing 3D objects and music content. 

    Clafoutie Sintive, Marketing Director, Snacks UK at PepsiCo, said: “We are delighted to have created a campaign that encourages live music fans to enter competitions via our Make Your Play activation using augmented reality technology – enabling the music starved fans to hit play on life again.”

    With life having been on pause for the last 18 months, many festivals and gigs have been cancelled. With a lack of in-person events, consumers were driven to a digital-first experience and brands looked at ways to recreate engaging experiences for potential customers online. AR technology has proven to be a valuable tool in creating personal and interactive experiences for consumers at home and, with the end of the pandemic in sight, brands have now been exploring the full potential of using this technology to help promote in-person events and launches across social media and out-of-home advertising. 

    David Ripert, CEO and co-founder at Poplar Studio, said: “Over the pandemic, brands had to compete in a very crowded digital market and lacked the tools and technology to showcase their brand. Many have utilised technologies such as AR to create unique, interactive and engaging experiences for customers at home, either through campaigns, social media or on their website. We are thrilled to be working with Doritos, taking their campaign to the next level and bringing their ads to life to help reconnect fans to live music and assist driving the events industry forward.”

    The play buttons that feature in the ‘Make Your Play’ campaign posters will be in the following cities during the following dates:

    London: 21st June – 11th July
    Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester, Glasgow: 28th June – 11th July
    Liverpool, Bristol, Brighton, Cardiff & Southampton: 12th July – 25th July

    For more information on Poplar Studio and its augmented reality campaign offerings for brands, please visit the company’s website.

    Image credit: Doritos

  • Pico’s VR headsets used as part of BMW i Motorsport’s virtual garage experience

    Pico’s VR headsets used as part of BMW i Motorsport’s virtual garage experience

    In Virtual Reality News

    July 1, 2021 – Pico Interactive, a provider of VR (virtual reality) solutions for B2B use, has showcased at Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona this week a VR workshop and live experience developed by agency We are Jerry and AR/VR company GOVAR, who have created the ‘BMW i Virtual Garage Experience’ for BMW i Motorsport’s Formula E engagement. 

    The virtual Experience works on the ENGAGE VR platform, developed by VR Education, which makes it possible to incorporate all CAD and 360 data, videos, live streams, and presentations from BMW i Motorsport, as well as content from sponsors and partners.

    The central question for We are Jerry and GOVAR was: “How do we compensate for the COVID-related limitations for the partners and guests of BMW i Motorsport and, at the same time, create completely new target group-compliant customer experiences in the digital world, all as efficiently and synergistically as possible?” explained Karsten Streng, Founder and Managing Partner of We are Jerry. “A kind of better 360° website couldn’t be the solution, that wouldn’t have met the high-quality standards of BMW i Motorsport and its sponsors. That’s why we went for a virtual experience right from the start. Those responsible at BMW i Motorsport immediately recognized the potential of virtual hospitality and gave us the green light.” We are Jerry brought GOVAR on board as partners.

    The Pico Neo 3 6DoF VR headset.

    The companies chose to utilize standalone VR headsets from Pico Interactive. “Pico has by far the most powerful VR glasses, which also offer 6 degrees of freedom (6DoF) for spatial movement in the experience,” said Stefan Göppel, Managing Director of GOVAR. “Spatial distance does not mean sacrificing social interaction. The virtual workshop & live experience for BMW i Motorsport is therefore an encounter, thanks to the immersion it creates the feeling of a live meeting.” 

    The newly created VR event platform also offers more options than simply virtually mapping out previous hospitality events from Formula E. For example, CAD and 360 data of the BMW E race cars, videos, live streams, presentations and other content can be integrated into the Experience, which can be accessed individually by guests. In addition, BMW i Motorsport has the option to provide sponsors and partners of the Formula E team with their own virtual experience areas, which those partners can then use for their own customer loyalty measures. According to the company, up to 70 guests can move around the virtual live experience at the same time or if required, even up to 1,000 guests.

    “The virtual workshop & live experience platform developed by We are Jerry and GOVAR opens up new ways and opportunities for us at BMW i Motorsport to work with sponsors, partners and customers,” said Lutz-Philipp Kugler, Brand Cooperations BMW Group. “Instead of setting up hospitality events over and over again for each Formula E race, we only had to develop the virtual platform once and can now flexibly change and adapt it. Our sponsors and partners have responded very positively to this new form of customer engagement and interaction – not only as an alternative during the Corona pandemic, but they welcome being able to create their own virtual experience spaces for their own content and experiences. This experience clearly demonstrates the future potential of virtual events.”

    As part of the experience, guests can enjoy a garage tour, a look through the BMW Formula E racing car, as well as a virtual lap of the Monaco Grand Prix circuit as a co-driver in the BMW i8 Safety Car. Thanks to the ENGAGE platform, the experience can also be enjoyed in 2D from a desktop/laptop.

    The virtual BMW Formula E Experience will be used as part of a partner workshop on July 1, 2021, as well as an introduction to the Formula E race on July 11, 2021 in New York City.

    For more information on Pico Interactive and its VR solutions, click here.

    Image credit: Pico Interactive / EIN Presswire

  • Resurgent Biosciences files patent for Virtual Reality applications to facilitate therapeutic psychedelic experiences

    Resurgent Biosciences files patent for Virtual Reality applications to facilitate therapeutic psychedelic experiences

    In Virtual Reality News

    June 30, 2021 – Goodness Growth Holdings, Inc., a physician-led, science-focused cannabis company and IP incubator, has this week announced that its subsidiary, Resurgent Biosciences (Resurgent), has filed for a US patent to create an expansive suite of virtual reality (VR) applications that can be used by practitioners during psychedelic-based therapies to enhance and guide patients through the experience and potentially create optimized, longer-lasting therapeutic outcomes.

    Scientific research into the use of psychedelics and their potential benefits for mental health has led to more mainstream acceptance in recent years. Pairing VR with a psychedelic experience could therefore provide the tools needed to create a consistent and repeatable therapeutic experience for multiple users. 

    According to Resurgent, one unmet need in the psychedelic space is a scalable platform that will allow medical practitioners to administer psychedelic medicine remotely in a consistent and controlled environment. To address this need, Resurgent is developing a suite of VR applications that will provide customizable environments and programs for psychedelic therapy and the extensive preparation work necessary to optimize therapeutic psychedelic experiences.

    “The therapeutic potential of psychedelic medicines at least partially depends on an effective preparation phase to ensure that patients are in the right mindset and in beneficial surroundings in order to create a positive experience, which is often referred to as set and setting,” said Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Kyle Kingsley, M.D. “We believe that VR programs allow practitioners to better prepare and guide patients through their experiences and may optimize therapeutic approaches with psychedelic medicines.” 

    Resurgent has contracted with Cubicle Ninjas, a VR development firm in Chicago, to begin work on development of a VR suite for various technology applications for psychedelic therapies. Resurgent stated that Cubicle Ninjas was selected due to its VR development expertise, particularly in the context of health and wellness applications.

    Resurgent and Cubicle Ninjas plan to begin developing the following VR applications:

    • A scalable VR platform for use in psychedelic medicine, which will provide support for the preparation phase, the peak experience phase, and the post-experience integration phase;
    • A psychedelic biofeedback VR research tool, which will focus on providing users simulated psychedelic and other VR experiences coupled with extensive biofeedback data collection with the goal of identifying digital biomarkers that may predict which patients will have the best therapeutic outcomes with psychedelic therapy;
    • A group integration experience, which will replicate a collective, interactive, group psychedelic experience by harnessing the power of VR to bring remote users into a shared virtual space before, during, and after a peak psychedelic experience.

    According to the company, the applications will allow practitioners and patients to customize and adapt VR programs based on individual needs with easy-to-use controls and settings. Resurgent expects to have working prototypes completed by the end of the year.

    For more information on Resurgent Biosciences, click here.

    Image credit: Goodness Growth Holdings, Inc.

  • Arvizio teams with Vincerion to deliver Augmented Reality solutions to the energy sector

    Arvizio teams with Vincerion to deliver Augmented Reality solutions to the energy sector

    In Augmented Reality News 

    June 29, 2021 – Arvizio, a provider of augmented reality (AR) solutions for real time collaboration and visualization, has today announced that it has teamed with Vincerion Group, a cloud migration, business agility, automation, product management and digital transformation company, to accelerate adoption of augmented reality (AR) solutions in the energy vertical.

    Vincerion will offer its clients the Arvizio Immerse 3D solution for 3D model visualization, optimization and hybrid rendering of CAD/BIM models and LiDAR scans for multi-user, multi-location shared experiences utilizing Microsoft HoloLens 2 and Magic Leap headsets as well as mobile AR devices such as smartphones and tablets.

    In addition, Konstantin Popov, Managing Director at Vincerion Group, will join Arvizio’s Advisory Board. Most recently, Konstantin led the Cloud Readiness Acceleration and Digital Enablement program at Chevron and is well-versed in the complexities and requirements in the energy sector, according to Arvizio. 

    Arvizio noted that energy organizations are now seeking to transform their industries and streamline processes through the use of digital twins. As a result, and through their partnership, Arvizio and Vincerion will leverage extended reality (XR) technologies to help provide customers with the ability to conduct fully synchronized collaborative design, planning and stakeholder review sessions.

    “We are pleased to welcome Konstantin to our Advisory Board,” said Jonathan Reeves, CEO at Arvizio. “The relationship with Vincerion combined with Konstatin’s breadth of experience in digital transformation represents a great opportunity for Arvizio to expand our reach into the energy vertical.”

    Konstantin Popov, Managing Director at Vincerion Group, commented: “It is important for Vincerion to team with organizations that provide innovative XR solutions in order to achieve operational process improvements and cost savings through the use of immersive technology to energy organizations seeking digital transformation.” He added, “I’m delighted to join the Arvizio Advisory Board and believe I can help develop deep and lasting relationships in the energy sector.”

    For additional information about Arvizio’s Immerse 3D platform and its augmented reality solutions, please visit the company’s website.

    Image credit: Arvizio

  • Vuzix and Ohana One collaboration brings surgical assistance via AR Smart Glasses to 35 developing countries

    Vuzix and Ohana One collaboration brings surgical assistance via AR Smart Glasses to 35 developing countries

    In Augmented Reality News 

    June 29, 2021 – Vuzix Corporation, a provider of smart glasses and augmented reality (AR) technology and products, in collaboration with Ohana One, a global surgical training nonprofit organization, has announced that the surgical aid and education virtual surgical sight smart glasses program for the NGO community is now live in 35 countries worldwide.

    The Surgical Sight program, which was formally launched in October 2020 by Ohana One, utilizes Vuzix Smart Glasses and Help Lightning software to connect surgical mentors in developed areas with surgeons in developing areas around the globe to create training relationships within surgery. As of June 2021, 835 calls had been placed using Vuzix Smart Glasses, which were used to connect more than 100 surgeons across five specialty areas including neurosurgeons, general and colorectal surgeons, adult and pediatric orthopedic surgeons, and plastic and reconstructive surgeons. The first cohort consisted of 50 surgical teams made up of mentor and mentee pairs from 35 developing countries. According to Vuzix, the goal for the Surgical Sight program is to have it grow to 1,000 mentor/mentee pairs.

    Surgical mentees are able to share their surgical field of view directly with a mentor, who sees what the mentee’s are seeing, live and in real-time thanks to the specialized Help Lightning smart glasses software. The technology can take pictures of the live feed, record videos, freeze the image and subsequently write on top of a captured image. Plus, the software allows mentors to use their hands to point out areas that need special attention or direction, all as if the mentor was directly operating with the mentee in live time. Vuzix stated that this helps to enhance the training relationship between the mentor and mentee, enabling those still learning to further develop their surgical skills. 

    “The main purpose of global surgery is training activities between the mentors and mentees. Because of many reasons from the different regions, time, local laws, restriction from transportation or COVID pandemic, the experts cannot come and teach us directly. The Vuzix Smart Glasses are becoming an important channel for communication. We can receive help from our mentors remotely. The glasses work similar to a smart camera with video call and virtual reality that are suitable in the operating room. We really like using these devices to improve the quality of our global surgical programs,” said Dr. Can from InterSurgeon, an Ohana One partner, Chief of Neurosurgical Department, Children’s Hospital 2 in Vietnam. 

    “We are very pleased to work together with Ohana One and their growing list of participating surgical teams around the globe to support their virtual Surgical Sight smart glasses program in their mission to connect 1,000 mentor/mentee pairs,” said Paul Travers, President and CEO of Vuzix.

    For more information on Vuzix and its augmented reality smart glasses, please click here. To find out more about Ohana One, click here.

    Image credit: Ohana One

  • US Air Force set to expand its use of VR technology for training, as well as for its advanced virtual command and control center

    US Air Force set to expand its use of VR technology for training, as well as for its advanced virtual command and control center

    In Virtual Reality News

    June 28, 2021 – The US Air Force’s (USAF) Air Mobility Command (AMC) has premiered a proof-of-concept for a next-generation all-domain command and control platform during its Mobility Guardian 2021 exercise, which took place in May and served as a proving ground for AMC’s first large-scale integration of an ‘Advanced Battle Management System’ (ABMS). 

    In light of potential training gaps caused by COVID-19 restrictions, USAF directed its Security Forces (SF) to conduct a capabilities based assessment in May of 2020. Specifically, to address a gap in weapons proficiency training, AMC SF staff gained USD $1.7 million in funding for an AFWERX Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract to implement a virtual reality (VR) training system from Street Smarts VR (SSVR).

    SSVR leverages VR technology to train SF Airmen on the judicious use of force in a variety of scenarios, in addition to providing courses on firing the M17 and M4 carbine weapons. An M18 course will be added in the near future, and the repertoire of VR training scenarios is ever-expanding, according to the Air Force.

    The USAF added that looking ahead, AMC’s SF division will be partnering with Air Combat Command and Air Force Office of Special Investigations Headquarters to pursue a USD $1.7M Tactical Funds Increase, which would expand the VR training to include Counter Small-UAS and criminal indexing modules. USAF stated that with the proliferation of drones, VR training would prepare its SF Airmen to counter a growing threat to base security. Criminal indexing involves the arrest and documentation process – a critical skill for SF personnel that contributes information to a broader criminal database. As such, criminal indexing is key to preventing future crimes, and the USAF anticipates that the use of VR training will help to enhance this skill, which requires consistent practice.

    “We have embraced the CSAF’s action orders related to Accelerate Change or Lose and have literally led the charge to get after some gaps identified … to include a training gap for SF, related to weapons proficiency training,” said Marc Huth, AMC Headquarters Integrated Defense Program Manager and Security Forces Operations action officer.

    As well as VR training, the Advanced Battle Management System also utilizes VR technology, as it combines data feeds from a range of sources, including surveillance aircraft and battlefield operators on the ground. This data is relayed to “an omniscient virtual command and control center” in order to allow geographically-distributed users to communicate with each other and access remote imagery and data feeds in a shared virtual space from anywhere on the planet, according to the Air Force. 

    In pursuit of the US Department of Defense’s (DoD) vision of the ABMS concept, Immersive Wisdom, Inc., has developed an immersive collaborative space by incorporating VR, mixed reality (MR), augmented reality (AR), artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). Utilizing an open digital architecture, the ABMS securely integrates multiple platforms to synchronize communication between distanced warfighters and commanders, delivering battlespace situational awareness, distributed mission planning and execution, high-fidelity 4D geospatial information, AI-driven probabilistic analysis and intel, real-time data feeds, AI early warning and threat detection and full-spectrum targeting and kinetic effects – all of which the Air Force states help to “empower commanders to make decisions at the speed of relevance.”

    As a result, the ABMS concept allows decision-makers at AMC to coordinate missions in real-time via touch-screen interfaces on tablets and VR headsets, resulting in a tactical common operating picture for military commanders operating remotely.

    For more information on the US Air Force’s Mobility Guardian 2021 exercise, click here.

    Image credit: US Air Force

  • HTX Labs awarded SBIR Phase II contract with US Navy to deliver immersive training to student pilots

    HTX Labs awarded SBIR Phase II contract with US Navy to deliver immersive training to student pilots

    In Virtual Reality News

    June 24, 2021 – HTX Labs, a provider of immersive training and simulation programs, has recently announced that it has been awarded a new Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II contract with the US Navy. HTX Labs stated that it worked jointly with Air Force and Navy contracting officers to successfully transfer its AFWERX Phase II contract across military branches, leveraging the results from previous Air Force efforts to deliver value to the Navy.

    The new Navy SBIR award is targeted at further advancing HTX Labs’ EMPACT immersive training platform to enable the development and delivery of immersive training content for both current and incoming student pilots with the Chief of Naval Air Training (CNATRA) Primary Flight Training Program.

    In particular, the project will include enhancements to HTX’s T-6B virtual aircraft and EMPACT platform necessary to create and distribute portable, multi-modal immersive training to teach aircraft system academics, provide normal and emergency procedural training with consequential learning, and implement new analytics capture and visualization capabilities required to address the evolving training needs of Navy pilots.

    “Development of virtual reality part-task training is important to the Navy. Chief of Naval Air Training is constantly evaluating new and innovative ways to improve pilot and flight officer training,” said LCDR Kerry Bistline. “These types of systems offer the potential to further enhance student preparation, understanding, and application of procedures throughout the ground and flight phases of training.”

    To provide Navy airmen with critical pilot training content, HTX will leverage and enhance its EMPACT Studio immersive content authoring product to satisfy certain Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) flight manual requirements, allowing NAVAIR to create expert-led and student-centered interactive pilot training material, according to HTX. The EMPACT platform enables the creation and deployment of immersive training content, allowing Navy airmen to experience training on virtual reality (VR) head-mounted displays (HMDs), laptops, and tablets, meaning students can effectively train anytime, anywhere, on any device.

    “We are excited to have successfully transferred our Air Force SBIR Phase II to the US Navy to continue the important work of leveraging immersive technology to train pilots more effectively, to shorten the training cycle, and to play a role in addressing the pilot shortage across the US military,” said Scott Schneider, co-Founder and CEO of HTX Labs. “We look forward to expanding our capabilities to deliver immersive training for the T-6B as well as other airframes to support the Navy’s mission of developing a highly prepared and proficient airman.”

    For more information on HTX Labs and its EMPACT immersive training platform, please visit the company’s website.

    Image credit: HTX Labs

  • Varjo unveils its ‘Reality Cloud’ platform for capturing and sharing real world surroundings in Virtual Reality

    Varjo unveils its ‘Reality Cloud’ platform for capturing and sharing real world surroundings in Virtual Reality

    In Virtual Reality and Mixed Reality News

    June 24, 2021 – Varjo, a provider of industrial-grade virtual/extended reality (VR/XR) hardware and software, has today announced a pioneering new reality with the introduction of ‘Varjo Reality Cloud’. The new platform will enable “virtual teleportation” by allowing anybody to 3D scan their surroundings using a Varjo XR-3 headset and transport another person to that same exact physical reality, completely bridging the real and the virtual worlds in true-to-life visual fidelity. The company anticipates that its new real-time reality sharing solution will help to usher in a new era in universal collaboration and pave the way for a “metaverse of the future”, transforming the way people work, interact, and play. 

    “We believe that Varjo’s vision for the metaverse will elevate humanity during the next decade more than any other technology in the world,” said Timo Toikkanen, CEO of Varjo. “What we’re building with our vision for the Varjo Reality Cloud will release our physical reality from the laws of physics. The programmable world that once existed only behind our screens can now merge with our surrounding reality – forever changing the choreography of everyday life.” 

    For the past five years, Varjo has been building and perfecting the foundational technologies needed to bring its Varjo Reality Cloud platform to market, such as human-eye resolution, low-latency video pass-through, integrated eye tracking and the LiDAR ability of the company’s mixed reality (MR) headset. As Varjo has successfully delivered these building block technologies in market-ready products, the company is uniquely positioned to combine them with Varjo Reality Cloud to empower users to enjoy the scale and flexibility of virtual computing in the cloud.

    Using Varjo’s proprietary foveated transport algorithm, users will be able to stream a real-time human-eye resolution, wide-field-of-view 3D video feed in single megabytes per second to any device. This ability to share, collaborate in and edit a user’s immediate environment with other people will help to eliminate the restrictions of time and place completely, according to the company. 

    To further accelerate bringing the vision for Varjo Reality Cloud to life, Varjo has also announced today the acquisition of Dimension10, a Norwegian software company that provides industrial collaboration solutions for users interacting with 3D / BIM models. Dimension10’s virtual meeting suite is designed for architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) teams and will become a critical component to making virtual collaboration possible within Varjo Reality Cloud, according to Varjo.

    Additionally, Varjo has welcomed Lincoln Wallen to the company’s board of directors. Wallen currently serves as the CTO at Improbable and brings to Varjo an extensive knowledge of large scale cloud computing, and moving digital content production into the cloud. Previously, Wallen has worked as CTO of Dreamworks where he transitioned global movie production to the cloud, including the development of a cloud-native toolset for asset management, rendering, lighting, and animation.

    The above video shows a simplification of how the world can be captured and streamed in real time as a 3D representation. External viewpoint video of real-time capture from a Varjo XR-3 headset, showing how Varjo Reality Cloud sees the world around the user. The world is of course typically experienced inside the space on an immersive headset like Varjo VR-3.

    Varjo Reality Cloud will be first available to existing customers and partners in Alpha Access starting later this year. For more information about Varjo’s new cloud platform and its vision for the metaverse, the company will be hosting a live, virtual event today, June 24, 2021, at 12:00pm ET via the company’s website.

    Image credit: Varjo

  • Manus launches Prime X Series gloves for Mocap and Haptic VR usage

    Manus launches Prime X Series gloves for Mocap and Haptic VR usage

    In Virtual Reality News

    June 23, 2021 – Manus, a provider of data gloves for motion capture (mocap) and virtual reality (VR), has recently announced the release of its latest ‘Prime X Series’ innovation. The new generation of gloves consists of the Prime X Marker Mocap gloves and the Prime X Haptic VR gloves. 

    With the introduction of the company’s next generation of products, Manus will continue to provide users with a solution for hand and finger data and interaction in a range of industry sectors.

    Bart Loosman, CEO at Manus, commented: “We have listened to those in the industry who value accurate hand and finger data and broad compatibility with their desired workflow above all else. We take pride in offering our customers a solution that was developed to meet these needs with the Prime X Series.”

    Manus Prime X Marker Mocap

    The Manus Prime X Marker Mocap gloves help to add accurate and detailed finger data to optical motion capture setups. According to Manus, the gloves are compatible with industry-standard optical motion tracking solutions and offer triggered recording functionality with Optitrack Motive and Vicon Shogun. The gloves also come with the Manus time sync cable, which allows them to seamlessly integrate into any workflow that includes SMPTE Timecode & Genlock, enabling users to sync mocap data throughout their entire pipeline.

    Manus Prime X Haptic VR 

    The Manus Prime X Haptic VR gloves offer compatibility with VR visualization tools such as IC.IDO, plus compatibility with engines such as Unreal and Unity is ensured through the Manus suite of integrations and plugins. The gloves also provide haptic feedback through improved haptic modules to provide an immersive sense of touch with a higher feedback range, according to the company.

    Manus Prime X Series overall features:

    • High Fidelity finger tracking – Detailed finger bend and spread measurement: Flex sensors measure 2 joints per finger; 9 DoF tracking of individual fingers by sensor fusion with IMU’s; drift prevented with new auto-filters and flex sensor reference points.
    • Software Compatibility – The Manus Prime X Gloves work with industry-standard solutions for Motion Capture and VR. Custom integrations can be built through the Manus SDK.
    • Hardware Compatibility – The Universal Mounting System of the Prime X Series allows for a wide range of tracking attachments, making the Prime X Gloves compatible with most tracking systems. Prime X Haptic VR gloves are compatible with most HMD’s.
    • Quick and Easy calibration – With only three simple gestures, the Prime X Gloves calibration is accurately tailored to a user’s hands, allowing them to get started in less than a minute. The calibration profile is then stored on the glove, allowing them to be used in multiple sessions across devices.
    • Continuous use – Prime X gloves come with swappable batteries that provide up to 6-hours of battery life. The Manus Charging Station allows for the charging of additional batteries for uninterrupted workflows where users don’t have to wait for the gloves to charge. 
    • Washable Gloves in two sizes – The electronics module can be quickly removed from the textile glove, allowing for the glove to be washed or replaced. Additional textile gloves are available in sizes S/M and M/L. The electronics module fits both sizes.

    Prime X Series gloves are available for purchase now. The Manus Prime X gloves retail at EUR €3,990 (USD $4,990) and include a perpetual license for Manus Core (the company’s data-handling software and central hub for all Manus products), product lifetime support, and regular software & feature updates. For more information on Manus and its mocap and haptic glove offerings, please visit the company’s website.

    Image credit: Manus