The big story for VR/AR/MR at SXSW was not the usual industry write-off, as a ‘fad’ or whether platform providers can make affordable tech. By far what got people excited was Nat Geo Further Base Camp event series. The week-long interactive line-up gets people into experiences and into the world of National Geographic. What made this series special was the live and sharable nature of the action itself.
The second runner up for most liked showing, was Felix and Paul’s feature film Miyubi. This 40-minute film captured both the story and audience with seamless execution; making the story cleverly play out using a robot toy as the VR element of choice to allow the audience to view the life of a boy set in 1982 suburbia.
On the ‘solutions’ side of things, reinvent (Rehabilitation Environment using the Integration of Neuromuscular-based Virtual Enhancements for Neural Training) presented a tangible healthcare therapy. USC’s NPNL researchers program is designed to help aid in the recovery of brain injury. The main idea is that the tech picks up neurofeedback utilizing sensors and a headmounted VR display without actual physical movement from the patient. This type of Neuroplasticity and Neurorehabilitation Therapy aims to provide more engagement for the patient visually and thus help rebuild ‘broken’ neuropathways faster. All in all, the common theme for SXSW was content. People want more content and content applications to enhance and elevate interactive possibilities in their everyday lives.
Below are some highlights:
People keep getting amazed with @natgeo's #sxsw #basecamp + awesome #AR executions #spectacles pic.twitter.com/oa18Wnjvjw
— VR/AR Association (@thevrara) March 11, 2017
#AR examples @sxsw #SXSW Imagine seeing this via your #smartglasses #Spectacles #Apple #Google #Samsung pic.twitter.com/zwWq9ZuqN9
— VR/AR Association (@thevrara) March 13, 2017
In the spirit of Content is King, join our Industry Committees to work on best practices, guidelines, and standards for VR AR.
