Download Whitepaper: How Lenovo’s ThinkReality A3 Smart Glasses Accelerates Enterprise Augmented Reality Adoption

DOWNLOAD WHITEPAPER

Lenovo Moor Insights whitepaper

Moor Insights & Strategy sees the augmented reality (AR) market growing rapidly, supported by billions of dollars in investment every year, especially in the enterprise space where many different companies are aggressively working to bring new headsets and platforms to market. In this paper, Moor Insights & Strategy explore Lenovo's ThinkReality A3 and how it works with Motorola’s “Ready For” device program to create an end-to-end platform-based solution at scale.

Download the whitepaper and also join us for our live webinar and Q&A on Wed, June 8 2022

*By downloading the whitepaper, you are authorizing Lenovo to reach out regarding interest in ThinkReality products and services.

Get a copy of VR/AR Market Report for Germany

Join us at our VR/AR Global Summit ONLINE Conference + Expo June 1-3

70 Companies Featured with Market Analysis

 It is my honour and privilege to publish this document, and excited about its future iterations. This Market Report for Q2 2020 of the Virtual & Augmented Reality sector in Germany is intended to be living document that has been designed to keep you apprised of how the ecosystem is developing here.

This report is a massive collaboration with partners from other German Associations and was coded, compiled and auto-generated by the German and Polish Chapters so that new immersive technology companies and facts can easily be added in future.

Content

The bulk of the document are company profiles, but I highly recommend that you take the time to read the Executive Summaries and Forewords that have been meticulously written by teams from every partner Association. Peter Lorenz, Board Member VRBB, and myself tackled the data analysis in the first summary and were astonished by the evenness of the data we have collected so far!

The 2nd executive summary was written by my colleagues and first Advisory Board Members for VRARA Germany David Thomson and Jan Pflüger. As respected Immersive Technology evangelists, their expertise in Enterprise Integration and Competency as well as 3D Design and Project Lifecycle Management (PLM) is staggering. They are industry veterans whose insights into the Market Needs was spot on and are indeed very relevant to the current world crisis.

The subsequent forewords consist of a brief history lesson in German XR technologies and then a look at the XR adoption in Industry. Both exemplify the gradual developments of XR in Germany and how the market here has matured and grown. These are essential reads for any newcomer and those who want to dive into the topic. Both are well-researched articles for our industry and the German Market.

DOWNLOAD REPORT

History

It all started at the beginning of 2019 when I invited the regional and national networks to join a regular conference call to discuss pooling our expert knowledgebase, synchronising our activities and event calendars and to start work on an Ecosystem Report.

After many months of work well into the summer, a first version of the questionnaire was complete. We had formulated a survey to harness some much needed data about the state of the industry and it slowly transformed into a proper market analysis for Germany.

Enjoying perusing and reading the report.

Cheers
Philip Wogart
Executive Director DACH

VR Entertainment Service on trains in Italy

Since the 16th of December in Italy (Milan), Trenitalia (Italian national railway company) has started to adopt VR as entertainment service on selected high-speed trains, free of charge for every passenger.

AnotheReality is the technical partner for this initiative, contributing with planning, consultancy and deployment of the project, while also creating a platform to access selected licensed media contents for Trenitalia (movies, 360° videos and games), a VR home to select and enjoy those contents and an interactive experience reproducing traveling in the train cabin.

The initiative also includes service onboard with trained personnel to assist passengers in the usage of VR, and everything is thought with comfort and hygiene in mind. 

Hopefully this can be a useful use case about a large scale VR distribution to consumers that could inspire other countries in the world!

VR Revenues Projected to Reach $14.8 Billion by 2023 (New Report)

ARtillery Intelligence’s latest report, Global VR Revenue Forecast, 2018-2023 examines VR revenue performance and projections across several sub-sectors and revenue categories. Subscribe for the full report. VRARA members get a discount.

The virtual reality sector continues to show early-stage characteristics, including erratic levels of interest and investment. But how big is it, and how big will it get? ARtillery Intelligence has quantified the sector’s revenue position and outlook, resulting in our latest forecast. This is the fourth wave of ARtillery Intelligence’s VR revenue forecast.

Built from daily market coverage, insider interviews and market-sizing experience from 15 years of analyst work (see methodology section), ARtillery Intelligence has constructed disciplined and independent market-sizing models. The analysis is segmented into revenue categories such as consumer, enterprise and sub-divisions of each.

So what did we find out? At a high level, ARtillery Intelligence’s position on VR revenue growth is best characterized as cautiously optimistic. Growth and scale will come, but likely slower than many industry proponents believe, due partly to the pace of adoption and other signals that ARtillery Intelligence tracks.

In fact, you may notice that VR revenue projections in outer years are lower than figures you see elsewhere. They’re also notably lower than our past estimates, as we adjust to market signals. This is common in market forecasting, as proficient market watchers perpetually course-correct based on dynamic market conditions and variables (market-sizing methodology is detailed here).

The following pages quantify and project figures within several revenue categories, as well as hardware unit growth. Bulleted insights are included throughout to qualify the revenue drivers and rationale behind the numbers. The goal, as always, is to empower you with a knowledge position.

Subscribe for the full report. VRARA members get a discount.

NJ school district turns to VR to show how bullying feels. (Pico Headsets on CBS This Morning thanks to partner Kinful!)

In CBS’s series "School Matters," CBS is highlighting a problem plaguing many schools around the country: bullying.

New Jersey seventh grader Luca Mattielli says his problems with bullies began in elementary school.

"I guess I'm not respected towards them, because they're all the cool kids and they got their big shot stuff," Mattielli says. "And I'm not. I'm just boring. I'm boring old me... boring to the sense where I am not the greatest soccer player that they've ever known. I was always picked last during gym."

CBS News was there as Mattielli and his classmates watched a 360-degree video, made by their 8th grade peers, for the first time. Through virtual reality, the students show each other what it feels like to be excluded from activities like basketball.
 
Michael Davino, the superintendent of the Springfield School District, introduced virtual reality technology into the curriculum last year.

"We needed a way to convey to those people, 'if you knew what this felt like, you might not do it,'" Davino says.

Davino says the ultimate goal of the virtual reality videos is, "To open up to as many young people and adults as we can, the serious and long-range impact of being mean-spirited just to satisfy yourself. And that in the end your satisfaction is fleeting, and those people are suffering."

Although 49 states have anti-bullying legislation, there is no federal law. Nearly half of children in grades four through 12 reported being bullied in school at least once in the past month. And nearly a third of students admitted to bullying others in the same time frame.

Davino was driven to start doing the videos, in part, by New Jersey college student Tyler Clementi, who died by suicide in 2011. The tragedy spawned state wide anti-bullying legislation, but Davino says it doesn't go far enough.
 
"It's essentially become a reporting law and doesn't really address the underlying problems that lead to harassment, intimidation and bullying," Davino says.
 
So, he teamed up with Kinful, a company that teaches social-emotional learning by using virtual reality to recreate real-life scenarios like the cyber-bullying Erica Carrie faced in high school.
 
Carrie says her peers picked on her because she had a lot of guy friends.
 
"There would always be some sort of slut shaming," Carrie says. "I think there was one point where I just, like, did not wanna even go out of my room at home."
 
Now a college freshman, she hopes this experiment breaks through to both students and parents.
 
"I want them to take away that we have to think about how the bully is feeling, and that they do have an insecurity, and that we should be nicer to them, as well," Carrie says. "We kind of glaze over that when talking about bullying."

High school freshman Morghan Blair hopes her video impacts others and reminds them how much words can hurt.
 
"And the one word that I don't like always comes up in every conversation," Blair says. "The N-word. So I used that. I had to show people how it feels to be in my shoes if they had to for one day."
 
She says learning to forgive has helped her heal, but the scars will never entirely fade.
 
"It's like a birthmark," Blair says. "It can't always be covered up, but it's always just gonna be there with you, but at the end of the day, it makes you stronger as a person."

Source

Varjo and Lenovo Partner to Drive the Next Spatial Computing Evolution for Enterprises

Leading Industrial HMD Creator and High-End PC Manufacturer Collaborate to Bring “Certified for Varjo” pairings on Lenovo Workstations for all Varjo Headsets 

Las Vegas, NV and Helsinki, Finland - November 19, 2019 - Varjo™ (Shadow in Finnish) Technologies, the leader in industrial-grade VR/XR headsets, today announced a co-operation agreement for technical and business collaboration with Lenovo, the number one PC manufacturer in the world and global technology leader. The new partnership, which is being announced from Autodesk University Las Vegas 2019, will create “Certified for Varjo” pairings on Lenovo desktop and mobile workstations for all Varjo HMDs. This combines world-leading professional VR/XR products with powerful, high-end computers, enabling enterprise organizations to adopt and implement VR use cases more quickly. 

“Our partnership with Lenovo helps drive a monumental shift in enterprise usage of immersive technologies,” said Timo Toikkanen, President & COO at Varjo. “Combining our products with Lenovo’s pioneering enterprise portfolio products into ready-made bundles eases adoption hurdles and quickly gives organizations the tools they need to start taking advantage of the many benefits of virtual reality.”

Professional VR applications including research, training and simulation, industrial design, and more require the most powerful and sophisticated technologies in order to create a valuable user experience. Varjo’s human-eye resolution VR devices, matched with the processing and compute power found in Lenovo’s workstation portfolio products, push the limits of spatial computing forward and deliver the most natural visual experience for exploring and interacting with high-resolution models and simulations.

“When you’re looking for the ultimate VR and XR viewing experience, you look for the only human-eye resolution display available,” said Rob Herman, General Manager, Workstation & Client AI at Lenovo. “The technology Varjo brings to the table is extremely sophisticated and requires professional workstation power to bring that clarity to life. That’s why I’m excited to see the partnership between Varjo and Lenovo come to life after months of development and collaboration – certifying several desktop and mobile workstation configurations across our ThinkStation and ThinkPad P Series portfolio. This certification ensures the highest-quality experience for professional applications – spanning across automotive, simulation, training, architectural visualization and more.”

Today’s global partnership announcement comes on the heels of Varjo’s recent launch of two state-of-the-art VR headsets – the VR-2 and the VR-2 Pro. Attendees of AU Las Vegas 2019 can see a demonstration of the new Varjo headsets at Lenovo’s booth #104.

About Varjo: 

Varjo Technologies Oy is based in Helsinki and is creating the world’s best hardware and software for groundbreaking VR/XR computing devices, merging the real and digital worlds seamlessly together in human-eye resolution. www.varjo.com

About Lenovo: 

Lenovo, known for product innovation, performance and reliability, offers a large portfolio of mobile and desktop workstations, with our ThinkPad and ThinkStation products. These high-performance workstations are designed to not just meet but exceed expectations; combining maximum performance with outright platform reliability. Pushing beyond the hardware, Lenovo strives to support the people behind the systems, to foster relationships and improve the industry overall. This includes supporting creative thinkers and enabling them with the latest technology to explore the possibilities. Learn more at www.lenovo.com/thinkworkstations. 

LAST CALL – Just over 24hrs left to submit for Aurea Award in Immersive Entertainment

The next Aurea Award ceremony and professional conference will take place on Jan. 15 - 16, 2020 at Europa-Park, where shortlisted state of the art experiences will not only show where the industry is all headed, but will also be pitched live on stage in front of an all-star Jury. All stakeholders from the entertainment sector from startups to investors, and creatives to corporates are invited to get involved and help the community grow.

Interested in applying? Submissions are open until midnight November 15, 2019!
Interested in attending? By invitation only. Request a spot here.

About Aurea Award
With just 5 AUREA awards up for grabs, film projects, music experiences, live events, games, mixed reality experiences as well as enabling technologies receive center stage in front of a crowd VR & AR enthusiasts. Besides showcasing and awarding the most exciting products and experiences, the conference also delivers thought-leader talks, candid discussions on panels and a slew of workshops, while leaving room plenty of room for networking and enjoyment. In the setting of one of the world's leading theme parks, the conference offers multiple opportunities for groundbreakers to be heard and seen, to connect to the most relevant pioneers in the ecosystem and to become a part of the vibrant AUREA community. 
https://aurea-award.com/

About VRARA
The VR/AR Association is an international organization designed to facilitate collaboration between innovative companies and people in the VR and AR ecosystem that accelerates growth, fosters research and education, helps develop industry standards, connects member organizations and promotes the services of member companies. Over 4500 companies, brands, school and 27,000 professionals are registered with VRARA and more than 20 committees are working on best practices and guidelines for the industry.
https://www.thevrara.com/

The VR/AR Association is pleased to announce Tyler Wilson of the Whitecaps FC as the Co-Chair of the Industry Sports Committee

The committee will look to push new boundaries in sports through the application of VR/AR and increase the visibility of ESports in the wider community.  In addition, the Committee will create best practices and guidelines for the industry.

The Committee will meet every two weeks via video conference calling.  For more information see here. If interested to participate, email info@thevrara.com 

Tyler Wilson is Director of Strategic Partnerships and Innovation at the Vancouver Whitecaps FC. An avid VR/AR fan, experienced CRO in the Blockchain space and industry leader with over 15 years experience in the sports and entertainment sector. He’s been printed in the Sports Business Journal and presented on a global stage for the innovations and partnerships he’s created. Going outside the box and looking how tech can solve problems has allowed Tyler to push new boundaries throughout his career.

Tyler is proud to be Director of Strategic Partnerships and Innovation for the Vancouver Whitecaps FC, an advisor on Esports with the Vancouver Economic Commission and the luckiest dad in the world!

At the Vancouver Whitecaps FC, he creates strategic partnerships that empower the Club to push new boundaries and drive revenue. He does this by strategically integrating partners and utilizing tech to create rich interactions. Currently exploring ways to maximize connectivity with immersive experiences across Club development platforms. With over 40,000 athletes nationwide, it represents the largest development arm of the sport in North America. Tyler is also exploring ways to grow their emerging Esport platform in a unique fashion.

About the VR/AR Association

The VR/AR Association (VRARA) is an international organization designed to foster  collaboration between innovative companies and people in the virtual reality and augmented reality ecosystem that accelerates growth, fosters research and education, helps develop  industry standards, connects member organizations and promotes the services of member companies.

Contact

Kris Kolo, Global Executive Director, VRARA

kris@thevrara.com 

RECAP: The VR/AR Global Summit Featured Applications in Every Industry. And, what's next for the Association

The most exciting developments in virtual and augmented technologies from the VR/AR Association’s two-day global summit in Vancouver, BC

VANCOUVER,BC, Nov. 07, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In the second-largest VR/AR ecosystem in the world, the final day of the VR/AR Association's Global Summit saw the launch of an international women’s committee dedicated to closing the industry’s gender gap, the successful test of airborne virtual and augmented reality for military training purposes, leaps forward in health and security, and much more.

“Virtual, augmented, and mixed reality technologies are relevant to every facet of the world as we know it. The technologies being created in this space have far-reaching impacts on the workforce, health, art, entertainment, sports, national defense, and more. The importance of virtual, augmented, and mixed reality simply can’t be overstated,” said Nathan Pettyjohn, Founder and President of the VR/AR Association and Commercial AR/VR Lead at Lenovo.

Virtual reality is officially in flight
The US Air Force and Navy are increasingly leveraging advances in virtual and augmented reality to train their troops. During the summit, Red6 announced the first-ever successful execution of an airborne multiplayer AR experience. This prototype was created for the US Air Force, enabling pilots to use augmented reality to simulate and respond to threats in the air. Watch the demo video here.
Meanwhile, Heidi Buck, who heads up the Battlespace Exploitation of Mixed Reality, shared how the US Navy is using virtual reality tools for defense training and cultural immersion -- saving lives on the frontlines. 

How 5G is going to make VR and AR accessible at any time, and any place
Rapid advancements in network technology like 5G and Edge Computing are changing the way we experience immersive technology. Terry Schussler, Senior Director of Spatial Computing at Deutsche Telekom, shared how we can defeat what he calls ‘the mobile zombie apocalypse’ – a term he uses to describe the increasing number of people looking down at their phones to participate in AR experiences (think Pokémon Go or Google AR Objects). Instead, what becomes available with this technology are lightweight pieces that allow users to be constantly connected, seamlessly moving between reality and AR – ultimately creating a safer and more aware society.

Augmented reality makes the world an art gallery
Artist Nancy Baker Cahill can hang her art anywhere in the world using augmented technology. Her desert installation, “Revolutions”, depicts the impact of human interference with the natural environment, whereas her series “Battlegrounds” in New Orleans uses technology to commemorate historically significant sites. This unprecedented body of work is a truly innovative application of virtual and augmented reality, making art accessible to anyone with a smartphone.

First-ever Women’s Committee launched
Announced over a session hosted and dedicated to women in VR and AR was the VR/AR Association’s Women’s Committee – dedicated to identifying, encouraging, and empowering women in the traditionally male-dominated industry of VR and AR. The Global Summit committed to a 50% female speaker roster, including the likes of Heidi Buck from the Battlespace Exploitation of Mixed Reality, Cezera Windrem of AARP, and Cathy Hackl of Magic Leap. Cathy Hackl, the #4 Top Tech Voice on LinkedIn, took the opportunity to unveil her personal commitment to empowering women in the space through a fund she has developed to invest in women, offering to cover one VR/AR Association membership, as well as personal coaching from her for a year. 

Why did an VR/AR design company partner jump into the world of cannabis – and what did they learn?
Cannabis companies are embracing mixed reality as a solution to overcome certain barriers (like the fact that customers can’t handle the product and that it’s tough to transport the product over state lines) and to give both consumers and investors an inside look at their products, processes, and facilities. PATIO demonstrated how they’re solving several pain points with custom-made tools, and disrupting both industries in the process.

What’s next for the VR/AR Association
Following the successful summit, the VR/AR Association has just announced a number of newly formed committees to accelerate the market’s best practices, guidelines, and standards, as well as their plan to implement projects to further explore the vast, and potentially life-changing applications that this technology can have. 

• Privacy & Security Committee: Although virtual, augmented, and mixed reality products and content are becoming more widely available to consumers, there is no industry-wide regulatory or safety standard. This is why the VRARA has formed its own Privacy & Security Committee.

• VR for Good Committee: In the increasingly interconnected global community, VR can instigate massive change. Jimmy Vainstein, Interactive Media Program Lead at World Bank, will co-chair a committee on VR for Good.

• Sports Committee: Co-chaired by Tyler Wilson, the Director of Strategic Partnerships and Innovation at the Vancouver Whitecaps, the committee will look to push new boundaries in sports through the application of VR and increase the visibility of ESports in the wider community.

About VR/AR Association's Global Summit
The VR/AR Global Summit will bring together industry frontrunners from around the world to discuss the present and future of immersive technologies. This world-class summit will welcome 1,000+ Executives, 120+ Speakers and 50+ Exhibitors from leading companies like Lenovo, Niantic, Microsoft, Viacom, and so many more. 

• To learn more about the VR/AR Global Summit, please visit: https://www.vrarglobalsummit.com/

• To learn more about the VRARA, please visit: https://www.thevrara.com/

Contact

Kris Kolo, Global Executive Director

kris@thevrara.com

VR Vision launches Reality Well, a platform for senior living and retirement homes

Reality Well Provides Bucket-List Experiences with Interactive Virtual Reality for Senior Living & Retirement Homes

“It is not how much you do, but how much love you put in the doing.”-Mother Teressa

Usually, you cannot control how much stress and pain your loved ones experiences every day. If your loved ones are living an unattractive retired life in senior living, the name you should trust is Reality Well. By the utilization of a CG-Based environment and shared virtual experiences, Reality Well overcomes social isolation. Reality well provides solutions for the senior living to engage with the world outside of the four walls room. They get to experience the world they would never have a chance to visit through a virtual experience. It sounds like you can see the whole world without stepping out of the room. It is operative with a vision of providing long term care to the clients. To make it happen, 360° 8K-resolution full 3D videos of real-world landmarks and bucket-list experiences and interactive and unique CG-based environments curated in-house by their skilled team for the development in the industry of senior living and retirement homes, has been taken into consideration.

“With Reality Well, residents can simply put on a VR headset and can be whisked away into completely immersive worlds.”

With reality well facilities, improved quality of life is provided to the senior citizens by using many gadgets to decrease depression, anxiety, and loneliness. This improves the health and mood of senior clients. The beneficial services of Reality Well consist of homecare, clinic, nursing home, and community centers. The CG based environments they provide are colorful, engaging, and connecting, which allows the residents to feel free to join and explore the virtual world. The Worldwide Landmarks in 360° 3D Videos encompasses all the heavenly views around the globe. They have currently eight vibrant worlds to discover, and they look forward to adding more to it. This virtual world recreates a new life among the senior citizens and also a key to divert their minds from daily routine and stress. This practice is essential for physical movement and rehabilitation. They are setting the first-ever platform in this space for virtual reality. Treating seniors with a variety of immersive & learning activities is the main aim of reality well.

Reality well is now working on adding their best efforts to provide long term care to their clients. The company is launching a new Feature of Exergames explicitly curated for senior living, in the first quarter of 2020. They are also planning to add new expedition content in the second and third quarter of 2020. A new and improved virtual reality software will enhance the mental stability of the senior clients, along with the decrease in stress. Their technology will produce a transition to value-based care. The clients of reality well can create unforgettable stories that they can share with their families and loved ones.

Seniors should be granted individual gadgets to determine their potential options. It shows the contrast between letting others decide between A and B and having a choice between A and B. At the same time, listening to the elderly, their wishes, preferences, and stories is an essential part of empowering the older people It is precious to meet residents deep on a personal level for employees in helped living facilities with small residential settings. They work for the betterment of seniors providing empowerment to senior living. Consider the pocket-friendly virtual services from reality well for your loved ones. 

Contact:

Lorne Fade

Co-Founder, COO, VR Vision

(647) 358-5050 m: (647) 201-7611a:250

The Esplanade, #310, Toronto, ON, M5A 1J2

w:vrvisiongroup.com

e: lorne.fade@vrvision.ca

VR for Education in the $160B Market and how 350 students developed their first VR

VR is a tool of the future that everyone should take advantage of. According to Statista, the VR/AR market will expand dramatically in the coming years, with forecasts for 2023 eclipsing $160 billion U.S. dollars. And that is just the beginning: while today VR development is mostly restricted to professionals, soon everyone would be able to create their own VR projects. It might sound like a dream to you, but even now there are tools that allow users to create and manage VR content by themselves, such as platforms like Varwin and BrioVR.

These tools make VR development available to more people: you no longer need years of experience to create a VR project, and even students can do it. In fact, a recent hackathon organized in Russia proved that VR is no longer a complex technology but something everyone can master. The hackathon involved 350 students from all around Russia, most of whom were not at all familiar with VR. The teams used the Varwin platform to build their projects, which allowed them to get into VR development quickly and easily thanks to the drag-and-drop system and Blockly visual language that Varwin offers.

Learning how to build a VR project is a useful skill for students as they are going to witness huge technological progress during their careers. VR is also exciting for the next generation, and providing students the opportunity to work with VR pays off with their involvement and interest in this technology. In only 3 days during the hackathon, the teams not only learned how to work with the Varwin platform but successfully completed their projects and created their own worlds and scenarios. Students fully engaged in the process and discovered VR development for themselves.

Contact:

Anna Salova, Varwin

anna@varwin.com

varwin.com

Vive Pro Eye HMD gets visual clarity boost with Almalence Digital Lens add-on

Vancouver, Nov 1. VR/AR Global Summit

Today at the VR/AR Global Summit, Almalence announced a Unity plugin implementing its Digital Lens technology, dramatically improving the visible resolution and picture quality of VR head-mounted displays. The plugin is designed for Vive Pro Eye HMD and is freely available to the VR application developers.

Almalence Digital Lens is a computational technology overcoming the limits of HMD optical performance. Using eye tracking data along with a measured profile of lens aberrations, it increases the visible resolution and removes chromatic aberrations across the entire field of view, at any gaze direction. It does a job of a corrective optical element while adding no extra size or weight to the HMD device.

It is commonly accepted that picture quality and visual fidelity are crucial factors for a truly immersive VR experience and for VR adoption in general. Few realize though that simply increasing the display pixel count is not enough, because not only does it matter what the display shows but what the user can see, and the quality of the visible picture is actually limited by the fundamental constraints affecting the optical performance of HMD lenses, namely a moving lens element (eye pupil) and overall size constraint, limiting the complexity of the optical system.

Limited HMD optical performance is the main reason why the substantial increase of display resolution in HTC Vive Pro over the original Vive did not bring much of a visible improvement. Implemented as a software plugin for Vive Pro Eye, the Digital Lens literally makes the Vive Pro’s high resolution visible.

“It is common now to compare VR head mounted displays to the computer displays of the 70’s or 80’s. Digital Lens removes a fundamental roadblock on the way for VR HMDs to achieve the visual clarity matching XXI century standards,” said Eugene Panich, CEO of Almalence. “We are excited to make this technology directly available to the app developers, allowing to provide higher picture quality experience to their users immediately without waiting for the technology to be adopted by the HMD OEMs, and to gain additional value from investment in eye tracking hardware.”

More information is available at almalence.com/hmd-technology

About Almalence

Almalence is the global leader in computational imaging technologies, useable in a wide range of optical systems, from high-end DSLR cameras to mobile phones. Their customers range from the top smartphone OEMs to millions of users of camera applications. Almalence is an Intel Capital portfolio company.

Contact info

eugene.panich@almalence.com

The Golden Knights are the first NHL team using Sense Arena

Come meet us at the VR/AR Global Summit Nov 1-2

VRARA Member Sense Arena is thrilled to announce that SENSE ARENA opened a training installation at the VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS practice facility at City National Arena. This is Sense Arena's first NHL training facility installation. “We’re excited for VGK VR to be the latest addition to City National Arena,” said Vegas Golden Knights President Kerry Bubolz. “Sense Arena’s cutting-edge technology will provide hockey players of all skill levels with an innovative way to develop their skills, while giving fans a perspective like never before."

"Virtual Reality is a proven training tool in many industries and sports and we are excited to bring it to the world of hockey. We know the Golden Knights will bring tremendous attention to how player evaluation, development and rehabilitation can be improved and enjoyed by players of all ages." said Bob Tetiva, Founder and CEO of Sense Arena. Read more here...

We can't wait to see knights to train and improve theirhockey sense -GO KNIGHTS GO!

Varjo unveils 'Retina' resolution enterprise VR headset with SteamVR and Hand-Tracking to be showcased at the VR/AR Global Summit

Come see Varjo Exhibit and Demo at the VR/AR Global Summit Nov 1-2

Varjo Technologies announced two industrial-grade virtual reality/mixed reality headsets for enterprise VR applications such as designing cars. These two new products are part of Varjo’s “Resolution Revolution,” a product line committed to delivering human eye-resolution (over 60 PPD) and fidelity to the most demanding sectors of the professional market. With the introduction of the VR-2 and VR-2 Pro devices, Varjo said it is raising the bar on VR clarity and lowering the barrier for enterprise usability of VR.

Both the VR-2 and the higher-end VR-2 Pro include support for SteamVR content, as well as the OpenVR development platform from Valve, at ultra-high resolutions (up to 40 PPD/4K rendering per eye) so professional users can quickly and easily access a full range of applications for research, analytics, training and simulation, industrial design, and more.

These software tools are now available to the professional market, delivering better 3D models and simulations. The VR-2 Pro also comes with integrated Ultraleap hand-tracking technology, which enables more intuitive interactions with the highest-fidelity VR content. With Ultraleap, you can feel haptic feedback as you touch objects in virtual reality with your fingers. This is especially useful for simulation professionals who interact with physical controllers and switches as part of their VR training, Varjo said.

“We have seen first-hand what the power of human-eye resolution in VR can offer in terms of expanding the realm of applications for the enterprise,” said Urho Konttori, chief product officer of Varjo, in a statement. “Today we bring the Resolution Revolution overnight to nearly all industrial applications, unlocking the next level of professional VR. With VR-2 and VR-2 Pro, professionals can benefit from the industry’s highest visual fidelity and the most precise eye-tracking joining forces with the leading hand tracking technology.”

Building on Varjo’s advanced 20/20 Eye Tracker technology, the new products offer faster and more accurate calibration performance, giving professionals access to precise eye data for applications such as consumer research or safety-critical training. Additionally, the next-generation Bionic Display in both the VR-2 and the VR-2 Pro features better peripheral vision and color consistency than before. That helps in car design, architectural projects, advanced simulations, or research scenarios.

“One of the main goals of SteamVR is to support a diverse ecosystem of hardware and software. Varjo is taking a unique approach to building high-end industrial VR products, and we are excited that users of Varjo will be able to take advantage of the wide array of SteamVR content for professionals,” said Joe Ludwig, a programmer at Valve, in a statement.

Steve Cliffe, CEO of Ultraleap, said, in a statement, “Being able to see in high fidelity and interact without controllers revolutionizes professional VR. Varjo’s human-eye resolution visual fidelity is unprecedented. So is the accuracy and low latency of Ultraleap’s hand tracking. The Varjo VR-2 Pro is the best integration of the two technologies and sets a new standard for natural user experience in VR. We’re very excited about the value it will unlock for demanding use-cases such as training, simulation and industrial design.”

The VR-2 and the VR-2 Pro are available for sale starting today at $4,995 and $5,995 respectively, sold together with Varjo’s software and support services starting at another $795.

“The ultra-high resolution that Varjo brings to Gravity Sketch via SteamVR compatibility is something we are very excited about. We see strong use cases for our customers in the Automotive and Industrial Design industries in applications where absolute visual quality is needed,” said Oluwaseyi Sosanya, CEO of Gravity Sketch, in a statement.

Viacom will speak at VR/AR Global Summit. The team helped VR AR spring to life in Nickelodeon, MTV VMAs, and Comedy Central

Join us at the VR/AR Global Summit - North America, Nov 1-2 in Vancouver here vrarglobalsummit.com

The VR/AR Global Summit - North America is Nov 1-2 in Vancouver.  With over 230 companies active in VR/AR, Vancouver is the 2nd largest immersive ecosystem in the world. This is the 4th time the show is happening in Vancouver and this year’s Summit is sponsored, in part, by Viacom’s Advanced Advertising group, among others. The Summit will have a strong focus on immersive interaction design. 

Vancouver is also the #1 VFX & Animation cluster globally, the #3 largest Film & TV production centre, and a top 10 video game dev centre. Vancouver is proving how important it is to leverage the convergence of film, visual effects, animation, games, and VR AR technology.

Viacom's Advanced Advertising Innovation Products team matches and operates emerging tech in support of sales needs. 

Augmented Reality effects clearly visible at 1min 15secs - amazing show!

The team helped VR/AR spring to life in Nickelodeon (KCS, KCA, Henry Danger, Loud House), MTV (VMA's Missy Elliot Vanguard), and most recently Comedy Central (Your Brain On Clusterfest). 

Group lead, Diego J Medina, will be talking about the unique multiplicative quality VR/AR has of voicing IP and audiences through technology. PLUS, how VR and AR has a unique place in on the ground experiences for concerts and festival goers! 

Join us at the VR/AR Global Summit - North America, Nov 1-2 in Vancouver here vrarglobalsummit.com

AUREA Award further strengthens VR/AR Association’s Location-Based Entertainment Committee with sponsorship

Working towards a Global VR/AR Entertainment Community

With the sponsorship of the Location-Based Entertainment (LBE) Committee of the VR/AR Association (VRARA), the AUREA Award run by the MackNext creative team of Europa-Park, is expanding its role as enabler and promoter of Immersive Technologies. The support is a commitment to bring the AUREA Award even closer to renowned experts in the Entertainment sector by rewarding the best projects annually worldwide. The close cooperation with the VRARA is a crucial step in this direction by joining its extensive international network of professionals.

“In terms of strategic orientation, communicative approach and target groups, the international industry association, founded already in 2015, is a congenial partner that perfectly mirrors our intentions. Just like the AUREA Award, VR/AR Association is designed to foster collaboration between innovative companies and people in the VR and AR ecosystem. For this reason, we look forward to welcoming VRARA members from around the world to Rust next January.”

— Marcus Ernst – Creative Project Manager, MackNext

The next award ceremony and professional conference will take place on Jan. 15 - 16, 2020 at Europa-Park, a digital innovation leader in their own right with VR coasters, flying and dome theaters, and the latest 4D attractions, where shortlisted state of the art experiences will not only show where the industry is all headed, but will also be pitched live on stage in front of an all-star Jury. All stakeholders from the entertainment sector from startups to investors, and creatives to corporates are invited to get involved and help the community grow.

Interesting in applying? Submissions are now open until November 1, 2019 and come meet them in person at the VR/AR Global Summit in Vancouver on November 2.

“Sharing AUREA´s spirit and entertainment focus, the Location-Based Entertainment Committee’s mission is to build relationships between content creators and venue operators in the entertainment sector. The LBE Committee’s content creators & enablers include the likes of Battleverse, Backlight, Blueprint Reality (Mixcast), Dark Slope, Holocafé, Kaaya Tech, Teslasuit, Ultrahaptics, VR Studio, Dreamcraft Attractions, YDreams Global, The Park Playground, and SpringboardVR which have representatives that meet online monthly to work on everything from infographics and online webinar series to technical white papers and industry surveys. Since LBE consumer spending is expected to reach $809 million by 2022, AUREA Award and the committee will share experiences and insights in order to show the industry all the added-value potentials.”

— Philip Wogart - Co-chair Location-Based Entertainment Committee

About Aurea Award
With just 5 AUREA awards up for grabs, film projects, music experiences, live events, games, mixed reality experiences as well as enabling technologies receive center stage in front of a crowd VR & AR enthusiasts. Besides showcasing and awarding the most exciting products and experiences, the conference also delivers thought-leader talks, candid discussions on panels and a slew of workshops, while leaving room plenty of room for networking and enjoyment. In the setting of one of the world's leading theme parks, the conference offers multiple opportunities for groundbreakers to be heard and seen, to connect to the most relevant pioneers in the ecosystem and to become a part of the vibrant AUREA community. 
https://aurea-award.com/

About VRARA
The VR/AR Association is an international organization designed to facilitate collaboration between innovative companies and people in the VR and AR ecosystem that accelerates growth, fosters research and education, helps develop industry standards, connects member organizations and promotes the services of member companies. Over 4500 companies, brands, school and 27,000 professionals are registered with VRARA and more than 20 committees are working on best practices and guidelines for the industry.
https://www.thevrara.com/

Some of the companies and brands participating at our VR/AR Global Summit - North America. Lots of interest in enterprise, AR, and immersive interaction design!

See event website here

EPIC and VRARA Partner to Advance VR/AR Industry (Press Release)

28 August 2019, Berlin, Germany

Philip Wogart, Executive Director DACH, Co-Chair Location Based Entertainment Committee of the VR/AR Association (VRARA) and Carlos Lee, Director General of EPIC (European Photonics Industry Consortium) signed a Memorandum of Understanding on 28 August 2019. The signature took place at EPIC’s highest-level conference - EPIC World Photonics Technology Summit 2019

“There are so many facets of the photonics industry that have direct application to the advancement and adoption of Immersive Technologies, which is entirely our organisation’s goal and mission statement. To find the leading advocate in photonics with its trusted experts and leaders right here in Europe that connect their own industry across the entire value chain, it made perfect sense that our associations not only collaborate, but indeed connect members in business opportunities that accelerate both ecosystems…””

— Philip Wogart, Executive Director DACH VRARA

VRARA and EPIC are leading international organizations that are working tirelessly towards the development of virtual/augmented reality and photonics industries, respectively. They are mutually motivated in cooperative activities involving the technological and commercial advancement in the area of photonics as both organizations help to develop industry standards. The partnership will encourage direct contact and cooperation between its members, assist future cooperation including participation at events and promoting the VR and AR ecosystem, exchange of information and contacts, as well as advisory mandates with the aim to support the development of a more cohesive and sustainable industry.

“EPIC’s model of connecting the European photonics community worldwide is through collaboration and partnerships, and thereby integrating the industry and improving the workings of photonics ecosystems. The VR/AR community is developing very fast and with this partnership, we want to offer this community access to EPIC’s members leading to future collaborations between members. Partnerships like this bring industries together and it’s good that the photonics industry is getting integrated and more organized”

— Carlos Lee, Director General of EPIC

The signature of the MoU took place in conjunction with the EPIC World Photonics Technology Summit in Berlin, Germany, in the presence of 150+ CEOs/CTOs and decision makers from worldwide leading photonics companies. The signing is the culmination of 9 months collaboration starting already last year at the EPIC Meeting on AR/VR at SONY in Stuttgart and several online collaborative webinars. Then earlier this year Director General Carlos Lee gave the keynote at the Executive Dinner at Mobile World Congress hosted by the Barcelona Chapter of VRARA. The cooperation continues to grow onto the international stage with the VR/AR Association’s invite for EPIC to participate in their annual Global Summit in November in Vancouver.

VR/AR Association (VRARA) has over 50 chapters around the world and a community of over 4,200 companies, brands, schools, and 27,000 professionals interested in the fields of VR/AR technologies. This complements very well the interests of most of the 500 members of the European Photonics Industry Consortium (EPIC), that encompass the entire value chain from photonics fields such as lighting, photovoltaic, photonics integrated circuits, optical components, lasers, sensors, imaging, displays, optic fiber and all other photonics related technologies.

About VR/AR Association

The VR/AR Association (VRARA) is an international organization designed to facilitate collaboration between innovative companies and people in the VR and AR ecosystem that accelerates growth, fosters research and education, helps develop industry standards, connects member organizations and promotes the services of member companies. Over 4000 companies, brands, school and 27,000 professionals are registered with VRARA and 20 committees are working on best practices and guidelines for the industry.

About European Photonics Industry Consortium

EPIC is an industry association that promotes the sustainable development of organizations working in the field of photonics in Europe. Its members encompass the entire value chain from LED lighting, photovoltaic solar energy, photonics integrated circuits, optical components, lasers, sensors, imaging, displays, projectors, optic fiber and other photonics related technologies. EPIC fosters a vibrant photonics ecosystem by maintaining a strong network and acting as a catalyst and facilitator for technological and commercial advancement. EPIC currently represents close to 500 companies across 33 countries. www.epic-assoc.com