Artificial Intelligence is ready for the next advancement—with predictive eye tracking solutions that can know in advance when a person using a VR Headset is about to experience motion sickness, for example.
AI is largely trained on LLMs and some multimodal language models that can recognize facial expressions and vocal tone to evaluate and react to a user’s current state. Now, with predictive eye-tracking, a user’s FUTURE state can be measured, and action can be taken if needed.
Adam Gross, CEO of HarmonEyes, says his company uses AI, ML and deep learning to build eye-tracking solutions using massive eye-tracking database, including more than 11 million unique records across diverse demographics and 130 different user states.
"We’ve developed technology that adapts to people instead of people adapting to technology."
Get To Know elum, i3's Commercial Training Development & Deployment Platform, at AES 2024
HUNTSVILLE, Alabama & DALLAS, Texas — With the launch of elumplatform.com this year,VRARA Alabama chapter member i3 reinforces its stake in the world's best, next-generation commercial training tools, ready to be developed and deployed within any enterprise environment. The elum platform offers immersive 3D training experiences, blending video game design with learning sciences to make training both tailored and engaging. They plan on attending AES, or Augmented Enterprise Summit, in Dallas, TX, this October (Booth #513).
"Knowledge is a right," says Tim Van Alstine, Commercial Business Lead and founder of elum. "Whether you have an existing Learning Management System or need to build a program from the ground up, elum helps you find that personalized solution. We've developed it for compatibility with more than 20 leading hardware platforms, and we're deployable on all major LMS, or Learning Management Systems. With elum, developing effective training materials and deploying them worldwide is easy for desktop, mobile, web, and XR."
elum makes integration of its capabilities smooth for CLOs and CIOs, as well. The full-featured offerings of elumStudio, elumClassroom, elumPlayer, elumCloud, and elumAnalytics provide industry-unique solutions that address the contemporary, ever-changing needs to train teams at scale.
“The kind of attendees at AES are exactly who elum is for – and they should schedule time to meet us at booth #513 or come by presentation on the future of training at the ‘Ask the Solution Providers’ panel at the main stage. From computer-based instruction hosted on Canvas to job-site augmented reality hosted on the elumCloud, elum can create the right training, the right way," adds Van Alstine. "Our virtual training is backed by trusted industries leading the way in defense, aerospace, healthcare, manufacturing, energy, automotive, and education."
Find more details about elum at AES this year by visiting their event page.
And don’t forget to check out elumplatform.com for greater details, contact info, and more about elum.
VRARA Education Summit 2024: How the Pico 4 Ultra Enterprise Empowers the L&D Industry
Written by Demond Cureton:
At VRARA’s Education Summit 2024, hundreds of professionals joined the audience for a massive showcase in immersive learning for major institutions across the world.
Hosted by Kris Kolo, Global Executive Director, VRARA, the event opened discussions across over 30 speakers to illustrate how emerging technologies have helped empower educators, faculties, learners, and vocational experts and their students.
Rob Pereira, Commercial Director, PICO XR, explored the benefits of using enterprise extended reality (XR) in the classroom.
One of the top three XR manufacturers in the world, PICO XR has supported educational partners from the European Union (EU), United Kingdom, United States, Middle East, India, Australia, and New Zealand, among others, with its enterprise solutions, he stated.
Pereira added that education remained a top industry vertical for PICO’s dedicated, standalone XR solutions with bespoke specifications for enterprises.
He noted use cases continued to proliferate across immersive learning, leading to novel teaching methods and delivering modules to classrooms, ranging from small schools to entire districts and governments, at scale.
Key factors considered when deploying XR devices were data protection, return on investment (ROI), and improving learner metrics, he explained.
Pereira told the audience about end user concerns,
“This usually involves large-scale planning and organisation. On the other hand, we have teachers and schools that are looking more at the day-to-day. They are looking into making complex technologies easier to grasp [and acquiring] training content, accessibility, hygiene, and managing classrooms.”
Pico also offered 360-degree solutions like software and content to form an ecosystem to support classrooms and end users, he said.
Additionally, for educators, external concerns involved receiving sufficient support during the developmental phase and reaching more students, Pereira noted, adding,
“We are only one part of the solution. We need to connect the content, training to management tools, and support systems to deliver full-scale solution that works for everyone. We [are] connected to many providers, people, and specialised solutions in this ecosystem for educators.”
Benefits of Pico XR Learning Solutions
Following the release of the budget-friendly Pico Neo 3 and flagship Pico 4 Ultra in May 2022 and September 2024, respectively, the ByteDance-owned headset manufacturer expanded MR tools for client use cases.
Both offered 6 degrees-of-flight (6DoF), hand tracking, and mobile device management (MDM) for small to large-scale deployments, with one case involving up to 3,000 connected headsets.
Explaining further, Pereira said that the devices were hygienic manageable and easily shareable for use in enterprise and school-based scenarios. They also allowed departments to deploy apps across headsets, browse the internet, and access 360-degree and YouTube videos, he continued.
Pico also provided its Business Suite software platform to facilitate “seamless classroom control, even in large groups with hundreds of students,” he stated, adding users could access modules offline where schools could not access or secure internet connections.
Continuing, he explained,
This dedication to building a secure enterprise ecosystem also means that we can provide enhanced API and SDK access. If you want to create better software and improve your current work, we can help and support you [with] global technical support through our distributed partners.
Regarding continuous support for end users, Pereira noted,
“We can also assign dedicated technical project managers to assist in developing your project at hand, making sure that every school, district, and partner receives the help they need.”
PICO Use Case Examples
In his presentation, Pereira addressed several highlighted use cases for the Pico enterprise platform, including:
VIL
In a use case in Germany, VIL utilised a holistic turnkey solution with Pico headsets, software, and a “very large content library” from third-party providers. It also featured high-security data protection and scalability to 2,500 devices.
Pico also provided additional MDM support to connect creative content libraries via a network of partners. A total of 3,000 on-demand devices were commissioned to schools for rapid shipping and deployment, making it the largest deployment of its kind in Europe.
Regional Training Centre (RTC)
RTC is a collection of 700 vocational schools and is headquartered in Flanders, Belgium. Rather than using a turnkey solution, the company aimed to create their ecosystem from scratch for greater flexibility.
Prior to the VIL project, RTC hosted the largest project in Europe at the time with 1,200 devices. Pico supported the firm through the entire process to facilitate with flexible solutions, data protection, and Pico 4 Enterprise headsets with next-gen mixed reality capabilities.
PHOTO: RTC Antwerpen
The organisation also selected ArborXR for device management and employed a large network of content providers for vocational content.
PRISMS VR
Based in San Francisco, California, PRISMS VR is a company that develops Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths (STEM)-based content for educators in the hopes of transforming the sector.
The company empowers students to understand complex concepts prior to employing traditional methods. The company is a full-service provider with over 10,000 headsets, which found successful rollouts with close collaboration with partner networks, Pereira told the audience.
He also noted that PRISMS will have the largest deployment of PICO 4 Ultra Enterprise headsets by the year’s end in the US and, potentially, the world.
The VRARA Best in EdTech, XR, AI event united hundreds of online attendees from across the virtual, augmented, and mixed reality (VR/ AR/ MR) industry for its Education Summit 2024 on Thursday, 19 September.
The Summit showcased dozens of use cases and testimonies across the education, training, and learning and development (L&D) sectors involving businesses, academia, researchers, and thought leaders.
Full Sail University, Arizona State University, Ohio State University, Yorkville University, and many others institutions shared their success stories on XR’s role in the contemporary classroom, leading to the digital transformation of learning and development (L&D).
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TINT Helped Océane, a Brazilian Cosmetics Brand, Achieve a Record 32% Add-To-Cart Rate
Océane, a leading manufacturer and retailer of beauty products, has significantly improved the performance of its online store by using the TINT virtual try-on platform. Recent data shows that their add-to-cart rate has increased by over 1000% compared to the industry average.
As one of the first companies to see the potential of TINT, Océane integrated the virtual try-on feature into its website. In Brazil, where virtual try-on technology is still relatively uncommon, this move was expected to give Océane a competitive edge.
The initial pilot focused on concealers and foundations. Within the first month, the add-to-cart rate for these products increased from the industry standard of 3% to 20.15% — an increase of over 600%. The unexpected demand was so high that Océane quickly ran out of stock. This was just the beginning.
By July, the add-to-cart rate hit a new peak of 32%, meaning nearly a third of customers who tried Océane products virtually added them to their carts. Océane’s success demonstrates the huge potential of virtual try-on technology, particularly TINT’s platform, which supports a wide range of product categories beyond just concealers and foundations. They are: Lipstick/Lip gloss; Blush; Eyeliner; Eyeshadow; Eyelashes; Mascara; Eyebrows; Skincare; Sunglasses/Eyeglasses; Nail polish; Jewelry; Headwear.
These products can be tried on individually or as part of a complete look. Additionally, TINT features a sophisticated AI recommendation system that suggests items tailored to enhance each user's overall appearance.
Virtualware Unveils VIROO 2.6, the Latest Evolution of its Enterprise XR Platform with Groundbreaking Updates to the Publishing Workflow and Interoperability
The leading expert in 3D-driven enterprise software as a service (Virtualware: EPA: MLVIR), announced today the release of version 2.6 of its XRaaS platform, VIROO, which incorporates new features that allow users and developers to take full advantage of XR within their companies.
VIROO 2.6 introduces significant updates to the publishing workflow, offering enhanced capabilities for creating multi-scene applications. It provides complete flexibility to configure Unity projects, allowing the inclusion of third-party assets and code libraries, just as in any standard Unity project.
VIROO makes it easy to create, distribute, and manage custom XR applications while handling infrastructure updates automatically, allowing organizations to focus on innovation.
The main key features in VIROO 2.6 include:
Improvements in VIROO Studio SDK for Unity enabling developers to create VIROO apps with greater logical depth.
Creators can now include any third-party assets into their projects
Universal Render Pipeline compatibility
Integration with Unity’s Visual Scripting and XR Interaction Toolkit
Upgrades in VIROO deployment options:
Enhanced on-premises operation with deployment support and advanced management tools.
Introducing a new collection of VIROO Apps. Enterprise-ready-to-use applications designed to fulfill the common needs of users and can be used immediately without having to build your own applications.
Recently named a finalist for the Obsidian Award for Open Innovation at the AIXR XR Awards, VIROO is the enterprise XR platform that provides multiple ready-to-use applications for users, and tools for developers to create and distribute their own custom multi-user XR applications.
The ready-to-run XR platform grants companies and institutions worldwide easy access to immersive technology, covering the entire Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) cycle, from concept and design to development and launch, supporting the entire business process.
VIROO ensures the highest levels of security and privacy, including ISO 270001 certification, scalability, and performance, integrating all XR needs into a single platform.
With a relentless passion for real-time 3D technology and 20 years of expertise in building business applications globally, Virtualware is considered one of the world’s leading experts in 3D-driven enterprise software as a service.
Virtualware delivers a professional and practical approach to RT3D by providing companies and institutions with the tools and support they need to grow, strengthen, and advance in their adoption of this technology. The company’s diverse client base includes GE Vernova, Ontario Power Generation, Gestamp, ADIF, the Spanish Ministry of Defense, Invest WindsorEssex, McMaster University, the University of El Salvador, EAN University and the Basque Government.
Exciting News from HTC VIVE: Upcoming Events, Big Announcements, and VIVE Pro 2 Price Drop!
Join VRARA Member HTC Vive for two major events in September—an exclusive virtual reveal and a hands-on demo in San Francisco. Plus, don’t miss the newly discounted VIVE Pro 2 headsets. Register today to be part of the action!
Announcement #1: Exciting news is about to drop!
There’s a big reveal coming on September 18th. Be the first to hear what’s new at our virtual event on Wednesday, September 18th at 7 am PT / 10 am ET. Attendees will get a brief overview of what’s being announced, and a chance to ask their questions to our experts. Register now at https://business.vive.com/us/events/sep-18-webinar-event/ . If you’re unable to attend live, register anyway and you’ll be sent a link to the recording.
Announcement #2: An evening of fun (and some games!) in SF
Please join us on Sept 30th at 5PM in San Francisco at the Sandbox location on Market Street to try out HTC VIVE’s new headset hands on, and hear talks from Shen Ye, HTC VIVE Global Head of Dan O’Brien, President Americas at HTC VIVE. This is an exclusive glimpse into the latest XR headset for enterprises and consumers, and we hope the VR/AR community members can join us. This event is 21+ to attend. Space is limited, so register now to reserve your spot: https://business.vive.com/us/stories/vr-event-sep-30/
Announcement #3: New price on VIVE Pro 2 PC VR headsets
One of the best-rated PC VR gaming headsets now has a new low price. Get $200 off our Enterprise version or our Consumer version. Full Kits and HMD only versions too.
https://business.vive.com/us/product/vive-pro2/
"Atoms" - A Revolutionary 3D Animated Film by VRARA Member Sean Browne
Atoms is a unique 3D animated feature film set within the microscopic world of a sick little princess's body. The story follows Logiq, a timid and anxious carbon atom who is the head of defense in a cellular federation under siege by a malicious virus. When Logiq's strategies fail, he decides to run away, leading him on a transformative journey that forces him to confront his deepest fears. Alongside his courageous oxygen atom friend Zeal, Logiq faces new dangers and allies, including shape-shifting nanobots and hostile mites, in a visually stunning world filled with breathtaking cellular landscapes.
For the VR/AR community, Atoms presents an incredible opportunity to explore this microscopic world through immersive technology. The film's setting—a war-torn cellular cityscape with surreal organs depicted as post-apocalyptic environments—lends itself to an innovative VR/AR experience. Imagine navigating through a bustling city of skin cells, diving into the plasma seas, or battling shape-shifting viruses in real-time. With its compelling narrative and kinetic visual style, Atoms is poised to be a groundbreaking project that merges education, entertainment, and cutting-edge immersive storytelling.
Help This Project Win $100,000!
Here's how you (member or not!) can support a fellow VRARA Member:
Click this link and create an account (KYC and Verification Process)
Vote for Atoms the Magic Internet Movie
With your help we can win the $100,000 Arts3 Startup Grant And create our one-minute film teaser for Atoms!
Reality Capture Network and The VR/AR Association Forge Strategic Partnership to Drive Innovation and Education in the Built Environment
Reality Capture Network (RCN) and The VR/AR Association (VRARA) are excited to announce a strategic partnership aimed at aligning efforts to expand community engagement, raise awareness of innovative technologies, and enhance educational initiatives in the built environment industries.
Reality Capture Network (RCN) is dedicated to inspiring, informing, and empowering individuals and businesses in the built environment industries. Our multi-faceted approach includes podcasts, industry conferences, webinars, and educational content aimed at fostering innovation and driving industry growth. By building a global community of stakeholders, including professional technologists and end owners, we strive to bridge the gap between industry demands and technical capabilities, ensuring that participants become exceptionally knowledgeable about the existing technologies and how they can integrate them into their industry. We focus on a comprehensive ecosystem of technologies, including Laser Scanning, LiDAR, Drones, Photogrammetry, BIM, Digital Twins, AR/VR, Artificial Intelligence, and more. Our goal is to demonstrate how these technologies work together to transform the way companies operate, enhancing efficiency, safety, and overall project success.
“We are thrilled to partner with VRARA to align our communities and enhance our educational outreach. This partnership represents a powerful opportunity to expand awareness of the technologies that are revolutionizing the built environment,” Matthew Byrd, CEO of Reality Capture Network.
The VR/AR Association (VRARA) is an international organization that fosters collaboration between providers and users of Extended Reality (XR), Mixed Reality, Spatial Computing, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) solutions. VRARA accelerates growth, promotes research and education, develops industry best practices, and connects member organizations. The association plays a pivotal role in advancing the adoption and integration of these emerging technologies across various industries.
“This collaboration with RCN allows us to deepen our impact by connecting more professionals with the tools and knowledge they need to innovate and succeed in the built environment,” said John Cunningham, COO of The VR/AR Association.
This partnership is designed to create alignment between RCN and VRARA’s expansive communities, leveraging their combined strengths to broaden awareness of technological advancements and further enhance educational efforts and community collaboration. Together, RCN and VRARA will work to promote the adoption of cutting-edge technologies within the built environment, providing resources and platforms that facilitate learning, collaboration, and innovation.
About Reality Capture Network (RCN) Reality Capture Network (RCN) is a platform dedicated to inspiring, informing, and empowering professionals in the built environment industries. RCN focuses on a comprehensive ecosystem of technologies, fostering innovation and driving industry growth through education and community building. Learn more about RCN at https://realitycapturenetwork.com/
About The VR/AR Association (VRARA) The VR/AR Association (VRARA) is an international organization that fosters collaboration between XR, Mixed Reality, Spatial Computing, and AI solution providers and end-users. VRARA is committed to accelerating growth, fostering research, and connecting organizations to promote best practices and technological adoption. Learn more about VRARA at https://www.thevrara.com/
ZEISS to license CREAL’s technology to create a digital vision care platform
In an industry first, CREAL will integrate its light field display technology into Zeiss’ vision care devices, greatly simplifying vision tests, and thereby enhancing the patient and eye-care practitioner user experience.
10 September 2024 – Lausanne, Switzerland / Aalen, Germany – CREAL today announces a license agreement with ZEISS with the aim to create a digitized vision care platform that hopes to revolutionize the current vision diagnostic and treatment procedures. By leveraging CREAL’s light field display technology, ZEISS will bring to market devices that allow for the digital examination of eye conditions as well as virtual simulation of classic ophthalmic lenses, contact lenses, and the like. Ultimately, the partnership should help bring century-old vision test procedures into the 21st century, finally enabling fast, cost-effective and above all user-friendly diagnostic procedures.
lens-based, they rely on outdated technology. As well as all eye care practitioners, these constraints affect a great part of the population. For instance, more than two-thirds of the population in the US wear glasses or contacts1, while myopia is constantly growing and is expected to affect 50% of the global population by 20502. The need for intuitive, accurate, effective, and cost-efficient vision tests and diagnosis is therefore only to become even more crucial.
Through the integration of CREAL’s light field display into vision test devices, ZEISS expects to introduce a groundbreaking solution allowing for precise digital diagnosis of eye defects. By replicating real-world light to provide digital imagery with genuine depth, CREAL’s true 3D display will enable the digital replication of any physical or theoretical lens, allow test procedures to be tailored to any age group/customer segment, as well as enable the projection of automated content, limiting the need for clinical resources overall.
Current refraction method vs. digitized refraction method
“As the pioneer of scientific optics, ZEISS’ mission has always been to challenge the limits of human imagination,” says Antia Alonso Ph.D., Vice President of Zeiss Vision Technology Solutions. “We see our collaboration with CREAL and the consequent development and rollout of our digitized vision care platform as a way to revolutionize the prescription eyewear customer buying experience, elements of which still rely on antiquated technology, developed over a century ago.”
Looking ahead, the synergy between ZEISS’ expertise in vision care and eyewear, and CREAL’s cutting-edge advancements in display technology could help accelerate the development of vision-health and vision enhancement enterprise in all its forms, both real and virtual.
About CREAL
CREAL is a display technology startup based in Switzerland, with a technical team drawn from cutting-edge projects at Intel, Magic Leap, EPFL and CERN. CREAL has developed a patented light field micro-display technology stack, uniquely projecting images with true-to-life depth. While serving vision care applications, CREAL naturally expands its mission toward Augmented Reality hardware. With the same business model and partners among the market leaders in the vision care/eyewear industry, CREAL ultimately enables a much- needed natural and healthy visual experience of digital content. To know more, please visit www.creal.com. For press information contact: karen.liernur@creal.com
About ZEISS
ZEISS is an internationally leading technology enterprise operating in the fields of optics and optoelectronics. In the previous fiscal year, the ZEISS Group generated annual revenue totaling 10 billion euros in its four segments Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology, Industrial Quality & Research, Medical Technology and Consumer Markets (status: 30 September 2023).
For its customers, ZEISS develops, produces and distributes highly innovative solutions for industrial metrology and quality assurance, microscopy solutions for the life sciences and materials research, and medical technology solutions for diagnostics and treatment in ophthalmology and microsurgery. The name ZEISS is also synonymous with the world’s leading lithography optics, which are used by the chip industry to manufacture semiconductor components. There is global demand for trendsetting ZEISS brand products such as eyeglass lenses, camera lenses and binoculars.
With a portfolio aligned with future growth areas like digitalization, healthcare and Smart Production and
a strong brand, ZEISS is shaping the future of technology and constantly advancing the world of optics
and related fields with its solutions. The company’s significant, sustainable investments in research and development lay the foundation for the success and continued expansion of ZEISS’ technology and market leadership. ZEISS invests 15 percent of its revenue in research and development – this high level of expenditure has a long tradition at ZEISS and is also an investment in the future.
With over 44,000 employees, ZEISS is active globally in around 50 countries with more than 60 sales and service locations, 35 research and development facilities, and 35 production facilities worldwide (status: 31 March 2024). Founded in 1846 in Jena, the company is headquartered in Oberkochen, Germany. The Carl Zeiss Foundation, one of the largest foundations in Germany committed to the promotion of science, is the sole owner of the holding company, Carl Zeiss AG.
Further information at www.zeiss.com
ZEISS Vision Care
ZEISS Vision Care is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of eyeglass lenses and ophthalmic instruments. The unit is allocated to the Consumer Markets segment and develops and produces offerings for the entire eyeglass value chain that are distributed globally under the ZEISS brand.
1 “The Consumer inSights Q1 2002 report”, The Vision Council’s
2 Padmaja Sankaridurg, et al, ”Impact of Myopia,” ARVO Journals, Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, Vol.62, 2, April 2021
Enrollment for October VRARA Executive Forum Cohort Now Open
Enrollment for the October Cohort of the VRARA Executive Forum is now open. This exclusive program is for business and innovation team executives who want to learn how to leverage XR and AI in their businesses and collaborate/learn from the experts in the industry and their peers from "non-competitive" organizations.
Led by COO John Cunningham, this dedicated program is for "end user" business and innovation leaders. It is not a technology program but rather a 12 month "Executive MasterClass in XR/AI" program with cohorts of up to 10 individuals with curated programming.
The best thing about the program is that it is FREE for our Corporate Innovation Team and Corporate level members. What a benefit!
There is nothing like this out there today, and the VRARA is launching this much needed program to help executives figure out how to scale XR and AI!
The cohort duration will be October 1-31st, with a new cohort beginning November 1st.
If you are interested, please email john@thevrara.com for more information.
VR/AR Association Industry Leaders Discuss XR Enterprise Value and Onboarding – GenAI, VR Headsets, Immersive Training and More
The enterprise XR industry is rising. During the metaverse hype-wave, virtual services became mainstream, as immersive solution providers championed the ability to leverage virtual meeting rooms and other immersive procedures to ensure enterprises kept productive as the world was recovering from the international pandemic. At the same time, Meta rebranded and put a then-unseen amount of time and effort towards marketing the Quest 2 as a pioneering consumer-grade VR headset, truly making VR mainstream.
However, the XR industry is not new, especially on the enterprise side. Those deep in the industry know its storied history, rapidly improving sophisticated technology, and how, leading into the 2020s, companies experimented with AR/VR/MR solutions for various professional sectors.
The dust has settled, however, since the metaverse boom, but interest in the next era of paradigm-shifting business technology is as strong as ever. The rise of genAI is partly to thank for this rise in interest; the technology’s ability to optimise a broad range of workflows is allowing the emerging technology space to flourish.
Following the rise of XR earlier this decade, the 2024 genAI hype train is now also boosting XR to new heights alongside it, as genAI can not only help with simplifying XR development cycles but provide value as an integrated tool within those services to enable new bespoke opportunities for use cases such as collaboration, training, and workplace simulations.
With all the history, promises, and aligned technologies, XR can be hard to navigate at times, especially for XR champions within a business trying to communicate its effectiveness and value to decision-makers who may not fully understand the market.
That’s where the VRAR Association comes in. The group is well-known and respected in the XR industry. Recently, the group and its members started working on a series of whitepapers, making digestible reports on the business value of AR/VR/MR. Ready to introduce decision-makers to XR.
To explore the VRARA’s whitepaper effort, XR Today spoke exclusively to the Co-Founder/President of CXR Agency and advisor to the VRARA New York chapter, Lucky Gobindram, and Ron Thompson, the CEO of CAIL, to discuss their work on a report covering enterprise XR onboarding.
Introducing Enterprise XR Onboarding
Thompson noted that the VRARA XR Onboarding Whitepaper contains “very powerful metrics about improved business outcomes,” which should help executives understand XR’s strengths. The report uses leading industry examples to showcase how XR brings business value today from service providers such as STRIVR, AppliedVR, Talespin, Taqtile, and countless others.
The whitepaper also reported end-user success; for example, the VRARA noted that Walmart saved roughly $38 million thanks to reduced training time and travel expenses. On the other hand, the documentation highlights how immersive training in healthcare is leading to a 70 per cent increase in efficiency and more than $16.9 million in potential annual benefits for hospital systems—”there are some great hard metrics in different industries, but there are also some very important significant benefits,” Thompson remarked.
Thompson added:
The idea is to have a senior executive give the document to someone who either heads up innovation or will look into XR and identify use cases in their organization.
Thompson and Gobindram are specialists in the XR field, and their insight provides excellent value to senior team members trying to visualise and communicate the potential of AR/VR/MR and driving the adoption of immersive technology.
Gobindram has been an experienced AR/VR/MR service builder for roughly 16 years, becoming an international leader in software development. Thompson’s firm, CAIL, is deeply experienced in bringing transformative software solutions to global enterprise clients. Through its venture investing avenue, CAIL entered the XR space.
With this insight, Lucky, Thompson, and other VRARA collaborators created the white paper as an initiative to support increasing awareness and opportunities for XR.
Thompson explained:
We view the heavy visualization capabilities and interactivity with XR as very important, especially when you combine that with AI. This combination is very synergistic and creates significant opportunities for new experiences, new capabilities, and new ways of doing business. That’s why we did the whitepaper: to give insight and trigger innovation opportunities.
Echoing Thompson’s comments, Gobindram’s knowledge of building immersive services for enterprise clients allowed him to contribute significantly to the whitepaper and create “resources and understanding of what’s going on in the industry.”
Gobindram added:
Today, there are a lot of disparate sources, but nothing that correlates, in a clean way, on topics that are relevant to decision-makers and stakeholders at the enterprise level. What they don’t see is that there’s a lot of success occurring, and a lot of their counterparts, colleagues, and others know about it. The industry is taking risks and having huge gains across the board.
Answering Common Industry questions
Thompson expressed a “need to get executive attention for XR.” However, this need for attention is creating a “general conundrum with all new technologies outside of AI. ” Therefore, a clear and concise understanding of emerging XR—and AI—solutions is critical for enterprise XR adoption.
“We’ve been saying XR is coming for a long time and we’ve been saying the same thing about AI, now they’re both at this inflection point where they’re both going to push each other forward together,” Gobindram explained.
Navigating the XR tide can be tricky. The waters are filled with various metrics and technology terms that may alienate certain professionals.
XR is an incredible technology partly due to its ability to integrate multiple RT3D immersive content types and aligned technology to form a unified tool leveraging tech from digital twins to genAI and full body tracking; however, understanding the value is still new to those outside the XR bubble.
It is essential to understand how XR and its aligned technology can positively affect a business and create innovative XR use cases, such as immersive training.
Thompson explained:
AI is hoarding all the time, and significant resources. To get attention, you’ve got to show you complement an AI strategy by adding intelligence processes, proving outcomes, reducing risk, and making more money. But to make that happen, in many cases, requires much better visualization to help the brain quickly learn.
Humans learn visually, and XR significantly boosts worker proficiency by leveraging this fact. Moreover, genAI can also solve several enterprise challenges in XR adoption, with the best outcomes appearing when the technologies are in tandem.
By creating the onboarding whitepaper, the VRARA helps businesses understand how to leverage, at times, hard-to-understand XR hardware alongside AI initiatives so that companies can keep up to date with technology cycles and stay ahead of the pack.
Thompson notes that if a business doesn’t “catch the current cycle, they might miss it, and over time, it becomes problematic.”
Finding New Opportunities
Gobindram noted that “effective onboarding of XR has been proven to improve productivity, proficiency, satisfaction and engagement.” According to Gobindram, XR can position “organizations to better perform and advance new business opportunities.”
Gobindram explained:
The theory here was to give examples in use cases from Walmart and Bank of America of what they’re seeing from this and how it could benefit them, whether enterprise or SMB, and help them build a solid foundation. It’s very evident to us, but how do we make it evident to others?
Moreover, the XR industry is evolving rapidly. Market forecasts predict that AR smart glasses and MR headsets will rule the XR market as the decade approaches, painting a future that general audiences may not have expected in years past.
As Thompson stated, staying on top of industry technology trends is critical for businesses. Suppose a business lags behind today in technology like XR head-mounted devices, 3D spatial monitors, or genAI. In that case, that business may struggle to climb the innovation ladder in the future—whatever that future may bring.
Ediphi Raises Oversubscribed $1.5M Round to Expand Immersive Hospitality Training Platform
AUSTIN, Texas — Hospitality technology innovator Ediphi is partnering with a super angel group, which includes Tripadvisor co-founder and former CEO Steve Kaufer, and investors Pixel Perfect Ventures, Allied VC and Techstars, to meet its goal of serving more enterprise clients in North America and to expand its library of available training modules. Following on earlier investment by Techstars and Capital Factory, the latest investors were selected to help accelerate Ediphi's growth through their industry expertise and strategic guidance.
Ediphi uses immersive technology to empower employers in high-demand, high-turnover industries to nurture employee growth and career development. “Ediphi is solving a critical problem in hospitality. Their vision and tech are impressive, and they’re setting new standards in the industry. The company stands out for its innovation and vision, and for its exceptional team and path to market leadership,” Kaufer said.
Ediphi Co-Founder and CEO Cristina Imperial Carl confirmed the oversubscribed round will be used to expand on the company's technology. With a focus on the hospitality industry, Ediphi’s goals-based platform leverages immersive experiences and AI to provide personalized training paths for employees, from the start of their career through their growth as leaders.
Techstars Managing Director Kerty Levy said, “Cristina and the entire Ediphi team are building the most elegant and scalable solutions for training in the hospitality industry. I'm excited to be part of the journey as they expand globally.” CEO Imperial Carl led the company through Techstars’ Boston accelerator program in 2023.
Ediphi’s VR training modules and immersive classrooms simulate real-world experiences, including emergency preparedness training for hurricanes and fires, and first aid response. Priority initiatives include enhancements to the company’s responsive AI trainer avatar, Yumi, and to its AI-powered career-planning capabilities. The platform analyzes a learner’s curriculum vitae and provides a personalized career-training path and mentorship match aligned to an individual’s career goals. The company is also advancing its multilingual capacities for English language learners. Current partners include JW Marriott and Hyatt Regency, among other notable hospitality brands.
Vanessa Jopillo, Ediphi’s co-founder and COO, noted the company’s newest wave of advancements provide hotel and hospitality employers with opportunities for simultaneous training at scale, while also ensuring consistency in content. Jopillo said, “By streamlining training, employers can align their L&D with strategic business objectives, while enhancing employee performance and retention.”
Smart E-commerce Shopping Experience Through AR
Guest Post from VRARA Member Travancore Analytics.
In today's fast-paced e-commerce world, engaging customers and helping them visualize products in their own space is crucial for driving sales. Our client, a pioneer in retail industry, a housewares brand, faced challenges with customer engagement and lost potential sales because customers couldn't visualize how products would fit into their homes. To overcome this, we developed a cutting-edge AR-powered Shopify app for our client. By converting STL files into 3D models using Blender, and creating Glb and Usdz files for cross-platform support, we provided a seamless AR shopping experience that allows users to visualize products in their home settings, leading to increased customer confidence and engagement.
The impact of our AR-based solution has been transformative for client’s e-commerce platform. The Shopify app we developed not only enhanced the user experience but also significantly improved the efficiency of the store. Customers now enjoy a more interactive and convenient shopping experience, with the ability to visualize products in 3D before making a purchase. This innovation has led to boosted engagement, increased customer confidence, and a notable reduction in abandoned carts. They better positioned in the competitive e-commerce marketplace, thanks to the power of AR technology.
Explore our case study to learn more!
Website: https://www.travancoreanalytics.com/
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*Exclusive VRARA Discount Ends Sept 9th!* Investment opportunity with an AI + XR startup: Sphere
LAST CHANCE TO INVEST!
Exclusive VRARA Discount Ends This Monday, September 9th!
Our partner, Sphere, is offering VRARA members a groundbreaking opportunity to own the future of XR.
The company is a leading provider of enterprise-grade immersive experiences that are purpose-built to drive bottom-line results. Sphere’s spatial collaboration software – empowering customers like Pfizer, Volkswagen and Micron - has been invited to crowdfund on Republic, resulting in a unique opportunity for you!
In just a short time, they have already raised over $185,000. For a limited time, VRARA members are entitled to receive a special investment discount, but time is running out! Secure yours today!
Why Invest in Sphere?
Accelerated Growth: Your investment will fuel the development of Sphere’s game-changing XR roadmap as it pushes the boundaries into AI and unlocks unimaginable possibilities!
Learn More (LINK TO REPUBLIC PAGE)
Real Business Impact: Sphere continues to grow as it addresses critical enterprise challenges, delivering tangible value to its thousands of daily users.
Industry Leadership: Join a pioneering company that’s partnered with leaders in our industry to transform the future of work as we know it.
Learn More and Don’t Miss Your Chance to Invest Today!
Let's shape the future of XR together!
Banuba Introduces Pupillary Distance Measurement for Opticians and Eyewear Stores
Banuba, a leading provider of augmented reality (AR) solutions, is excited to announce the addition of a cutting-edge pupillary distance (PD) measurement feature to its Face AR SDK. This new functionality accurately gauges the distance between the centers of a user's pupils, enabling reliable applications for both medical purposes and virtual eyewear try-on.
Banuba’s PD measurement doesn’t require any special devices or referential items (e.g. credit card) in the frame. This means it is more user-friendly, accessible, and safe.
Pupillary distance is a critical measurement in the field of optometry, as it directly impacts the fitting and effectiveness of prescription eyewear. Accurate PD data ensures that lenses are correctly placed in front of the wearer’s eyes, enhancing visual comfort and clarity. With Banuba's new feature, users can seamlessly obtain their PD, making it easier than ever to order glasses online or consult with eye care professionals.
In addition to the pupillary distance measurement, Banuba’s Face AR SDK also includes a camera-to-face distance measurement tool. This feature has already been successfully utilized by Eyebou in collaboration with UNICEF to help diagnose sight issues in over 10,000 orphans. By combining these advanced tools, Banuba continues to pave the way for accurate and accessible eyewear solutions/
"This addition not only enhances virtual try-on experiences but also supports essential medical applications, empowering users to take control of their eye health," Artem Harytonau, CTO at Banuba said.
Banuba remains dedicated to advancing AR technology for practical applications that improve everyday life. The integration of these features underscores the company’s mission to innovate and provide valuable solutions across various sectors.
About Banuba:
Banuba is an augmented reality company with over 8 years on the market, pioneering face tracking, virtual try-on, and virtual background technologies. Banuba provides software development kits (SDKs) for augmented reality and video editing, as well as ready-to-integrate solutions for virtual try-on on face, hair and hands.
Announcing the Jobs Working Group for VRARA Members
Based on member requests for the VRARA to offer some type of job placement/matching capability, we are forming a "Jobs Working Group" that will be comprised of VRARA members who are interested in contributing to creating a program through the VRARA that will benefit our members and employers.
If you are interested in being a member of the working group and contributing your ideas please email john@thevrara.com
The working group will start Mid-September and will last for approximately 1 month.
PICO to present at our Education Summit on Sept 19 (Best in EdTech, XR, AI)
Rob Pereira of PICO will present at our VRARA Education Summit 2024: Best in EdTech, XR, AI, a virtual LinkedIn Live event on Sept 19 with 1000s of attendees.
Over the past 12 months, PICO has firmly established itself as a leading provider of enterprise VR hardware and solutions, particularly within the education sector. PICO’s commitment to transforming learning experiences through innovative technology has seen PICO partner with schools and institutions across the globe, bringing immersive education to life.
Why Attend the Pico session at our VRARA Education Summit 2024?
Real-World Success Stories: In this session, we will dive into some of the most impactful educational projects we've been involved in across the US and Europe and where PICO’s technology is making education more immersive and engaging. From large-scale deployments to tailored solutions for individual schools, you'll hear first-hand how XR is being used to enhance learning outcomes.
Tailored Solutions for Every School: Whether you're managing a large institution or just beginning to explore XR in your classroom, PICO’s presentation will offer valuable insights. We’ll discuss the challenges and successes of integrating XR in education, offering inspiration and practical tips for deployments of all sizes.
Looking Ahead: Be among the first to learn about PICO’s upcoming products and solutions designed specifically for education. We’ll share PICO’s roadmap for the future, highlighting how PICO’s new offerings will continue to support innovative teaching methods and create more engaging learning environments.
Join PICO at VRARA Education Summit 2024!
This is an essential session for educators, administrators, and tech leaders looking to harness the power of VR in education. Don’t miss the opportunity to see how PICO can help you take the next step in your educational journey.
Register for our VRARA Education Summit 2024
About our Event
Our annual VRARA Education Summit will have 30+ speakers and 1000s of attendees on LinkedIn Live. Our past LinkedIn Live summits had up to 3260+ registrations - Europe (3260+ registrations) and Enterprise (2500+ registrations) and generated 1000+ LIVE audience during prime time speaking spots). LinkedIn has 1 Billion users and 57M orgs are listed on LinkedIn, and our event helps our Members and Sponsors elevate their brand and get them established as an authority in the industry.
Mass Virtual Named to Inc. 5000 for 2nd Year; Ranks No. 604
Orlando, Florida. August 28, 2024 – Inc. recently announced that VRARA Member Mass Virtual, a leader in scalable, enterprise-wide XR solutions, ranked No. 604 on the 2024 Inc. 5000, which annually showcases the fastest-growing private companies in America. This prestigious ranking provides a data-driven look at the most successful companies within the economy’s most dynamic segment—independent, entrepreneurial businesses. This is the second consecutive year Mass Virtual made the list.
“This achievement wouldn’t be possible without our incredible team,” said John Brooks, Mass Virtual CEO. “Their passion, creativity, and dedication have fueled our growth and positioned Mass Virtual as a leader in the XR industry. We’re just getting started.”
Since being named to the Inc. 5000 list last year, Mass Virtual has continued its upward trajectory, realizing a remarkable 49% jump in ranking from 1190 in 2023 to 604 this year. This growth has been driven largely by efforts to support the Air Force through the enterprise-wide deployment of Virtual Hangar, a customized version of its MassXR platform.
“This achievement reflects our deep commitment to scaling our capabilities and delivering exceptional value to our partners within the defense sector,” said Brooks. “As we continue to lead the charge in immersive technology, our focus remains on improving human performance and driving impactful outcomes.”
In addition to the Inc. 5000 recognition, Mass Virtual was also named a 2024 Best Places to Work in Orlando for the second consecutive year. This honor reflects the commitment to fostering a positive and supportive work environment, where team members are empowered to innovate and excel.
About Mass Virtual: Mass Virtual is a leader in extended reality (XR) solutions, dedicated to transforming training and enhancing human performance. By leveraging cutting-edge XR technologies, Mass Virtual creates immersive, effective, and scalable training solutions across various industries. Their commitment to innovation and excellence positions them at the forefront of the XR industry, providing robust platforms and tools that empower organizations to achieve their training and educational goals.
