CGS to Keynote VRARA Forum on Creating a Connected Workplace and Accelerating Digital Transformation with Extended Reality (XR)

Post originally appearing on Global Newswire.

NEW YORK, May 23, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CGS, a global provider of business applications, enterprise learning, and outsourcing services, announced that its keynote at the VRARA Enterprise & Training Forum, on Wednesday, May 24, 2023, will address the business opportunity of combining XR with other next-generation technologies. To illustrate this, especially for those new to enterprise-level XR, the presentation will introduce Immersive Learning as a Service (ILaaS™) and describe how it removes barriers for enterprise organizations as they deploy and scale learning experiences with the support of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). The keynote will also showcase LaunchpadXR™, a framework designed for companies new to XR, which is wrapped around the ILaaS solution to help accelerate its adoption and integration.

How Integrated XR is Creating a Connected Workplace and Driving Digital Transformation will be presented by Doug Stephen, President of Enterprise Learning and XR at CGS, and Adam Shah of VMG Connect. Their remarks will educate audiences about the fast-growing market for augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) and how these technologies are driving digital transformation in the workplace and improved productivity.

“We’re on the precipice of extraordinary changes in how businesses leverage the best in their human capital through support by advancement in extended reality, the Internet of Things, and ChatGPT”, said Doug Stephen, President of Enterprise Learning and XR at CGS. “For any business leader interested in understanding how this race for innovation can positively impact your business and its people, I strongly encourage you to attend this session.”

Participants will also learn how implementing Immersive Learning as a Service (ILaaS) removes barriers for enterprise organizations as they strategize, launch, deploy and scale learning experiences with virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR).

The keynote takes place between 10:55 AM-11:15 AM. Click here to register.

About CGS

For nearly 40 years, CGS has enabled global enterprises, regional companies, and government agencies to drive breakthrough performance through business applications, enterprise learning and outsourcing services. CGS is wholly focused on creating comprehensive solutions that meet clients' complex, multi-dimensional needs, and support clients' most fundamental business activities. Headquartered in New York City, CGS has offices across North America, South America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. TeamworkAR, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Computer Generated Solutions Canada Ltd. For more information, please visit www.cgsinc.com and follow us on Twitter at @CGSinc and @LearningCGS and on LinkedIn. 

TeamworkAR: Make Everyone a Genius™
TeamworkAR is a platform that brings real-time digital transformation to on-the-job training, learning and support for any company, anywhere. From knowledge capture and transfer to collaborating with and assisting workers across skill levels, our goal is to make everyone a genius. By moving your workforce from a training room to real-world work in days rather than weeks, TeamworkAR increases productivity and success. Enhancing your own custom content through augmented reality, you can change how work gets done — for better.

With over 35 years expertise providing award-winning custom learning and development solutions for dozens of Fortune 500 companies including McDonald’s, Comcast, Toshiba, Medtronic and Maersk, CGS is a trusted partner in aligning learning strategy to measurable business results.

MEDIA CONTACTS
Escalate PR for CGS
cgs@escalatepr.com

Mark D. Tullio
mtullio@cgsinc.com

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New Masterclass from AREYES: Helping You Level Up Your AR Skills

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VRARA members receive 25% discount, email info@thevrara.com to obtain code.

AREYES, a creative technology studio that focuses on new formats of visual communication and builds unique digital experiences using AR/VR, has announced a new AR Masterclass: Development of a Commercial AR Product. See how the process of creating a commercial AR works from the inside, sharpen your AR skills and supercharge your professional development with 

Beginning mid-summer for a duration of four weeks, this masterclass is perfect for:

  •  A creative professional or an AR creator and want to improve your hard skills and build a solid career in the new economy

  •  A small team looking for the further growth opportunities

  •  A mature studio and want to set up or improve your XR department

Register today! VRARA members receive 25% discount, email info@thevrara.com to obtain code.

Industry leaders to Tackle the Next Stage of XR Industry's Growth at Augmented World Expo (AWE) 2023 Santa Clara, Hosted by The Virtual World Society

Seattle, WA (5/12/2023) - The Virtual World Society, a non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring the next generation of immersive technology is used for good, is excited to announce their sponsorship of an intimate executive breakfast gathering some of the leading minds in the field together to discuss the next stage of the XR industry's growth. They will be exploring insights and solutions to some of the biggest opportunities facing the industry today. 

The breakfast will take place in partnership with the VR/AR Association (VRARA) and AWE leadership at Augmented World Expo (AWE) on June 1, 2023. Closed to the public and press to allow for open and exploratory discussions, highlights of the discussion will be shared with the wider public the following day at Tom Furness' and Alvin Graylin's AWE fireside chat + a longer report after the event. 

The community is being asked to get involved with a social media poll in advance, asking them for their input on what the "brain trust" should discuss; questions from the public will be incorporated into the breakfast discussion. 

This executive breakfast is just one of many efforts supporting the VWS' commitment to creating impactful, positive change in the world of immersive technology. This "brain trust" includes thought leaders such as Alvin Graylin of HTC, Hugo Swart of Qualcomm, Neal Stephenson of Lamina 1 and Philip Rosedale of High Fidelity & Second Life. 

Tom Furness says, "As we enter a new era of spatial computing, it's particularly important that we take the time to stop, review, and collaboratively discuss our collective way forward for the benefit of humanity. The Virtual World Society is convening and hosting an intimate gathering of the best minds in our industry to discuss the next generation of our industry and explore some of the ways forward. We look forward to sharing the insights and recommendations coming out of it and believe this is a launching pad to a wider industry discussion." 

Contact: Dr. Angelina Dayton, Executive Director, The Virtual World Society 

Phone: (918) 822-0850 

Email: Angelina.Dayton@virtualworldsociety.com 

Press are invited to the session close (9am on June 1) at the entrance to the Great America Room. About the event: 

Attendees: 

● Alvin Graylin (VWS, HTC) 

● Angelina Dayton (VWS) 

● Avi Bar Zeev (RealityPrime) 

● Damon Hernandez (Mixx Reality, XR Guild) ● Hugo Swart (Qualcomm) 

● Jenna Seiden (Niantic) 

● Jeri Ellsworth (Tilt 5) 

● Leslie Shannon (Nokia) 

● Linda Ricci (VWS) 

● Nathan Pettyjohn (VRARA) 

● Neal Stephenson (Lamina 1) 

● Neil Trevett (Khronos Group, NVidia) ● Ori Inbar of (AWE) 

● Philip Rosedale (High Fidelity, Second Life) ● Sophia Moshasha (VRARA) 

● Tom Furness (VWS) 

● Tony Parisi (Lamina 1) 

● Dr. Yu Yuan (IEEE)

About the VWS: 

The Virtual World Society (VWS) is a global network of pioneers, developers, resources, events and organizations that are committed to advancing the power of virtual worlds for the good of society. 

For more information please visit www.virtualworldsociety.org. 

About The VR/AR Association (VRARA): 

Founded in 2015, the VR/AR Association is a global member community of the best minds in virtual reality and augmented reality with chapters in major cities across the world designed to foster research, develop standards, and promote and connect members. 

For more information please visit www.thevrara.com. 

About AWE: 

AWE’s mission is to further human progress through technology, and harness the power of XR to fight the greatest challenges facing humanity. Since there is no greater challenge today, we have committed to do all that we can to leverage our platform and community in service of fighting climate change and its effects. 

For more information about one of the XR industry's most important conferences and expos, AWE, please visit www.awexr.com 

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Why we picked Orlando for our Immerse Global Summit 2023

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Our Immerse Global Summit 2023 (IGS 2023) will happen in Orlando, Oct 17-19.

Why we picked Orlando and why you NEED to be there:

  • VRARA Orlando Chapter is our top Chapter globally

  • Leading region in the U.S. for building the foundation of the Metaverse with its MetaCenter

  • Existing huge simulation & training industry ($6 Billion!) with U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine, Lockheed Martin, Siemens, CAE, many others

  • Largest concentration of VR/AR faculty and researchers from all U.S. universities (and UCF's Game Design Program Ranked No. 1 in the World and EA Sports Orlando office)

  • No. 1 Fastest-growing City for Entrepreneurs

  • Rising Star” City of Tech Employment and Job Growth

  • Talent rich, with 550,000+ higher education students within 100 miles

  • Other top industries include:

    • (1) Healthcare: CVS,  AdventHealth;

    • (2) Tourism, Entertainment, Hospitality: Disney, Universal, Sea World). Orlando is leading the U.S. in tourism (60M visitors every year with a $31B economic contribution);

    • (3) Aviation and Aerospace: US Air Force, JetBlue, United Airlines

    • (4) Insurance industry: Liberty Mutual, AAA, etc

    • (5) IT and photonics 

    • And, Florida is home to the second-largest medical device manufacturing industry in the U.S., second-largest pharmaceuticals manufacturing industry and the fifth-largest biotech R&D industry.

  • The climate and weather, and so much to do! We will have so much fun!

Register, apply to speak/sponsor at IGS 2023 Orlando, here

Read more: 

Orlando Mayor opens 2,500 metaverse jobs aimed at reinforcing Orlando as the MetaCenter

Fueling Orlando Tech Innovation with Digital Twins

Orlando Sets Out to Cement Itself as the Center of the Metaverse

Orlando is hot technology center for VR/AR

CORTEXR spatial tracking scales attention metrics in XR industry

What is ‘attention’ and why is it important to the XR industry?

‘Attention’ as a cognitive process has played a surprisingly important role in the evolutionary success of humans. Our attentional operating system gave our ancestors an unfair advantage as they emigrated from Africa thousands of years ago and remains fundamental to our understanding of the world and our communication with each other. Auditory attention is always on, in standby mode, as an early warning system against potential dangers – even when we’re asleep. Visual attention, on the other hand, is a serious bit of hardware which commands two thirds of the brain’s computing power to concentrate on specific things and gain deeper understanding. Visual attention (referred to as just ‘attention’) is part of the broader Attention Economy and a priority for the XR industry. Attention is therefore one of the key metrics of human behaviour in XR which we need to understand. What are people looking at in AR and VR environments and how can we use attention metrics to grow the XR industry?

How is visual attention measured in AR/VR environments?

The two main approaches to measuring attention in Extended Reality are eye tracking (also known as gaze tracking) and spatial tracking (device movements in 3D space). Eye tracking typically uses inward-facing sensors (i.e. internal cameras) in HMDs to collect data on pupil size, gaze vector, eye openness etc. Spatial tracking uses device sensors (i.e. accelerometer and gyroscope) to collect 6DOF spatial data on head (HMD) and hand (mobile) orientation, location and movement. Both eye tracking and spatial tracking are used by the XR industry to measure visual attention in multiple sectors, from Education and Training to Media and Entertainment, albeit in very different ways. Eye tracking offers qualitative data in select HMDs at a high price point whilst spatial tracking delivers quantitative data across all HMDs and mobile devices at a low price point. So how do the different technologies compare?

How is eye tracking used to measure attention in XR?

Eye tracking software helps optimise HMD performance with dynamic foveated rendering, makes avatar interactions more realistic and is used successfully in specific enterprise use cases. The human eye moves 2-3 times per second to build an understanding of a scene from target areas about the size of a coin at arm’s length and internal HMD cameras collect data on this visual scanning. The technology pre-dates XR so there are challenges with eye tracking as an attentional measurement tool in VR (let alone AR) applications. Firstly, there isn’t empirical evidence that gaze tracking corresponds with cognitive processing i.e. just because someone’s eyes point at something doesn’t mean they’re actively processing the information. Secondly, eye tracking software isn’t scalable with limited HMD integration and isn’t available on 1 billion+ AR enabled mobile devices. Thirdly, eye tracking requires specialist software and advanced data analytics skills to extract insight. This means the adoption of eye tracking technology to measure attention in Extended Reality experiences is relatively low with the Future of XR and Metaverse Measurement Study finding only 4% of companies involved in XR are using eye tracking as a measurement tool. So what is the alternative?

How is spatial tracking delivering attention metrics in XR?


Spatial tracking is an Internet of Behaviour (IoB) approach to scaling data analytics in the XR industry. Accelerometer and gyroscope sensors available in all HMD and mobile devices collect millisecond data on user location, orientation and movement in 3D space. XYZ device movements track head (e.g. VR HMD) and hand (e.g. AR mobile) positions in 6DOF experiences to deliver surprisingly accurate data on what people are looking at. This is achieved with AI and Cognitive Science which makes sense of the velocity, variety and volume of spatial data. The good news for the XR industry is that spatial tracking is a proven approach to delivering attention metrics at scale with companies like Coca-Cola, WPP, Clear Channel, Mondelēz International and Yahoo successfully measuring visual attention in AR and VR experiences. Identifying which areas in VR scenes or AR objects get the most attention – and the order and sequence of areas viewed – is essential insight which is now available for all XR projects.

What are the benefits of spatial data analytics for XR industry? 

Spatial tracking is a scalable attention measurement tool which can be implemented – today – across all Extended Reality projects. CORTEXR is leading the way with an end-to-end data analytics solution which is:

  1. Agnostic of device (HMD and mobile), platform (3D engines and XR platforms) and content (AR, VR and Metaverse). 

  2. Scalable across all projects via plug-in for 3D engines and XR platforms (Unity is live with Three.JS and A-Frame in the pipeline).

  3. Standardised metrics of human behaviour in XR to measure, analyse and optimise performance of large data sets across all projects.

  4. Accessible to everyone as no coding is required and prebuilt dashboards deliver insights regardless of level of data analytics expertise.

Attention, a cognitive process which is thousands of years old, is an evolutionary leap for the XR industry with studies showing that spatial tracking produces insights similar to eye tracking. From a Cognitive Science perspective, the deliberate physical movements captured by spatial tracking correspond with higher levels of cognitive processing i.e. if someone actively looks at something, they’re making a cognitive effort to understand it. Eye tracking tends to grab headlines but spatial tracking is fast evolving as the scalable solution to data analytics for AR, VR and the Metaverse. 

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Fueling Orlando Tech Innovation with Digital Twins

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Learn more at our Immerse Global Summit in Orlando in Oct!

The CEO and President of Orlando Economic Partnership, Tim Giuliani, talks about the OEP/Unity partnership to develop the Orlando digital twin:

  • OEP’s roadmap, from first establishing a digital twin of the region to potentially using its real-time data to tackle city-wide issues/challenges

  • What integrated tech is fueling the project?

  • Closing thoughts on the Metaverse

Banuba Introduces a Ground-Breaking Skin Care Effect to Its TINT Virtual Makeup Try-On Platform

TINT now incorporates a skin care effect feature to demonstrate the realistic short- and long-term impacts of non-decorative cosmetics usage.


Banuba's TINT, a leading try-before-you-buy platform for beauty products, has expanded its feature set with virtual skin care products. These cosmetics are designed to be invisible upon application, but TINT can display the short- and long-term effects of their use.

TINT already boasts several unique features, including automated seasonal color analysis, personalized AI makeup recommendations, and the most realistic product color representation, and the fastest cosmetics digitization on the market (up to 48 hours for the entire collection). The skin care effect feature is another major distinguishing feature. What customers visiting brand’s website gain from using skin care effect in TINT:


  • Unique product interaction opportunities that can’t be gained through pictures in print or digital catalogs;

  • Impressive visualization of non-decorative products on each individual’s face;

  • Short- and long-term results of new beauty regimens;

  • Personalized product recommendations based on their skin condition.


This new interaction allows brands to personalize the user experience and showcase non-decorative beauty products in a way never seen before. It can potentially bring more sales, raise website/app engagement, and increase average order value. The skin care effect feature is founded on Banuba's extensive experience in AI face segmentation and tracking. The built-in AI precisely locates facial features and shows how blemishes, wrinkles, and other skin issues disappear in a natural and organic way. The algorithms have been trained to work with people of all skin tones and reliably perform even in low-light conditions, in line with TINT's objective to be accessible to the widest range of users.


The skin care effect feature will be available to all current and new TINT customers once it passes its final testing stage. To learn more about TINT virtual makeover, watch a short video that covers the most important aspects in under three minutes.

About Banuba:


Banuba is an augmented reality company with over 7 years on the market, pioneering face tracking and virtual background technologies. Its other products include a virtual try-on SDK for makeup, glasses, hats, jewelry, etc.; Face AR SDK – a software development kit for various AR applications; Video Editor SDK – a compact and feature-rich mobile kit for video editing.

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IIT Jodhpur introduces XR Design: A Master's in Design (MDes) Program that Prepares Students to Contribute to a Five Trillion Dollar Opportunity

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IIT Jodhpur introduces XR Design: A Master's in Design (MDes) Program that Prepares Students to Contribute to a Five Trillion Dollar Opportunity

  • According to a McKinsey report, applications of XR have the potential to create a five trillion-dollar (about four hundred lakh crore Rupees) value by 2030, which is greater than India’s GDP today

  • IIT Jodhpur is unique in offering this program across all centrally funded technical and design institutions in India

  • The XR Design program is open to students from various backgrounds, including graphic design, architecture, and engineering

JODHPUR, 5 -May-2023: Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur  is proud to announce the starting of a new Masters's in Design (MDes) program called XR Design from the academic year 2023-24. This is in accordance with the Government of India’s mandate to create manpower in the areas related to AR/VR technologies. This innovative program is designed to prepare students for the rapidly evolving field of extended reality (XR) design. XR Design is a unique program that blends traditional design principles with cutting-edge technology to prepare graduates for the future of design. 

Applications for the XR Design program are now open. For more information about the program and how to apply, please visit https://sola.iitj.ac.in/xr-design/. For institute-sponsored seats, admission to the first semester of the academic year 2023-2024 commencing in July 2023, the online link will remain active till 21st May 2023. For self-sponsored seats, admission to the first semester commencing in July 2023, the online link will remain active till 14th May 2023.

The program focuses on teaching students how to design immersive experiences that incorporate virtual, augmented, and mixed-reality elements, for a variety of applications such as training in healthcare and retail, automotive simulations, digital twins in manufacturing, remote collaboration in workplaces as well as gaming and entertainment.

"XR Design is a response to the growing demand for designers who can create immersive experiences that go beyond the limitations of traditional modes," said Prof. Santanu Chaudhury, Director, IIT Jodhpur. He further added, "The program will equip graduates with the skills they need to create meaningful and engaging experiences that will change how we interact online."


The XR Design program is open to students from various backgrounds, including graphic design, architecture, and engineering. Students will work with industry-standard software and hardware, such as Unity, Unreal Engine, Maya, and various headsets, to create immersive experiences.

IIT Jodhpur is unique in offering this program across all centrally funded technical and design institutions in India. “I think this course is good and timely. Students need to go beyond traditional mobile and web UX as the future is beyond it,” says Keyur Sorathia, Associate Professor at IIT Guwahati. 

The program will be steered by a select group of knowledgeable faculties–many of them from other IITs–and industry experts who have come together expressly to make this program a success.

"We are thrilled to offer this exciting new program to students who are passionate about design and technology," said Dr. Farhat Naz, Head, School of Liberal Arts, IIT Jodhpur. She further added, "XR Design is an excellent example of our commitment to providing students with the education they need to succeed in a rapidly changing world."

The program builds on other pioneering initiatives of IIT Jodhpur such as the AR/VR MTech program, iHub Drishti–Technology Innovation Hub (https://ihub-drishti.ai/) focussed around Computer Vision, Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality, and JCKIC’s projects to make crafts of Rajasthan virtually accessible to the world (https://kalaanubhav.com/)

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About IIT Jodhpur

The Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur was established in 2008, to foster technology education and research in India. The institute is committed to technological thought and action to benefit the economic development of India. Scholarship in teaching and learning; scholarship in research and creative accomplishments; and relevance to industry are three driving forces for us at IIT Jodhpur.

IIT Jodhpur functions from its sprawling residential Permanent Campus of 852 acres on National Highway 62, North-Northwest of Jodhpur towards Nagaur. This campus is meticulously planned and envisioned to stand as a symbol of academics. A large parcel of the Permanent Campus (of about 182 acres) is set aside for the development of a Technology Park to strengthen institute-industry interactions.

The institute is committed to a multidisciplinary approach of technology development. Hence, it has established state-of-the-art laboratories for basic research and has organized its academic degree activities through Departments and its coordinated research through Centres for Technologies.

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Follow IIT Jodhpur on:

Twitter: IIT Jodhpur

LinkedIn: IIT Jodhpur

Facebook: IIT Jodhpur

Instagram: IIT Jodhpur

______________________________________________________________________________

MEDIA CONTACT FOR IIT JODHPUR

Bhavani Giddu - Footprint Global Communications

Cell: 99995 00262 / Email: bhavani.giddu@footprintglobal.com

Nita Samantaray - Footprint Global Communications

Cell: 87637 27091 / Email: nita.samantaray@footprintglobal.com  

Akhil Vaidya - Footprint Global Communications

Cell: 98821 02818 / Email: akhil.vaidya@footprintglobal.com


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Kerry Persen of Meta appointed as Co-Chair for VR/AR Association's Education Committee

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We are thrilled to have Kerry Persen join the leadership for our Education Committee and help lead our community.

Kerry works on the Global Policy Campaigns and Programs team at Meta and is focused on AR/VR, particularly on its application to education and upskilling. Kerry is excited to engage with the VR/AR education community on the future of the space and the opportunities to develop the AR/VR ecosystem for education.

Kerry  is a Security Fellow at the Truman National Security Project and an affiliate at the Center for International Security and Cooperation. She has previously worked at the Institute for the Future and at RiceHadleyGates LLC, a strategic consulting firm led by former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, former National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley and former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. She has also been a Minerva Fellow at the U.S. Institute for Peace, a Fellow at the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs at Georgetown University, and a Fulbright Scholar in Indonesia.  

Kerry received her Ph.D. from the Department of Political Science at Stanford University, where her research was supported by the National Science Foundation, the Horowitz Foundation, and the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START), among others. She graduated summa cum laude from Bowdoin College with a double major in Government and Economics. 

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VRARA Portugal Chapter: We are back with our local meetups!

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Technology meetups have become a crucial component of developing local ecosystems in the technology industry. These events bring together professionals, curious individuals, business and technology developers, and other ecosystem agents to learn from one another and exchange experiences through networking. The knowledge-sharing that takes place at these events can lead to new collaborations, business opportunities, and ultimately drive the growth of the industry.

After a long break from in-person events due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are excited to announce the return of technology meetups in Lisbon. Our events, as always focus on Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality and the metaverse, technologies that are changing the way we interact with the world. Attendees have the opportunity to connect with industry experts, learn about the latest advancements in the field, and network with like-minded individuals.

We invite everyone to join us for this exciting event and be a part of the technology community in Lisbon. Whether you are a professional in the industry, a curious individual looking to learn more, or a business developer seeking new opportunities, this event is for you. Follow our social profiles now to receive update about future events and be a part of the future of technology.

Check out some photos from our second event of 2023 at Axians in Lisbon with speakers from Axians, SAP, Infinite Foundry and Metaphoric!



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VR Voyaging Joins the Virtual Reality Augmented Reality Association

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VR Voyaging, a news and review site focused on travel and cultural heritage, has joined the Virtual Reality Augmented Reality Association (VRARA) through the Seattle Chapter.

VR Voyaging focuses on non-gaming uses of virtual reality, especially immersive experiences that are interactive, educational, and culturally enriching. They publish articles about how VR works, thoughts about the current and future state of the technology, and interviews with creators in the field. They also maintain a database of nearly 200 VR applications that align with their focus, many with in-depth reviews. Finally, the site also keeps track of real-world exhibits and events that feature VR at museums and other venues. They are especially proud of their use of Google Maps technology to show the real-world places that are recreated in the apps they catalog and review.

Arian Kulp, founder of VR Voyaging, said, “There's a common view that VR is mostly for gaming and niche training applications. I think that if more people were aware of the immense opportunities to learn about our world through immersive experiences, adoption would increase by leaps and bounds as entirely new segments of people saw the value.” In addition to joining VRARA, Kulp is a former Microsoft MVP, has served as the director of K-12 STEM program the Oregon Game Project Challenge in the past, and has extensive experience with software development in the field of healthcare.

ABOUT VR VOYAGING:

VR VOYAGING is a media web site specializing in articles, reviews, and events relating to travel and cultural applications of virtual reality.

For more information about this topic, please visit https://www.vrvoyaging.com/about-contact or contact arian@vrvoyaging.com.

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VRARA Seattle Chapter Event Recaps and Updates

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April AND May have been packed with the first in-person events since March 2020. Don’t miss the upcoming event on May 11 at the Expansive, keep reading to learn more.

Seattle Chapter in-person at last!

We had a successful reactivation of in-person events for the Seattle Chapter on April 20 with a hands-on user-test party of the Seattle Time-travel Adventure Tour, currently in beta and coming to the App Store soon. In true Seattle fashion, in 45-degree rainy weather, the team of Fair Worlds walk small groups of attendees through the experience. Thank you Erik Horn, Todd Little and Jordan Kellogg for walking and sharing your stories with all of us. Joe Gabriel and Trond Nilsen thanks for joining.
And to the chapter advisors Dan Collin and Boaz Ashkenazy for stopping by and sharing the wet cold memorable experience with all of us, thank you so much.

Here are some photos of the Seattle Center Time-Travel tour we so much enjoyed.


Virtual Event HOW TO CHOOSE A SOCIAL VR PLATFORM FOR YOUR EVENT – April 27 recap

It was great to see so many of you for our virtual event last week: How To Choose a Social VR Platform For Your Event presented by Drew Stone  of Locusium.  It was chock-full of great questions (and answers!) such as: why even hold an event in VR?  Drew walked us through the advantages and challenges as well as the ever growing social VR platform landscape.  Keep an eye out for more programming on this topic.  Drew will be returning for hands-on, in-VR training sessions for several platforms. 

If you were not able to attend the discussion live, you can find the recording on the VRARA Youtube channel here.

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Drum roll please! – in-person with Snap Inc – May 11

BattAR up: from VR to AR.  Join us on May 11, 6-8 pm, IN-PERSON for Snap To It: AR Beyond Snapchat, at Expansive 's gorgeous office space in Pioneer Square and AV and music provided by Wunderland Events.

This AR fest will be full of demos and lively conversation with Snap Inc's Global Head of AR Developer Relations, Joe Darko, and Global Head of Learning, Stacey Long-Genovese PhD. Get the latest news on how Snap is breaking out of the Snapchat eco-system with AR mirrors and their AR SDK for iOS, Android, and now web. Local Seattle Snap Lens Network Partners Novaby AR Studio and DB Creations will demo some of Snap's latest and cutting-edge effects including games, landmarker lenses, real-world physics, and Spectacles. 

Roberto Haza, Founder of Xtended Reality Advisory and VRARA Seattle Chapter President, and Julia Beabout, CEO of Novaby AR Studio and VRARA Seattle EVP of Partnerships and Community, are excited to host and share with the community why Snap is widely considered to be among the best and most innovative AR technologies on the market today. There will be fun, merriment, and info for all including AR/VR creators, developers, enthusiasts, and customers alike.  

Register for our next event: Snap To It: AR Beyond Snapchat

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Many more events lined up for the rest of 2023. From big data for good, to the very first regional event in partnership with the VRARA Vancouver Chapter, to unique opportunities available only to VRARA members later in the year.

We are looking forward to seeing all of you. Join and grow being part of the VRARA community in Seattle. Submit your inquiry here https://www.thevrara.com/membership-details



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Reality+'s Cinematic VR Piece "The Werewolf Experience" to be Featured @ Cannes!

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Reality+'s Cinematic VR Piece "The Werewolf Experience" to be featured in the Fantastic Pavilion at the Cannes Film Festival and Market. On display from May 16th-24th Reality+ and Belgium production company The Pack will share a booth and exhibition of their work in the Rivera pavilion booth J1.

"Such an amazing opportunity to showcase our piece at the grandest festival and market in the world," said Christopher Morrison the founder of Reality+ and the director of the piece. "Showcasing narrative VR is a tough sell and we're thrilled that the awesome people behind the Fantastic Pavilion allowed us space for a narrative VR piece."

The Werewolf Experience is a branching narrative where the user plays as a werewolf running through 1850's gold rush California. The user is trying to catch the holy white stag in order to cure themselves of their lycanthropy but the townspeople know your secret and are chasing you while you chase the stag. The Werewolf Experience also features a unique immersive element... the user must use their own voice to howl like a wolf in order to trigger the branches in the story. Their decisions lead to one of three endings.

See you in Cannes!

Cybersecurity Assurance Readiness (CSAR) Prepare Tool Launches to Accelerate the Path to ATO Approval for DoD Vendors

Ingalls Information Security’s Government Programs Team is thrilled to announce the launch of Cybersecurity Assurance Readiness (CSAR) Prepare, a software automation tool that streamlines and simplifies the path to Authorization to Operate (ATO) approval. Launched today, “CSAR Prepare” is the first prototype and Minimum Viable Product (MVP) available for use and it supports the Prepare and Categorize System steps of the Risk Management Framework (RMF). Lowering the barrier to Assessment & Authorization (A&A) entry and acting as a precursor to eMASS, CSAR Prepare accelerates the RMF Prepare Step, automating AF mandatory ATO forms, and enabling users to keep pace with RMF requirements.

Ingalls understands the unique challenges surrounding the DoD ATO process, which is why the Government Programs Team developed CSAR with the long-term mission to help small businesses that don’t know how to start the A&A process get on the right track.

Ingalls won a USAF Simulators Innovation Pitch Day Competition in December 2020 to build a prototype tool for accelerating applications through the A&A process to achieve an ATO. After performing usability tests with the various training prototype applications, it was soon realized that CSAR had a broader, enterprise-wide use, not just for training applications, but for any application going through the A&A process.

Ingalls took the most frustrating and difficult part of the RMF process and automated it. In CSAR, AF mandatory forms such as the ITCSC, PIA, and PCIL are mapped so that you answer once, and it maps to many. The repeatable and sustainable A&A services in CSAR are much more scalable and responsive than traditional methods. The CSAR Prepare process can cut up to 20% of time creating complete and accurate forms, which leads to higher acceptance rate into the Authorizing Official workflow.

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Admission Window for School of AI & Data Science Announced

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School of AI and Data Science, IIT Jodhpur, India in collaboration with iHub Drishti Foundation, the Technology Innovation Hub (TIH) at IIT Jodhpur, India invites applications for admission to the part-time M.Tech. in Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality (AR & VR) for Working Professionals for the Semester commencing in session 2023-24. Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality has been emerging as a core technology with a significant impact on productivity. To cater to the immediate requirement of working manpower trained in emerging AR & VR technologies, IIT Jodhpur & TIH iHub Drishti Foundation, IIT Jodhpur offers a part-time M.Tech. Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality. It is designed to enable working professionals to pursue M.Tech in AR-VR Technologies as off-campus students with campus immersions not exceeding 15 days per semester. 

a. Link to website: https://ihub-drishti.ai/mtecharvr/ 

b. Link to apply:  https://oa.iitj.ac.in/OA_PG_ADMISSION/ 

c.  The minimum duration of the programme will be two academic years. 

d. Qualifying Degree: B.E./ B.Tech./M.Sc./MCA in any discipline.

e.  "The programme will be conducted by faculties from different IITs and Industry experts"

 f. Features of the Program:

● Impart in-depth knowledge and analytical and experimental research skills to solve AR & VR systems problems
● Provide knowledge of several tools for the design and modeling of AR & VR applications and immersive experiences
● Develop the ability to cultivate technological solutions for addressing the growing demands of AR & VR systems

g. Advertisement 𝐏𝐃𝐅: https://iitj.ac.in/uploaded_docs/3.%20Admission%20to%20%20M.Tech%20%20in%20Augmented%20Reality%20and%20Virtual%20Reality%20(AR%20&%20VR)%20for%20Working%20Professionals%20A.Y.%202023-24_05042023.pdf 

h. Curriculum: https://iitj.ac.in/acad_website/pg_curriculum/Concept%20Note%20on%20M.Tech%20AR-VR%2014.6.2022.pdf 

i. Youtube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxPHWCJgOH0 

Last Date to apply:  May 15, 2023

In case of any query with respect to the online application form, candidates may contact: Office of Automation (oa_automation@iitj.ac.in). Other general queries may be directed to the office of the School of AI and Data Science, IIT Jodhpur. (Email address: office_saide@iitj.ac.in or hr@ihub-drishti.ai)


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Doug Hohulin Appointed as Co-Chair for VR/AR Association's Generative AI Committee

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We are thrilled to have Doug Hohulin help lead our community for Generative AI.

Doug brings extensive experience and expertise to the position, having worked for 33 years at Nokia/Motorola in Strategy, Business Development, Account Management, and Engineering roles. He is a Generative AI Consultant and Innovation Advisor and focuses on Generative AI, XR/Metaverse, Digital Health, Telehealth, Education, Telecommunication (5G/6G, WiFi, Cable/10G), Sustainability/Energy/Smart Grid, and Public Policy projects. Additionally, Doug frequently shares his knowledge on Generative AI through workshops, webinars, and panel discussions.

“I am excited to co-chair the AI committee because it provides an incredible opportunity to bring together professionals, researchers, and organizations to harness the immense potential of Generative AI in the XR domain. Together, we can innovate, collaborate, and drive the industry forward, paving the way for groundbreaking solutions that will reshape our digital experiences and interactions. The AI market is expected to reach $42.6 billion by the end of the year, growing at a compound annual rate of 32% to $98.1 billion by 2026, according to PWC/PitchBook Data Inc. This presents a significant business opportunity for those involved in Generative AI, and being part of this committee will enable members to stay at the forefront of this rapidly evolving industry, leveraging insights and networking opportunities to drive success and growth.”
— Doug Hohulin
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