See Lufthansa, Volvo, Hugo Boss, TUV Nord, WURTH, Mondelez, others speak at our Best of Europe on March 21

We are looking forward to our Best of Europe: XR, AI, Immersive Tech event on March 21! Our event will bring together key leaders & innovators in the XR, AI, and immersive tech space in Europe, offering unique insights and perspectives on the latest developments in the industry, including spatial computing and Apple Vision Pro. Our speakers include Lufthansa, Volvo, Mondelez, Hugo Boss, TUV Nord, WURTH, and 20+ others.

We are hosting our event on LinkedIn Live. We chose LinkedIn Live as our platform because of the huge reach of LinkedIn, 1 Billion users! We expect 1000s to participate in our event and already have 1800+ registered. You will be able to network and connect with the speakers and attendees during the 3.5 hour event. Participants include Zeiss, Siemens, Airbus, Allianz, BMW, Bosch, Deutsche Telekom, Merck, Meta, Microsoft, Novo Nordisk, Sony, Volkswagen others!

See the Speakers and the preliminary Program, and register here​

Featured Speakers include:

• Gilad Scherpf, Lufthansa Group

• Timmy Ghiurau, Volvo

• Gregory Hough & Alison Bingham, Mondelēz

• Kerem Torun, Hugo Boss

• Rahel Lorenzen, Sofatutor

• Silvia Arnoldi, WURTH

• More to be confirmed soon!

• And 20+ speakers, see here​

If interested to speak or sponsor, please email kris@thevrara.com

Thank you, and see you (virtually) on March 21!

VRARA Partners with Industrial IMMERSIVE Week

The VRARA is proud to be supporting the 2024 Industrial Immersive Week on March 5-7 at Hyatt Regency West in Houston, Texas. VRARA members receive 25% off ,email info@thevrara.com to obtain your discount code!

For the sixth year in a row, the Industrial XR Forum is returning to bring together industrial, energy & engineering immersive tech leaders, software developers and VR / AR / XR, Spatial Computing, 3D and Digital Twins solution providers to share first-hand experience, insight and advice for implementing and scaling immersive tech programs in enterprise operations.

VRARA President Nathan Pettyjohn will be leading the “Bridging the Industrial Skilled Workforce Gap with XR & AI” session on Wednesday, March 6 at 2:30pm. Save your spot today!

XPANCEO to develop first laboratory optic testing system to accelerate smart contact lens production worldwide

XPANCEO, a deep tech company that is developing the first smart contact lenses with XR vision, health monitoring, and content surfing features, has announced a successful proof of concept for the world’s first augmented reality holographic lens testing system, marking an essential step towards progressing from Apple Vision Pro to the next generation of computing – XR smart contact lenses. The system allows for the reproduction of AR experiences in various situations such as sports, gaming, navigation, enabling safe immediate tests without the necessity of trials on humans. Moreover, the company assessed the production cost for this setup, which will be approximately just $100,000. 

According to Dr. Valentyn S. Volkov, XPANCEO’s co-founder and scientist with an h-Index of 38 and over 8000 citations in leading international publications, “The primary focus for us during this year will be the production of new prototypes and enhancing the current ones, so such optic testing system is a pivotal step towards the first all-in-one XR smart contact lenses. This system will allow XR industry players to evaluate such parameters as the field of view, the brightness of the virtual image, the gradient of intensity across the field, changes in image contrast due to the different weather conditions, and more, which will speed up the development process and may lead to growth in the smart lenses market. ”

The startup has the proof of concept ready for implementation, with an estimated 8 months development period for the device. Currently, there is only one device on the market with relatively similar functionality to test AR and VR glasses. This device can only test 30% of the necessary parameters and costs approximately $300,000. Testing all these parameters is essential before declaring that the product meets all the requirements and is ready for clinical trials and market launch. XPANCEO’s testing device fully meets the requirements to test all essential parameters. This installation is crucial for objectively evaluating lens prototypes and understanding the quality of the reproduced image, marking a significant advancement in research for the whole industry.

This setup will be able to evaluate the following key parameters for testing smart contact lenses:

• Field of View (FOV) 

• The brightness of the virtual image. The calculation can be based on the projector's brightness or hologram DLE. Optical system transmittance can be measured by gauging power. Calibration to the brightness of a pixel in the virtual image (e.g., screen-diffuser) with a measured brightness allows for the measurement of absolute brightness. This requires a stable source and an opaque black hood (housing) over the entire measuring system.

• Contrast, a metric reflecting the ratio of the brightness of the green color of the image to the background. This requires a camera, a lux meter, a white screen with a diffuser, and a dimmer with altered power.

• The gradient of intensity across the field (digital image processing). This parameter helps determine the permissible percentage of the gradient.

• Line sharpness (cross-section). This assesses the image’s sharpness.

• The micro projector’s permissible angle of inclination.

• Changes in image contrast during various weather conditions.

Five Days Only, Free Course for VRARA Members: How to Build and Publish Your Mixed Reality Game on Meta's App Lab

In collaboration with Meta, XR Bootcamp launched its first Mixed Reality course on Udemy in December. Now boasting over 4,300 students, the course centers on the Mixed Reality game GorillaZilla, designed to instruct on developing Mixed Reality games using Unity and the Meta Presence Platform. ***XR Bootcamp is offering this course free for VRARA Members. Email info@thevrara.com between February 21-26th to obtain discount code.****

How to Create Mixed Reality GorillaZilla Games with Meta

If you're thinking whether you could create your own Mixed Reality game like GorillaZilla, the free course offers instruction on using Unity and the Meta Presence Platform to craft an engaging Mixed Reality experience, and further guides you through publishing on the App Lab. For aspiring developers, publishing a project and gathering feedback and reviews from players will prove to be invaluable assets for your career.

What’s Special About GorillaZilla?

The game uses the Mixed Reality Capabilities of Meta’s Presence Platform that will all be taught in the course. This includes: 

• Passthrough

• Scene Understanding

• Smart Object Positioning

• Hand Tracking

• Controller Support

• Interactions

• Movement

• Body Tracking

• Eye Tracking

• Face Tracking

• Voice and Audio Detection

What You'll Learn

You will learn how to create a Mixed Reality Game in Your Living Room with Meta's Presence Platform.

Specifically, you will:

• Learn to use Passthrough, Scene Capture, and Scene Model.

• Integrate spatialized audio for an immersive audio experience.

• Learn to use Spatial Anchors and position content across sessions in your home.

• Learn to use Interaction SDK, Hand Tracking, Voice SDK, Tracked Keyboard, and Audio SDK

• Use Movement SDK to track your body, face, and eyes and enhance your social experience.

• Prepare and release your Mixed Reality game on Meta's App Lab.

Have You Played GorillaZilla Yet?

Turn your entire living room into a concrete jungle and experience being a raging monster as you’re attacked by humanity!

Key Features:

• Engage in an epic battle across your whole apartment.

• Defend yourself precisely in a 360-degree battlefield as enemies close in from all directions.

• Use your hands to grab, smash, and throw objects with precision

• Roar like a Gorillazilla and eat magic donuts to double your strength!

The game is optimized for Quest 3 but can be also comfortably playable on Quest 2. Please note that this is a demo game, crafted to facilitate learning through the Mixed Reality Course on Udemy.

Play GorillaZilla from Meta Quest App Lab.

Who is behind GorillaZilla?

Creator of GorillaZilla:

Stephen Rogers is a developer and innovator in the VR/AR space, and a winner of the Meta Presence Platform Hackathon with his title "Submersed". Celebrated as one of the Top XR Enablers. Rogers has founded 4th Wall Breakers, a video game studio dedicated to creating unique VR and AR titles. His work includes Brushwork VR and Pillow, nominated as one of the Most Innovative Apps on the Meta Quest store. He is also working on CoasterMania, a Mixed Reality game that has become a viral sensation.

Instructor of Mixed Reality Udemy course:

Sean Ong is a thought leader with publications on a range of topics from holographic computing to the economics of clean energy systems. Co-founding several XR startups, including Laborbot and Manuvr Entertainment Inc., Ong's YouTube channel @SeanOng boasts over 50k subscribers. Since 2020, he has been a Master Trainer at XR Bootcamp, supported by a team of Meta engineers to develop this course.

Reviews and Feedback from Students

Here are genuine testimonials from our Mixed Reality course students of various levels on how it helped their project development.

"I just completed the course, and it was truly fantastic! The course was carefully designed to meet the expectations of anyone interested in Mixed Reality. Not only did the content provide valuable information, but it also allowed us to reinforce concepts with engaging practical examples. One of the greatest advantages of the course was the clarity in explaining topics and the abundance of practical examples that made it easy to apply the learned knowledge. Meta’s Presence Platform serves as an excellent starting point for those looking to develop their Mixed Reality projects." - Hüseyin E., Unity Developer

"Step by step processes is awesome. The instructor has structured the course so that it's simple to follow along, even if you're a beginner. He helps you understand exactly what you're doing, why you have to follow that step, and alternatives related to the step. In that way, you're learning more about the various technical capabilities and limitations of the system, and creates a better understanding of the full end to end process. I'm really enjoying this course so far" - Chesway Slabbert, User Experience Researcher at Human Computer Interaction (HCI)

"Completed a new course based on the latest Mixed Reality implementation with the Meta Quest 3 and their Presence Platform. Thank you so much XR Bootcamp for setting this up in an easy to follow manner. Next steps would be to create my own experiments in XR!" - Mohit S, Spatial UX Designer at Palatial

About XR Bootcamp

XR Bootcamp is a global online academy, offering skill-to-job beginner and advanced XR development courses. Curricula are developed and taught by award-winning VR, AR, and MR professionals. XR Bootcamp's cutting-edge courses are for designers, game developers, managers, and coders who want to learn how to prototype XR Applications and learn AR, VR, and MR development. XR Bootcamp further supports the XR Creators community with free and open access to knowledge, peer-to-peer learning, and networking opportunities. XR Bootcamp is proud that alumni leave outstanding reviews and work at companies like HP, Autodesk, Accenture, Samsung, Snap, Lockheed Martin, Harvard, USC, and Carnegie Mellon University.

https://xrbootcamp.com/

VRdirect Introduces AI to Revolutionize Virtual Reality Project Creation

Munich, February 19th, 2024 - VRdirect, a pioneer in the Virtual Reality (VR) software sector, today unveiled an advanced AI feature within the VRdirect Studio software, setting a new standard in VR project creation. This transformative generative AI feature allows users to produce 360° images for VR projects directly within VRdirect Studio, eliminating the conventional need for camera-captured 360° scenes.

This leap forward in creative process simplification is poised to deliver substantial business impact for VRdirect customers. By significantly reducing the time and resources required to create immersive VR experiences, businesses can now even more rapidly deploy engaging VR content, enhancing customer engagement and driving increased revenue opportunities.

Transforming Ideas into Immersive Experiences

 The VRdirect Studio's new "AI Background" button simplifies the creation of 360° images. Users just input a scene description – also known as prompt – and the artificial intelligence generates the image, offering five unique styles for full customization out of the box. This feature empowers creators to design 360° images that align with their project's aesthetic and objectives seamlessly.

Incorporating these images into VR scenes, along with interactive elements such as videos and buttons, creators can swiftly progress from concept to completion. This not only enhances the creative experience but also accelerates the production cycle, enabling businesses to quickly respond to market demands and customer expectations.

Value Creation for Businesses

By streamlining the content creation process, companies can focus on storytelling and immersive content strategies without the technical barriers traditionally associated with VR production. This ease of use invites a broader range of industries to explore and integrate VR solutions, from training and onboarding to showrooms and virtual tours, thereby expanding their digital presence and engagement strategies.

Moreover, this innovation allows for the cost-effective scaling of VR projects. Businesses can produce a higher volume of VR content without the need for expensive equipment or specialized skills, dramatically lowering the entry barrier for high-quality VR content production. The ability to quickly iterate and customize VR experiences enables companies to offer tailored experiences to their customers, fostering deeper connections and enhancing brand loyalty. 

All these VR experiences are seamlessly accessible through a native application on the most popular VR headsets (including Meta, HTC, and Pico), in addition to iOS and Android devices, and even via any web browser. This integration ensures that scaling VR projects is more efficient and user-friendly than ever before.

A little gaze into the Future

"VRdirect's commitment to enhancing its suite of AI-powered tools underscores the company's dedication to innovation and customer success. As VR technology continues to evolve, VRdirect is at the forefront, offering solutions that not only meet the current demands of VR content creation but also anticipate future trends and opportunities." comments Dr. Rolf Illenberger, CEO of VRdirect, regarding the new function.

About VRdirect

The Munich based tech company VRdirect (www.vrdirect.com) is is a leading developer of virtual reality software, simplifying the creation and distribution of immersive VR experiences. With a focus on user-friendly solutions, VRdirect democratizes VR content creation, enabling businesses across various industries to bring their virtual visions to life effortlessly.

VRdirect enables enterprises to create VR projects without prior skills or training (think “Powerpoint for VR”) and share VR projects across a wide range of ecosystems ranging from web-browser to iOS and Android smartphones and tablets as well as VR headsets from Meta, Pico and HTC.

VRdirect supports enterprise customers along the entire process of developing and implementing global-scale VR strategies and roll-out.

For further information, please contact:

Carsten Lackner
Managing Director

carsten.lackner@vrdirect.com
www.vrdirect.com

See the Preliminary Program & Speakers for our Best of Europe: XR, AI, Immersive Tech

We are looking forward to our Best of Europe, a virtual event on March 21 with 30+ speakers!

The event is hosted here on LinkedIn Live. We chose LinkedIn Live as our platform because of the huge reach of LinkedIn, 1B users! You will also be able to network and connect with the Speakers and Viewers during the 3.5 hours of our event. We expect 1000s to participate in our event and already have 1700 registered. As we know with virtual events, majority register the day of the event!

If interested to speak or sponsor, please email kris@thevrara.com

Participants include Volvo, Zeiss, Siemens, Mondelez, Hugo Boss, Airbus, Allianz, BMW, Bosch, Deutsche Telekom, Merck, Meta, Microsoft, Novo Nordisk, Sony, Volkswagen, others!

Our event will bring together key leaders and innovators in the immersive tech, spatial computing space in Europe, offering unique insights and perspectives on the latest developments in the industry. Join us for best and brightest in VR, AR, and other cutting-edge technologies shaping the future of the digital world.

FEATURED SPEAKERS & PROGRAM:

Gilad Scherpf, Lufthansa Group

Apple Vision Pro: Game Changer for XR Acceptance? An Aviation Use Case

Timmy Ghiurau, Volvo

Talk title: Snap back to reality, here comes gravity.

Talk description: The automotive industry is one of the first to fully embrace mixed reality, and is already changing the way cars are engineered, designed, repaired, sold and driven. However, we are only scratching the surface of unlocking the full potential of the XR technology within the automotive ecosystem. As technologies like hardware, infrastructure and visualization further develop, the industry will see a democratization of benefits affecting everything from sustainability to safety.

Donato De Ieso, Co-Founder & CEO of dilium. Plus, Apple Enterprise Italy!

Spatial Collaboration: Revolutionizing Teamwork with Apple Vision Pro

Future of collaborative innovation with our groundbreaking solution - Immersive Collaboration. This approach seamlessly integrates 3D prototyping into collaborative environments, fostering creativity and efficiency. Client is a famous Italian luxury brand! Co-presenter is Apple Enterprise Italy 👏

Danny de Bruijn, Co-Founder and CXO, Warp VR and Ana Ilievska, Warp VR

How to use AI to Create Story-Based Immersive Learning Scenarios

AI is transforming so many sectors, including the training industry. There are many ways AI can assist in creating, playing and analyzing immersive training programs. In this talk, we will focus on how AI can help to create these training programs, specifically looking at story-based and branching narratives. After this talk you know which prompts to use to help you create realistic and engaging branching scenarios with clear learning goals. We will share several examples and help you get started quickly to embrace this exciting technology.

Antonio Squeo, Co-Founder, Hevolus

Synergizing AI and XR: Pioneering Future Business Innovations

The session explores the convergence of AI and XR in shaping innovative business solutions. Once viewed as distinct—AI, misunderstood and underutilized, and XR, narrowly associated with the Metaverse—both technologies have now captured the market's imagination. The simplicity of ChatGPT has unlocked AI's potential, while advancements in XR devices, including Apple's Vision Pro headset launch, signal a revitalized interest in immersive experiences. We'll discuss how AI and XR can transition from competing technologies to collaborative forces, offering businesses novel ways to engage customers and revolutionize processes. Discover how this synergy can lead to creating unparalleled experiences and driving future innovation. The Customer is WURTH.

Thomas Hoger, Co-Founder, 3spin Learning with TÜV NORD

No-Code & AI: Now everyone can be an XR creator

Gregory Hough & Alison Bingham, Mondelēz

The Consumer and XR: Using XR to Understand Consumer Behavior

XR opens up different ways of understanding the consumer and their behavior in the FMCG space. What can be done to enable a deeper knowledge of the consumer using XR and how can it integrate with current research methodologies?

Rahel Lorenzen, Sofatutor & Tom Kolokithas, Tomako

Enabling Meaningful Remote Team Events With VR

We will show how the edtech company Sofatutor is using the Meta Quest 3 for remote team events and what results survey data shows us.

Prof. Tsinakos & Chrysoula Lazou, IHU

Immersive Educational Ecosystem

Real cases of Immersive Studies and applications from the school environment to PostDoc Research. Sharing best practices and success stories of studying in the metaverse.

Fabio Codebue, Creartivity.io

ArtShell WebXR for Museums

A solution developed for Artshell. Artshell is a fully integrated art management system, designed for galleries, collectors and artists that allows the creation of exhibitions in VR, such as Ecoedile Virtual Exhibition, via a simple web interface.  Case study: Nembrini's Private Collection

Kerem Torun, Hugo Boss

See more here

Mohamed Karim Azizi appointed VRARA Tunisia Chapter, Announces First Event

The VRARA is excited to announce that Prof. Mohamed Karim Azizi has been appointed to the role of the VR/AR Association (VRARA)Tunisia Chapter President.

Prof. Mohamed Karim Azizi was born in Tunis, Tunisia, in 1979. He received the Master Degree in Telecommunications from Supcom, Tunisia in 2008, and Ph.D. degree in Electronics from Faculty of Sciences of Tunis, Tunisia in 2013.

He is currently an Associate Professor in electronics at Higher Institute of Multimedias Arts of Manouba, University of Manouba, Tunisia. Where he has been teaching since 2009.

His present area of Interest is Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, Video Games Development and Game Design.

Presently, he is in Charge of Video Game Development Program at Higher Institute of Multimedias Arts of Manouba.

Prof. Azizi has hit the ground running, already announcing the chapter’s first event for the university students, Immersive Education: Learning Potential with Augmented Academics.

VRARA London Updates: Join us at Best of Europe and IT²EC. Plus, spotlight on Uvisan.

We are here to keep you up to date on upcoming events and news for VRARA London members and partners. If you have something to share contact us at londonmarketing@thevrara.com

In this edition you’ll read about VRARA’s Best of Europe event in March and the return of IT²EC in April. We also have an article from Uvisan who share a white paper on UV-C technology.

Best of Europe: XR, AI, Immersive Tech

THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 2024: 9:30 AM 12:30 PM

Join us for Best of Europe: XR, AI, Immersive Tech, our VRARA Europe Summit, a virtual event on March 21, 2024. We expect 1000+ people!

Register here

If interested to sponsor, please email londonmarketing@thevrara.com

Our event will have 30+ speakers and bring together key leaders and innovators in the immersive tech space in Europe, offering unique insights and perspectives on the latest developments in the industry.

IT²EC

VRARA is an official partner of IT²EC, Europe’s largest annual International training technology exhibition and technical conference where technology evolution shapes the defence training of tomorrow. Held at the London, ExCeL from 9-11 April 2024. Registration for IT²EC is now open and VRARA Members will receive discounts to attend - email info@thevrara.com

In addition, we are excited to announce the highly-anticipated return of the DisTec Challenge! In collaboration with Dstl IT²ECproudly presents the ‘Pixels and Personalities: Realising the social aspects of a future virtual classroom’. We are calling upon companies or individuals across all sectors, particularly those pioneering AI-driven tutoring and virtual classroom technologies, to join us in refining training methodologies and technologies for the future workforce, which aim to address real-world issues faced by today's end-users. If you possess groundbreaking solutions poised to meet this challenge, we invite you to submit your entries here: by March 8th 2024.

Member Spotlight: Uvisan

Uvisan, the UK’s leading UV-C disinfection specialist, has created an eBook packed full of useful information about UV-C and its applications in VR. Learn about how UV-C works, how pathogens are transferred from surface to surface, why UV-C is more effective than wipes and much more. To download your free copy, follow the link below.

https://www.uvisan.com/uvcvr

Do you have a story to share?

If you have a story to contribute for the VRARA London Chapter newsletter, contact John Dowsland at londonmarketing@thevrara.com.

John has many years of experience in content management & distribution for film, music and corporate communications, and currently works in calibration technology. In 2018 he joined the board of Cinema Technology Community CIC, and he has been involved in the VRARA since 2022.

Thanks for reading! Click here to Get in touch.

Greg Ladd Joins VRARA as Dallas Chapter President

Please join us in welcoming Greg Ladd to our team as the VRARA Dallas Chapter President.

Currently serving as the SVP of Sales and Alliances at GameDriver/XRDriver, Greg is an accomplished enterprise sales leader with more than 20 years of achievement in data-driven and on-demand software solutions. He is a dedicated process-oriented sales coach committed to building successful sales teams, delivering revenue growth & achieving overall team performance.

For the past 12 years, Greg has been working with a group of Venture Capital and Private Equity investment firms to build out commercial operations for their portfolio of start-up software companies. 

Greg holds a Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts in Marketing and Management Information Systems from the University of Tulsa. He also serves on the boards of international non-profits and provides mentoring to emerging business leaders. Personal Interests include language studies and travel.

“I am excited to be joining the VRARA because I believe the DFW area is uniquely positioned to be a global leader in XR innovation.

Building on our industry-leading contributions in telecom, aerospace, defense, life sciences, transportation, and retail; our diverse community of expertise will help fuel the next generation of AR/VR collaboration, creativity, and adoption”

— Greg Ladd

Vahé Karamian Appointed as VRARA LA Chapter President

We are thrilled to have Vahé Karamian join our team as the VRARA LA Chapter President.

Vahé is the CTO of Noorcon Inc., a consulting firm concentrating on full-stack application and Digital Twin technology development, specializing in delivering enterprise solutions and platform engineering for training in Healthcare, Education, and Manufacturing facilities. Vahé is also a lecturer at California State University, Northridge (CSUN), where he lectures on Computer Graphics, HCI (Human Computer Interaction), and Software Engineering. Vahé is also part of several start-up initiatives designing and developing A.I. and Mixed Reality technologies to solve unique problems in healthcare.

“I am honored and excited to be joining VRARA as the LA Chapter President, and look forward to aligning LA with the action and the definitive growth of VR/AR globally.”

— Vahé Karamian

Job Opportunity: Senior Teaching Fellow in Games Design & Development, Coventry University

Are you a games design and development wiz? Are your Unreal/ Unity skills next level? Do you have experience leading teaching and learning in games?

Then come join our vibrant community in the Creative Technologies at Coventry University, UK. Coventry University's diverse provision in the creative technologies includes not only our BA (Hons) Games Design and Development, but also undergraduate provision in Games Art, Animation, Digital Media, Visual Effects and postgraduate courses in Game Studio Development and VR/AR.

We are looking for a Senior Teaching Fellow in Games Design to lead our undergraduate BA Games Design and Development course. Email Dr Bianca Wright, Cluster Lead: Creative Technologies for information or apply on the link below:

https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/3829324358

VRARA Partners with 1st Annual PowerSource Global Summit

We are pleased to support the PowerSource Global Summit which will take place on February 25 – 29 at the World Center Marriott Orlando.  VRARA Members can take advantage of a special 30% discount off of the full conference rate.  Email info@thevrara.com to obtain your discount code, register, and don’t forget to visit our exhibitor booth during the event!

Our very own Central Florida Advisory Board member Carol Ann Dykes will be moderating both Cyber Security Breakfast Sessions, covering Enterprise Security and The Future of Nation State Security.

About the Summit

Our conference is intentionally multigender and multicultural, taking great care to have representation from a multitude of cultures, backgrounds, and perspectives. We invite highly educated, innovative, and tech-savvy professionals to join us as we spotlight successful thought leaders and share important keys that will open doors for current and future leaders to ensure that the sky is no longer the limit for women or humankind.

Industry Leading Speakers

Our conference will feature a lineup of industry-leading speakers who are at the forefront of technological innovation, bringing their expertise and insights to inspire and empower attendees.

Expo Booths & Career Fair​

The Powering the Metaverse STEAM conference offers exhibitor booths and a dynamic career expo, providing attendees with valuable opportunities to connect with leading companies, explore career options, and discover innovative products and services.

Exciting Events & Great Venue

The Marriott World Center in Orlando, Florida, our chosen event venue, offers a wonderful combination of luxurious accommodations, state-of-the-art facilities, and a convenient location, providing a perfect setting for attendees to learn and play.

Register Today!

Dr. Robert Masson Appointed to the VRARA Central Florida Board of Advisors

The VRARA is excited to announce that Dr. Robert Masson has been appointed to the Board of Advisors of the VR/AR Association (VRARA) Central Florida Chapter.  Dr. Masson is a world renowned neurosurgeon who has been in practice for 36 years and is the founder of the Masson Spine Institute in Orlando.

In addition to being a spinal microneurosurgeon,  Dr. Masson is also a pioneer in developing new technology in surgery.  He has developed spine implants, technology, procedures and enabling technologies, focusing on least invasive surgery and maximum functional recovery. He has served on advisory boards for microsurgical systems, stem cell research, radiological software, orthobiologics and sports injury treatment & prevention. In addition, he has developed, educated ,and influenced products for groups such as Sofamor Danek, Synthes, Depuy Synthes Spine, a Johnson and Johnson Company, Centinel Spine and Biedermann Motec.

Dr. Masson is also the co-founder and CEO of eXeX, a med tech company that has developed groundbreaking artificial intelligence and mixed reality software solutions that are dedicated to optimizing surgery organization and performance, superpowering surgical teams, making it safer, more efficient, and more accurate.  Its current technology platform has been utilized so far in over 1100 surgeries in 10 alpha test sites across both the US and UK.

“I am excited to join the VRARA Central Florida chapter advisory board in an continuing effort to explore and maximize the potential of XR and spatial computing in healthcare,” says Dr. Masson. “Our focus in surgical logistics and performance gives us a brilliant glimpse of healthcare at large and we look forward to the collaboration with other inspired leaders in creating the new frontier in the healthcare industry.”

“Dr, Masson is not only a global leader in the healthcare industry and has developed one of the first XR enabled surgical systems in production, he is also a passionate technologist and loves to sharing his knowledge and passion with our community,  We are very fortunate to have Dr. Masson join our advisory board and help steer the VRARA so that we can better meet the needs of our members,” adds John Cunningham, president of VRARA Central Florida and COO of VRARA.

VRARA Debuts New Logo

The VRARA is pleased to unveil our updated logo which includes a tagline “Where XR Meets Reality” and reflects our stated purpose which is a global member community where people come to Grow, Learn and Connect.

“When we first started the Association in 2016 we selected the name VR/AR Association because at the time those were the two primary technologies that were available”, says Nathan Pettyjohn, founder and President of the VRARA.  “The VRARA became the place where people would come to learn about the technologies and meet others who were involved in the ecosystem.  Over the past 10 years the technology has expanded to include terms such as Mixed Reality,, Spatial Computing and Extended Reality.  While the technologies have expanded and new terms have been adopted by the industry the purpose of the association has not changed which is to connect people who are interested in learning about the technologies and growing their personal networks.,  So we have added the new  tagline “Where XR Meets Reality” to reflect that purpose while adding the generally accepted term XR which includes all of the immersive technologies.

According to John Cunningham, COO of the VRARA : ”Five years ago most of us were trying to understand what VR and AR was and how it would be used in our businesses and daily lives.  Now the technology has matured significantly and most people understand what VR, AR, MR and Spatial Computing is.  While the technology will continue to evolve our members will continue to want to learn about the technologies, look for ways to apply it to their specific industry areas and connect with others in their industry areas.  Our events used to be focused on the technologies and how they work, we are now seeing our events focusing more around use cases in various industries. The addition of the tagline “Where XR Meets Reality” to the VRARA logo reinforces that the Association is about connecting people with the technologies and connecting people to people in both the real world as well as in virtual worlds.  It is really an exciting time to be in the industry and we are implementing ways to make the VRARA more valuable to our members and the industry writ large.”

We encourage our members to begin using the new logo effective immediately.  The assets can be found on the VRARA Members drive.  

Recap of our Apple Vision Pro for the Enterprise

We have weekly online sessions with presentations, live discussions, and networking to help you grow your knowledge and connections.

During today’s session hosted by Damon Shackelford and Cindy Mallory, we had 40+ participants who introduced themselves and shared their contact information. They discussed their backgrounds and areas of interest. The participants discussed Apple Vision Pro and the potential impact of the new technology, as well as concerns about battery life and price. They also talked about the use of prescription lenses and expressed concerns about the high price and technical faults of Apple's AR/VR device. The participants discussed collaboration, speeding up to market, and the capabilities of Vision Pro. They compared Vision Pro with generative AI and discussed the visualization of complex data and processes in VR. Use cases for VR and AR were also discussed, including avatars for enterprise meetings, VR tools for specific workflows, and VR in training and education. Concerns were raised about information overload in VR and the need for personalization. The participants also discussed stimulating creativity, interacting with VR and AR, and the importance of regulation and safety.

Participants included a longtime coach and head of agility for Visa and PayPal and digital platform director at Coca-Cola.

Discussion about using personal Apple IDs for work

• The developer release has MDM controls that can be used for enterprise purposes. The participants mentioned using personal Apple IDs for work and the timeline for implementing the new technology internally.

• The participants discussed their personal use of the new technology and the need for separate Apple IDs for work and personal use.

Discussion about the potential impact of the new technology

• The participants discussed the potential impact of the new technology and drew parallels with the adoption of iPhones in the past. They mentioned the need for a baseline and ROI measurement in the enterprise.

Discussion on VR and AR use cases

• The participant mentioned the potential use of VR avatars for enterprise meetings and reducing travel costs.

• The participant discussed the possibility of using VR tools like Arthur for specific workflows such as brainstorming and agile sessions.

• The participant mentioned the potential use cases of VR, including VR learning, well-being, personal computing, and co-working.

• The participants discussed the use of VR for training and education, highlighting its effectiveness in increasing engagement and adoption. They also mentioned the integration of AI and VR in the medical field.

Regulation and safety concerns

• The need for regulators to fine-tune the thresholds and limits of virtual reality and augmented reality technologies to ensure safety and prevent potential harm is discussed.

• The example of politicians in the USA not fully understanding the potential harm of certain technologies is mentioned.

• The importance of open discussion and considering different angles and use cases of virtual reality and augmented reality technologies is emphasized.

Kentucky Department of Education’s Monumental VR Deployment

Guest post from VRARA Member ManageXR.

Introduction

We are thrilled to announce the Kentucky Department of Education’s groundbreaking initiative – the largest school district-led VR deployment in the country! Dr. Shannon Putman Ph.D, an esteemed special education teacher and VR expert with over a decade of classroom experience, spearheaded this remarkable project. Starting with just 50 Oculus Gos and growing to 2,450 Meta Quest 2s, she has paved the way for the future of VR education across the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

About the Project

Fueled by COVID funds from the Career and Tech Education and Special Education departments, this initiative provides VR-based learning to Kentucky high schools, career technical education centers, and special education programs. With 30 technical centers spread across the state, this project reaches vocational schools offering a diverse range of career-focused tracks such as welding, HVAC, CAD, digital marketing, business, and healthcare.

Content 

The project boasts an extensive array of content designed to cater to diverse learning needs. Utilizing platforms like ENGAGE for a virtual campus, the students of Kentucky can virtually meet and collaborate in real time. CareerView XR, an immersive career exploration platform, provides students with job site field trips and job shadow experience. In addition, Dr. Putman has had tremendous success partnering with XReps. Together they created gamified football-based cognitive drills to make learning math more engaging, enjoyable, and accommodating to different learning styles. With a broad range of content, Dr. Putman ensures that every student benefits. 

Devices and Software

Choosing the right devices was crucial. After careful consideration based on price and features, the Quest 2 emerged as the ideal choice. To manage this vast deployment efficiently, Dr. Putman opted for ManageXR as the VR and AR mobile device management platform. The ease of remote management, control over updates, and detailed analytics were key factors in making this decision.

ManageXR allows educators to track and manage thousands of VR devices seamlessly, ensuring a smooth deployment process. The platform also enables remote content distribution, customization of home screens, and kiosk mode for multiple apps. ManageXR enabled Dr. Putman to create a custom and focused home screen, so students can easily access their learning materials.

Phased Approach

With a total goal of 5,400 headsets in schools all across Kentucky, the project is being executed in two phases. The first phase began in October 2023 deploying 2,450 devices across the state. In this phase, Dr. Putman and the educators of Kentucky focused on deploying to their career technical centers. By conducting a phased approach, they could learn what works and what doesn’t when deploying at scale to schools. She could then apply these learnings to improve execution in the second phase. The second phase is launching this month, January 2024, and will have a more direct focus on special education.

Conclusion

Kentucky’s Department of Education, under Dr. Shannon Putman’s leadership is pioneering a new era in education with the largest VR deployment in the state. This initiative not only showcases the potential of VR in the classroom, but also emphasizes the importance of adapting teaching methods to meet the needs of every student. We look forward to witnessing the positive impact this project will have on the educational landscape of Kentucky. Stay tuned for more updates as this innovative journey continues to unfold!

AWS Foundational Technical Review

The AWS Foundational Technical Review (FTR) is a crucial evaluation process aimed at ensuring that software and solutions adhere to AWS's well-architected best practices. This self-service review gives a comprehensive review of the architecture design, security measures, performance capabilities, and compliance with industry standards. With applicability at any stage of a cloud journey, the FTR process provides invaluable insights into the alignment of solutions with AWS practices.

The FTR process contains three key steps: reviewing architecture and operational practices, preparing necessary documentation and assets, and submitting a request through AWS Partner Central. Successful completion of the FTR process can lead to the acquisition of a “Reviewed by AWS” solutions badge, which opens the doors for eligibility for funding benefits and inclusion in various AWS Partner Programs, thereby enhancing visibility and credibility within the AWS community.

A notable success story highlights the significant impact of the FTR process on a reputed client’s operations. Through meticulous planning, architecture design, and implementation of best practices, the client’s organization successfully secured FTR approval, showcasing its commitment to security and continuous support. This approval led to their inclusion in the prestigious AWS Partner Solutions Finder, significantly boosting their business visibility and credibility within the market. The organization’s experience underscores the importance of embracing AWS FTR as a pivotal milestone, ultimately leading to increased recognition and success within the AWS ecosystem.

In conclusion, the AWS FTR process represents a critical milestone for organizations and businesses, offering an opportunity to showcase their expertise, adherence to industry best practices, and robust alignment with AWS standards. It not only demonstrates an organization’s commitment to excellence but also provides a platform to connect with a broader audience in the AWS community, leading to continued growth and success in the market.

At Travancore Analytics, the DevOps team excels in implementing cutting-edge processes and technologies to ensure seamless collaboration between development and operations. With expertise in setting up CI/CD pipelines, implementing thorough testing strategies, and proactive monitoring solutions, we drive successful deployments and maintain high-quality services. Our team specializes in fulfilling diverse AWS-related needs with precision and effectiveness, leveraging our deep expertise to optimize cloud environments and maximize operational efficiency.

Check here for the full article: 

https://www.travancoreanalytics.com/insight/aws-ftr/

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Augmented, Virtual and Mixed Reality Testing and Certification

In this article, learn how to enhance and demonstrate the safety of your augmented, virtual and mixed reality (AR/VR/MR) devices and equipment with VRARA member UL Solutions.

AR/VR/MR innovation and adoption

Advances in 5G and Wi-Fi 6 technologies combined with more affordable and compact devices and an influx of skilled software developers is driving rapid innovation and adoption of AR/VR/MR products. The market is expanding quickly, and analysts forecast that consumers will be using more than 100 million AR/VR/MR headsets and smart glasses by 2023.*

With the heightened demand for products such as head-mounted displays, holographic displays and VR simulators, manufacturers and developers are challenged with the task of balancing design and innovation with user safety.

Standards and requirements

New standards are required to help manufacturers mitigate the unique safety risks associated with AR/VR/MR products. These include concerns regarding potential safety hazards related to prolonged use of an AR/VR/MR headset, such as headaches and neck strain as a consequence of continually carrying equipment weight, or potentially adverse effects resulting from extended durations of exposure to harmful optical radiation sources.

In response, our non-profit affiliate, UL Standards & Engagement, established a Technical Committee (TC) to develop and published UL 8400, the Standard for Safety for Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality and Mixed Reality Technology Equipment. UL 8400 is the world’s first safety standard dedicated to spatial computing and extended reality equipment safety.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) adds UL 8400 to the NRTL Program's List of Appropriate Test Standards

On Jan. 16, 2024, OSHA announced the expansion of the scope of recognition of UL LLC as a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL).

Along with this expansion, OSHA also added thirteen safety standards to the NRTL Program's List of Appropriate Test Standards. The UL 8400, the Standard for Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality and Mixed Reality Technology Equipment, is one of the additional safety standards included that would apply to AR/VR/MR headsets in commercial and enterprise environments. For more information on this, please visit here.

Support from the VR/AR Association (VRARA)

We maintain strong affiliations with industry associations like the VR/AR Association (VRARA) to advocate safety that will help to advance VR/AR/MR technology. VRARA recognizes our efforts and support that all VR/AR/MR equipment demonstrate 3rd party certification by an OSHA National Recognized Testing Laboratory to UL 8400.

AR/VR/MR testing and certification

We provide a comprehensive range of testing and certification services for your AR/VR/MR products and add-on auxiliary equipment. Our experts can perform preliminary design evaluations and testing to UL 8400, as well as evaluate, test and certify to other local, national and international safety Standards such as UL/IEC 62368-1. We can help you understand evolving safety risks, demonstrate due diligence, protect brand liability and navigate market requirements to gain consumer confidence and launch innovative AR/VR/MR products to the global marketplace.