WASHINGTON, March 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --Today, the XR Association (XRA), global law firm Perkins Coie LLP, and industry venture capital firm Boost VCreleased the results of the fourth annual Augmented and Virtual Reality Survey, which surveyed respondents from startups, enterprise technology firms, and investors in the XR industry in early 2020. The survey, conducted before the COVID-19 pandemic, concluded that plummeting hardware and software costs, increasingly impactful applications outside of entertainment, and the ubiquity of mobile devices are contributing to the rise of XR technologies.

Results indicated both expanding avenues for monetization and growing momentum for nearly every area of immersive technology's use. With applications ranging from sports, video games, and entertainment to healthcare, education, and disaster preparedness, it is evident that immersive technology will create significant opportunities across industries.

"Industry leaders are noticing tangible and significant advances in the adoption of AR, VR and MR across sectors, such as healthcare, education, workforce training, manufacturing including advanced manufacturing and retail," said Elizabeth Hyman, CEO of XRA. "During times of global economic uncertainty, feeling connected and maintaining efficiency and productivity are more important than ever. We are hopeful that the results of this survey demonstrate that the fundamentals are in place for a bright future of XR technology."

Additional key findings include:

These insights represent further progress toward XRA's mission of promoting the thoughtful advancement of XR technology globally. The survey indicates strong tailwinds, with nearly 200 professionals representing, showing stronger optimism for the future of immersive technologies than ever before.

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ABOUT THE XR ASSOCIATION The XR Association represents headset and technology manufacturers across the broad XR industry, including Facebook, Google, HTC VIVE, Microsoft, Samsung, and Sony Interactive Entertainment. The Association promotes the growth and development of the XR industry, fosters dialogue among public and private stakeholders, develops industry best practices, and provides education, training, and marketing information related to the industry.

ABOUT PERKINS COIE LLP Perkins Coie is a leading international law firm that is known for providing high-value, strategic solutions and extraordinary client service on matters vital to our clients' success. With more than 1,000 lawyers in 19 offices across the United States and Asia, Perkins provides a full array of corporate, commercial litigation, intellectual property and regulatory legal advice to a broad range of clients, including many of the market leaders in XR technology, products, services and content. The firm represents clients in identifying, anticipating and resolving legal issues raised by this developing technology, including corporate financings, IP protection, software licensing, privacy and data security, product liability, commercialization and content strategy execution.

About BOOST VCBoost VC is an early stage investor and accelerator investing in startups working with cryptocurrency, virtual reality, augmented reality, and space technology, among other technologies of the future. Boost VC has invested in over 250 companies from over 30 countries and aims to build an ecosystem of visionaries, leaders, mentors, and investors to build the future.

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XR Association Releases Results Of Fourth Augmented And Virtual Reality Survey - PRNewswire

XR is a term which has become more prominent in the last few years. It encapsulates virtual, augmented, and mixed reality topics. The definition of each of these has become saturated in the past decade, with companies using their own definitions for each to describe their products. The new IDTechEx Report, Augmented, Mixed and Virtual Reality 2020-2030, distils this range of terms and products, compares the technologies used in them, and produces a market forecast for the next decade.

The report discusses 83 different companies and 175 products in VR (virtual reality), AR (augmented reality) and MR (mixed reality) markets. This article specifically discusses the findings on the virtual reality market.

Virtual reality (VR) involves creating a simulated environment which a user can perceive as real. This is achieved by stimulating the various senses with appropriate signals. This is most commonly visual (via displays and optics) and auditory (via headphones or speakers) signals, but also increasingly involves efforts around haptic (touch) sensations. The generation of realistic virtual environments requires the generation of appropriate stimuli and systems to direct how the stimuli should change, whether automatically or due to user interaction. As such, this relies on a variety of components and systems including displays, optics, sensors, communication and processing, delivered via both hardware and associated software to generate this environment.

There are three main groups of VR headset - PC VR, Standalone VR and Smartphone VR. PC VR has a user interface & display worn on the body, but the computing and power are offloaded to the external computer. This is where most of the commercial hardware revenue is made today. Standalone VR is a dedicated standalone device (no tethering) with all required computing and components on board. Finally, smartphone/mobile VR uses the smartphone processor, display and sensors used to power VR experience, with only a very cheap accessory necessary to convert to VR. The report discusses the revenue split for these three sectors in full, and an example image is shown in the figure below.

Top image: Pixabay

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Virtual Reality: To Be or Not to Be? - IDTechEx.com

While watching television one night, I saw a commercial for home grocery delivery.

Soon, we wont have to leave our house for any reason, I said to my husband.

We can get our entertainment at home, and professional development and education through our computers. While going to the gym is nice, some of us have home gyms or use videos or online exercise classes. I can download books through free services from my public library or have a subscription service provide me with everything I want to read. Our news is delivered online. I can use TeleMed for many medical needs.

Then theres food delivery. In addition to the tried-and-true pizza delivery options, we now have companies like GrubHub and DoorDash. Retailers allow you to order online and have products delivered to your door. Need some clothing? Its just a click away. You can stay home and enjoy your worship service online or on television, too. Some organizations have allowed employees to telework, at least occasionally, for years. And now you can get your groceries delivered? Why would I ever need to leave home?

Fast forward a couple of months, and we are living this reality. I certainly never expected to have to stay home, but were doing it.

While its wonderful to live in 2020 and have these options, is it desirable? Some of us are introverts and we havent had to change our lives very much. We prefer staying home in solitude.

But those extroverts among us? This is not pleasant. We get our energy from other people so being forced to socially distance ourselves is negatively impacting us.

And what about our friends who dont work for trucking companies and grocery stores, especially those who own or work in small businesses and restaurants? There is an added stress to their lives wondering if their businesses will survive. Our health care community is under tremendous stress, but they will have jobs after the pandemic is over. Thats one thing they dont have to worry about.

So in this unprecedented time, how do we turn lemons into lemonade?

I think we first have to take care of each other. For your neighbors who cannot get out, can you get them groceries and touch base with them electronically. Reach out to your friends who live alone to make sure theyre OK. Find games to play remotely. We love Bananagrams at our house. I could play Bananagrams with my game in my house while you play in yours. Lets get creative about staying in touch. Go knock on windows of shut-ins. I see thats what many nursing homes are allowing.

A friend who is teleworking said shes holding virtual coffee hours with her staff. I love this idea!

Figure out how to support small businesses. Perhaps you can shop online with them. Birthdays and anniversaries still need to be celebrated, so consider purchasing from a small retailer for a birthday gift to be delivered. Youll make both the birthday boys day as you help out a small retailer.

Restaurants are adapting to this situation by offering curbside pickup. Think about using that option a couple times a week. If we dont support restaurants and small businesses during the next several months, they may not survive, and we dont want that.

We are living in interesting times. We will get through this, but will be different on the other side of this pandemic. Lets hope we have kept our humanity by taking care of others. While I can stay home and get all of my daily needs fulfilled electronically or through delivery, its not the way I want to live my life.

Lynne Richardson is the dean of the College of Business at the University of Mary Washington.

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RICHARDSON: Living and working in a new, virtual reality - Fredericksburg.com

For nearly two years, Eilat Lieber, director and chief curator of the Tower of David Museum in Jerusalems Old City, has been excited for this April, when Passover, Easter and Ramadan touchstone holidays of three major religions would collide for the first time in nearly two decades.

To prepare for the 400,000 or so tourists who had been projected to visit Jerusalem this April, the Tower of David Museum began collaborating with two virtual reality production houses Blimey, based in Israel, and OccupiedVR, based in Canada to create an immersive augmented reality experience for the crowds expected at its medieval stone citadel.

And then coronavirus shut everything down. Israel closed its borders to foreign visitors; all nonresidents are now banned from the Old City. So Ms. Lieber made the decision to put The Holy City, a virtual reality experience that lets viewers drop in on Jerusalems holiest sites and festivals, online for free starting April 9. Her move came as virtual reality experiences of holy sites across the globe are more readily available, allowing shut-in pilgrims of multiple religions a window into virtual worship in an unprecedented time.

We thought about the people from all over the world who wont be able to come here this year, and how we can bring the spirit of Jerusalem to them, Ms. Lieber said in a phone interview from Jerusalem. This year, all the festivals are canceled, but we can still show the beauty of Jerusalem to the world.

The Holy City, a documentary shot in stereoscopic, 360-degree virtual reality, takes viewers to some of Jerusalems most important religious events: the Holy Fire ceremony (the Orthodox Easter celebrations at the Holy Sepulchre); Ramadan prayers at Al Aqsa Mosque, and the priestly blessings for Passover at the Western Wall. The documentary consists of footage from the 2019 ceremonies as well as sweeping shots of Jerusalems archaeology and architecture.

One thousand miles south of Jerusalem, in Saudi Arabia, the annual Hajj pilgrimage which traditionally brings some two million or more Muslim faithful to Mecca has also been banned this year. Ehab Fares, the chief executive of BSocial, a digital agency in Cairo, said he could never have imagined that Mecca would be closed when he began working on an updated version of Experience Mecca, an app that offers a virtual walk-through of the Kaaba, Islams holiest site. He is aware that the timing will likely mean a spike in downloads. First released in 2017 through OculusVR, Experience Mecca uses 3-D modeling to give viewers a firsthand walk-through of Islams holiest city and the rhythmic circumambulation of the Tawaf ritual that bookends each annual Hajj.

The application is built by Vhorus, BSocials production arm, and its 2.0 version will be available for Google Cardboard, the technology giants virtual reality platform, before Ramadan begins on April 23.

The timing was purely coincidence, Mr. Fares said in a phone interview from Cairo. We were planning to release the updated version in June or July for the Hajj pilgrimage, but when the epidemic hit the world, the mosque and all the landmarks were locked and no one can enter. So I asked our team, please accelerate.

Mr. Fares says that Experience Mecca was not designed as a substitute for the Hajj, but in a time of lockdown, it does offer an opportunity to connect to the ritual. Its not a replacement for the real experience. But its educational and inspiring, and it gets you closer to the experience, he said.

And in Rome, where Holy Week usually sees crowds of tens of thousands, this year the Pope will preach to an empty pulpit. Catholics who would have otherwise attended Easter services, including Palm Sunday Mass, Good Friday commemoration and the Easter Vigil, have all been banned because of the coronavirus pandemic, but those who still wish to drop in to Vatican City virtually can do so via the Vaticans website, where a number of landmarks can be visited in 360-degree immersive panoramas, thanks to a 12-year collaboration between the Vatican and Villanova University.

If someone wanted to see these locations, or, better yet, if they wanted to get themselves into the spirit of their sacred season, they could set up a virtual pilgrimage to all the papal basilicas, said Dr. Frank Klassner, a computer science professor at Villanova who has helped oversee the project. More than ever, these experiences are very valuable right now.

For Nimrod Shanit, a Jewish Israeli who created The Holy City and co-directed it alongside Timur Musabay, a Canadian Muslim, theres also a silver lining to this homebound holiday season.

Jerusalem is a holy ancient city for Jews, Christians and Muslims, Mr. Shanit said. In times of crisis, people do look for guidance from something more powerful than they are. And if they are looking to connect virtually to their faith this year, I hope they wont see just their religion, theyll see how all three religions are sharing this moment, and this need for the power of spirituality.

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For Shut-In Pilgrims, the Worlds Holiest Sites Are a Click Away - The New York Times

Virtual reality is an innovation with boundless opportunities. These can be seen when it is combined with another tech to make new opportunities. At the point when paired with gaming, for instance, VR has empowered the user to enter the virtual universe of the game, for example, in an online casino where the user can enter a virtual casino from the comfort of their own home. When utilized in marketing, property developers can demonstrate houses to potential buyers any place they were on the planet.

We are living in an exceptional time. Information technology is changing basically every part of present-day society: how we work, play, learn and talk. The pace of the change is remarkable with the significant changes occurring on the size of years instead of decades or hundreds of years. One result of this unrest is an exponential growth of data rates and data volumes, mirroring Moores law that depicts the rapidly evolving technology that produces the data. Just as significant is the growth of information quality and data multifaceted nature.

Before IoT and analytics tools, data fit pleasantly on a spreadsheet and could, with a little creative mind, be exported visually in a chart or graph. Presently, in the time of Big Data, the activity of reading data often falls to data scientists who apply models to remove helpful insights from large data sets. Organizations that dont utilize data scientists may use third-party Software-as-a-Service products to churn through data.

Yet, imagine a scenario in which there was an approach to visualize huge data sets that in a flash uncovered significant patterns and trends. Consider the possibility that you would associate with the information, move it around, truly stroll around it. That is one of the lesser talked about promises of mixed reality. If engineers can deliver on the promise, it just might be one of the most significant enterprise applications of those rising innovations, also.

Despite the fact that its initial days, augmented reality and virtual reality could on a very basic level change the manner in which we interact with and decipher the information. Going ahead the impact points of the big data revolution, 3D visualizations in mixed reality are the correct tool at the ideal time to help decision-makers comprehend and gather insights from huge data sets. The innovation will open the intensity of big data in realms as unique as community health & medicine, agriculture, board rooms, and governments, and it could hasten the adoption of enterprise AR/VR, which has had a rough gathering up until now.

Things being what they are, a perception of the patterns and relations present in the data works much better when we are completely submerged in such a data space, taking a look at the data from the back to front as opposed to from the outside glancing in, just like the case in all traditional visualization approaches. This impact has been shown by various research studies in different domains. We are animals improved to manage the physical 3D world in which we are submerged, and our brains are best if we are looking for patterns in such a space regardless of whether space itself is abstract in nature.

Moreover, VR is a characteristic platform for collaborative data visualization and visual exploration. Users can interface with the data and with one another in a common virtual space regardless of whether they are continents apart in the physical world. Such connections are incomprehensibly better than any remotely coordinating experience. They are now nearly on a par with physically being there however, as the innovation improves they will be similarly as successful. Simply saving time, cost, and effort of travel is a great advantage in and of itself.

The next big application of VR technology will be consolidating it with Big Data to tackle the issue made by the constraint of human perception. The tremendous amount of data which is accumulated through user interaction is an amazingly incredible asset if it can be sorted into useful information.

Sorting this data is essential to settle on informed decisions in the competitive condition regarding online businesses. Conventional visual diagrams and pie outlines on 2D screens are not slicing it with regards to processing large data sets. VR hence gives an elective method for reviewing information by utilizing its immersive abilities to take care of complex issues. This idea is alluded to as data visualisation which includes making an immersive experience where the information models encompass you.

It utilizes smart mapping, smart routines, machine learning and natural language processing to find significant patterns and show them in the virtual environment, which would then be able to be customised by users. The primary explanation and reason for consolidating VR with big data are to improve the comprehensiveness of the immense amount of analytical data. One startup specifically has combined artificial intelligence, Virtual Reality and Big data to make a platform which permits users to analyze up to 10 elements of data.

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Combination of Virtual Reality and Data Analytics - Analytics Insight

the george washington hospital in washing D.C. is using innovative virtual reality technology to assess its first COVID-19 patient. co-developed by GWU thoracic surgical chief keith mortman and surgical theater a well-known developer of VR imagining software the video takes us inside a coronavirus-damaged lung.

the GW hospital is using virtual reality (VR) technology in the fight against COVID-19 as this technology enables the medical team to see into the patients lungs. this video in particular shows the lungs of an infected man in his late 50s who was transferred from another hospital after his initial symptoms escalated. in the video, the lungs are shown in translucent blue, with infected areas in yellow. the visualization highlights how the body reacts to COVID-19 by creating inflammation zones.

what were seeing is that there was rapid and progressive damage to the lungs so that he needed higher levels of support from that ventilator and it got to the point where he needed maximal support from the ventilator, said sr. keith mortman in an interview for the hospitals podcast, HealthCast. that was when the outside hospital reached out to our expert team here at GW and the patient was transferred to us for something called ECMO, which stands for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

there is such a stark contrast between the virus-infected abnormal lung and the more healthy, adjacent lung tissue, he continues. and its such a contrast that you do not need an MD after your name to understand these images. this is something the general public can take a look at and really start to comprehend how severe the amount of damage this is causing the lung tissue. the damage were seeing is not isolated to any one part of the lung. this is severe damage to both lungs diffusely.

juliana neira I designboom

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virtual reality (VR) technology in the fight against COVID-19 at george washington university hospital - Designboom

Liu Ye, Catherine Deneuve, 2012. Acrylic on canvas, 60 x 45 cm. Private Collection, Beijing. Photography: Roberto Marossi; courtesy of Fondazione Prada Milano

Fondazione Prada looks inwards and outwards for its virtual presence

On the back of show postponements, the Milan institutionhas amped up its virtual presence, offering a visual lab of creativity to keep the inspiration flowing. Across platforms including Vimeo, Youtube, Facebook and the website, Fondazione Prada is forming virtual exhibition experiences, opening up the archives, presenting video projects and more.Inner Views takes a visual dive into three recently-opened exhibitions: Storytelling, by Chinese painter Liu Ye, K, a multi-platform exhibition inspired by three uncompleted Franz Kafka novels and The Porcelain Room, exploring the historical significance of Chinese-exported porcelain. Here, the institution thinks beyond the gallery experience, offering new interviews and videos encouraging intimate engagement with the exhibitions and the creative minds behind them. In Outer Views, the foundation transcendsphysical and virtual walls, documenting thecuratorial contribution of Collezione Prada, including recent loans for major retrospectives of Donald Judd, Bruce Nauman and Richard Artschwager.fondazioneprada.org; instagram/fondazioneprada

Writer: Harriet Lloyd-Smith

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Art in a virtual reality: the platforms bringing exhibitions home - Wallpaper*

Homeworking is one of the things that has changed dramatically in thepast month of the coronavirus pandemic.

How do you organise or attend a conference from your own study and when there is a travel ban, for example.

One answer isto host a conference in virtual reality and if you have the technology to hand, like Ireland's VR Education PLC (), this period of enforced homeworking is set to be a company maker.

Dave Whelan, chief executive and founder of VRE, says his phones have been ringing off the hook since coronavirus restrictions wereimposed,with the company employing additional business development staff to handle the extra workload.

Two weeks ago, it ran a virtual conference for Taiwanese electronics group HTC.

The Hyve conference is normally an event with physical attendees, but as it was due to be held in China HTC asked VRE if it could host the event virtually.

Whelan says it had over 1,000 logged in atthe event through its virtual reality platform Engage.

Speakers and attendees from Europe and the US were able to interact naturally with visitors from China while over 1.1mln watched the live streaming of the conference.

Since then, it has been inundated with queries from event organisers through the world.

Because of the virus, organisers are really assessing how they have done business in the past and asking can we do this online in future, he says.

Whelan adds that a key advantage of its Engage VR platform is that it has a very low bandwidth requirement for conversations inside the platform.

We dont transmit video. What we transmit is positional data, which is a large text file, and MP3 audio.

For people, who cannot run a Skype meeting or video conference because of bandwidth constraints, Engage will work perfectly well, he adds.

Whelan believes the last couple of weeks have been a game-changer for the VR sector overall, which up to now has promised much but struggled to deliver.

VR headsets have fallen in price so you dont need a computer while a 5G connection works extremely well.

Anyone who has used Zoom and Skype for meetings knows they can get very busy, very quickly with people talking over each other.

Using VR, enables a meeting-style connection at home.

Engage uses3D spatial audio, he explains, so if you are in a group of 50 people in a virtual room and there is a presentation going on at the front, you can still lean over to the person next to you and whisper as if you were sitting next to them.

You can also draw on the virtual whiteboard or make a presentation, he adds.

Headsets are around US$400 each and can connect directly to W-Fi, while each 'virtual seat' on the enterprise version of the Engage platform costs US$300.

Originally, Engage was set up as an educational tooland here too business is flying at present.

Games activity has rocketed since the lockdowns and that has translated into big rises in the usage of VREs software.

A new game Space Shuttle Commander is due to come out shortly on best selling headset Oculus, but Whelan says Engage is also being used a social medium to help people keep in touch in the current situation.

Going forward, the prospects look bright.

Following the success of the Hyve conference, HTC wants to be become a reseller of VREs software in China and combine it with its own hardware.

Discussions areunderway with other large conglomerates including telecoms companies and hardware businesses.

Trading is going really well," says Whelan, adding thelast few weeks have been transformative.

"Now one saw this coming. We thought 5G was going to be the push for VR technology, but with the virus causing a lot of people to reassess how they work and communicate, now is the time that this technology is going to flourish."

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VR Education believes enforced home working will be game changer for virtual reality - Proactive Investors Australia

As technology allows workers to meet through video communication tools and conference call software, replicating real-life meetings or product demos can be challenging. That is where virtual reality comes in. Companies can use VR to hold meetings with both employees and customers and interact as if they were physically together.

Furthermore, VR technology can reduce the need to go to a new location for meetings, which also cuts the costs of commutes for employees as well as your companys carbon footprint.

VR meetings also help cut down on distractions, which keeps employees engaged and makes for more meaningful and productive meetings. For instance, MeetinVR allows users to move, point, sketch and interact with objects and people like in real life. This makes brainstorming and team-building activities that much more effective.

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While there are numerous resources and tools like Slack to keep colleagues communicating, a VR breakroom or lunchroom can encourage employees to make a more meaningful connection with one another.

VR technology can also be used to better cater to remote workers well-being. For instance, companies can design VR environments such as meditation rooms and quiet spaces.

Introverted employees can also look to gain a lot from VR meetings as it offers them a way to socialize and engage with colleagues, without the exhaustion that an in person meeting can cause.

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Virtual Reality Can Transform The Remote Workforce - Allwork.Space

Following the successful launch of Half-Life: Alyx, Hewlett-Packard has announced the next generation of the Virtual Reality HMD.

The next generation of the HP Virtual Reality HMD is being developed in collaboration with Microsoft and Valve. The announcement was made in the teaser featured above. While not much is known about it at the moment, its clear that they are trying to go head to head with Oculus Rift, PlayStation VR and the HTC Vive.

More details will be announced in the future. Its unknown if it will appear at major expos and conventions during the late Summer or early Fall season.

8Bit/Digiis an independent media outlet that provides an insight into the video game community and industry of theSan Francisco Bay Area.

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SUDBURY -- Researchers from around the world have been working non-stop, using a variety of tools, to come up with a treatment for COVID-19. Laurentian University's Stefan Siemann has those means at his fingertips.

Hes just one of several researchers that answered a call from the United Kingdom to study the virus using virtual reality.

"What I'm doing is I've shifted my focus from typical enzymology, so studying enzymes and proteins, to something particular related to COVID, to the new virus" said Siemann.

They're looking at potential molecular targets that could block a protein that is made by the COVID virus.

"You have to kind of imagine the virus itself, and related viruses like the AIDS virus and SARS virus, they make this giant protein and it's really non-functional, but what this protein that we're looking at does is it chops it into pieces and these pieces are absolutely vital to replication of the virus, so if you could block that from working, this particular protein that chops, then the virus wouldn't replicate so it's a very attractive drug targeted that's already been exploited with AIDS treatments and SARS treatments as well," said Siemann.

The hope is that something like this could work with the new coronavirus.

He anticipates that it could take another year for a vaccine to emerge, this is just providing researchers with additional avenues to take.

"If you can come up with pharmaceuticals that can bind and block this one protein from functioning, the virus is not replicating and eventually your immune system will pick up and eventually get rid of the virus."

The program he's been using has allowed him to immerse himself into the protein world, to visualize the cavity on COVID-19 they are trying to fill.

"It's like building lego with little fragments and pieces and block this big cavity and so when you do that, the protein will not work and it will not do the chopping so virtual reality allows you to dive right in," said Siemann.

He first became aware of the technology more than a year ago. Since then, he's introduced it into his course load and has been showing it to students.

"I think this is where education will go for chemistry, bio-chemistry and probably other disciplines," he said. "In this case you even collaborate with people around the world so they can enter the same virtual reality world where you can talk to them, interact with them and work on the protein together."

"I don't think it's going to be a quick fix, so this is kind of exploratory, someone still has to make these types of molecules so there's organic chemists involved, so what we're doing is coming up with ideas and uploading our ideas onto a central server in the UK. They're going to look at what we propose and then actually have to make those types of molecules and that's a major challenge in some cases," he said.

"So it's a good step, it's a step in the right direction but it'll take time, it's not a quick fix by any means," said Siemanns.

Any sort of medication would have to be synthesized, tested and then approved before it could be used on the market.

"The hope is to find something that's already out there like a drug or something that was explored as a drug, maybe something that was approved that might work against the virus, that would be quick," he said.

Siemann's efforts have been just one of several Laurentian faculty have been undertaking since the campus was shut down.

Another professor has also been making hand sanitizer for the Greater Sudbury Police Service.

Laurentian University President Robert Hache adds they've been making every effort to continue research projects including those aimed at COVID-19.

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University researcher uses virtual reality to fight COVID-19 - CTV News

JERUSALEM, Israel Every spring, the streets of Jerusalem are bursting with Jewish and Christian pilgrims ready to celebrate Passover and Easter. And this year the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan begins in April, too.

This year, that wont be possible due to the devasting COVID-19 global pandemic. However, technology is allowing people from around the world to visit the heart of Jerusalem from their own homes. Israels iconic Tower of David Museum is using virtual reality to allow pilgrims to visit the Western Wall during Passover, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher during Easter and at the Dome of the Rock and the Al Aqsa Mosque during Ramadan.

The museum Innovation Lab has created an immersive 360-degree virtual reality experience that anyone with an internet connection can access. Visitors will be able to see Jerusalem as it is today and how it looked 2000-years-ago with several virtual reality tours.

The Tower of David Museums Innovation Lab has worked with companies such as Blimey and Lithodomos and is supported by the Jerusalem Development Authority. The tours and experiences encapsulate the essence of the innovative vision at the Tower of David Museum - to create a modern, dynamic, unique language for the rich story of Jerusalem. VR can enable emotions felt as close to possible as when one is physically present. We hope that for those looking for hope in these uneasy times and for those that might turn to prayer and to Jerusalem - might find a little bit of hope when becoming immersed in the holy city of Jerusalem, says Eilat Lieber, Director of the Tower of David Museum.

Lieber hopes the virtual tours will give people hope as they continue to battle the coronavirus.

These are challenging times for us all, she continued. Millions of prayers and dreams of people from all over the world have been caught between the towers, spires, and domes of the city for thousands of years. The city has given hope and inspiration for centuries.

People will be able to access the virtual reality tours free of charge from the first day of Passover, through Easter, to the first day of Ramadan April 9-24.

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Israel Opens Jerusalem to World This Easter Through 360 Virtual Reality - CBN News

Nya McClain, Special to the Advertiser Published 10:37 a.m. CT March 30, 2020 | Updated 10:47 a.m. CT March 30, 2020

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The class of 2020s senior year recently tested positive for Coronavirus.

The better part of a year spent anxiety-ridden over deadlines and testing, mentally exhausted by college essays and class projects, and full of anticipation over reaching the end of our thirteen-year journey and the starting a new chapter of independence, now comes to a screeching halt. A global-pandemic-sized halt. A halt that tosses us into unfamiliar territory of having spare time and questions that neither Google nor Wikipedia can answer. A halt filling us with uncertainty. Uncertainty that looks like prom dresses ready to be worn or returned, college visits postponed or held virtually, and pre-dated graduation invitations that may or may not be mailed.

After spending this school year meticulously managing and mapping out time, time now leaves us hanging in the balance of a short abbreviation TBD.

As cohorts of Generation Z, we are often characterized as being entitled and self-absorbed. Should we ignore the sadness of unfulfilled expectations for our senior year, perhaps replacing it with the worlds shared malaise of the COVID-19 crisis? Is expressing frustration and disappointment symbolic of our selfish generation, or is it typical of any high school senior, regardless of birth year, to wants a special acknowledgment of past accomplishments and future potential?

Nya McClain is a senior at LAMP High School in Montgomery.(Photo: Contributed)

Surely this is why senior photo shoots, class rings, custom invitations and graduation ceremonies were invented to memorialize this milestone year.

My fellow classmates, in due time we will move beyond the uncertainty of the present and refocus on the future that lies before us. In the meantime, lets remind ourselves and others that we are owed the grace to express our unique feelings about this very odd period in time that caught the entire world off guard. As the generation also characterized as being great multitaskers, we are capable of feeling both the personal and earthly gravity of this situation.

We mourn for the loss of getting to fully experience the end of our senior year. In typical response, the world around us is shouting for us to get over ourselves, that people are dying, that we should stop crying about a petty dance. These remarks tend to come from older generations that got to experience these things, the generations that already have their feet on the ground. However, we are not upset because of the dance itself.

We are mourning the loss of the remaining shreds of stability in our lives.

More: 'Don't make me cry': Coronavirus pandemic robs high school seniors of precious memories

For many seniors, we have already spent months stumbling through the college application process, trying to figure out what our futures will look like for the next 4+ years. Before that, we spent our high school years preparing for senior year. Many of us have been anticipating this year since elementary school. Is it wrong to feel upset about losing something you have worked towards for twelve years?

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We understand that many people are suffering. We are just trying to figure out how to cope.

The world often forgets that we are still kids trying to grow up.

Since our childhood, my generation has been told that we will be the ones to change the world.We were not, however, warned of the baggage that came with this responsibility. For many high school seniors, the world has changed drastically in the time it took us to reach our final year of education. Every day, the news cycle spins faster and faster, and for those of us that havent even had the chance to put our feet on the ground, the fear of being swept away feels imminent.

Climate change continues to deteriorate the life span of our planet, and many of us feel powerless against the forces causing it. We have never lived in an America that is not at war. In 2019, there were more school shootings than days in the year. Every day it feels like a new tragedy is thrown at us, and the next one is hurtling towards us before we can even figure out how to deal with the last. Because of this, many of my peerscomment that they feel numb or desensitized.This sensation comes with much guilt and thoughts that we should feel something more, but it is also a necessary copying mechanism.

If we felt the full scope of our emotions every time we were informed of a new tragedy somewhere in the world, we would be reduced to hollow husks of despair. Instead, we take in the world around us, cataloging and analyzing and coming up with creative solutions to our problems. This pandemic has brought about destruction and disruption of the lives we once knew. It also brings with it a new experience in learning and preparation for our generation.

One day, when the world is left to our care, we will be more than ready.

Nya McClain isa senior at LAMP High School in Montgomery

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The virtual reality of the class of 2020: A high school senior's perspective - Montgomery Advertiser

The wars in Iraq and Syria have cut off some of the most celebrated ancient cities in the world from public view.

However, virtual reality technology means that the sites can now be visited remotely, and the scale of the destruction they have suffered more fully appreciated.

An exhibition in Washington titled Age Old Cities: a Virtual Journey from Palmyra to Mosul has brought to life five significant sites in three cities: Aleppo and Palmyra in Syria, and Mosul in Iraq.

The mosque was one of the historical sites which have been ruined by conflict in Syria

The exhibition, at the Smithsonian Institutions Arthur M Sackler Gallery, is closed at present because of the coronavirus pandemic but the virtual reality parts can still be downloaded from the internet, where they have been posted by the video-games company that helped to create

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Virtual reality brings ancient sites of Syria and Iraq to life - The Times

One thing thats been uplifting to observe throughout all the recent closures of movie theaters, festivals, and other cultural institutions has been how individuals and companies have stepped in to provide relief, support, and camaraderie during an unprecedented crisis. This is true in the virtual and augmented reality community as much as in the broader film industry, as content creators and distributors have come together to support each other as their work has come to an essential standstill.

Of course, some companies and services have seen an uptick in their business, as consumers explore using VR products to hold meetings, even in gaming platforms like Rec Room that werent intended as business solutions. Likewise, the social music platform WaveXR and the VR cinema space Bigscreen have provided ways for isolated individuals to still unite virtually with a larger audience. But despite increased use among some consumers and businesses, a plethora of cancelled contracts and delayed projects have combined to create an uncertain future for producers, and the loss of premieres at festivals like SXSW and Tribeca has been just as devastating for VR filmmakers as for traditional ones, besides the closing of VR-centered location-based entertainment spaces.

Amidst this turmoil two organizations are joining forces to support these artists and businesses: Kaleidoscope, an XR networking and funding organization that I wrote about in 2017, and the Museum of Other Realities, a virtual gallery that showcases VR artists and connects them with funding and audiences; Danny Bittmans Night Snow, seen above, is one piece that has shown at MOR.On March 16 Kaleidoscopes Ren Pinnell and MORs Robin Stethemand their associates announced that they would use their relative strengthsKaleidoscopes online market and MORs capacity to host large groups onlineto host premieres, screenings, conferences, or any related events. And they have continued to reach out to other partners: on March 23 Kaleidoscope announced another project with AmazeVR to host a showcase for distribution-ready VR films on April 24.Details for submitting projects or attending that event are here.

Virtual reality by its nature does have the advantage of being able to be distributed online and viewed while buyers, funders, and audiences continue social distancing at home, and these types of efforts are taking full advantage of that. Those interested in showing their work with MOR or Kaleidoscope should write to the email address events@kaleidovr.com or reach out to Pinnell, Stethem, or any of their colleagues to find out more, but Pinnell also provided Filmmakerwith a statement about their purpose in the weeks going forward:

Pinnell:In many ways events are the lifeblood of the VR/AR industry. Its where artists are discovered and where deals get done. The XR industry is a relationship-based business. Its all about who you know and building trust and friendships. And events are still the best way to form and solidify working relationships. But now that we are entering a new world where in-person events are no longer safe for at least the next three to six months, many artists and professionals are at risk of having their careers and livelihood significantly disrupted. At Kaleidoscope our mission has always been to help artists secure the funding and support they need to be successful. By bringing together artists and industry at highly curated events weve been able to help XR creators raise millions for amazing projects like Spheres, Battlescar, Vestige, and Terminal 3. But we realized early on that the only want to scale up events and support more artists was to move our events online. So over the past few years we built the Kaleidoscope platform to help us produce, manage, and promote online events. Until recently all of our online events were hosted via streaming video, because the available social VR apps were either designed for small groups or were aesthetically unappealing. That all changed when I discovered the Museum of Other Realities. It is the first virtual venue that is architecturally stunning and designed for large audiences. After hosting our First Look Market there last month, I firmly believe the Museum of Other Realities is a game changer.

Witnessing the cancellation of major festivals like SXSW, Tribeca, and Laval Virtual as well as countless local events, Robin and I felt compelled to act. Together, Kaleidoscope and the Museum of Other Realities have the tools and resources needed to help migrate our industrys events into virtual reality. So we wanted to get the word out that we are here to help. If youve had to cancel your festival, conference, or industry gathering, then we want to hear from you. Or if youre an artist who has had to indefinitely postpone your premiere, let us know. We can help. Please email us directly at events@kaleidovr.com to discuss how to host your events in virtual reality.

Now is the time to come together as a community to support the artists and industry professionals most impacted by this global crisis. And until we get to the other side of the pandemic, that means coming together in virtual reality.

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Kaleidoscope and the Museum of Other Realities Step In to Help the VR Industry During the Pandemic - Filmmaker Magazine

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. Florida State quarterback James Blackman was wearing more equipment than usual when he dropped back to pass during 7-on-7 drills in the first spring practice under coach Mike Norvell on March 7.

There was no extra padding. Instead, he had a cell-phone sized camera affixed to the top of his helmet on a small stand.

Blackman wore a green non-contact jersey and the drill wasnt at full speed, so the accessory didnt pose a hazard to him or anyone else on the field. Quarterbacks Jordan Travis and Tate Rodemaker also wore cameras during their reps. At other points in practice, safeties wore them as well.

The purpose was simple: Capture everything transpiring on the field through the eyes of the players. All of the footage later was parsed together to create a virtual reality experience that can be accessed through a headset for simulated practice.

Thats a new feature that we have, Blackman said after that practice.

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How Florida State is hoping virtual reality can help its quarterbacks - The Athletic

As this pandemic continues to loom over us, we see the world around usas well as our ownalter radically. Its time to employ a different technique: the use of virtual reality the kind of tech thats been utilized for medical advancements, educational advancements and assisting businesses in their growth. Lets review some of the ways virtual reality (VR) has made itself a necessary means in the wake of COVID-19.

After continuing to deteriorate, a man in his 50s who had tested positive for the virus was transferred from an area hospital to George Washington University Hospital; deeming him the first COVID-19 patient GW would encounter.

The condition of the patients lungs were progressively worsening. In the hospitals podcast, chief of thoracic surgery at GW hospital, Dr. Keith Mortman, said that the patients lungs needed higher levels of support from that ventilator and it got to the point where he needed maximal support from [it]. And thats when the initial hospital reached out to GW for help.

The patient had been admitted to GW to receive ECMO, a process where oxygen is pumped back into the blood. GW decided to employ VR to inspect the state of the patients lungs and assess how much damage this disease is causing; the results were uncanny.

The VR tech allowed for the medical staff to recreate 360 degree images of the patients lungs, providing a clear image of what they were working with. Its such a contrast that you do not need an MD after your name to understand these images, Dr. Mortman says, This is severe damage to both lungs diffusely. GW was the first hospital in the nation to utilize VR for thoracic cases and continues to turn to VR in the battle against COVID-19.

Museums, tourist attractions and national parks have joined forces with this interactive tech to keep cultural content alive, and the escape to nature an option as we close our doors to the outside world. A week ago today, the National Park Service announced that it would be modifying operations in its 419 parks in response to the social distancing and safety guidelines pressed by the White House and the CDC during the COVID-19 pandemic. NPS has made it possible for people to virtually visit sites like Yellowstone National Park, the Denali National Park and Preserve, the Upper Delaware Scenic and Rec River, and even the Statue of Liberty.

For those lacking a cultural and art fix, museums and art galleries have taken a similar approach. New York Citys Metropolitan Museum of Art has made a few of its exhibits available online and promises to surface their greatest hits and hidden treasures via social media; LAs Getty Museum plans to promote content via their social media and their blog The Iris; Paris Louvre Museum is offering tours of Egyptian antiquities, the remains of the Louvres Moat, and the Galerie dApollon; Romes Vatican Museum is has also contributed a 360-degree virtual tour showcasing its multitude of art collections. These are only a few of the many museums and galleries that are making their content available to the public right now via VR.

Another factor that this global pandemic has struck: our businessesour employment, and the way we function as workers. Those fortunate enough to work remotely, have all been ordered to do so.

Big tech companies have transitioned entirely to remote work until further instruction is given; disrupting the kind of collaborative work and the valuable hands-on-approach in training that employees benefit from in an office environment. In response, companies have implemented VR to mimic the hands-on training employees wouldve received in a workplace environment; allowing employees to continue sharpening their skill-set while under lockdown. 20% of workers claim their biggest struggle with working from home is Difficulties with collaboration and communication. Where collaboration gets stifled, virtual reality can bridge the gap. Remote meetings can be hosted through VR, allowing colleagues to communicate complex concepts coherently and efficiently; almost as if they were in the same room.

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Calling on Virtual Reality in the Wake of COVID-19 - Grit Daily

All the intangibles revealedduring commercialproperty tours, like a building's patinaor its interior design, or how it just feels to walk into the lobby, help landlords win overpotential tenants.

But what happens when an international pandemic like the coronavirus makes it impossible for brokers to invite prospective tenants and clients on-site for personalized tours?

For some, it means business activity subsides until the crisisends.

Others are sealing the deal from the comfort of their own homes. Whilevirtual reality and remote building tours arent new to the brokerage industry, the pandemicmay hasten their move into must-haves.

Texas-based landlord Boxer Propertydecided to go full-throttle into the virtual realtyspacewhen the COVID-19 pandemic forced potential tenantsaway from the company'soffice buildings.

Boxerhad already deployedvirtual realitytechtoolsthat allow tenants to capturerealistic, multidimensional views of itsproperties online.

Years ago, we started taking pictures of suites, and then we started doing videos, Boxer Properties Marketing DirectorHeather Shuttleworth said.Then, werecently got aMatterportcamera, and we are doing the full 360-virtual tour experience at several of our properties.

Even though 3D tours are effective, Boxer still wanted a more personalized approachduring the COVID-19 crisis, so the firmupped theante and now offers liveSkypeproperty tours hostedbyBoxer employees.

They can talk to [the leasing agent]face to face and see the space through the camera, Shuttleworth said. If they want to walk through it on their computer they can, but we are kind of missing the personal touch there and people often have questions and want to look at something more closely in the space.

The Boxer team isalready receivingpositive feedback; and at least one Skype tour recipientsigned up for a lease right aftertaking aremote interactive tour.

Co-living and microstudio multifamily provider Common says 30% of its rental applications come from the firms online virtual tour experience, whichthe firm hasoperated in some form sinceits inception five years ago.

But Vice President of OperationsEric Rodriguez saidCommon, much like Boxer Property, kicked its existing remote solutions up a notch when the coronavirus crisis sent New York and other areas into lockdown mode.

With the firm already offering FaceTime andGoogleHangouttours with live specialistsprior to the crisis,the transition to conducting everything remotelywas an easy one.

It has always been part of our concept, Rodriguez said of the firms tech-first approach.

Rodriguez saidCommonhas always believed its mission is to get more peopleinside the property at all times of the day. In good times, that involves both in-person tours and VR-guided tours. In bad times like these, it means doing everything remotely without missing a beat.

The firm believes all multifamily leasing in the future will depend heavily on remote access and virtual reality components to stay competitive.

Generally the property management industry is shifting toward that convenience-first perspective, he said.

Real estate brokerage Younger Partners out of Dallas has been offering virtual toursof its Greenway Tower listing in Irving, Texas, for quite some time.

The brokerage doesn'tviewremote-viewingor virtual tours as new concepts,nor do they see their emergence asrelated to COVID-19.

I think it's becoming more and more a must-have, founding principal Sean Dalton said. Everything is changing in our society as far as [everyone] wanting things now and quicker. Everyone wants thingsto get done faster ... and I think these virtual tours allow people to be more efficient with their time.

Greenway Tower's owner poured millionsof dollars intorenovating theproperty, and the virtual tours were put into place with the help of an app to simplyget more eyes on the building and all itsimprovements, Dalton told Bisnow.

This is exactly where virtual technology succeeds best.

We felt that this was an opportunity to really get the building into [prospective tenants]hands rather than pulling them out to Las Colinas.

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CRE Industry Keeps Deals Afloat Through VR Technology, Skype And FaceTime - Bisnow

It was last Monday when the City of Philadelphia made the call to order all non-essential businesses to close in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. Like all other art venues in the city, Paradigm Gallery + Studio, 746 S. 4th St., shut its doors and adhered to the order. But Sara McCorriston, co-founder of Paradigm, isnt giving up.

We really believe that in times like these people really need artwork, she said. Even though it can be sometimes the last thing that people have on their minds, when you put it front and center it can be the first form of comfort for people.

For these reasons, Paradigm has decided to work in collaboration with its artists to create special content across its digital platforms. More specifically, theyll be hosting fun, virtual events for art lovers across the city and the world. These events will include virtual artist Q+As, studio walk through, gallery walk throughs and creative tutorials helpful for those looking for ways to create their own art.

Weve been working really closely with our curators and staff to digitally have more of a presence than ever, McCorriston added. Were so thankful for technology and what it allows us to do in this day and age because I think it makes those personal connections, whether or not theyre in person more tangible and more felt.

Paradigms publicist, Madison Fishman, said the gallery plans to use the coronavirus shutdown as an opportunity to create a more unique and in-depth way for art lovers to interact with artists.

Its super ranging and very special and never-before-seen, behind-the-scenes kind of stuff is what Paradigm will be working on, Fishman said. Its to increase visibility at a time when a collector cant just walk into the gallery, and I think its a little more dynamic than just a virtual exhibition.

McCorriston said itll be a more in-depth look at how we curate, how the gallery works and an opportunity to talk about the artists and why Im so passionate about them in a much more real way.

So far, the only event to date has been a virtual tour of Paradigms current exhibition, TEN, which celebrates the 10th anniversary of the studio. It premiered this past Saturday on Instagram Live. However, more virtual events are being scheduled, and will be announced on Paradigms website, paradigmarts.org. McCorriston said more events will be planned for the gallerys next exhibition, Strange Delights, which opens on Friday and lasts until May 16.

This exhibition will be a totally digital-from-afar experience, she said. We really want it to be engaging.

McCorriston said that a big part of the reason for this effort is to keep collectors interested in purchasing art from artists so they can continue to make a living amid the economic downturn. Despite the store being closed, McCorriston is still shipping artwork out to buyers.

Our job is to get artists paid by selling their artwork, she said. Were doing everything we can to make sure were still selling their artwork at the same rate we are now. We want them to be able to have the same expectations for us selling their work and getting them paid.

McCorriston sees the shutdown of her business as an opportunity to have the public connect with the artists in the same way she has.

We work with artists all around the world that for years we have developed close working relationships and friendships with, she said. Sometimes, we forget that weve never even met in person and so I think its kind of time to share that with the local community and the world at large in a time where everyone kind of has to connect that way.

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Virtual Reality: Paradigm art gallery makes the shift to a more digital landscape - South Philly Review

Microsoft introduced an improved version of virtual reality for the blind. In it, users can move a virtual cane not only in the horizontal plane but also raise and lower it. This allowed almost all test participants to pass the required site without collisions, the report said Microsoft Research.

For the first time, the corporation introduced virtual reality for blind and visually impaired people in 2018 it was called Canetroller. The main element of the system is a cane, with the help of which the user contacts the environment and determines the presence of obstacles in it.

A vibration motor is mounted in the cane, which makes it stop when it collides with an obstacle. When in contact with a particular type of surface, the system transmits its specific sound to the user for example, how steps sound when walking on paving slabs or on asphalt.

The main limitation of the system was that the cane could only be moved in a horizontal plane. This greatly complicated navigation in a large space.

In the new version, researchers have expanded the possibilities of the cane now it can be moved both horizontally and vertically, as well as pull to itself. This, according to the developers, not only expanded the range of interactions but also allowed to put the cane perpendicular to the ground.

The new system allows you to simulate contact with various surfaces using a vibrator mounted in the cane and pre-recorded sound.

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Microsoft introduced an improved version of virtual reality for the blind - FREE NEWS