Sacramento Business Journal | Mill at Broadway turns to virtual reality for home sales Sacramento Business Journal For would-be buyers at the Mill at Broadway project in Sacramento, the process involves a headset and a short walk into a potential future. Subscribe to get the full story. Already a subscriber? Sign in. Subscribe to get the full story. Already a ... |
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Mill at Broadway turns to virtual reality for home sales - Sacramento Business Journal
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Saint Asoniaare digging a little deeper into their self-titled 2015 album, providing fans with a new visual to accompany their song Fairytale.
The video is shot in two distinct venues, weaving in a shadowy, black and white vision of the band performing on a bare stage with a virtual reality fantasy fight scene in the wilderness, featuring strong, superhero women engaged in battle.
Though the band was voted Best New Artist by Loudwires readers back in 2015and the video comes from their first album,the group is continuing work on its sophomore album, tentatively due before the end of this year. In February, the bands Adam Gontiertold a Michigan radio station that they were about halfway done, meaning the writing process is pretty much done. Right now, were just in the stages of demoing what we, as a band, believe are four or five of the best tracks that will be on the record, that we feel are the best tracks, that we are most happy with. And as well, were looking into producers and whether or not were actually going to hire a producer to produce this record.
Between myself, Mike Mushok and bassist Corey Lowery, weve all done some producing in our day, and at this point, a producer isnt one hundred percent necessary, Gontier told the station. So were kind of going through the motions of that and trying to decide what the next step is in the way of production and where were gonna go to record the record. But as for the songwriting, its pretty much done, and were having a really good time putting the finishing touches on the music weve got so far.
When asked how important it is for a rock band in 2017 to work with a producer, Gontier responded, Ive been really fortunate to work with some really great producers Howard Benson and Don Gilmore, and a whole bunch of different guys. I think as a young band, its very important, because as a young band, youre very influential and you definitely need that outside ear to help you move along and help you decide the direction of where you wanna go as a young band. In our case, just because weve done it so many times and weve made quite a few records between all of us, its one of those things that we feel pretty confident that when we finish a batch of songs, or we finish a record that between the three of us, if were happy with it, were almost positive that our fans, definitely our loyal fans as well as maybe some fans that might not have heard of us before are gonna enjoy it as well. Young bands tend to use producers, and I think for a band like us, its one of those things where we dont necessarily need one, but its always nice to have an extra set of ears around regardless.
At this point, there are no tour dates on the bands schedule as they continue to work on new music.
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Saint Asonia Take a Virtual Reality Trip With 'Fairytale' Video - Loudwire
If youve ever put on a VR headset, you probably know what it is to be transported to a digital world beyond imagination. Now, what if you knew that out-of-this-world realm was being brought to you by laser communications from the moon?
Yes, its happening. Astrobotic Technology, which flies hardware systems into space for clients, has joined forces with ATLAS Space Operations, which provides cloud-based space access solutions, to fast-forward our lunar future by zapping one gigabit of data from the moon to Earth per second. This isnt just a mission to take sci-fi from virtual to reality. Laser communications from our satellite mean increased payload capacity that will up the game of HD video, data-intensive experiments we couldnt have dreamed of otherwise, and the ultimate VR experience from the moon.
"Laser communications have been sought after by planetary missions for years, said Astrobotic CEO John Thornton. ATLAS and Astrobotic are now making this capability a reality."
Thornton is optimistic about lunar laser communications being the next generation of VR. Lunar communications were previously isolated, so this collaboration between Astrobotic and ATLAS means that instead of launching new communication methods for every new mission, the efforts of multiple missions can now be combined. ATLAS optical communications terminal ensures communications between the moon and Earth that wont break down into radio silence by providing Astrobotic customers with solutions that are immediately available.
Astrobotic has partnered with NASA through the space agencys Lunar CATALYST initiative, whose no-funds-exchanged Space Act Agreement (SAA) partnerships with the private sector spark advances in robotic landers that touch down on the moon. These can deliver serious payloads to the lunar surface when they team up with commercial launches. The company was also selected to participate in one of NASAs no-funds partnerships that would not only shoot for the moon in terms of payloads, but also explore lander advancements and scientific possibilities for upcoming NASA missions.
We will empower a thriving human space presence that explores the world beyond Earth orbit, states Astrobotics website. Current projects in development include the Astrobotic Virtual Orbital Imager (AVOI), which turns topographical data into a mind-blowing image of the landing scene, and mission planning software that will revolutionize lunar exploration.
Want to fly a piece of your Earthly existence to the moon? Astrobiotic is accepting contributions to its MoonBox project, which will carry your personal Moon Capsule to the moon on a Moon Pod and send back Instagram-worthy shots and videos.
(via Space.com)
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These virtual girlfriends are taking Tokyo by storm... but would you invite one into your bedroom?
LONERS can now feel the sweet, virtual breath of a woman upon their neck without bothering to find a lover.
Its all thanks toJapanese firm FutureLeap, which has created a virtual reality system so realistic youd swear that cyber date just whispered sweet nothings in your ear.
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The company showed off its high-tech romance gear at the three-day Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality exhibition in Tokyo.
At FutureLeaps booth, a young model was seen kneeling on a fluffy carpet as she tossed balloons in the air, blew bubbles and flirted with a man wearing VR headgear sitting some two metres (6.5 feet) away.
He reached out to touch her shoulder and got nothing but air, but when she whispered into the device, he was able to feel the sensation of her breath on his ear.
Most virtual reality romance games feature an animated companion rather than a real person, said company employee Tomoyuki Takahashi.
But in this case, usersare able to feel the real sensation as if you were together alone with a woman who is just your type.
This type of realistic sensation will become the main trend in virtual reality technology, he added.
Getty Images
Other companies have even moved away from offerings that require a VR headset.
LiveCartoon CEO Shohei Tsuji, covered head to toe in motion sensors, demonstrated the companys newest product by showing off his best dance moves while a pretty female anime character mimicked his steps on screen.
"With this system you can have animated characters talking directly to customers," he said.
Virtual reality pornography could be available in thousands of European hotels room within six months.
Men have been urgedto spice up sex with their long-term partner by strapping on a virtual reality helmet during romps.
But experts fear it's so realisticthat people will start to think its okay to cheat in real life, scientists have warned.
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Even when Ren Pinnell launched Kaleidoscopes virtual reality festival in 2015, his vision had always been to build a funding platform to help independent VR creators and studios raise money for their original VR projects. Now that day is here. Today Kaleidoscope officially launched its invitation-only marketplace, limited to 500 members, where VR industry leaders can get a first-look at new virtual reality films, games and experiences available for pre-sales, licensing, and other partnership opportunities.
A small number of leaders from the VR entertainment industry can apply to join Kaleidoscopes hand-selected platform, which is launching with many of the most innovative projects from Sundance, Tribeca, and IndieCade as well as new work from established studios like Baobab and rising stars such as Eliza McNitt, Arnaud Colinart, and Arjan van Meerten. If selected, funders will pay $199/month to get a first look at curated projects from top artists; access to Kaleidoscopes growing library of over 100 titles ready for licensing, distribution, and location-based exhibitions; invitations to private events where select members demo and review new VR projects; and the opportunity to network and collaborate with important artists and innovators.
Kaleidoscope is also offering its members white glove service from custom curation to content bundling to personal introductions that help members form high-impact relationships that push their businesses forward.
Part of the monthly fee also goes to supporting independent artists from diverse backgrounds whose work tackles difficult subjects and advances virtual reality as an art form.
The biggest challenge to the future of virtual reality is funding, said Pinnell, co-founder and CEO of Kaleidoscope. And we want to solve that problem. Its a chicken-egg situation. Artists need funding to make killer content and funders need to prove there is a massive consumer market to sell to in order to justify their investment.
Pinnell sees a future where clunky VR headsets shrink to the size of ordinary glasses and virtual reality overtakes traditional gaming, film, and TV as the dominant form of entertainment. And this future is coming sooner than many realize.
Within 12 to 24 months the next generation of VR hardware will hit the market with major improvements in terms of both quality and price. Thats why the industry needs to rally around funding content now. It takes 12 to 24 months to produce high quality VR films, games, and experiences. We need to fund projects today so that when the next generation of hardware is released we have a deep library of amazing content ready to go. Only then will the industry take off, said Pinnell.
Marketplaces are notoriously difficult to establish which is why Kaleidoscope spent two years building up credibility with top VR creators and funding sources through its events, and by executive producing some high profile projects, such as APEX, Testimony, and Mad God, as well as organizing a successful content accelerator with Oculus called DevLab. A month-long program, DevLab selected leading VR artists from around the world to incubate new work, explore new ideas, and create the next wave of great virtual reality experiences. More recently, Kaleidoscope teamed up with 1stAveMachine to help VR artists find brands to fund their work.
There is money to be made by investing in virtual reality. The market for VR is projected to hit $25 billion by 2021. The challenge is that VR production costs are still very expensive, with even a modest project costing somewhere between $5,000 and $10,000 per minute.
Kaleidoscope has identified 120 different sources of potential financing, from companies like Facebook, Google, and HTC, as well as emerging sources such as Viacom, IMAX, Wevr, Within, Arte, Starbreeze and many more. These are the companies who are building VR hardware, VR software, VR distribution platforms, VR arcades, and VR cinemas and fund content to establish themselves as major players in this new entertainment landscape.
The role of Kaleidoscope is to get all of these industry players on one platform to better coordinate their support for talented VR creators and studios.
For further information regarding Kaleidoscope please visit: https://kaleidoscope.fund/
This is sponsored content which has been produced by Kaleidoscope.
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Kaleidoscope Launches Funding Platform For Premium Virtual Reality Content - UploadVR
One tried-and-true tactic I often use to figure out what a company is investing in is to check out that company's job boards. If a company has multiple positions open for an area of expertise, then the odds are good that the company thinks that area is important to its business today, or is likely to be important to it in the near to medium term.
Chipmaker Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) has talked quite a lot about virtual reality, and the company even goes so far as to put "For a Great VR Experience" on its gaming/enthusiast-oriented desktop personal computer processor boxes.
Image source: Intel.
While fast CPUs are certainly going to be helpful in creating immersive virtual reality experiences, virtual reality is inherently very graphically demanding.
Intel builds graphics technology today that it integrates alongside its CPUs aimed at laptops and mainstream desktop personal computers, but this graphics technology is neither very good nor is it particularly powerful.
I've long believed that if Intel is serious about investing in virtual reality, it's going to need to invest in building better graphics technology (both hardware and software).
A recent job listing on Intel's website seems to indicate that Intel is serious about virtual reality and that to try to participate effectively in that market, it is making some incremental graphics investments.
Intel is hiring for a "VR Gfx SW Engineer," or -- if the acronyms are proving to be just a bit much -- a "Virtual Reality Graphics Software Engineer."
The company says in this listing that the individual that it ultimately hires to fill this position will "drive the definition and execution of advanced technologies for Virtual Reality based on Intel Gen graphics platforms."
Per the listing, this individual will have to handle the development of "multiple aspects of graphics software, display driver development and simulation environment development."
Said individual will also be tasked with working with "various partners to enhance and improve graphics performance on upcoming processor graphics devices by analyzing performance issues in software drivers and applications, implementing software performance improvements, and recommending future [hardware-software] improvements."
The bottom line is that Intel is seemingly taking virtual reality use cases very seriously, so much so that virtual reality will help shape the development of the company's future graphics processor technologies.
Given the relatively lengthy chip development times, coupled with the fact that virtual reality as a relevant use case is a relatively new development, I think it'll be a while before we see Intel release chips with graphics processors that are passable for mainstream virtual reality applications (e.g. virtual reality games).
Intel's product line this year is expected to use the same graphics technology that Intel first introduced back in 2015 and a truly new Intel graphics architecture isn't expected to debut across the company's product stack until its Ice Lake family of processors arrive either in late 2018 or at some point in 2019.
We might see some virtual reality-specific technologies make their way into Intel's Ice Lake processor lineup, but I wouldn't be surprised if consumers didn't see the real fruits of Intel's virtual reality efforts until the company's 2020/2021 chip designs arrive.
Intel certainly won't be first to the virtual reality party, but at least we know that -- as of now -- Intel cares enough about this emerging use case to invest money and manpower into it.
Ashraf Eassa owns shares of Intel. The Motley Fool recommends Intel. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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Intel Corporation Taking Virtual Reality Seriously -- The Motley Fool - Motley Fool
Designed by Pierpaolo Lazzarini from Italian company Jet Capsule. The I.F.O. is fuelled by eight electric engines, which is able to push the flying object to an estimated top speed of about 120mph.
Jet Capsule/Cover Images
A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore
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A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore
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Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea
Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Images
Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea
Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Images
The giant human-like robot bears a striking resemblance to the military robots starring in the movie 'Avatar' and is claimed as a world first by its creators from a South Korean robotic company
Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Images
Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea
Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Images
Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi
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Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi and Kaptain Rock playing one string light saber guitar perform jam session
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A test line of a new energy suspension railway resembling the giant panda is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
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A test line of a new energy suspension railway, resembling a giant panda, is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
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A concept car by Trumpchi from GAC Group is shown at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China
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A Mirai fuel cell vehicle by Toyota is displayed at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China
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A visitor tries a Nissan VR experience at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China
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A man looks at an exhibit entitled 'Mimus' a giant industrial robot which has been reprogrammed to interact with humans during a photocall at the new Design Museum in South Kensington, London
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A new Israeli Da-Vinci unmanned aerial vehicle manufactured by Elbit Systems is displayed during the 4th International conference on Home Land Security and Cyber in the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv
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Electrification Guru Dr. Wolfgang Ziebart talks about the electric Jaguar I-PACE concept SUV before it was unveiled before the Los Angeles Auto Show in Los Angeles, California, U.S
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The Jaguar I-PACE Concept car is the start of a new era for Jaguar. This is a production preview of the Jaguar I-PACE, which will be revealed next year and on the road in 2018
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Japan's On-Art Corp's CEO Kazuya Kanemaru poses with his company's eight metre tall dinosaur-shaped mechanical suit robot 'TRX03' and other robots during a demonstration in Tokyo, Japan
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Japan's On-Art Corp's eight metre tall dinosaur-shaped mechanical suit robot 'TRX03'
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Japan's On-Art Corp's eight metre tall dinosaur-shaped mechanical suit robot 'TRX03' performs during its unveiling in Tokyo, Japan
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Singulato Motors co-founder and CEO Shen Haiyin poses in his company's concept car Tigercar P0 at a workshop in Beijing, China
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The interior of Singulato Motors' concept car Tigercar P0 at a workshop in Beijing, China
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Singulato Motors' concept car Tigercar P0
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A picture shows Singulato Motors' concept car Tigercar P0 at a workshop in Beijing, China
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Connected company president Shigeki Tomoyama addresses a press briefing as he elaborates on Toyota's "connected strategy" in Tokyo. The Connected company is a part of seven Toyota in-house companies that was created in April 2016
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A Toyota Motors employee demonstrates a smartphone app with the company's pocket plug-in hybrid (PHV) service on the cockpit of the latest Prius hybrid vehicle during Toyota's "connected strategy" press briefing in Tokyo
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An exhibitor charges the battery cells of AnyWalker, an ultra-mobile chasis robot which is able to move in any kind of environment during Singapore International Robo Expo
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A robot with a touch-screen information apps stroll down the pavillon at the Singapore International Robo Expo
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An exhibitor demonstrates the AnyWalker, an ultra-mobile chasis robot which is able to move in any kind of environment during Singapore International Robo Expo
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Robotic fishes swim in a water glass tank displayed at the Korea pavillon during Singapore International Robo Expo
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An employee shows a Samsung Electronics' Gear S3 Classic during Korea Electronics Show 2016 in Seoul, South Korea
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Visitors experience Samsung Electronics' Gear VR during the Korea Electronics Grand Fair at an exhibition hall in Seoul, South Korea
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Amy Rimmer, Research Engineer at Jaguar Land Rover, demonstrates the car manufacturer's Advanced Highway Assist in a Range Rover, which drives the vehicle, overtakes and can detect vehicles in the blind spot, during the first demonstrations of the UK Autodrive Project at HORIBA MIRA Proving Ground in Nuneaton, Warwickshire
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Chris Burbridge, Autonomous Driving Software Engineer for Tata Motors European Technical Centre, demonstrates the car manufacturer's GLOSA V2X functionality, which is connected to the traffic lights and shares information with the driver, during the first demonstrations of the UK Autodrive Project at HORIBA MIRA Proving Ground in Nuneaton, Warwickshire
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Ford EEBL Emergency Electronic Brake Lights is demonstrated during the first demonstrations of the UK Autodrive Project at HORIBA MIRA Proving Ground in Nuneaton, Warwickshire
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Full-scale model of 'Kibo' on display at the Space Dome exhibition hall of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Tsukuba Space Center, in Tsukuba, north-east of Tokyo, Japan
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Miniatures on display at the Space Dome exhibition hall of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Tsukuba Space Center, in Tsukuba, north-east of Tokyo, Japan. In its facilities, JAXA develop satellites and analyse their observation data, train astronauts for utilization in the Japanese Experiment Module 'Kibo' of the International Space Station (ISS) and develop launch vehicles
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The robot developed by Seed Solutions sings and dances to the music during the Japan Robot Week 2016 at Tokyo Big Sight. At this biennial event, the participating companies exhibit their latest service robotic technologies and components
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The robot developed by Seed Solutions sings and dances to music during the Japan Robot Week 2016 at Tokyo Big Sight
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Government and industry are working together on a robot-like autopilot system that could eliminate the need for a second human pilot in the cockpit
AP
Aurora Flight Sciences' technicians work on an Aircrew Labor In-Cockpit Automantion System (ALIAS) device in the firm's Centaur aircraft at Manassas Airport in Manassas, Va.
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Stefan Schwart and Udo Klingenberg preparing a self-built flight simulator to land at Hong Kong airport, from Rostock, Germany
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Google experimenting with new virtual reality ads that react to users' eyes - The Independent
Added 13 hours ago by Helen Bertelli, Infinite Global Consulting ,
VR is a technology poised to change our world, but it has a dark side.
A girl walks into a room of 98 male engineers, programmers, gamers, and a couple of literal rocket scientists. There is one other female in the room, and she happens to be a spouse.
This isnt the start of a joke. This was my first experience at a meetup of virtual reality enthusiasts in the Durham/Research Triangle area, the epicenter of the technology industry in North Carolina.
I was trying to find a partner to work with on a project to recreate the U.S. Supreme Court. A concept I was building for a legal client, the idea was that kids, law students, or anyone interested in learning more about our countrys highest court could tour the building in VR, calling up stats and graphics to learn more about the Judiciary.
As I met people in the VR space and learned more, I fell in love with the technology. Why?
VR fascinates me for its ability to provide immersive learning experiences that can be more memorable and impactful than any in 2D, and the tech shows great promise for marketing, as well as many other fields.
This was underscored when my company unveiled our own branded VR experience one of the first of its kind in our industry at a tradeshow. Results included favorable survey feedback, a spike in web and social traffic, plus a 354% spike in resumes as compared to other hiring rounds. Not bad.
Fast forward More than a year after my first meetup, I attended the VR World conference in London. In just the two short years of its existence, VR World has more than doubled its registrants; growth that underscores how hot this sector is.
The range of technologies showcased at the event from lightweight headgear projecting 3D architectural renderings into the space in front of you to haptic tech teaching dentists how a Novocain syringe feels when in a patients jaw took my breath away and revealed how very fast this industry is moving.
It wont be long before headsets are wireless, ubiquitous, and almost as light as sunglasses.
I was pleased to see some women at the event, but there were not many. While there was a short panel discussion on how to increase womens participation in the industry, overall very few speakers or panelists were women, and even fewer were exhibitors.
One moment was particularly telling. During a session, the lone female panelist mentioned that assaults are occurring inside virtual worlds at such a rate that protective tech is being studied to create immediate distance because virtual worlds can be so realistic it may not occur to the victim to take her headset off--and frankly, should she have to? This got me thinking.
While technology that moves us from 2D to immersive communications is going to profoundly change innumerable industries -- it is going to change the world -- the only question is, will it be for the better?
Lean in VR has a dark side. Just as the internet has been used for good as well as evil from the very beginning, VR that glorifies violence and the objectifying of women is growing. While Im under no illusion that involving more women in the industry will completely change this, I think it will influence outcomes for the better, so why not try?
Considering how profoundly this tech is likely to impact us all in years to come, women need a voice and representation, and to have this, they must lean in.
But the VR industry must lean in to meet them. The industry must reach out to Girls Who Code and other groups that foster love for technology among young women. VR-teaching programs being developed at schools should have the recruitment and training of women hard-coded into their strategies and curriculum. Conferences should actively seek more women speakers and panelists.
Fundamentals With VR in its infancy, we have an unprecedented opportunity to expand womens involvement in ways that other technologies have failed to do. Even small but fundamental changes can matter.
During the first half of the first day of VR World, the front door to the ladies restroom was locked. A queue of glum women formed by a solitary disabled restroom while watching male colleagues mingling and running to the next lightning-quick session. My neighbor in line turned to me, resigned, and said, "I guess they didnt think any girls would show up."
Girls are starting to show up, and there are myriad ways the industry can rise to meet us.
Right now, Ill settle for just an unlocked womens restroom, but with two young daughters who are mesmerized by VR and want to learn more, I wont settle for long.
Helen Bertelli is VP of Infinite Global Consulting, an international PR, branding, and content agency.
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Clay Bavor, VP of Virtual Reality for Google, introduces the Daydream View VR headset during the presentation of new Google hardware in San Francisco.Beck Diefenbach Reuters
There aren't many people currently using virtual reality yet, but that doesnt mean Google isnt looking at how to advertise to them.
Google debuted a new project Wednesday thats exploring ways to show online ads in virtual reality. The new project is part of Googles Area 120 workshop that the company is using for its employees to quickly test new ideas to see if they can become actual products.
It makes sense that Google is exploring advertising in VR, considering the search giant derives the bulk of its revenue from online ads. Google is also pitching the experiment as way for developers to eventually make money building VR apps, besides just selling them online, according a blog post.
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According to an animated GIF created by Google ( goog ) , the VR ad prototype resembles a small cube with corporate logos adorned on all sides. By either clicking on the cube or staring at it long enough, people can trigger the cube to generate a small screen above that shows a video ad, sort of like a small clown might burst out of a jack-in-the-box toy.
Googles work on VR ads is still early in development, so its unlikely people will see similar ads emerge in virtual worlds. The company is currently seeking developers to test the project via the Google cardboard headset, Daydream VR platform, and the Samsung Gear VR headset.
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Google did not reveal if versions of its VR ads would work on competing VR platforms, like Facebooks ( fb ) Oculus Rift headset, the HTC ( htc ) Vive headset, or Sony's ( sne ) Playstation VR.
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Google Is Experimenting With Virtual Reality Advertising - Fortune
Wednesday, June 28, 2017 at 7:50 a.m.
Lakewood entrepreneur Victoria Merchant wanted to create a fun, family-friendly alternative to late-night bowling alleys. In February, she had a lightbulb moment: virtual reality.
"VR has been on the back burner lately, I think," says Merchant. "Developers and makers wanted to go straight to consumers, but it didn't work as anticipated, because the equipment is still expensive."
Instead, Merchant saw virtual-reality arcades, where customerswould be able to try out and enjoy the latest, most advanced VR technology,as the next step in VR entertainment without the prohibitive costs.
The entrepreneur commissioned Nathan Hostetler, a techie acquaintance, to build computers for a soon-to-launch Denver VR arcade. After trying the virtual-reality equipment, Hostetler signed on.
This weekend, the duo will celebrate the grand opening of Head Games VR, the first virtual-reality arcade in the greater Denver area. AtHead Games VR, there will be three large play stations, where customers of all ages and backgrounds will be able to use HTC Vive headsets to engage in everything from experiential virtual reality to avid video gaming. More anxious customers might want to avoid games like Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes, where partners help instruct a friend to diffuse a bomb a terrifying scenario in virtual reality.
In the future, the entrepreneur hopes the facility will grow to include eight HTC Vive headsets, so friends can play four vs. four multiplayer games. Additionally, a "mixed reality" room is in the works, where customers will enter a green room and film themselves inside of a virtual world. Merchant also hopes to offer this room as a facility for developers to film demos for their games.
"We don't want this to be a typical mall arcade," she says. "We want people to enjoy coming here with friends and family, and we want to take suggestions from customers; we want to create a community."
On Saturday, July 1, Head Games VR will host an opening-night after-party for Comic Con, which runs June 30 to July 2. At the event, there will be giveaways, raffles, a tournament, and five minutes on the equipment per customer, free of charge. Game developers, including Colorado's LIMN Interactive,willdemo new titles.
The arcade opens its doors officially onJuly 2.
Head Games VR's Comic Con After Party, 8 p.m., Saturday, July 1, 9655 West Colfax Avenue, Unit C, Lakewood. For more information, go to Head Game VR's Facebook page.
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A Virtual Reality Arcade Isn't Going to Be Science Fiction Much Longer - Westword
Online shopping is on the riseits fast and ships directly to your doorstep, sometimes overnight. But with online shopping, you miss the experience of going into a store and picking up items. Enter virtual reality shopping, which tries to give you the convenience of online shopping and the experience of being in a store.
People are already shopping through virtual reality, but its still in its beginning stages. In late 2016, Chinas Alibaba launched Buy+, a virtual reality experience that could be accessed with a virtual reality headset. With Buy+, people could wander around a store, look through items, and add things to a cart by staring at a product for long enough. According to Vice, 30,000 people had already tried Buy+ an hour after its launch.
To use virtual reality shopping, youll need a virtual reality headset, which could range from a $10 Google Cardboard to hundreds of dollars for an Oculus Rift. Like online shopping, theres usually a virtual shopping cart and you can buy things by giving your credit card information upon checkout.
Big companies like Amazon are also working on adding virtual reality shopping in an attempt to increase sales. In May 2016, Ikea let users design their own kitchens with a HTC Vive. Audi also used the HTC Vive to present cars in showrooms. Later in 2016, eBay Australia teamed up with Myer to create the first virtual reality department store, but it simulated a web of floating objects rather than a physical store.
Earlier this month, Ikea started using virtual reality in Australia. You can see the experience for yourself on Android, iOS, and desktop (though the desktop version doesnt have virtual reality).
The Ikea version of virtual reality shopping feels like a more immersive version of Google Street View. You can wander around the store and in between furniture. You can select objects marked with floating blue dots, revealing the items description and price. Most of the furniture isnt marked, though, so youll have to zoom in on the tags and remind yourself to search for it later.
Smaller companies like Gatsby, a startup that creates virtual reality stores, are also looking to create virtual reality shopping experiences.
Were really trying to get close to what its like being there, and we want it to be very intimate, said Anastasia Cifuentes, co-founder of Gatsby. All the little details on how you move, were really focusing on how to have that just right. Gatsby has been experimenting with virtual reality for less than 6 months but hopes to launch an app in the fall.
Using Gatsbys shopping app to buy furniture feels like playing a game. You can look around a room from a fixed point (you cant move around the space yet). Theres a button that let you click on objects and rotate them. Once you select an object, details about the objects length, width, height, and price appear. If you want an item, you can add it to your cart.
The demo I tested was animated rather than based on real photos, which made the experience less realistic. The app is still in development, but Gatsby hopes to use real photos of objects and rooms once the app is finished. Gatsby will be free to everyoneyoull only need something, like a Google Cardboard, to view it through.
Theres an efficiency factor that being online satisfies, but weve lost something in traveling to that, which is just being able to hold the product, said Cifuentes. There are still things we need to see and touch that we have to go to the store for, like furniture.
Virtual reality doesnt completely replicate the in-person shopping experience, but its getting there. Its also getting cheaper and more accessible: now you only need your smartphone and a $10 Google Cardboard set to experience it.
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Students in Cleburne ISD will soon be able to visit places around the world, in outer space and even underwater without leaving their classrooms with the help of virtual reality.
The CISD board of trustees tried out virtual reality headsets during Monday nights special called meeting.
Cleburne High School Advanced Placement human geography and European history teacher Brent Barnes said the goal of VR is to improve education for students. Teachers can check out a set of 30 VR headsets to incorporate them into their lesson plans for the day.
First, Barnes took trustees on a trip to seven different places around the world using Google Expeditions, a tool that lets you lead or join virtual trips all over the world.
The trips are collections of VR panoramas 3-D images annotated with details, points of interest and questions that make them easy to integrate into curriculum already used in schools, Barnes said. The teacher controls what the students see using a device like an iPad.
While piloting these VR headsets in his class last year, Barnes said he had 100 percent engagement. The students even asked him when they could use them again for another lesson.
Another program trustees tried for the first time was Nearpod VR, which brings a classroom to life with interactive mobile presentations that teachers can create and customize themselves.
CHS world geography teacher Taylor Bowers said teachers can choose from over 100 ready-to-teach VR lessons. Nearpod works on any device, including iPads, Chromebooks, Macs or PCs in classrooms.
Teachers can give students quizzes as they jump from one VR world to the next.
The final program trustees interacted with was CoSpaces, a VR tool that lets anyone create VR experiences.
In this program, students become creators themselves instead of consumers. They can explore the possibilities of new media in all dimensions.
Using a blank canvas, Barnes said students can create their own world like they can in the video game Minecraft.
Students can tell stories, build their own objects from geometrical shapes or create a whole fantasy world, he said.
The good thing about all three of these programs is they can be incorporated in almost any subject like math, history, language arts and science, he said.
The district trained some teachers at the end of the school year and plans on training more teachers before the next school year so they can use these headsets with their lesson plans.
I cant quantify the response weve had, Barnes said. Weve had 100 percent engagement. They love it.
Superintendent Kyle Heath said the VR headsets are a pilot program the board approved last year. The hope is the stay ahead of technology, Heath said.
Trustee Teddy Martyniuk said the board needs to find ways to challenge themselves to ensure students are equipped with these changing technologies in the future.
Not only can students visit places all over the world, but they can also participate in career explorations where they can be in the place of someone in a certain career field or even take a college tour without having to visit the campus itself, Barnes said.
There are more and more opportunities each day, he said.
CISD Communications Director Lisa Magers said the districts curriculum and instruction department is in the process of purchasing four 30-unit classroom sets of VR equipment iPods, goggles, containers/mobility package, and device chargers totaling $31,169 for use by teachers throughout the district.
Working with instructional technology curriculum coordinators, the classroom sets may be checked out by teachers for use by students in a particular lesson plan, activity or project, Magers said.
Nearpod training, for use with VR, for interested staff is July 31.
Other business
In other news, the board approved Stephanie Botello as a first-grade bilingual teacher at Cooke Elementary School, Marilyn Chitwood as an art teacher at Wheat Middle School, Cailin Daugherty as a math teacher and coach at Smith Middle School, Jennifer MacArthur as an English teacher and coach at Smith, Eric Peets as a social studies teacher at CHS, Lance Strebeck as a science teacher at CHS, Heather Traister as an English teacher at Smith and Kristan Tyra as a science teacher and coach at Smith.
The board also approved several companies to supply the district with copy paper, school/office supplies and athletic equipment.
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CISD trustees experiment with virtual reality - Cleburne Times-Review
Cambridge, U.K.-based virtual reality (VR) startup Hologram just beat tech giants like Google and HTC to the punch by releasing a standalone VR headset that works without a computer or a phone. Then again, Hologram is arguably playing in a league of its own: Its VRotica headset only plays porn, and nothing else.
Hologram started selling the VRotica headset for $220 online Tuesday, promising consumers access to triple-X-rated 3D VR content from Badoink, a studio that already operates a network of VR porn sites and has produced some 300 plus such videos to date.
The headset ships with six videos preloaded, and gives consumers the ability to buy additional content on a per-title basis.In the near future, Hologram aims to also sell content from other studios as well as user-generated uploads to VRotica users, with plans to have more than 1000 videos available before the end of the year. And eventually, the company plans to include live streaming as well as simple adult-themed games as well.
Virtual reality and pornography is not a new combination. Producers of adult content have been trying to capitalize on the new medium ever since Facebook-owned Oculus kicked off the new virtual reality boom in 2013. Most major VR headset manufacturers have tolerated adult content on their devices, but closed off their content and app stores to porn studios.
This has forced consumers to do whats often called side-loading to get access to this type of content: They have to download it to their PCs, or mobile devices, and then find ways to transfer and play the videos. Hologram co-founder Deniz Opal told Variety that his company was looking to simplify this process with the release of the VRotica headset. VRotica allows us to streamline the delivery of immersive adult entertainment, without any of the many distractions found on other systems, he said.
This focus on adult video content, as well as the comparably low price, also means that VRotica is essentially selling stripped-down hardware thats missing many of the features now common on other VR headsets. There is no external controller or touchpad to interact with the content. Instead, VRotica can be a controller via a series of simple buttons on both sides of the headset. And with its focus on VR video, the headset doesnt offer any type of positional tracking.
The headset, which Variety was able to review exclusively ahead of its official launch, features what can best be described as adequate video playback quality. VRoticas display comes with a resolution of 1920 by 1080 pixel, and a field-of view of 83 degrees. As a comparison, the latest Gear VR, when combined with a Samsung Galaxy S8, features a field-of-view of 101 degrees and a display resolution of 2960 by 1440 pixels.
In laymans terms, this means that the image quality of Samsungs Gear VR headset notably better than that of VRoticas headset. Then again, the content playable on the VRotica device also doesnt require a whole lot of bells and whistles.
Without getting into too many juicy details, most VR porn videos follow the same basic formula: One actor (typically but not always male) is filmed from the chest down, sitting or lying and initially not doing much else. Then another actor (typically but not always female) appears and initiates the undressing, and whatever else follows after. Its what the industry calls point-of-view, or POV, and it is meant to give viewers the ability to imagine themselves as part of the action.
Most of that action predictably happens more or less in the center of ones field-of-view, and can be viewed without ever really moving ones head. In other words: Theres really no reason to ever look over your shoulder or marvel at the scenery. That also explains why most adult VR videos at this point are recorded as 180-degree videos. Ironically, YouTube just realized that the same is true for many non-adult VR videos, which is why the Google-owned video platform introduced 180VR as a 180-degree video format.
Speaking of which: Its often said that the porn industry is leading the charge in adopting new technologies. Thats sort of true for the VRotica headset as well, albeit with some caveats. Both Google and Facebook have announced that they are working on standalone headsets that wont require computer or phones, and Googles hardware partners HTC and Lenovo are set to release standalone Daydream devices later this year.
Specs-wise, these devices surely will beat VRoticas hardware on many fronts, which also means that it wasnt that hard to get something much more basic out of the door. However, more advanced standalone devices will also likely cost at least three times as much which is a lot of money for people who primarily want to watch adult content.
Time will tell if thats really a big market, but Hologram is betting that focusing on just one slice of content is the right path forward for other content genres as well and the company has some experience producing VR content for a variety of genres, ranging from horror games to apps for medical treatments. Adult is the first niche we are looking at, but plan to use the same model for other niche markets, said Opal.
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A First Look at VRotica, a $220 Virtual Reality Headset Just for Watching Porn (EXCLUSIVE) - Variety
Virtual reality is much more than just a new form of entertainment, it is increasingly being used in a wide range of medical applications, from treatments to training. Here are a few of them.
1. Pain management
There is good scientific evidence that virtual reality (VR) can help relieve pain. The parts of the brain that are linked to pain the somatosensory cortex and the insula are less active when a patient is immersed in virtual reality. In some instances, it can even help people tolerate medical procedures that are usually very painful.
Other studies have shown that amputees can benefit from VR therapy. Amputees often feel severe pain in their missing limb, which can be hard to treat with conventional methods, and often doesnt respond well to strong painkillers like codeine and morphine. However, a technique called virtual mirror therapy, which involves putting on a VR headset and controlling a virtual version of the absent limb,seems to help some patients cope better with this phantom pain.
2. Physical therapy
VR can be used to track body movements, allowing patients to use the movements of their therapy exercises as interactions in a VR game. For example, they may need to lift an arm above their head in order to catch a virtual ball.
Its more fun doing exercises in virtual reality than it is in a gym, so people are more motivated to exercise. It can help in other ways too. For example, we found that for patients who are anxious about walking, we can control their virtual environment so that it looks as though they are moving much slower than they actually are. When we do this, they naturally speed up their walking, but they dont realise they are doing it and so it isnt associated with pain or anxiety.
Virtual reality can be used in physical therapy (Wendy Powell)
Studying how people perceive and interact with VR systems helps us design better rehabilitation applications.
3. Fears and phobias
If you have an irrational fear of something, you might think the last thing you need is to see it in virtual reality. However, this is one of most established forms of medical VR treatment. Phobias are often treated with something called graded-exposure therapy, where patients are slowly introduced to their fear by a therapist. Virtual reality is perfect for this as it can be adjusted precisely for the needs of each patient, and can be done in the doctors office or even at home. This is being used to treat phobias such as fear of heights and fear of spiders, but also to help people recover from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
4. Cognitive rehabilitation
Patients with brain injury from trauma or illness, such as stroke, often struggle with the everyday tasks that we take for granted, such as shopping or making plans for the weekend. Recreating these tasks within virtual environments and allowing patients to practise them at increasing levels of complexity can speed up recovery and help patients regain a higher level of cognitive function.
Doctors can also use these same virtual environments as an assessment tool, observing patients carrying out a variety of real-world complex tasks and identifying areas of memory loss, reduced attention or difficulty with decision-making.
5. Training doctors and nurses
In the future your doctor may prescribe one of these (Shutterstock)
Virtual reality is, of course, not just for patients. It also offers benefits to healthcare professionals. Training doctors and nurses to carry out routine procedures is time-consuming, and training generally needs to be delivered by a busy and expensive professional. But virtual reality is increasingly being used to learn anatomy, practise operations and teach infection control.
Being immersed in a realistic simulation of a procedure and practising the steps and techniques is far better training than watching a video, or even standing in a crowded room watching an expert. With low-cost VR equipment, controllable, repeatable scenarios and instant feedback, we have a powerful new teaching tool that reaches well beyond the classroom.
Wendy Powell is a reader in virtual reality at University of Portsmouth. This article was originally published on The Conversation (www.theconversation.com)
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Five ways virtual reality is improving healthcare | The Independent - The Independent
Mia Donovans Deprogrammed, Ali Eslamis DeathTolls Experience and Gabo Aroras Ground Beneath Her are among the 16 virtual reality works on track to compete at second edition of the Paris Virtual Reality Film Festival, a three-day program organized by the team behind Series Mania, the TV drama fest, in the French capital.
The selection of works such as Deprogrammed, DeathTolls Experience and Ground Beneath Her underscores the rise of politically-engaged, thought-provoking VR content which is now being produced.
For instance, in DeathTolls Experience, which won the DocLab Immersive Non-Fiction Award at IDFA, puts the viewers at the center of terror attacks and refugee crisis, while Deprogrammed, winner of IDFAs DocLab Award for digital storytelling, explores technics of indoctrination and brainwashing used, notably, by religious extremist groups; and Ground Beneath Her, follows a 12 year-old Nepalese girl from Zaatari Refugee Camp in the aftermath of the 2015 earthquake.
Filmmakers Josza Anjembe, David Chu, Alejandro Jodorowsky, Rachel Lang, as well as producer Olivier Bibas from Atlantique Productions, Cdric Bonin, producer and co-founder of Seppia Film are sitting on the Grand Prize jury.
Modeled on Series Mania, the Paris Virtual Reality Film Festival will boast a significant industry sidebar.
The one-day industry event will take place on June 30 and will showcase round-tables with professionals as well as a work-in progress section, which will include several anticipated VR projects in development, notably Vincent Ravalecs Fan Club with Mathieu Kassovitz, Sylvie Testud, and Denis Lavant; Jan Kounens Kosmik Journey, produced by Okio Studio (I, Philip); and Alain Damasios Paris 2050,produced by Red Corner.
Among the industry guests set to attend the VR festival are Nonny de la Pea, the CEO of Emblematic Group, Tom Burton, the head of Interactive at BBC and Jessica Brillhart, filmmaker for VR at Google.
The Paris Virtual Reality Film Festival will run June 30-July 2.
The rest is here:
Series Mania's Team Hosts Paris Virtual Reality Film Festival - Variety
A visiter tries a pair of HTC's Vive Virtual Reality (VR) goggles, during the annual Computex computer exhibition in Taipei, Taiwan June 1, 2016. Tyrone Siu Reuters
A new exhibit at the Tate Modern gallery in London is getting some virtual reality love.
HTC, the Taiwanese smartphone manufacturer and maker of the Vive VR headset, said Monday that it has partnered with Tate Modern on an upcoming exhibit featuring the works of painter and sculptor Amedeo Clemente Modigliani that will be accompanied by a new VR project.
The company said the VR exhibit is based on elements of early twentieth century Paris and incorporates archival material and new research to bring [Modigliani's] historical context to life.
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The smartphone company didnt elaborate on the specifics of the new VR exhibit, only to say that museum visitors will be able to see a fresh perspective into Modiglianis life and influences and parts of Paris that inspired the contemporary of Pablo Picasso and Juan Gris.
The BBC reports that the new exhibit will be the first time Tate Modern has used virtual reality technology. A museum curator told the BBC, "By using VR we want to feel closer to Paris as a city, the exhibition is about feeling connected with a particular place."
But several other museums have also looked to VR as a way to lure more visitors and create more compelling exhibits. For example, the National History Museum of Los Angeles County, recently hosted a VR exhibit called theBlu, in which visitors could put on VR headsets to explore the ocean in virtual reality.
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The Detroit Institute of Arts is also experimenting with augmented reality technology and is partnering with Google for an Ancient Egypt exhibit in which visitors can use the museums smartphones to see special digital graphics and information overlaid on certain objects, like a mummys sarcophagus.
Link:
Tate Modern Uses Virtual Reality to Recreate Modigliani's Early 20th Century Paris - Fortune
ALL VIEWS
This year the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity was the worlds largest gathering of digital creators and innovators from the communications and advertising industries.
A multitude of speakers were at the festival, and there were a multitude of prizes for Film, Film Craft, Media, Press, Outdoor, Cyber, Promo & Activation, Direct, Design, Radio, Mobile and more.
So what was the next big thing everyone was talking about? That would be Virtual Reality although the technology is still in its infancy.
VR makes life virtual, it mimics real world scenarios, usually in a 3D environment, so that people could potentially walk around the Louvre Museum in Paris, without having to physically be there. Or they can learn how to operate in a hostile environment, such as one of the frontlines of the conflict in Syria, without having to put themselves in danger. And thats not to forget the most obvious VR vehicle computer games where the technology is at its most advanced.
Virtual reality is dominated by visual media, and for most people youtube is currently the main platform people go to to look for video on the internet. Debbie Weinstein, the managing director for YouTube and video solutions, told Euronews what this brave new world might be like.
I think the possibility of virtual reality is really having these deeply immersive experiences. Its as if you are there, as if you are in the front row at the concert So its as if the two of you, or three of you, or a group of you are at the front row of a concert of your favourite artist. Youre all experiencing virtual reality at the same time, but you are not actually there, she says.
The possibilities are endless because ultimately VR is simply another media, but there are some very valuable real-life advantages to contemplate. In medicine surgeons may in the future gain valuable experience practising on virtual organs when its clearly unethical for them to practise on a real-life patient. Or police officers may be able to train in a 3D simulated terror attack environment. It will never be quite the same as real life but technology will bring us ever closer to the real thing in the future.
Other big things to take away from Cannes Lions? Taking data privacy more seriously came up repeatedly.
Today we only need our smartphone to work, to get a car, order food, watch video, listen to music, read and so on. Many of us can spend days with our smartphones only and cant survive for too long without it.
This trend will not change much in the future all the companies at Cannes agreed on that. But it will raise the issue of data privacy soon, according to Alex Cheeseman, the Chief Strategy Officer at Storyful, a company which trawls the internet looking for newsworthy content to sell to its subscribers.
I believe there is going to be a major shift in consumers wanting to own their data. But for now people arent that interested. Consumers dont really care about their data, theylI give it to any website. Theyll tick the box, they dont even read it.
And when people do realize their data has been compromised, or theyre worried that it could be,what can they do about it?
The only way for me to protect that data is to take it back myself, hold it, and wrap it up in my own layer of protection, Cheeseman said.
And when the publics trust in how safely their data is stored by countless web sites and servers begins to erode, many industries may face a sober reckoning.
Once people have their own data, what does that mean for advertisers, what does that means for social platforms? There is going to be a value exchange. Within the next two to five years this is going to be a massive trend. I think it will impact the industry massively.
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For the past couple of years, the fairly niche industry of Virtual Reality has massively boomed and it wont be long before it becomes a ubiquitous global presence in the same way that the smartphone has.
In fact, looking at recent news in the world of virtual reality, its clear that were already taking our first steps into a new, virtual reality driven world. Here are some of the most recent virtual reality trends that give us a glimpse of an awesome future.
Obviously, the first thing that most people think of when they hear about contemporary virtual reality equipment and software is the world of video games. The HTC Vive and the Oculus Rift have dominated the market since their respective releases, and both are primarily used by video game fans. Now, Microsoft and Sony are getting in on the action for their console systems.
So far, the only prohibitive factor between virtual reality being the video gaming standard is the price not only will a good headset cost more than $500, but the gaming computer required to run it isnt exactly pocket change, either.
Of course, thats all set to change as the technology develops, so watch this space.
Currently, 3D IMAX movies are the closest we can get to a truly all-encompassing movie experience, but even then you know youre watching a film.
Theres obvious potential for Hollywood and individual filmmakers alike to capitalize on ever-growing virtual reality capabilities to give cinemagoers an unprecedented level of immersion.
Going beyond just sound and vision, this years Tribeca Film Festival already gave us a sneak preview of what the future of cinema may entail. The film Unrest placed Tribeca viewers in an actual bed and allowed them to experience the story of a sufferer of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
The potential for virtual reality in Hollywood is obvious imagine a movie in which you are literally playing the part of a character and seeing the events of the story through their eyes! However, its one thing to have the capabilities and quite another for Hollywood to learn how to use them appropriately.
Even if you dont gamble yourself, you cant help but have noticed that the online casino industry is absolutely booming. Since the early 2000s, as online payment methods have become more trusted and secure and online casino software has become more sophisticated, online casinos and online poker has gone from strength to strength.
Today, many online casinos even offer Live Dealer games like roulette or Texas Holdem in which a real dealer will run various casino games via webcam. As such its no surprise to anyone in that industry, or indeed the virtual reality business, that virtual reality technology is being applied to the world of online casino games.
Net Entertainment is one of the biggest names in the world of online slots, having developed literally dozens of award-winning games that are some of the worlds most popular. Earlier this year, they announced that they were beginning the process of launching their first virtual reality slot machine.
We firmly believe that VR has a given place in the future of online gaming, based on our research and the trends that we monitor. We remain focused on delivering the ultimate entertainment experience, said the CEO.
If youre a cynical anti-capitalist then youll have already thought of this, but naturally as virtual reality becomes a big platform for engagement of customers across the entertainment industry then it also becomes a big platform for advertising and content marketing. In fact, its already begun.
This year, Jaguar was the official car of the Wimbledon tennis championship and used virtual reality to showcase this, giving fans the chance to fly into Centre Court in the shoes of British champion Andy Murray. Other car dealers have gotten in on the virtual reality marketing action, and we can expect to see this develop over time.
Last Week in the Future is our weekly newsletter, covering the latest and greatest in IoT, AI, and other tech fields from last week.
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Virtual reality takes your eyes and ears into another world. But it isnt quite truly immersive, yet. So,Tegway wants to take you one step closer into the immersion by making you feel new sensations like heat, cold, and pain.
The company demonstrated its ThermoReal technology at the HTC Vive X accelerator event last week in San Francisco. ThermoReal developed a thermoelectric device that can generate heat and cold upon demand and translate that feeling into your hands as you hold touch controls in VR. It is a new kind of human-machine interface.
Tegway created a semiconductor device that heats up on one side when you input electricity into it. The other side becomes cold when you put electricity into it. This kind of technology is already used in wine refrigerators, which generate cold without vibrations because there are no moving parts (thats what you need to preserve the wine better).
The device can become hotter based on the level of the electrical current. I put on a VR headset and held the ThermoReal controller in my hand. As I touched something flaming, I felt actual heat. And when I touched something cold, I felt the coldness for real. And to make me feel pain, the ThermoReal device generated both heat and cold at the same time. It was an electrifying experience.
It may be a while before this can be built into a VR device. But it is an interesting milestone on the road to full immersion. Applications that use the tech could draw you into an experience through more than sound and visuals.
Above: Tegway technology.
Above: Tegway wants to bring new sensations to VR.
Tegway has filed numerous patent applications in the areas of fabricating flexible thermoelectric device technologies, hardware design and applications, and software algorithms for thermal realism.
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ThermoReal lets you feel heat, cold, and pain in virtual reality - VentureBeat
Virtual Reality(VR) is becoming more prevalent in our everyday lives. Companies are implementing VR in their training, warehouses and marketing --as well as featuring VR headsets in commercials. These trends all push VR closer to being an ubiquitous factor in how we interact with content.
During 2016, mainstream venture capitalists invested a record $2.3 billion in virtual and augmented reality startups. According to technology advisers at Digi-Capital, $500 million of that amount came in the third quarter. Thats the ninth consecutive quarter of increased investment in the VR/AR sector.
Related: 11 Amazing Uses of Virtual Reality
Video games, entertainment centers and theme parks make up some of VRs largest market segments. Based in part on growth in these areas, Grand View Research now forecasts the worldwide VR gaming market will reach $45 billion by 2025. The United States and China are the two largest geographic markets. In these and other nations, the proliferation of VR-centered arcades (commonly referred to as VRcades) has risen steadily and is expected to grow.
IMAX theaters announced last year that it would open six IMAX VR Centres before the end of 2017. Its a natural fit: IMAX is known for widescreen cinematography that produces an image approximately 10 times larger than that from standard 35 mm film. The IMAX Experience Centreis introducing consumers to the realm and possibilities of VR.
Its not the only big announcement. At Januarys Consumer Electronics Show,ViveportPresident and HTC Senior Vice President Rikard Steiber unveiled HTCs plans to open more than 5,000 VRcades. The company will start with 1,000 Viveland VRcades in China. Steiber compared this stage of VRs development to the early days of the internet.Then, world world web gained millions of users through internet cafs, which remain popular in many countries.
The parallels create a massive opportunity for entrepreneurs looking to participate in the VR boom. Consumers are hungry to experience VR, but the current cost of home systems is prohibitive for many buyers. There's an undeniable shortage of places where people can experience VR. The IMAX Experience Centre at the Grove in Los Angeles reported more than 5,000 visitors after its opening.
Related:5 Startup Ideas for Jumping Into Virtual Reality
One idea for entrepreneurs to consider: Open a VRcade. It might seem like a daunting task, but --like any new venture -- it becomes more manageable if you break it down into a few key points.
Rent a space, invest in VR platforms, and charge per experience. Make the space engaging and comfortable. Use different platforms to provide your customers a variety of VR experiences. Oculus, HTC,Samsung Gear and Google Daydream are among the biggest manufacturers today. A VR Experience Showroom or VRcade is perfect for birthday parties, company team-building, date night and more.
Related:Virtual Reality Is About to Change Your Business
Deliver compelling content. The consumer wants to be engaged, and you want your clients to keep coming back. VR is social. Team-based games are an excellent way to involve your audience. Your aim is to deliver the correct content at the correct time to the correct audience.
Appeal to a wide range of demographics. Be sure to cover all the bases, from titles designed for mature gamers to those appropriate for family-friendly fun. The Brookhaven Experience, an interactive zombie-shooting thriller, is ideal for adults. Avatarico's latest, Alice in Wonderland Stories: Crazy Clockwork, is geared for children. An engaging VRcade has something for everyone.
Related:Infographic: The Gaming Industry
Location. Remember: location, location, location. Theres a reason its the mantra of commercial real estate. Your VRcade must be easy to find, with ample parking and organic foot traffic. Look for a site close to other businesses that people frequent daily.
Marketing. Capitalize on social media to promote your marketing efforts. Facebook Live, Instagram and SnapChat stories give you the ability to post all those hilarious videos and still images of people enjoying VR experiences. Those clips are nothing short of marketing gold.
Opening a VRcade is a lot of work. Fortunately, established companies can ease you into the process.
Barcelona-based Avataricohas built a model to help budding VR entrepreneurs launch their own VRcades. To date, Avatarico has facilitated the launch of 64 VRcades worldwide, with an estimated average ROI of around six months.
Avatarico owns the process from beginning to end --including scene-writing, programming, selling and promotion. Creating team-oriented games with specific goals, memorable plots and puzzles is a great way to develop buzz around your VRcade.
Related:7 New Opportunities Virtual Reality May Create
Early adopters who seize this opportunity will be part of an industry that promises to be huge. Chances are youll be the only game in your town. Do the research, and youll create a memorable experience that keeps customers returning for more.
Elena Titova is a serial entrepreneur and user experience expert based in New York City. Shehas been working in fintech, web and app development startups. Her areas of interest includeVirtual Reality, business strategy and creat...
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VRcade: Be the First to Open One in Your Town - Entrepreneur