Daily Archives: July 14, 2021

Get your game on.

Virtual reality is back in business atVancouver's Kingsgate Mall.

Zero Latency VRhas resumed full capacity operation, following some pandemic-induced restrictionsthat began in the spring of 2020.

"It's obviously better from a business model point of view and we haven't been making money the past 15months but I think we're turning a corner," explains the company'sWinston Cabell.

Up to eight people are allowed toplay at one time. They can battle zombie villains or solve family-friendly puzzleswhile travelling through various virtualenvironments.

Billedas Western Canada's largest virtual reality arena, the space spans1,500 square feet. Participantsare untethered to avoid cables or wires andgames are equipped withalarms to alertanyoneof anyapproaching obstacles.

A total session can last up to 45 minutes.

The July13 relaunch included apremiere of Ubisoft'sFar Cry VR: Dive into Insanity.

"It's an unbelievable game;it's so much fun. We're super excited to be partnered with Ubisoft on this launch and we canshow the city what Far Cry VR is all about," says Cabell.

Zero Latency Vancouver adheres totheprovince'sStep 3 of the BC restart plan. All staff members wear masks unless fully vaccinated and players are encouraged to wear masks in the briefing room.

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Virtual reality returns to East Vancouver's Kingsgate mall - Vancouver Is Awesome

The fact that were surrounded by a global layer thats there at all times, Mr. Tehranian said, referring to the Ethereum blockchain, where theres no central party that determines whether or not something is available or not? That, he said, is the antidote to the digital world we already live in one that he describes as akin to a metaverse but with dictators (Apple, Google, Facebook).

His metaverse hews to a particular definition of freedom. The thing I really care about is that you as an individual own objects, he said. Property ownership is a tool. It works. It brings financial incentives.

This may sound, depending on your ideological orientation, more dystopian than utopian. To Mr. Tehranian, its merely realistic.

Were still talking about human nature, which is greedy and selfish, he said.

Indeed, many are looking at the metaverse as a financial opportunity. Mike Winkelmann a.k.a. Beeple, the guy who sold an NFT of his artwork for $69 million is working on a start-up called Wenew, which will sell NFTs associated with moments in time, creating, in the companys words, the memory palace of the metaverse. (Its early offerings include moments from the tennis star Andy Murrays career.)

Despite his stake in the crypto-oriented vision of the metaverse, Mr. Winkelmanns sense of what it might be, or already is, remains wide. Whatever the metaverse is, its not just virtual reality, or augmented reality, or the blockchain and NFTs, or virtual worlds and games.

People are very much looking at it as this Ready Player One thing, or a V.R. thing, he said.

Thats just about how close that screen is to your face, he continued, holding his phone up to his eyes. This doesnt change the fact that a lot of these things are happening in a space that is already virtual.

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What Is the Metaverse? - The New York Times

Virtual reality - The future or should we say the present and the most prominent technology for the best user interface. Virtual reality has changed the means of interaction and shopping. Among the successful conversion rates in eCommerce sectors, Virtual reality is incorporating itself in the corporate world, i.e workplace. Virtual reality in the workplace assures, to enhance the learning process, better produce in expressing innovative ideas and of course seamless onboarding as well as training of employees.

Virtual reality is playing a major role in training employees. It is easy and entertaining not only to understand things but also to memorize them. Practical knowledge lasts longer than theoretical knowledge. The application of Virtual Reality has truly made the memorable process easy and better than any audio/video education platform today. In various industries like healthcare, army. Doctors, surgeons, and officers are well prepared for the actual procedure.

A recent report even stated that 83% of surgeons, doctors trained in VR were ready to complete the procedure in a lab setting with minimal guidance.

It has shown that they did better than the ones, who were trained with traditional methods. Because they had no experience in the application of these pieces of training.

The means of actually recruiting an employee and onboarding them with the job has changed its meaning in 2020. The version of learning by sitting in a class looking at a 2D screen is too not working. It is difficult to make employees believe how safe and friendly their work environment is and what it's like to be working with them.

Virtual reality has played a significant role in the recruiting process as well. Any job seeker would research about the company they want to land in. Pictures uploaded online can be one of the methods to have a zest of the workplace, but what it feels like to work there is the curiosity of the employee. Through virtual reality, the prospective employee can have a walk-through from the workplace for real and have the experience of doing so. The virtual walkthrough of the workplace would not only give immense satisfaction to the prospective employee but will save a lot of time for the company as well. The companies who are not well aware of the VR technology, in training, recruiting, and actually, onboarding employees can go through a lot of exploitation of their time as well as financial resources. This is exactly opposite to the purpose they started their business to save time and produce and earn more.

Well, WoWExp has got the solution to concerns like these. With WoWExp, you can ease the process of training, recruiting the employee as well as job onboarding. Whenever a new employee onboard, or joins the team, there are tons of knowledgeable staff waiting to be bombarded on them. Making them learn all the essential procedures beforehand can save a lot of time, what else is expected from a new employee. But by providing VR manuals, this problem can be solved in one go. The manual will be a compact and engaging one, which will be available for them forever, so that they can go through it anytime, especially in times of doubt.

Virtual Reality is far cheaper and requires less or no manpower and at the same time offers a lot more than the traditional method. It not only provides an engaging way of onboarding to the employees. But a lot of the employer's time can be saved as well. There is a particular team assigned to onboard the new employees. Now it can be just with a manual, which won't even bore any employee and also gives the freedom to the employee to understand things easily. However, Virtual Reality not only gives you this seamless experience but also for some astonishing real-life situations. Excited to know more. Have a look at: http://www.wowexp.ai/vr-training

Training employees repetitively can make them well prepared for almost every situation. WoWExp, with the help of Virtual Reality, can train your employees how to react in some situations, for which no one can prepare you. For example, training employees to defend against a bank robbery or on-site mining. No one knows how they'll react when they are in a real situation. But continuous drills during training for safety and awareness can surely give us a pattern of the behaviour of the employee.

With the help of VR goggles and creating scenarios, employees can be trained to make better decisions.

Wowexps CEO, Navin Manaswi says that We believe technology advancement is the only way that is going to reinstate the primitive tools with smart innovative products that we produce today. The core idea to imply the VR technology is to make more and more people aware of the power of better learning methods, making the world a better place. More details at http://www.wowexp.ai

Disclaimer: This is a company press release. No HT journalist was involved in the creation of this content.

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Virtual Reality is the future of employee training and onboarding, post-pandemic - Hindustan Times

Design consultancy firm Softroom has designed a virtual reality news studio that uses 3D-creation software Unreal Engine to "dissolve the boundaries of the TV studio".

The News Pavilion is a TV studio that combines virtual production technology and real-time filming techniques. A permanent news booth, where presenters and guests can gather around a table, is surrounded by LED screens and other augmented reality technology.

Softroom worked with the video game developer Epic Games to devise the concept, which was created using Epic Games' Unreal Engine display software. This generates the virtual environment in real-time.

"We wanted to explore what new opportunities for storytelling are possible, as well as creating a dynamic but sympathetic setting for the day's news, one that matches the sense of immediacy and importance of the subject matter," Softroom founder Oliver Salway told Dezeen.

The idea for The News Pavilion came about during the Covid-19 pandemic.

"The whole issue of teleporting-in remote guests sprang from conversations about what the legacy of lockdown might be, now that we're all so much more accustomed to video-conferencing," Salway explained.

"Thanks to Covid-19, it's ok now for a news show to have someone interviewed via their webcam, but we felt that there might be better ways to bring in remote contributors given the resources of a TV station."

The designers adopted augmented reality techniques more commonly found in film to explore these possibilities.

"We wanted to see what we could bring to TV design with an outsider's perspective," said Salway.

"A lot of physical TV set design just doesn't look like anything you'd credibly see in the 'real world'. It's trapped in a sort of debased art-deco pastiche a bit like a 1980s cruise liner."

On the left side of The News Pavilion is a news booth area where the presenter can physically sit at a desk. This section of the studio is the only permanent part of the design.

A pavilion with video walls encloses the studio, "extending the boundaries of the real studio". Cameras on wireless tracks film the newsreaders in live time and the video output is displayed live onto the LED walls.

"A wrap around LED enables the physical set design to be digitally enhanced and extended, offering great flexibility in terms of graphic appearance and scale," Salway said.

"The LED display walls are linked in real-time to the movements of the camera, the whole extended space moves in totally convincing synchronisation with the changing viewpoint."

According to Salway, this means that newsreaders are more comfortable in the studio as they no longer have the "disorientating green screen," which showcases images to people watching at home but which can't be seen by the newsreaders themselves.

Instead, The News Room lets the presenters experience the final visuals.

"People in the studio see pretty much the final composited effect that the audience at home does," he said.

"So you can get much more natural performances' from the presenters and guests in the studio, and they are able to interact with their environment, and with overlays of data, in much more fluid ways."

Alongside giving newsreaders more storytelling techniques at their disposal, Softroom wanted to ensure that regional or remote newsreaders were given the same visibility as in-studio newsreaders.

To do so, they "digitally extract" them from their off-site location and virtually place them into The News Pavilion.

"Thanks to the magic of virtual production, the remote guests are overlaid in the correct position in real-time on the video walls inside the studio," said Salway.

"So the hosts can interact much more naturally with them, and maintain an all-important sight-line to them," he continued.

"It was a reaction to feeling that studio guests and people on video link-ups are always a bit disadvantaged compared to the hosts."

The Covid-19 pandemic has prompted other designers to turn to virtual architecture and design. In November 2020, architecture studio Space Popular created Punto de Inflexin, a venue for the first-ever virtual reality architecture conference.

Project credits:

Core Graphics Technology: Epic Games, Unreal EngineVirtual Production: Pixotope: The Future GroupVirtual Production: ZeroDensityXR Production: DisguiseCamera Robotics: Electric Friends LED Panels: AlfaliteLED XR Stage: White LightVirtual Set Construction: MoovVirtual Set Construction: Strand SetConstruction: Scott FlearyCost Consultancy: PT ProjectsStrategy Consultant: Isaac Pinnock

Originally posted here:

Softroom's The News Pavilion allows newsreaders to "extend reality" - Dezeen

Virtual reality (#VR) technically refers to a computer-generated simulation, wherein an artificial surrounding comes into existence.

This realistic environment is accessible to the user in all directions and provides an immersive experience.

Naturally, educationists observed great potential in this technology and have, by now, made several attempts to successfully incorporate it into the classrooms and learning modules.

Here, in this compilation, we will look into some of the most effective implementations of Virtual Reality in Education.

Perhaps, one of the first aspects that seemed probable and promising to most educationists and trainers is to bring in complete destinations right to the four walls of the classrooms. Instead of disrupting a childs learning rhythm with the field trip, they suggest using a virtual field trip.

On average, a regular field trip, i.e., one to the park or a movie, aims to freshen up the young minds and engage them in a lighter subject. However, the excessive involvement of the commute kills the gist of it. Plus, it demands an extra budget as well.

Virtual Reality, on the contrary, does the job in a matter of seconds. Using VR tools like Google Expedition, we can take the students to all places. The great part is it preserves the learning part. Plus, you can conduct multiple of these. And even offer the kids a real-life experience since VR enables interaction within landscapes and with objects.

Another great way to effectively use virtual reality within the four walls of the classroom is to bring the textual content to life. Reading coordinates or lengthy descriptions demands twice as much input from the students end, as compared to the input required with effective use of VR.

Virtual Reality helps play the textual content in 3D in video and audio forms, making it easier to understand. It also contributes to picture memory. Thus, helping the students with better retention of knowledge.

Along with picture memory, we would recommend you encourage students to take notes irrespective of the impact VR has. The notes taken on their magnetic whiteboards and notebooks will keep them attentive and present in the lecture.

For example, anatomy students can study the complete skeleton, bones, muscles, and internal structure through the use of apps like Brain VR, 3D Organon VR, etc. Similarly, environmentalists and nature-enthusiasts can make use of apps like Discover VR. It provides complete videos about nature, the wild, animals, weather, and whatnot!

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In the year that the UK prepares to host the United Nations climate

A post-pandemic world which focuses on a green recovery and building b

The question that I am most asked these day is:Do you know when RoA

Virtual Reality is pretty much fun already in comparison to the current static mode of learning. However, for the newer generation, the constant exposure to this latest tech may make it appear dull. And they may deviate from their learning modules.

To keep the hype and excitement alive, VR tools and apps also offer room for fun (incomparable fun, yes!). You could have them play around with mysteries like the Dark Room and a Fisher Mans tale in their free lessons. These puzzle games boost cognitive thinking and the nature of VR tools handling will boost control on hand movements and enhance thought processes.

As mentioned earlier, the current generation may lose interest in beyond-extraordinary experiences when provided constant exposure.

Thus, it is necessary to maintain a balance. In times when youve got a virtual reality activity planned, ensure there are a couple of lessons when students take out their textbooks to read and write.

Virtual reality tools and apps also offer a great scope of hands-on learning, which, of course, has an ever-lasting impact. It helps the student learn more about the hows and whys than if and could.

Some VR technologies offer sensory experiences as well. Although its a bit costly, it enables the students to learn from a simulated real-life experience. For example, a textbook may not be able to tell that the smell of blood when stitching a patient may affect your performance level and stability. A simulated real-life experience, however, will not only unravel that. But also indirectly teach the student how to tackle the situation.

During the pandemic, we unveiled yet another valuable aspect of VR in the education sector, i.e., distance learning. When presented in physical classrooms became a point of the problem, Virtual reality bridged the gap and provided students and teachers to meet in virtual spaces. Here, the learning experience was no less than a physical classroom as the involved people could share their presentations, exchange opinions and ideas, discuss things, and whatnot.

Given the effective uses above, Virtual Reality is far more engaging than the current forms of learning. It encourages student participation and compels the locked minds to step out and think. Previous studies suggest that students spend about one-fifth of their lecture time scrolling or browsing on their mobile devices (typically distracted!).

VR addresses this quite well. With so many things happening around, it is almost impossible for an eager student to get carried away by something else. A VR-based learning experience demands constant attention and participation.

In the lieu of it, students also discover their hidden capabilities and potentials. They master their existing skills. As they pay more attention to learning, and themselves, they unravel their true potential. Thus, it maximizes the learning output.

Virtual Reality is transforming the educational sector quite literally. We are stepping out from the pages and taking our learning experience to real-life, which, in turn, promotes the STEM and STEAM module of learning. Thus, giving birth to more practical minds than ever.

Arslan Hassan is an electrical engineer with a passion for writing, designing, and anything tech-related

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6 Ways to Effectively Use Virtual Reality in Education - FE News

Virtual reality has captured the worlds attention with its ability to plunge users into a virtual, yet secure and safe world of their own. While gaming may seem the most prominent use of VR, its uses extend to many other industries.

Here are some ways VR is impacting our world:

While its not popular, the impact of VR can be felt in the fashion industry. For instance, fashion designers can utilize virtual reality in simulating their store environments, display their products and design their signage.

Many brands including Coach, Gap, and Tommy Hilfiger are already on board with more expected to join in the near future. Using VR, these big fashion brands enable their customers to wear their designs virtually while also enabling them to have a feel of fashion shows.

Although VR porn has just been around for a few years, its already gaining popularity with millions of people buying VR equipment to explore their sexual fantasies.

With VR porn, adults can now dive deep into their sexual fetishes without fear of being judged. It enables you to choose a scenario you like and play it out as though it was real. While there are some limitations especially with the movement of the protagonist, these minor issues will be resolved with time and advanced technology. In all, VR porn is still a place to be anyone you want.

The entertainment world as we know it is beginning to change, all thanks to virtual reality. The percentage of consumers interested in VR for videos, movies, and TV is put at 66% with an increase expected as the price of the technology decreases.

VR movies offer vast and sensory-filled experience, thereby creating a more immersive and immense experience. This explains why movie enthusiasts and fun lovers are excited about the future that VR holds.

VR is also defying the odds and doing great numbers in the gaming world. With VR, gamers are no longer subjected to merely controlling the game but can now become avatars, thereby enabling them to push beyond the boundaries. Reports have it that by 2025, the revenue gotten from VR gaming would have reached $19.5 billion.

Virtual tours are the thing these days. Rather than save up thousands of dollars to travel to museums in Rome or Greece, you can visit these places virtually. And even if you wish to travel, VR provides users the opportunity to tour hotels.

Besides, virtual reality is helpful to educators as it provides a distinctive way for students to explore the world without leaving the comfort of their environment.

The healthcare sector is another aspect thats benefiting from VR and is expected to benefit more in the coming years. One way VR is impacting medicine is in helping doctors with complex or rare surgeries. With virtual reality, surgeons can sharpen their surgical skills by practicing on virtual humans before moving to real patients. This way risks and mistakes are eliminated.

Military personnel, firefighters, police, and all those who have high-risk jobs also have a lot to gain from VR as this can be used to train them on emergency procedures.

For instance, firefighters can learn how to respond to a fire emergency without having to face the danger head-on. VR provides hands-on training outside of whats being taught. As research has proven, most people learn better by practicing rather than depending on theory.

Overall, the benefits of VR are limitless and with improved science and technology, we can expect it will get better and bigger.

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VR and its Impact in Our World - BallerStatus.com

See firsthand in virtual reality the impact of carbon emissions on the ocean

Savannah State Universitys Visual Immersive Tangible Applications Learning (VITAL) Research Lab is hosting The Effects of Ocean Acidification on Friday, July 16 from 9 a.m. 4 p.m. The event will be held at 3219 College Street in Hubert Building D, third floor, Room 444, and is free and open to the public.

There will be four 1-hour sessions. Participants will see firsthand the impact and effects of carbon emissions on the ocean in virtual reality. To schedule a session, visit calendly.com/vital-ssu/ocean-acidification virtual-reality-event.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration affirms that in the 200-plus years since the industrial revolution began, the concentration of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere has increased due to human actions, said Mykela Zumbrum, VITAL research lab technician. During this time, the pH of surface ocean waters has increased by nearly 30 percent in acidity. This increase has far-reaching implications for the ocean and the creatures that live there.

An extension of the College of Sciences and Technology, the VITAL Research Lab operates within the Chemistry and Forensic Sciences department. This event is made possible by the Office of Title III, a federally funded program designed to support the infrastructure of Historically Black Colleges or Universities. For more information, contact Zumbrum by calling 912-358-4154.

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Savannah State University Presents The Effects Of Ocean Acidification In Virtual Reality - Savannah Tribune

The Wizarding World serves a global audience of Harry Potter fans and offers an ever-evolving menu of new and imaginative ways they can engage with their favorite stories and characters inspired by J.K. Rowling's original Harry Potter stories.

Today WarnerMedia announces the opening date for two all-new interactive Harry Potter virtual reality experiences - "Chaos at Hogwarts" and "Wizards Take Flight." The ground-breaking experiences will debut exclusively at the newly opened Harry Potter New York flagship store on July 15, 2021 and will give fans of the Wizarding World and thrill seekers the chance to explore the magical world as never before!

Created by WarnerMedia in partnership with the creative teams at Wevr and Keylight and VR industry leaders Dreamscape Immersive, the two adventures create totally new and unique experiences for fans. Both experiences combine thrilling action with beloved characters and landmarks into an immersive virtual world for the first time, allowing you to step into the action in a new real-time interactive exploration of the magical world of Harry Potter.

Harry Potter New York houses the VR adventure pods in Harry Potter-themed staging areas, featuring an array of Wizarding World decorations and props. Harry Potter New York is the world's only official Harry Potter flagship store in the heart of New York City's Flatiron district offering an unforgettable experience for Wizarding World fans. Spanning three floors and over 21,000 sq. ft., Harry Potter New York houses the largest collection of Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts products under one roof. Harry Potter New York is located at 935 Broadway, New York, NY 10010, with entrances on both Broadway and Fifth Avenue. The store is open from 10am-9pm Mon-Sat and 11am-7pm on Sundays.

About Wizarding World

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WarnerMedia Announces Opening Of Two Brand New Immersive HARRY POTTER Virtual Reality Experiences - Broadway World

Today, the stylised Stone Flower spomenik, designed by sculptor Bogdan Bogdanovi, stands at the former Jasenovac site. But Croatia retains a complicated relationship with the NDH and the Ustaa, with some government officials often trying to negate the countrys role in Second World War atrocities. The Slana camp remains mostly unknown to the majority of Croats. There is no memorial close to the cove, and a plaque commemorating the victims has been defaced or destroyed on three separate occasions.

The artists hope to use their exhibition to capture this erasure of memory and the barren landscape it left behind, although they stress that they do not consider themselves historians. We dont want to talk about the numbers [of victims], but rather the landscape which itself suggests erasure, trauma, that something horrible happened there, Konjikui says. He believes that the desolate landscape, in its own way, already commemorates the atrocities that took place at Slana. In one section of the exhibition, Konjikui and Petkovi present their film, The Cove. Rather than depicting the linear passage of time, the film instead jumps from day to day, season to season, until what appears to be an empty space is revealed as a scene of a crime. Atrocities etched themselves into the rocky landscape in the summer of 1941, and will remain for an eternity.

But with no physical memorial to commemorate Slana, the artists are building their own monument elsewhere: in the digital realm. The trio created a 3D reconstruction of the camp, which picks out digitally-rendered objects such as the watchtowers and barracks, transforming the entire space of Slana into a site of commemoration.

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How artists are using virtual reality to capture traces of Second World War crimes in Croatia - The Calvert Journal

Quill is back and cuter than ever. Screenshot: Polyarc

Today Seattle-based studio Polyarc announced Moss: Book II, giving fans even more reason to fall in love with this stupid little rodent.

In early 2018 Polyarc released Moss, a delightful virtual reality game about an adventurous mouse named Quill and her mysterious looming human companion (you), solving puzzles and battling bugs in order to save Quills uncle. Turns out that adventure was only Book I. I say stupid little rodent with nothing but love. The original Moss is a delightful romp the popularity of which is due to how good a job the developers did of making the mouse Quill feel like a real companion. As the player, you are a powerful presence that hovers over Quills world, guiding her along her quest, helping when you can. Quill knows you are there, and though you make her move with your PlayStation controller, she reacts to your actions. Lean in close and shell lean in as well and maybe wave. She uses her hands and rudimentary sign language at times to teach you how to solve puzzles. If she needs to go around an obstacle, for instance, shell mimic that action with her fingers on her palm.

Read More: PlayStations New VR Mouse Game Is the Best Pet Shop Visit Ever

The point is Quill is adorable, and I love her. And shes coming back in Moss: Book II. Due out first for PlayStation VR at a yet-to-be-revealed date, Moss: Book II picks up where the previous game left off. Quill is being pursued through the castle where she found her uncle in the first game, but she has grand plans to break out, defeat the evil Arcane once and for all, and save the world from the great unmaking, which sounds pretty bad. At some point in the game Quill will meet a bunny, which is enough reason for me to preorder the game right now.

We were blown away by the reception from fans to the Moss story. Players built an extraordinary bond with Quill. Countless emails, tweets, streams, and fan art postings made us feel like we had created something special, said Josh Stiksma, principal software engineer and design director of Polyarc via official announcement. Weve since poured our hearts into ensuring Book II is a worthy continuation of Quills journey, and hope fans around the world are ready to join Quill in the next chapter of her story.

Are you ready to join Quill in the next chapter? I sure am. Just look at this trailer. I spoke with Josh Stiksma of Polyarc earlier today about the announcement, and he assured me that players who found themselves attached to Quill previously will find that bond growing deeper as they experience the joy, exhilaration, and heartbreak of this new chapter. Lets hope not. The damn mouse and I nearly got married last time.

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Moss: Book II Continues The Mousy Adventure On PSVR - Kotaku