Daily Archives: February 15, 2022

On Feb 11, 2022

Researchers at Rutgers University-New Brunswick have published Face-Mic, the first work examining how voice command features on virtual reality headsets could lead to major privacy leakages, known as eavesdropping attacks.

The research shows that hackers could use popular virtual reality (AR/VR) headsets with built in motion sensors to record subtle, speech-associated facial dynamics to steal sensitive information communicated via voice-command, including credit card data and passwords.

Common AR/VR systems on the market include the popular brands Oculus Quest 2, HTC Vive Pro, and PlayStation VR.

Led by Yingying Jennifer Chen, associate director of WINLAB and graduate director of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Rutgers University-New Brunswick, the study will be presented at the annual International Conference on Mobile Computing and Networking in March. Other research collaborators include Nitesh Saxena of Texas A&M University and Jian Liu at University of Tennessee at Knoxville.

To demonstrate the existence of security vulnerabilities, Chen and her fellow WINLAB researchers developed an eavesdropping attack targeting AR/VR headsets, known as Face-Mic.

Face-Mic is the first work that infers private and sensitive information by leveraging the facial dynamics associated with live human speech while using face-mounted AR/VR devices, said Chen. Our research demonstrates that Face-Mic can derive the headset wearers sensitive information with four mainstream AR/VR headsets, including the most popular ones: Oculus Quest and HTC Vive Pro.

The researchers studied three types of vibrations captured by AR/VR headsets motion sensors, including speech-associated facial movements, bone-borne vibrations and airborne vibrations. Chen noted that bone-borne vibrations in particular are richly encoded with detailed gender, identity and speech information.

By analyzing the facial dynamics captured with the motion sensors, we found that both cardboard headsets and high-end headsets suffer security vulnerabilities, revealing a users sensitive speech and speaker information without permission, Chen said.

Although vendors usually have policies regarding utilizing the voice access function in headset microphones, Chens research found that built-in motion sensors, such as an accelerometer and gyroscope within a VR headset, do not require any permission to access. This security vulnerability can be exploited by malicious actors intent on committing eavesdropping attacks.

Eavesdropping attackers can also derive simple speech content, including digits and words, to infer sensitive information, such as credit card numbers, Social Security numbers, phone numbers, PIN numbers, transactions, birth dates and passwords. Exposing such information could lead to identity theft, credit card fraud and confidential and health care information leakage.

Chen said once a user has been identified by a hacker, an eavesdropping attack can lead to further exposure of users sensitive information and lifestyle, such as AR/VR travel histories, game/video preferences and shopping preferences. Such tracking compromises users privacy and can be lucrative for advertising companies.

Oculus Quest, for example, supports voice dictation for entering web addresses, controlling the headset and exploring commercial products. Rutgers Face-Mic research shows that hackers may leverage these zero-permission sensors to capture sensitive information, leading to severe privacy leakages.

Chen said she hopes these findings will raise awareness in the general public about AR/VR security vulnerabilities and encourage manufacturers to develop safer models.

Given our findings, manufacturers of VR headsets should consider additional security measures, such as adding ductile materials in the foam replacement cover and the headband, which may attenuate the speech-associated facial vibrations that would be captured by the built-in accelerometer/gyroscope, she said.

Chen and her WINLAB colleagues are now examining how facial vibration information can authenticate users and improve security, and how AR/VR headsets can capture a users breathing and heart rate to measure well-being and mood states unobtrusively. To learn more about ongoing studies at WINLAB, click here.

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Rutgers Researchers Discover Security Vulnerabilities in Virtual Reality Headsets - njbmagazine.com

Sharon Weiner and Moritz Ktt try on the VR headsets for The Nuclear Biscuit, a virtual reality experience they created that allows players to wargame a missile attack from the point of view of the US president. Photo used with permission from Sharon Weiner.

Mr. President, we have a national emergency. Please follow the military officer right away, a voice says as an alarm blares. Evacuated to a secure facility, the president is greeted with a digital clock counting down from 15 minutes. Mr. President, this is Strategic Command. If you dont make a decision before the time on that clock hits zero, we will lose our entire ICBM force. The president is then presented with three recommended attack options, the least of which predicts five million to 15 million casualties. If an immediate decision isnt made, the voice becomes adamant: Mr. President, I need your guidance!

So begins The Nuclear Biscuit, a virtual reality (VR) experience that allows players to wargame a missile attack from the point of view of the US president. This research tool, which also serves as an educational game, is named for the actual nuclear biscuita card containing nuclear launch codes that the president is supposed to carry at all times. That card offers the US president sole authority over more than 40 percent of the worlds nuclear warheads. Such power has the potential to trigger a civilization-ending nuclear attack.

The simulation is the brainchild of Sharon Weiner of American University and Moritz Ktt of the Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy at the University of Hamburg. The research duo recruited students at Princeton University (where Weiner and Ktt met and conceived the project) and Washington DC-based policy professionals for their study, which seeks to better understand decision making amidst the pressure and uncertainty of a nuclear crisis. Over the past two years, world leaders, policymakers, and citizens in the United States and Europe have also had the opportunity to try the simulation.

I was virtually paralyzed by the end, Robert Meyers, a citizen who experienced the VR experience at the February 2020 Munich Security Conference, said. The experience was so real that it was chilling. Two years later, Meyers continues to second-guess the choice he made in the simulation. I didnt ask the questions that I should have.

The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists caught up with The Nuclear Biscuits co-creators to talk about technical challenges involved in producing their nuclear-themed VR, Easter eggs they embedded in the simulation, and the ways in which players surprised them. What follows is an edited and condensed transcript of that conversation.

What motivated this work?

Sharon Weiner: In my first VR experience, I was a bunny running from aliens. I was immersed in the experience. I immediately thought about foreign policy decision making and about how people make irrational choices and use shortcuts in a crisis situation. I thought that if we could immerse people in a virtual situation to practice [nuclear] deterrence, wed start to understand the degree to which they conform to the expectations of deterrence, which assumes rational decision making. That became an idea about using VR for this purpose. I didnt know anything about VR, but Moritz knew a whole lot. Plus, hes that rare combination of political scientist and physicist. So, we started a conversation.

Moritz Ktt: Id been working on using technical means to help nonproliferation arms control and disarmament. This can be verification technology but also virtual reality technology. Im interested in understanding how new technology can help solve this problem. For The Nuclear Biscuit, the first thing we did was download an Oval Office demo so we could walk around in the Oval Office in VR, which in itself is pretty amazing.

Many people associate VR with play. Is there any risk with people thinking nuclear decision making is a game?

Sharon Weiner: When we use this for generating experimental data, we exclude people with significant VR experience, not just because they might think its a game, but because its unclear how immersed they are.

Games are about storytelling, right? In our case, the story was provided by US decisions about structuring nuclear strategy. In putting that story into the virtual experience, we tried to be true to the options that story presents or precludes.

The goal is to get [participants] to engage with the story as it exists, given [nuclear] strategy and force structure. We want them to come to their own conclusions about their willingness to accept the assumptions of deterrence.

Weve not yet analyzed the data from our experiments, but I think its fair to say most people came away skeptical [about US nuclear strategy]. They wanted to know whether [the particular game they played] was a nuclear accident or a real attack. The answer is, its both, and its neither. Most people find that answer really unsatisfying.

Is there a correct action or set of actions for players in the scenario youve created?

Sharon Weiner: The right thing depends upon the values that a person brings to the experience. If you are US Strategic Command, the right thing is probably using your intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) before theyre destroyed. If you are Eamon Javers with CNBC, the right thing is protecting people and not acting immorally.

But one person gets to make that decision. And in reality, that one person gets 15 minutes or less to decide which of those values they want to maximize.

How do you decide how to end something when you can never resolve the issues in the time you have? The president only knows if the attack was real once the weapons land.

Moritz Ktt: Thats true for the real case as well. The president in a bunker never sees anything. The president doesnt have a window. The president only relies on information given by third parties and technology. We know of many incidents from the past where this has failed already. We leave this open because the president would never really know for sure.

Did your nuclear theme present unique technical challenges?

Moritz Ktt: We tried to come up with new ideas to make the experience more immersive. In some of the videos, a virtual chair is replicated in the physical world. People can walk up to the chair, grab it, and then see it moving in VR. That is usually the moment people say, Yeah, this is something serious. Then they sit down at the Resolute desk in the Oval Office.

Sharon Weiner: The development of VR technology isnt at the point yet where some AI listens to the decisions youre making and calls up one of several hundred responses. But, Holosphere, the company we worked with for the VR part of the project, developed a unique mechanism. We listen to what the person says, and we have a tablet of responses. We trained each other to come up with similar responses to similar [scenarios] as dictated by nuclear strategy.

When participants take part in the simulation, what do they look like from the outside?

Moritz Ktt: In the beginning, people sometimes give the impression that they still know theyre in a hotel conference room or the basement of Princeton University. But as soon as the alarm starts and they sit down to make decisions, people seem to really think, Now its a crisis. We have to make a decision.

People start tapping fingers on the table, or they move one foot. They repeat whats said to them, like numbers or important details of the brief.

Sharon Weiner: Theres an option in which the Secret Service tries to evacuate them. Some people get up to try and leave. A general then says, Wait, please give me guidance for what to do. People will have animated arguments with this general, who of course doesnt exist. They say, No, Ive decided to go! They gesture wildly and sometimes swear.

This is anecdotal, but [the people who try to leave] seem to be people who are less inclined to launch. As soon as they get up, the military officer says, Were anticipating you being out of contact. Can you at least give us some guidance for how to behave until we can talk to you again?

People say, No, Im not going to do that! Why should I do that!? Weve had people bang the table. People fidget and engage in repetitive motions. Afterward, they dont remember what they did.

Have you been participants, or do you know too much to be fooled?

Sharon Weiner: We built it from the ground up, so we know every conceivable part of it, including the Easter eggs embedded in it that few would notice but are there just for fun.

Easter eggs?

Moritz Ktt: Bruce Blair, a former Air Force officer, who was also a missileer helped us with the script. He unfortunately passed away last year, but if you turn right in the [simulated] Oval Office, you can see him.

Sharon Weiner: Also, at the end of a newscast [in the simulation], we threw in the names of people, like a high school student who helped [on the project].

In the experience, the playerthe simulated presidentis presented with three options: low-, medium-, and high-level retaliatory responses. Is one of these options more popular than the others?

Sharon Weiner: There are actually an infinite number of options. Participants are told repeatedly and at specific times that the military wants to help them build their own option. We havent yet analyzed the data, but based on general observations, most people never build their own option. Most people do launch. There seems to be a general tendency towards [the low- or medium-level retaliatory] options. Very few people decide not to launch. Is that fair Moritz?

Moritz Ktt: Yes. The difficult part is that, initially, this experiment was only a research project [with the goal of publishing] an academic paper. But, very quickly, it turned out to be an educational toolsomething to show people without any research questions. By now, about half of our participants are policymakers.

Its kind of unfair for us to talk too much about what theyve done. But we also shouldnt wait to use this as an educational tool, because the longer we wait, the more dangerous [the world] gets.

Youve offered the simulation in the United States and Europe. What differences have you observed in these two settings?

Moritz Ktt: People outside of the US appear to be less immersed, perhaps because they know they could never become US president. As soon as you start thinking, I couldnt be in this position, you are not mentally in the position.

Europeans appear to ask questions about whether the British, the French, or the Germans have seen the attack, and they ask what theyre doing. Until the end of the 15 minutes, we tell them that were trying to get [allied countries] on the phone but that its very hard to reach them.

Is there anything that surprised you in this research?

Sharon Weiner: Many assume that missile defense will save them from an incoming Russian ICBM attack. When theyre told that the missile defense system provides little to no protection, they dont believe it. So many insisted that we had to add another person saying the same thing. That surprised me. I thought people close to nuclear policy would be aware that the missile defense system is not going to help.

Moritz Ktt: I was surprised that, so far, no one has ever asked for their family. We recorded answers [for questions related to family]. Sharon is one of the voices. But it doesnt occur to people in this situation to ask, Where are my kids? or Wheres my partner?

Sharon Weiner: After the experience is over, the presidential emergency operations center goes away and we put on the screen, Thanks for participating, the experience is over. I was surprised that people would still be immersed in the experience.

Originally, I had to tap people on the shoulder to tell them the experience was over. But this scared the bejesus out of them because they were still immersed in the experience. So, we tried to make it more obvious that the experience was over. We go up to them and say, THE EXPERIENCE IS OVER NOW! WERE GOING TO TAKE OFF THE HEADSET! But even when we cut off everything and tell them, theyre still in it.

After someone participates, they always want to talk about what theyve just gone through. We are the first people they see so we let them lead the conversation.

Whats next after this?

Moritz Ktt: First, we want to rest from being confined in basements playing nuclear wars all the time! This is not some something that is necessarily pleasant. But then we want to analyze the data.

In the long run, we would ideally make this available to a wider audience, but we dont know yet how, when, and where this would work out. People ask if they can download this on Steam, which is a common platform for computer games. We say no because so far, its just a research tool.

Sharon Weiner: Weve been discussing how to make this available as an educational tool for teachers that want to talk about these issues. Students nuclear strategy literacy, at least in the US, is quite poor. In a perfect world, wed reach out to all of them. But there are equity issues. Not every high school can give a virtual reality headset to every student. What are the tradeoffs between trying to make this experience accessible to more people? Were having those conversations.

[In our simulation,] we controlled for the pressure of time. There are other variations wed like to control. Given current events, Id really love to have two peopleone is Russia, and one is the UStest the notion of escalate to deescalate. How quickly would the situation escalate?

The former head of Strategic Command has said that every time they play these war games, they always end in thermonuclear war. But the presumption about escalate to deescalate is that the US can control the use of low-yield nuclear weapons in an otherwise conventional conflict. We actually have a means to test how realistic that assumption is. I would love to do that.

What do you want players to take away from the experience?

Moritz Ktt: We want them to learn about how nuclear deterrence plays out. Were grateful that people showed up in large numbers for the experiment. We also wanted to educate people on current US nuclear strategy, its potential consequences, and the size of the decision the single person in this roomthe US presidentwould have to make and the circumstances in which this would occur.

Sharon Weiner: These are choices that [US policymakers] made about nuclear strategy infrastructure, but theyre choices. It invites people to say, I just experienced the choices weve made. Think about other choices we could make instead.

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A VR journey into the nuclear bunker offers chilling lessons on US nuclear policy - Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists

New York, Feb. 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Global Consumer Virtual Reality Market 2022-2026" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06229632/?utm_source=GNW 80% during the forecast period. Our report on the consumer virtual reality market provides a holistic analysis, market size and forecast, trends, growth drivers, and challenges, as well as vendor analysis covering around 25 vendors.The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current global market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. The market is driven by the increasing demand for VR technology and the growing adoption of a head-mounted display (HMD) in the gaming sector. In addition, increasing demand for VR technology is anticipated to boost the growth of the market as well.The consumer virtual reality market analysis includes the component segment and geographic landscape.

The consumer virtual reality market is segmented as below:By Component Hardware Software

By Geographical Landscape APAC North America Europe MEA South America

This study identifies the rising product launchesas one of the prime reasons driving the consumer virtual reality market growth during the next few years.

The analyst presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources by an analysis of key parameters. Our report on consumer virtual reality market covers the following areas: Consumer virtual reality market sizing Consumer virtual reality market forecast Consumer virtual reality market industry analysis

This robust vendor analysis is designed to help clients improve their market position, and in line with this, this report provides a detailed analysis of several leading consumer virtual reality market vendors that include Alphabet Inc., Bitmovin Inc., Firsthand Technology Inc., HTC Corp., Manus Machinae BV, Microsoft Corp., NVIDIA Corp., Sony Group Corp., Ultraleap Ltd., and Unity Technologies Inc. Also, the consumer virtual reality market analysis report includes information on upcoming trends and challenges that will influence market growth. This is to help companies strategize and leverage all forthcoming growth opportunities.The study was conducted using an objective combination of primary and secondary information including inputs from key participants in the industry. The report contains a comprehensive market and vendor landscape in addition to an analysis of the key vendors.

The analyst presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources by an analysis of key parameters such as profit, pricing, competition, and promotions. It presents various market facets by identifying the key industry influencers. The data presented is comprehensive, reliable, and a result of extensive research - both primary and secondary. Technavios market research reports provide a complete competitive landscape and an in-depth vendor selection methodology and analysis using qualitative and quantitative research to forecast the accurate market growth.Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06229632/?utm_source=GNW

About ReportlinkerReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.

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The Global Consumer Virtual Reality Market is expected to grow by $ 52.77 bn during 2022-2026, progressing at a CAGR of 60.80% during the forecast...

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Dublin, Feb. 15, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Augmented and Mixed Reality Market by Technology, Infrastructure, Devices, Solutions, Apps and Services in Industry Verticals 2022 - 2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

This mixed reality market report assesses AR, MR, and other immersive technology components, the AR/MR ecosystem, and competitive landscape.

The report evaluates market opportunities for hardware, software, and services. Analysis takes into consideration market drivers and constraints such as potential regulatory implications. The report provides detailed qualitative and quantitative analysis including forecasts for AR/MR by major hardware components, software, services, semiconductor components, and more.

Assisted or augmented reality (AR) represents a live (direct or indirect) view of a physical, real-world environment in which certain elements are augmented by computer-generated sensory input. In addition to a visual overlay, AR may also provide audio and tactile inputs to the user, and rely upon presence and positioning technologies to present location-specific sensory inputs and information to the user. In this manner, AR is part of the Mixed Reality market and represents a blending of information technology and media within a real-world environment for the benefit of the consumer, business, and industrial users.

The term mixed reality (MR) pertains to a form of hybrid reality in which physical and digital objects co-exist and interact in real-time. With MR, either virtual objects are digitally mixed into reality or real-world objects are merged into virtual worlds. The latter case is sometimes referred to as augmented virtuality (AV), and is one step closer to virtual reality (VR), as real-world objects in a virtual world take on a sense of permanency with real objects, appearing to actually exist within the virtual world.

Adding to this sense of permanency, real-world objects in a virtual world may be digitally controlled. Conversely, MR may also support the manipulation of virtual objects permanently placed in the real-world. In either scenario, MR will be an important aspect of teleoperation and telerobotics.

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The primary goal of AR is to enrich the user's perception of the real-world, providing information and insights that otherwise would not be obtainable. AR use cases have grown substantially across many industry verticals within the last two years, providing significant market momentum, and indicating great promise to transform communications, content, and commerce across a wide range of sectors. The goals of MR are broad, yet directionally focused on a true merging of real and virtual worlds, which the publisher believes will be a major catalyst for wide-spread acceptance and usage of VR across all major industry sectors.

The growing demand of the augmented reality market in the entertainment, retail, and defense sector is encouraging manufacturers to expand their business. Both traditional advertisers and digital media companies need to get ready for increased altered reality. Advertisers are looking at using augmented reality as part of a marketing drive in order to attract new customers as well as retentive existing ones.

The AR smart glasses market is picking up pace as it inches away from being a niche product to becoming an industrial and enterprise problem solver. Mass consumer adoption is elusive, if not years away, but the market is building its ecosystem, refining hardware, and taking a more realistic approach for the long-run ramp-up of smart AR glasses.

Select Report Findings:

Hardware is the largest market segment with HUD the largest component

The overall market is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 62.7% and reach $502 billion

Consumer electronics is the largest industry vertical whereas the military segment is expected to have the highest growth potential

Latin America is expected to have the highest growth with a CAGR of 69.0%. Brazil and Argentina are the major countries within the region

China, India, and Japan are leading countries in Asia Pac while South Africa, UAE, and South Africa are the major countries in the MEA region

North America is the largest region, followed by Europe. USA is the largest country in North America, while Germany, France, UK are in Europe

Market Dynamics

Market Drivers

Increasing Demand of AR Devices in Healthcare

Growing Demand of AR Devices in Retail & E-Commerce

Increasing Application of AR in the Gaming Industry

Challenges

Augmented Reality Ecosystem

AR Hardware vs. Software

Mobile AR vs. Dedicated Hardware

Marker Based Reality vs. Marker Less Reality

Mixed Reality and Reconfigurable Workforce

AR Application Landscape

Regulatory Landscape

Competitive Landscape

Augmented and Mixed Reality Market Drivers and Opportunities

Consumer Awareness and Acceptance

Compelling Applications

Business-to-Business Apps and Services

Teleoperation and Tele-robotics

Conclusions and Recommendations

Advertisers and Media Companies

Artificial Intelligence Providers

Automotive Companies

Broadband Infrastructure Providers

Communication Service Providers

Computing Companies

Data Analytics Providers

Equipment Providers

IoT Suppliers and Service Providers

Semiconductor Companies

Smart City Systems Integrators

Social Media Companies

Software Developers

Company Analysis

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/wc65hg

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Global Augmented and Mixed Reality Market Report 2022-2027: Assessment of AR, MR, and Other Immersive Technology Components, the AR/MR Ecosystem, and...

Meta has debuted its Quest 2 Super Bowl ad ahead of the big game, and its hard to get a grasp on how exactly its supposed to promote the metaverse (via Wall Street Journal). It evokes a strange mix of nostalgia and the slight fear associated with a childhood spent around unsettling animatronics, all while simultaneously giving off Five Nights at Freddys and Black Mirror vibes.

The commercial opens in a Chuck E. Cheese-esque environment so cleverly called Questys with a fuzzy animatronic dog, a pink six-armed creature, and two penguins performing Simple Minds Dont You (Forget About Me) on stage at the arcade. Soon after, a moving crew drags the lifeless bodies of the animatronic band out of the building as the location shuts down for good.

The dog (which falls directly on the line between cute and creepy) winds up staring out the window at a pawn shop, sans the rest of its animatronic crew, and takes on different roles as it's passed around among owners. After a brief appearance as a mini-golf course decoration, its seen getting flung out of the back of a pickup truck, and then laying helplessly inside of a trash compactor until its miraculously pulled out just as the machine starts closing in on its head.

The same woman who pulled the dog out of the trash compactor puts the animatronic on display at a space center, fixing it in a stationary pose pointing towards the cafeteria. A young man trying out the centers VR exhibit takes off his Quest 2 headset and somehow gets the idea to strap it on the animatronic dog.

Well, heres where it gets Black Mirror-y the dog gets transported into Metas virtual reality, where he meets up with his old band members and is able to perform once again, a theme you might remember from the San Junipero episode, which features a virtual world where the elderly and consciousnesses of dead people thrive.

In the second-to-last scene, Dont You (Forget About Me) resumes playing, and the ad shows all four friends each at new locations happily dancing with Quest 2 headsets on, as the words Old friends. New fun, pop up on the screen. It ends with the animatronic dog, still outfitted with Quest 2, howling in the now-closed space center.

Am I supposed to feel happy at the end of that commercial? The reality that the animatronic dog is likely to get his headset ripped off as soon as the space center opens has left me feeling empty inside or maybe Im just reading too much into it. This may be the reality that Meta wants to rebuild, but, if anything, its that depressing realization this ad draws attention to even more.

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Metas Quest 2 Super Bowl ad takes a retired animatronic dog into the metaverse - The Verge

Sudbury's Pure Realism harnesses gaming technology to create immersive experiences for industry problem solving

Pure Realism, a Sudbury-based designer of virtual reality environments, said demand for its immersive technology has been so high, that its looking to double the size of its team in the next three months.

Kris Holland, chief executive officer of Pure Realism, said acceptance of virtual reality [VR] technology signals the beginning of a paradigm shift in the business world. Now that businesses are starting to see what we can do with VR, they say, Oh, well, we want this for everything, Holland said.

The team at Pure Realism currently eight builds a life-like, virtual reality environment for the user. Theyvisita site, such as an underground mine, where it scans and renders a virtual replica of the space, right down to the finest detail.

From there, any user can interact with the site, simply using a VR headset, Holland said. Its such an easy way of interacting with virtual reality, even the most tech-averse person can get some use from it.

I had my 75-year-old mother walk around one of the environments, he said. I've been trying to get her to use a computer for decades, and she had no problem at all.

The key thing is that the interaction part of this needs to be very intuitive, he said. It just has to work with very little instruction, and you can go off and use it.

The technology rides on a popular gaming platform Unreal Engine designed by Epic Games. But despite its origins in the gaming world, dont expect to see clunky, square forms moving across the screen, Holland said.

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Pure Realisms virtual representations can be so life-like that first-time clients have even been known to utter a string of profanities at first glance, Holland said.

At first, they're struggling to deal with what they're seeing, because everybody has a perception of what the world of gaming and computers can do, he said.They always expect it to be fake, and feel fake.

A recent project brought the Pure Realism team together with engineers from mining company Vale to scan their main nickel furnaces, where they scanned six floors in just over 12 hours.

We were able to take [the client] through his furnace, Holland said. Five seconds later, he was in another shop. And then five seconds later, he was in another city. Five seconds after that, he was back in another part of his shop looking at an issue, then at the press of a button, we were able to take the whole building away, and leave just the piece that he was interested in.

The technology, Holland said, allows users to have meaningful conversations and problem-solve despite the real-world, physical limitations of the space. Thats especially useful for environments, like Vales hot furnace rooms, which can be dealt with from the comfort of a boardroom. It can also save the client plenty of money, Holland said.

Imagine not having to pay an expert to fly in from a different country to consult on an issue.

What we're doing is we're making virtual reality as real as the real world, Holland said. So sort of like what people actually want the metaverse to be, that's what we're doing.

In October, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg made headlines when he announced the company, which includes social media giants Facebook and Instagram, would be morphing into Meta, introducing users to a shared 3D experience, or virtual reality.

What Meta/Facebook is doing, it tends to be what you would have experienced in the '90s- era computer games, Holland said. "Very Technicolor, a lot of primary shapes like cylinders and spheres. It doesn't feel real.

What we're doing is we're making virtual reality as real as the real world. What people actually want the metaverse to be, that's what we're doing," he said.

The secret sauce in there is being able to make these really complex environments run in virtual."

To get such a sharp VR rendering of a physical space, Holland said he employs 3D animators, game developers, and a crew of hands-on technicians who set up laser scanners and cameras or rigs in the environment.

The process involves enormous amounts of coding expertise, but also old-fashioned problem-solving on the fly, Holland said. The ability to stand back to assess and attack issues from a different angle is the secret sauce he brings to the table.

Our customers are asking us to scan really weird things in really weird places, Holland said. We're always making new camera rigs to be able to do those locations, as well as developing and advancing the current ones we have.

Its a constant process, developing prototypes, adjusting, tinkering, and trying new things, he said.

It's a little bit of duct tape and glue, versus something that eventually will be a much more manufacturable product, easier to use, Holland said.

But with that constant development comes a great flexibility within his team, Holland said, and a heightened capacity for problem-solving.

Because all of these different areas constantly having to develop, here we are, a small company in Northern Ontario. And for all intents and purposes, we're going toe to toe with billion dollar multinationals.

The only way that we can do that is through continuous development.

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Jobs of the Future: 'Making virtual reality as real as the real world' - Sudbury.com

Originally posted here.By: NewsBTC

Virtual reality is set for a major upgrade with the upcoming release of Cosmos, a Metaverse framework by ICICB Group. The Metaverse has evolved following the release of Cosmos by ICICB Group. The digital and internet ages find themselves at an interesting crossroads in time currently as the emergence of blockchain technology over the past decade have given way to the rise of the Metaverse, a fully-realized digital world that exists in a different dimension than our physical reality. Despite the misconceptions that have arisen from Facebooks transition to Meta, there is no one entity or organization that is creating or holds rights to the Metaverse, but instead, it has arisen more organically to provide an interactive framework for the yottabytes of data that exist across the internet. As global awareness of the emerging Metaverse grows, ICICB Group is well-positioned to capture this momentum and help evolve the space as a whole thanks to the launch of the ICICB Chain, the backbone of the ICICB Metaverse, also known as Cosmos. Cosmos offers a never-before-experienced journey through time with separate epochs that represent ancient, modern and future human life, each with its own unique set of nonfungible tokens and artifacts that will keep users enthralled with gameplay while also accumulating real-world value. Each user in the ICICB Metaverse will become an expert time traveler, teleporting from the stone age to the world of the future on a whim and exploring the vast multitude of experiences that human life has to offer. Extra precautions have been put in place to prevent the destruction of the timeline, however, as items from the past can be brought forward to the future while artifacts from the future are unable to make a journey backward in time for fear of creating a universe-destroying paradox. With each epoch of time including an expansive virtual world that eclipses the size of the virtual worlds found on The Sandbox or Decentraland, Cosmos is on track to become the largest virtual ecosystem in existence across time and space. For users who wish to focus on our present time to explore what the world has to offer, ICICB has specifically crafted its Atari 3D blockchain casino that can only be found in the modern age and provides explores with an interactive gaming playground where they can earn money and place bets through a variety of popular games and contests. First-person shooter fans can frag to their hearts desires in the new ARES by ICICB MMORPG game, which utilizes blockchain technology to allow for the creation of game assets that can be owned in the real world and sold on the ICICB NFT marketplace. Thanks to the underlying strength of the ICICB Chain, the worlds best blockchain network in terms of speed, cost, and security, Cosmos is destined to be a major fixture in the ongoing Metaverse revolution as the digital age continues to unfold at a quickening pace. ICICB Group is a financial services company based out of the Middle East that has a network of hundreds of offices around the globe, providing financial and banking services to over 26 countries. As part of the groups overall mission of helping to advance the development of digital technology that can be integrated with the everyday aspects of peoples lives to increase efficiency and sustainability. To take things to the next level, the firm is about to unveil their upcoming launch of an expanded ecosystem, ICICB Chain on 22 February 2022 that incorporates the hottest sectors of the expanding cryptoverse. With an ecosystem that integrates a wide range of blockchain-based solutions that allow clients worldwide to play, trade, and earn in one place, the ICICB Metaverse is laying the groundwork to emerge as a popular global hub for entrance into the virtual world of the future.

Virtual reality is set for a major upgrade with the upcoming release of Cosmos, a Metaverse framework by ICICB Group. The Metaverse has evolved following the release of Cosmos by ICICB Group.

The digital and internet ages find themselves at an interesting crossroads in time currently as the emergence of blockchain technology over the past decade have given way to the rise of the Metaverse, a fully-realized digital world that exists in a different dimension than our physical reality.

Despite the misconceptions that have arisen from Facebooks transition to Meta, there is no one entity or organization that is creating or holds rights to the Metaverse, but instead, it has arisen more organically to provide an interactive framework for the yottabytes of data that exist across the internet.

As global awareness of the emerging Metaverse grows, ICICB Group is well-positioned to capture this momentum and help evolve the space as a whole thanks to the launch of the ICICB Chain, the backbone of the ICICB Metaverse, also known as Cosmos.

Cosmos offers a never-before-experienced journey through time with separate epochs that represent ancient, modern and future human life, each with its own unique set of nonfungible tokens and artifacts that will keep users enthralled with gameplay while also accumulating real-world value.

Each user in the ICICB Metaverse will become an expert time traveler, teleporting from the stone age to the world of the future on a whim and exploring the vast multitude of experiences that human life has to offer.

Extra precautions have been put in place to prevent the destruction of the timeline, however, as items from the past can be brought forward to the future while artifacts from the future are unable to make a journey backward in time for fear of creating a universe-destroying paradox.

With each epoch of time including an expansive virtual world that eclipses the size of the virtual worlds found on The Sandbox or Decentraland, Cosmos is on track to become the largest virtual ecosystem in existence across time and space.

For users who wish to focus on our present time to explore what the world has to offer, ICICB has specifically crafted its Atari 3D blockchain casino that can only be found in the modern age and provides explores with an interactive gaming playground where they can earn money and place bets through a variety of popular games and contests.

First-person shooter fans can frag to their hearts desires in the new ARES by ICICB MMORPG game, which utilizes blockchain technology to allow for the creation of game assets that can be owned in the real world and sold on the ICICB NFT marketplace.

Thanks to the underlying strength of the ICICB Chain, the worlds best blockchain network in terms of speed, cost, and security, Cosmos is destined to be a major fixture in the ongoing Metaverse revolution as the digital age continues to unfold at a quickening pace.

ICICB Group is a financial services company based out of the Middle East that has a network of hundreds of offices around the globe, providing financial and banking services to over 26 countries. As part of the groups overall mission of helping to advance the development of digital technology that can be integrated with the everyday aspects of peoples lives to increase efficiency and sustainability.

To take things to the next level, the firm is about to unveil their upcoming launch of an expanded ecosystem, ICICB Chain on 22 February 2022 that incorporates the hottest sectors of the expanding cryptoverse.

With an ecosystem that integrates a wide range of blockchain-based solutions that allow clients worldwide to play, trade, and earn in one place, the ICICB Metaverse is laying the groundwork to emerge as a popular global hub for entrance into the virtual world of the future.

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ICICB Prepares to Enter the Metaverse Arena with the Release of Cosmos, a Virtual Reality Ecosystem That Spans Across Time and Space - Geeks World...

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Virtual Reality Glove Market Overview 2022

The Virtual Reality gloves provide the closest real-life experience. VR uses synchronized sound, sight, and touch with data suites. This has increased the number of gamers who prefer VR over traditional gaming devices. The increasing disposable income and enhanced adaptability with devices are making VR headsets and consoles more and more affordable for consumers.

This has brought along several changes in This report also covers the impact of COVID-19 on the global market.

The report offers detailed coverage of Virtual Reality Glove industry and main market trends. The market research includes historical and forecast market data, demand, application details, price trends, and company shares of the leading Virtual Reality Glove by geography. The report splits the market size, by volume and value, on the basis of application type and geography.

The Top key vendors in Virtual Reality Glove Market include are:- CyberGlove Systems, Manus VR, GloveOne, Virtalis

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This research report categorizes the global Virtual Reality Glove market by top players/brands, region, type and end user. This report also studies the global Virtual Reality Glove market status, competition landscape, market share, growth rate, future trends, market drivers, opportunities and challenges, sales channels and distributors.

Major Product Types covered are:Wireless VR Gloves

Wired VR Gloves

Others

The Application Coverage in the Market are: Private

Commerce

Region wise performance of the Virtual Reality Glove industry

This report studies the global Virtual Reality Glove market status and forecast, categorizes the global Cable Conduits market size (value & volume) by key players, type, application, and region. This report focuses on the top players in North America, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia India and Other regions (Middle East & Africa, Central & South America).

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Virtual Reality Glove Market Latest Innovations, Demand and Business Senario Outlook by 2028 Talking Democrat - Talking Democrat

SUWANEE, Ga.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--InVeris Training Solutions (booth #M7) will showcase its newest training technology SRCE (See | Rehearse | Collectively Experience or "Source") at World Defense Show in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, March 6-9. Debuting in late 2021, SRCE is the worlds first and only augmented reality-based training simulator, providing groundbreaking mission rehearsal for militaries and law enforcement. In addition to SRCE, InVeris will also be displaying a full array of live-fire range offerings.

Augmented reality enables us to combine virtual training in real-world locations, said InVeris Chief Executive Officer Al Weggeman. SRCE provides mission readiness training to global defense forces that is totally lifelike, seamless and customizable. Live-fire training is equally important, and our comprehensive selection of shooting range equipment underscores why InVeris has been a leader in the live-fire space for over 95 years.

At World Defense Show, InVeris will feature its industry-leading shooting range equipment, including the XWT wireless target carrier, GranTrap rubber bullet trap, as well as a Multi-Function Stationary Infantry Target (MF-SIT) with a LOMAH (location of miss and hit).

To speak with an InVeris representative during World Defense Show, visit booth #M7 or schedule an appointment at https://www.inveristraining.com/request-a-meeting.

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About InVeris Training Solutions

InVeris Training Solutions provides cutting-edge training solutions for militaries, law enforcement agencies and commercial range owners around the world. With its legacy companies, FATS and Caswell, InVeris Training Solutions has fielded over 15,500 live-fire ranges and 7,500 virtual systems globally during its 95-year history. The company is headquartered in Suwanee, Georgia, and partners with clients in the U.S. and around the world from facilities on five continents.

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InVeris Training Solutions to Highlight Augmented-Reality Training and Live-Fire Range Systems at World Defense Show 2022 - Business Wire