Category Archives: Virtual Reality

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas --

Throughout the Air Force, teams referred to as Spark Cells serve as a hub for innovation. The 59th Training Groups Alamo Spark Cell is a collaborative team that focuses on improving training at the Medical Education and Training Campus.

Our Spark Cell team works with the whole campus here and also works with the Air Force Medical Modeling and Simulation Training at Randolph, said Tech. Sgt. Daniel Hauversburk, 382nd Training Squadron biomedical equipment technician course instructor. We have every person we can get involved within the campus, and we brainstorm ideas. We ask ourselves, how can we innovate and accelerate training?

Even during the pandemic, these innovators have implemented new ideas to help improve their students education.

Weve accomplished creating an environment for supplemental training aids within the student dormitory, said Hauversburk. We are working toward providing them with high-speed internet, giving students the ability to use virtual reality and augmented reality tools. This makes it possible for students outside the classroom environment to get hands-on experience training.

However, innovation goes beyond the training environment. The Alamo Spark Cell is consistently working toward simplifying time-consuming tasks. This was highlighted when the Alamo Spark Cell won Best Team Robot in the 2021 Robot 4 Every Airman competition.

The Robot 4 Every Airman competition is an Air Force and Space Force-wide cyber challenge, said Hauversburk. We identify a process that could be automated, saving time and energy for our Airmen and Guardians to focus on their actual jobs. For the competition we created a weekly activity report robot. Our WAR bot collects data from various simplified excel sheets that our Airmen have filled in and then produces a PowerPoint within the fraction of the time it used to take.

After the WAR bot won Best Team Robot, Alamo Spark Cell expanded it throughout the Air Force.

The WAR bot has been briefed and demoed at countless bases as part of the effort to push more units into learning how our process automation robot can benefit the Air Force, said Hauversburk. Different organizations contact me and I refer them to the Air Force Center of Excellence for our process automation. They train and provide them with all resources.

The Alamo Spark Cell also focuses on machine learning, printing 3D models for training and recently proposed the Functional Academic Skills Test project, said Hauversburk.

The Functional Academic Skills Test allows students with civilian-recognized accreditation to accelerate training, explained Hauversburk. For some of the programs, up to 12 months of training time is saved, which means a huge cost savings at $450 a day for each student.

Airmen and Guardians can join Spark Cells and help bring their innovative ideas to a possible tangible reality.

If anyone has passion for innovation they can reach out to us or their local Spark Cells, said Hauversburk. We all want to collaborate together and leverage each others skills to accomplish projects for the Air Force.

For more information on pursuing innovation, reaching out to Spark Cells and utilizing Squadron Innovation Funds, visit the Air Force Innovation Hub at https://www.afwerx.af.mil/index.html.

You can also find more resources at https://digitalu.af.mil/. Digital University provides Airmen with free enrollment in more than 12,000 courses.

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59th MDW: Alamo Spark Cell drives innovation throughout the Air Force - 59th Medical Wing

Dublin, Nov. 15, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Visual Effects Market Size By Product, By Application, By Geographic Scope And Forecast" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global visual effects (VFX) market was valued at USD 6,793.60 Million in 2020 and is projected to reach USD 9,776.69 Million by 2028, growing at a CAGR of 5.19 % from 2021 to 2028.

The Visual Effects (VFX) Market report provides a holistic evaluation of the market for the forecast period. The report comprises of various segments as well an analysis of the trends and factors that are playing a substantial role in the market. These factors; the market dynamics, involves the drivers, restraints, opportunities and challenges through which the impact of these factors in the market are outlined. The drivers and restraints are intrinsic factors whereas opportunities and challenges are extrinsic factors of the market. The Visual Effects (VFX) Market study provides an outlook on the development of market in terms of revenue throughout the prognosis period.

Global Visual Effects (VFX) Market Overview

One of the main factors driving the rise of the global VFX market is the growing demand for high-quality content. With the increasing use of digital video streaming outlets like Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, high-quality content and VFX are becoming more important. Smart devices like smart phones, tablets, laptops, and HD TVs are increasingly being used to promote the development of digital video streaming services.

This report provides an all-inclusive environment of the analysis for the Visual Effects (VFX) Market. The market estimates provided in the report are the result of in-depth secondary research, primary interviews and in-house expert reviews. These market estimates have been considered by studying the impact of various social, political and economic factors along with the current market dynamics affecting the Visual Effects (VFX) Market growth.

Along with the market overview, which comprises of the market dynamics the chapter includes a Porter's Five Forces analysis which explains the five forces: namely buyers bargaining power, suppliers bargaining power, threat of new entrants, threat of substitutes, and degree of competition in the Visual Effects (VFX) Market. It explains the various participants, such as system integrators, intermediaries and end-users within the ecosystem of the market. The report also focuses on the competitive landscape of the Visual Effects (VFX) Market.

Key Players

Story continues

The Global Visual Effects (VFX) Market is highly fragmented with the presence of a large number of players in the Global Market. The major players in the market are The Walt Disney Co., Framestore Ltd, Cinesite VFX Ltd, Digital Domain Holdings Ltd, and Others.

Key Topics Covered:

1 Introduction

2 Research Methodology

3 Executive Summary

4 Market Outlook4.1 Global Visual Effects (Vfx) Market Outlook4.2 Market Drivers4.2.1 Increase in Use of Visual Effects in Movies4.2.2 Increasing Demand for Mobile Applications and Games4.3 Market Restraints4.3.1 Exposed to Piracy Risks4.3.2 Low Level of Proficiency4.4 Market Opportunities4.4.1 Rapid Integration of Virtual Reality (Vr) for Visual Effects4.5 Covid-19 Impact on Global Visual Effects (Vfx) Market

5 Market, by Application5.1 Overview5.2 Movies5.3 Television5.4 Gaming5.5 Advertisements5.6 Others

6 Market, by Product6.1 Overview6.2 Simulation Fx6.3 Animation6.4 Modelling6.5 Matte Painting6.6 Compositing

7 Market, by Geography7.1 Overview7.2 North America7.2.1 U.S.7.2.2 Canada7.2.3 Mexico7.3 Europe7.3.1 Germany7.3.2 U.K.7.3.3 France7.3.4 Rest of Europe7.4 Asia-Pacific7.4.1 China7.4.2 India7.4.3 Japan7.4.4 Rest of Asia-Pacific7.5 Rest of World7.5.1 Middle East and Africa7.5.2 Latin America

8 Competitive Landscape8.1 Overview8.2 Competitive Scenario8.3 Company Market Ranking Analysis

9 Company Profiles9.1 the Walt Disney Co.9.1.1 Company Overview9.1.2 Company Insights9.1.3 Segment Breakdown9.1.4 Studio Overview9.1.5 Key Development9.1.6 SWOT Analysis9.2 Framestore Ltd.9.2.1 Company Overview9.2.2 Company Insights9.2.3 Product Benchmarking9.2.4 Key Development9.2.5 SWOT Analysis9.3 Rodeo Fx Inc.9.3.1 Company Overview9.3.2 Company Insights9.3.3 Product Benchmarking9.3.4 Key Development9.4 Cinesite Vfx Ltd9.4.1 Company Overview9.4.2 Company Insights9.4.3 Product Benchmarking9.4.4 Key Development9.5 Digital Domain Holdings Ltd.9.5.1 Company Overview9.5.2 Company Insights9.5.3 Segment Breakdown9.5.4 Product Benchmarking9.5.5 Key Development

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/ixksq9

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Worldwide Visual Effects Industry to 2028 - Rapid Integration of Virtual Reality for Visual Effects Presents Opportunities - Yahoo Finance UK

Virtually Home is a brand new series for BBC1 that uses virtual reality (VR) to help homeowners who need design inspiration or are struggling to make a decision.

The serieswill feature four of the UK's leading interior designers who will each use cutting-edge technology to show different households exactly how they can transform a room in their home.

Each episode of Virtually Home will help a different household transform a room into an ideal or dream space but avoid them making costly mistakes by allowing them first to experience and visualise the transformations through VR.

The series will feature a wide variety of projects and budgets across the UK. It could be any room people want help with including a living room, a basement, or an office space.

The series Virtually Home is due to start on Monday, Nov. 29, at 3.45pm on BBC1, and will run daily from Monday to Friday. Each episode will then become available on BBCiPlayer. We don't know yet if the show will run in the US but we will update if we get a US release date.

The series Virtually Home which has been made by the same team behindthe hit series Homes Under The Hammer is 15 episodes in total.

Each household in Virtually Home will be given two contrasting designs by the interior designer.They will see both designs in VR before choosing which one they like best and going ahead and starting the transformation.

The four interior designers working with the contributors are Karen Livingstone Welstead who lives in Glasgow, Russell Sage based in Somerset, Kunal Trehan in Cheshire, and Simon Hamilton from London.

In each episode, one designer will be matched with a different household.

First up are housemates Hattie and Lauren in Skipton, Yorkshire who have a budget of 1000 to transform their basement into a stylish room where they can entertain friends and relax. The interior designer helping them will be Karen Livingstone Welstead.

Other people featured later in the series include a couple who have just moved in together, a mum who lives with her young son and a family whose grown-up kids have now left home.

Yes. After the contributors have decided which design they like best in VR they will start work on the makeover project themselves. They will capture their progress on video diary and then reveal the end result to the designer at the end of the episode who will give their verdict.

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'Virtually Home' everything you need to know about the new property show - What's On TV

Amid a flutter of snowflakes floating aloft on gentle winds, you hear the snorts of caribou and the crunch of their hooves on the frozen tundra. But youre not watching the herd while shivering in the Arctic.

Youre in the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.

The museum has long offered visitors a window into the habitats of wild animals by recreating snowy landscapes, lush jungles and more through its dioramas. (Just ask the average Angeleno who trekked there on school field trips.) But now people can go beyond looking at the landscape. They can immerse themselves in environmental education through virtual reality, thanks to USC students.

A group of game design, computer science and journalism students relied on a high-tech 3D scanning tool and hours of research and design to create Beyond the Diorama, an interactive VR experience that transports you to an icy world.

Its a project with purpose. We wanted to create something that could help with climate change, says Rong Deng, a masters student in interactive media and game design at the USC School of Cinematic Arts and the projects creative director. For both the caribou and permafrost, there is a direct connection with climate change.

The climate project reveals that melting permafrost could release up to 53 times as much carbon as sources of pollution like cars in a major city like Los Angeles.

As Deng explains, the trouble starts with bugs. Insects called warble flies surround the herd and lay their eggs in the caribous hair. When the larvae hatch, they burrow into the flesh, leaving the caribou wounded and at risk of infection and predators. Normally, the herd would seek refuge from the flies in colder areas during the summer. But climate change means they have fewer places to escape the pests.

Another major consequence: As the tundras permafrost thaws, it emits carbon, creating a feedback loop of more warming. The USC student-led interactive virtual reality climate project reveals that this melting process could release up to 53 times as much carbon as sources of pollution like cars in a major city like Los Angeles.

The caribou turned out to be the perfect heartbreaking story, says Robert Hernandez, professor of professional practice at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. He has led similar immersive journalism projects with his students as part of an initiative called JOVRNALISM. It has such good conflict and drama.

The caribou project brought together students and other collaborators from across campus: USC Annenberg, the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences, the USC Viterbi School of Engineering, USC Games and the USC Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies. Overseen by Hernandez and Vangelis Lympouridis, a lecturer in computer science at USC Viterbi and USC Games, the project received support from the USC Office of the Provost.

This was an opportunity for students to make something that has an impact and is not in the traditional realm of a video game or cinema.

Robert Hernandez

This was an opportunity for students to make something that has an impact and is not in the traditional realm of a video game or cinema, Hernandez says. But the true secret was these students with different backgrounds coming together to work as equals.

Lympouridis has seen a trend toward more virtual and augmented reality experiences in media and entertainment, not to mention other industries like education, so the cross-campus partnership felt like a natural fit. Leica had loaned him a high-end lidar scanner to use in his class on augmented, virtual and mixed reality. The powerful device uses lasers to create a 360-degree digital model of an environment.

And what better fit for this high-tech approach than digitizing the natural history museums famed dioramas?

These dioramas were the virtual reality technology of the 1920s, Lympouridis says. Explorers were traveling to exotic, undiscovered places and then trying to recreate these environments to show others what its like to be in Africa or the Artic pole, what its like to experience the animals and their habitats there, and so on.

During COVID-19, when all museums had closed, he says this project illustrated the potential global reach of museum exhibits via VR and immersive technologies.

Users can download the USC Beyond the Diorama content and watch it on a virtual reality headset, including interactive quiz questions about climate change and its impact on caribou. An augmented reality version lets viewers enter the diorama through their handheld device. (iPhone and iPad options are currently available.) The team also created a 360-degree video version so people can watch the experience play out, even if they dont have a VR headset or smartphone.

More than 15 students worked on the project over two semesters. As creative director, Deng still marvels at how the effort involved many different disciplines across the university.

I worked with scientists and journalists and engineers so many different perspectives, she says. The journalists were super professional. They did research and prepared questions and worked so hard on the script. The engineers said: Tell me what to do. So Id tell them, We need snow here and the flies should move like this. It only took them a short time to create a vivid game experience.

Along with capturing the diorama with the lidar scanner and translating the data into an immersive experience, the team also had to ensure they used scientifically accurate content. Students interviewed experts at the museum and the USC Wrigley Institute to learn more about the caribous plight. Once they gathered their material, they had to shape it into an emotional arc to keep viewers engaged.

We make the people think about how this is an environment we need to protect.

Rong Deng

I hope users initially have curiosity and want to explore the environment, Deng says. After 45 seconds or so, we build into our story. These caribou are living in a terrible environment right now with these terrible flies that bite them. We make the people think about how this is an environment we need to protect. And we actually can do things to make this better, to stop the glaciers or permafrost from melting, like driving less or using public transportation.

Lympouridis said the project offered a valuable opportunity for his students to work with the latest 3D scanning technology and learn to collaborate with people from different fields. They got a chance to create a project that demonstrates their ability to understand the medium of augmented and virtual reality and engineer solutions that have purpose and impact, he says. This is a lever for students to excel in their careers and get good opportunities in the industry.

Similarly, Hernandez sees immersive reality as the future of journalism and entertainment. And he doesnt want to wait for media companies to determine the path forward.

I want diverse voices voices that are often left out to proactively shape this world, he says. Projects like this position them to be leaders and pioneers in those spaces.

Science/TechnologySocial ImpactClimate ChangeInnovationJournalismStudentsSustainabilityVirtual Reality

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USC Students' Stunning Virtual Reality Project Takes You to the Arctic and the Front Line of Climate Change - USC News

Virtual reality might have a bright future, but the path to get there is still bulky, heavy and uncomfortable.

Now, HTC is making a VR headset thats so small and lightweight its more like wearing a pair of glasses than a giant pair of goggles.

Follow Rich DeMuro onInstagramfor more tech news, tips and tricks.

The HTC Vive Flow isnt as powerful as a giant headset, but its a indication of where things could go with virtual reality. The easier it is to put on the technology, the more people will want to use it.

I checked out the HTC Vive Flow at a private meeting space in Santa Monica. There, the company explained that they are positioning this more as a health and wellness device as opposed to a serious gaming headset.

I tried out two experiences: a snake-style game and a meditation app called Tripp.

The snake game took some getting used to as you use your smartphone as a controller. Its not something I would spend a whole lot of time playing but its a good example of the casual games this headset is good for.

The meditation app was interesting, although it was a bit tough to fully get into it amid the gazes of half a dozen developers and corporate types at the location.

Still, I get the gist of this new style headset. It makes VR approachable, convenient, and always available.

You could simply come home from work, put on the headset and escape to the (metaverse?) in no time. The HTV Vive flow is powered by a 5G Android smartphone and requires an external battery back.

The device can mirror content from your phone, like Netflix or YouTube (think your own private viewing theater) or there will be an HTC app store that runs $5.99 a month for a subscription.

At $500, its not something the average consumer should rush out and buy just yet, but a few versions down the line could usher in a new form of personal entertainment.

Listen to theRich on Techpodcast for answers to your tech questions.

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HTCs new virtual reality headset is so small and lightweight you might actually want to use it - KTLA

What is VR?

Virtual reality creates a Stage, imaginary system Or simulated with a look similar to reality. It surrounds the user in an amazing 3D environment. Virtual reality environments, through computer-generated simulation, try to bring us closer to the true senses of our senses. To live this kind of experience, two components are needed: a communication device such as a content generator and VR glasses.

Todays virtual reality technology includes all kinds of add-ons to make the experience as close to reality as possible: surround sound systems, mirrors, walking platforms and many more advanced controls. In this way it is achieved that we are not fully engaged Virtual reality games, But without leaving the sofa at home on operating room functions or virtual trips.

The process of initiating virtual reality simulation begins by placing some VR glasses. We can start living as soon as we wear glasses Deep experience With motion controls, control the experience through a screen and move our body through the virtual environment. The Software The video game engine used in this type of experience is capable of delivering very realistic and high-resolution images. The presentation of this process converts an information Three-dimensional display, Lighting, textures and 2D frames. Having high-performance graphics cards is essential for the operation of virtual reality applications, because for optimal experience, a rate of at least 90 frames per second must be achieved.

When creating content and virtual reality contexts, there are three possibilities.

To recreate an actual scene, it is necessary to use a 360 degree camera Record the selected location in detail and take a photo. Once we have documented the space with videos and photos, it is necessary to send them to the developer for digitalization. Although it sometimes gives us the impression that we are observing a real image, it allows all the scenes that are part of a virtual reality environment to be fully created and even organized with a computer Virtual events With assistants.

Another way to create virtual reality content is to create 100% imaginary environments. In this case, the photos or videos were not taken in real space, but the design of the virtual world was created entirely by the imagination of the developer. This method is widely used to create virtual worlds of video games, but it is also used in the world of medicine or architecture. This leads us to reflect that not everything that is digitally designed has to be an exclusively invented world. For example, this technique can be very effective Project Buildings 3D On a plane.

It mixes virtual contexts based on real scenes and adds new elements. For example, this method would be a good choice Guided tours of museums For natural environments. You can recreate a cave based on images taken in 360 degrees and add elements like a virtual avatar in the form of a tour guide.

Every virtual reality system or environment has some key characteristics that should achieve a good experience.

The basic feature is to immerse the user in the new environment and feel as close as possible to reality. This is achieved through the users full external view using VR glasses and sound canceling headphones.

The ability for users to interact with the scene and control the elements that make it up. Lifting objects and interacting with other characters enhances the feeling of immersion in the virtual environment.

Story-based experiences that gamers want to stay in for a long time in a virtual reality environment. By Good stories Users can create a more emotional state with the virtual reality device and environment.

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What is a virtual reality environment and how does it work? - The Press Stories

Target markets for the hiring include the Republic of Ireland, which unlike Northern Ireland remains part of the European Union, as well as Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Poland, and the Netherlands. A spokesperson for Facebook confirmed to Bloomberg the UK wasnt being included.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has been talking up metaverse since July and the buzzy word, first coined in a dystopian novel three decades earlier, has been referenced by other tech firms such as Microsoft.

The technology might, for example, allow someone to don virtual reality glasses that make it feel as if they're face-to-face with a friend -- when in fact they are thousands of miles apart and connected via the internet.

"No one company will own and operate the metaverse," Nick Clegg, Facebook's vice president of global affairs, said in a blog post. "Bringing this to life will take collaboration and cooperation across companies, developers, creators and policymakers."

"The metaverse has the potential to help unlock access to new creative, social, and economic opportunities. And Europeans will be shaping it right from the start," the Facebook blog post read.

Using technologies such as virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), Facebook plans to create a greater sense of "virtual presence", which will mimic the experience of interacting in person.

The Covid-19 pandemic has shifted much of the office meetings online, leading to the rise of conferencing apps such as Zoom, and big tech companies are looking to capitalize on this shift.

Facebook, which has invested heavily in VR and AR, including buying companies like Oculus, intends to connect its nearly three billion users through several devices and apps.

The Facebook CEO believes that the metaverse would be accessible across VR, AR, PC, mobile devices and game consoles.

It has already committed $50 million for building the metaverse, and testing a new remote work app where users of Oculus Quest 2 headsets could hold meetings as avatar versions of themselves.

While Facebook did not say what roles it would hire for and where they would be based, the company has been facing antitrust probes in the region, and is often criticised over online safety and hate speech on its platform.

"We look forward to working with governments across the EU to find the right people and the right markets to take this forward, as part of an upcoming recruitment drive across the region," Clegg wrote.

What is the 'metaverse'?

Metaverse is a broad term. It generally refers to shared virtual world environments which people can access via the internet.

The term can refer to digital spaces, which are made more lifelike by the use of VR or AR.

Some people also use the word metaverse to describe gaming worlds, in which users have a character that can walk around and interact with other players.

There is also a specific type of metaverse which uses blockchain technology. In these, users can buy virtual land and other digital assets using cryptocurrencies.

Many science fiction books and films are set in fully-fledged metaverses - alternative digital worlds which are indistinguishable from the real physical world. But this is still the stuff of fiction. Currently, most virtual spaces look more like the inside of a video game than real life.

Blurring the lines

Metaverse evangelists point out that the internet is already starting to blur the lines between virtual experiences and "real" ones.

Stars such as pop diva Ariana Grande and the rapper Travis Scott have performed for huge audiences, watching at home, via the hit video game Fortnite.

In Decentraland, another online platform widely seen as a forerunner to the metaverse, you can already get a job as a croupier in its virtual casino.

"No one company will own and operate the metaverse. Like the internet, its key feature will be its openness and interoperability," Facebook said.

Other companies are pouring millions into developing the technology that could turn a fully-fledged version of the metaverse into reality.

Epic Games, the company behind Fortnite, has raised $1 billion in new funding, with some of that money set to support its vision of the metaverse.

Meanwhile, other technology giants Google and Amazon are investing heavily in innovations that could prove crucial to the development of the metaverse, not least cloud computing and data storage.

With agency inputs

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What is metaverse? Why Facebook is hiring 10,000 for the virtual reality plan? - Mint

Formula One drivers use virtual reality to simulate a race, Walmart (WMT) employees don the headsets to prepare for unruly customers, and Bank of America (BAC) workers practice sensitive financial conversations on the devices.

But as a labor shortage stifles companies struggling to make hires in the first place, some firms have turned to virtual reality for help attracting and retaining new employees who may never set foot in the office.

Julie Sweet, CEO of the Ireland-based consulting giant Accenture (ACN), tells Yahoo Finance that the company is giving virtual headsets to thousands of hires as part of its remote onboarding process.

The headsets make up part of the company's strategy of replicating the intimacy of an in-person work environment, while preserving the safety and flexibility of working from home, Sweet said.

"When you started a new job, but pre-pandemic, you showed up someplace," she says. "You had the excitement, you went home, and you said, 'This is what the coffee's like, this is who I met.'"

"Well, we have all these people who are shutting their laptops, and then the next day opening their laptop from Accenture, and there is no physical connection," she adds. "So we said, well, how do we solve that?"

Story continues

"Our new employees now get a welcome box. Sure, it has its computer. But it has these little signs that are ... are like the posters they would have seen in the office," she says. "... At the same time, we just ordered thousands of Oculus headsets. Why? Because our onboarding is now going to include virtual reality."

Accenture, which works with more than three-quarters of Fortune Global 500 companies, has seen a surge in business as clients sought their advice ramping up digital operations amid the pandemic. To keep up with growing demand, Accenture has hired 118,000 employees over the past year, Sweet wrote in a letter to shareholders.

Dan Howley, Yahoo Finance's tech editor, tries out the Google Daydream View virtual-reality headset and controller following a product event, Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2016, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)

Sweet began her career as an attorney at the high-powered firm Cravath, Swaine, & Moore and later joined Accenture as a general counsel. In 2019, she became CEO.

Speaking to Yahoo Finance, Sweet emphasized the importance of establishing personal relationships and company culture within the remote workplace.

"Really thinking about how you build connections, and you bring the physical and the digital world together differently," she says. "We think is the long term success of how you both engage, attract, and retain employees."

"We do believe it is a permanent experience that all companies will have more people who work remotely," she adds. "We've really rethought that experience."

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Why Accenture is giving VR headsets to thousands of new hires - Yahoo Finance

Virtual reality was introduced to the library in the past few years but is still struggling to gain traction.

Kevin McDonough, professor, and reference and electronic services librarian at the Lydia M. Olson Library, describes virtual reality as a technology that is not very familiar but holds great potential for learning.

What are we [the library] here for? Were here as a sandbox where people play around with VR, McDonough said. Students, faculty, staff and just get a feel and imagine possibilities.

For Noah Shevy, a freshman physics major, the idea of virtual reality was intriguing because of its enhanced skills and coordination.

I found Beat Sabre when I first started playing it. I could barely move my arms around, Shevy said. But then, after I played it for a while, it got a lot easier I was actually one of the top players in the world for a split second.

Shevy also noted that coordination is not something that can really be taught and learning varies for everybody.

The library offers virtual reality for communities on and off campus through scheduling and requests via their website. With varying tutor availability, virtual reality is open to students roughly 30 to 36 hours a week.

Hiring tutors for the digital media tutoring center, which virtual reality is a part of, can be a difficult process, according to McDonough.

Its not just hiring someone to do VR, they also have to help students with media-based projects and video editing and audio editing and stuff like that, McDonough said. Theres a lot of people that play games that could do VR but they cant do video editing, and so I got to have that.

It is critical for tutors and other staff to be available in order for patrons to access the virtual reality equipment. They are unable to leave equipment available when someone on staff is not working in electronic services, but McDonough assured the hours were shaped around common student tutoring hours that are available on their website.

Even with somewhat minimal access to the virtual reality equipment, the machines have not been as busy as the staff expected. As virtual reality becomes more popular globally, McDonough and other library technicians were expecting a larger increase in student involvement.

Its not knock the ball out of the park popular, I dont know why that is, McDonough said. I dont know if it is [because] people arent aware of it, although every tour that comes in here points it out Im surprised there arent more people coming in.

The lack of overwhelming student interest could also be attributed to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

COVID has made a big deal. People are in masks and that can kind of be awkward sometimes, McDonough said. When COVID was at its peak we didnt offer this at all.

While COVID-19 is still a concern, the library is using widespread sanitation techniques including sanitizing machines and ultraviolet cleaners that McDonough claims provide a higher level of cleanliness. These are used on top of the already necessary procedures the library takes with sanitizing.

Despite the cleanliness and health precautions taken by the library, they are still seeing less attention on their virtual reality equipment than expected.

Harrison Bouche, junior triple majoring in communication studies, multimedia production and computer science, contributes some of this lack of interest to the stereotypes and misconceptions surrounding virtual reality as well.

I think most people assume that [virtual reality] is for people who are super hardcore into video games. When really theres software where you can just go in and talk to people or fitness software, games that are all about dancing, Bouche said. Its really a wide-open field for so many different people to play in, but it has a connotation because it started in video games that its only about video gaming, which isnt true.

Looking at the future, McDonough is thinking about potential developments and growth within the virtual reality industry and how NMU might be able to incorporate it into education. However, as with all instruction, virtual reality learning starts with the basics and taking the first steps into exploration.

Its more about the experience, what is the art like, thats what were about, McDonough said. Come and try it out. Our tutors are great at getting you started; you dont have to know anything. Like how to put the headset on, theyll walk you through it, theyll even suggest some starting apps.

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Virtual reality offers gaming, educational resources The North Wind - North Wind Online

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Any road warrior will tell you its a jungle out there! The congested highways of our lives make it all the more critical to feel confident when you get behind the wheel and head toward the traffic. While many 16-year-olds are excited by the prospect of driving and the freedom it affords, getting your drivers permit and license can also be daunting for both teens and parents. Such was Sara Beniwals reality when her 16th birthday came around in January 2020. She and a group of entrepreneurially minded friends soon bonded over their drivers license angst and turned to innovation, building VirtuRoad, a virtual reality driving simulator designed for nervous new drivers to practice driving in real-life scenarios.

The Wharton Global Youth Program recently caught up with Sara, a high school senior in California who also studied in our online Business Leadership Academy this summer, to talk about her VirtuRoad business journey. Click on the arrow at the top of this transcript to listen to the podcast.

Wharton Global Youth Program: Hello and welcome to Future of the Business World! Im Diana Drake, managing editor of the Wharton Global Youth Program at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. Each month we interview teen entrepreneurs from around the world, with stories of their challenges, successes and unexpected detours. Together, we explore the innovation process and learn what it means to embrace the entrepreneurial spiritall before the age of 20.

Todays guest is here to talk about something totally relatable being a new driver.

Back in January 2020 which for many of us feels like a lifetime ago Sara Beniwal was freaking out. She had just turned 16 and didnt yet have her drivers license even though she was eligible. Around the same time, she joined an entrepreneurship program and met up with a group of other teens who bonded over their struggles with learning how to drive and getting their licenses. Maybe they could somehow use innovation to address this new-driver anxiety?

They pooled their collective entrepreneurial energy and came up with VirtuRoad, a VR driving simulator designed for nervous new drivers to practice driving in real-life scenarios.

Sara, its great to speak with you. Welcome to Future of the Business World!

Sara: Thank you. Im so happy to be here.

Wharton Global Youth: Take me back to January 2020. Why were you panicking over not having your license? What were you feeling that you think other drivers-in-training also feel?

Sara: As you mentioned, my 16th birthday was in January of last year. Its common for teens to get their license when they turn 16 so they can drive to school or places they want to go freely. I was really behind and I only had my permit. Both me and my parents were really afraid of me holding the steering wheel. Anytime we would practice it would end up with me nearly hitting the trash cans or using the right indicator to turn left. So, I felt like driving, which is a really common practice, would be something I could never do well. To answer your second question, I feel a lot of drivers-in-training feel this immense sense of responsibility when they sit in the drivers seat. They know that theyre in real life and if anything goes wrong they will face real consequences that could be fatal. Knowing that youre responsible for the lives of others could be really daunting for new drivers.

Wharton Global Youth: Once you hooked up with your team of entrepreneurs, you did some market research. What did you learn?

Sara: Market research taught me a lot about how to determine key customers. We did our research through two mediums: the first one was through looking at existing data and research about new drivers. We found some shocking numbers about new drivers. According to some research we discovered, 40% of teenagers are scared to drive, 25% of young adults are also scared to drive and 58% of parents are scared of their teen driving. That really gave us a lot of context about how teen drivers and their parents are stressed out about this process.

The second way we learned about our market was through customer validation. We reached out to community members for their opinions about our product and its need and we interviewed over 80 people to determine that VirtuRoad had potential to help new drivers and their parents.

Wharton Global Youth: Id be remiss to not ask you about the team of students you met in your entrepreneurship course. Who is on your team?

Sara: Were a team of four members right now and were all female entrepreneurs. Its exciting to work together since were around the same age and we all connect to our product really well.

Wharton Global Youth: Describe VirtuRoad. What is this technology all about? Take us through a simulated VirtuRoad experience. Is it like a video game?

Sara: VirtuRoad is a VR driving simulator designed for nervous new drivers to practice driving in real-life scenarios, while in the comfort of their own home without any risks. We have a real-world terrain, driving scenarios and a testing portion for the user to learn effectively without any extra equipment. We chose to leverage virtual reality (VR) because it offers a 3D realistic experience that is essential for our product to help people learn how to drive. VR allows us to bring the experience of sitting in a real car right to your home. VirtuRoad has two apps: a mobile app and a VR app. The mobile app tracks account information such as how youre doing in the simulations, and theres also a testing portion where you can answer questions from our drivers handbook. Our product also provides all the equipment needed to use the simulator. The user puts on the headset and can then use a VR app to enter either free drive, which is where there are simulated roads you can practice on, or driving scenarios where you can practice skills such as four-way stops or parallel parking with voice instruction. Weve created these scenarios so the driver can receive feedback on how they performed a specific skill.

Wharton Global Youth: Why virtual reality? Is this a particular area of interest for you? Had you studied it before?

Sara: Virtual reality was really important to us because you want to see whats happening to your right in the right-hand mirror, you want to look whats happening behind you in the back mirror. Just sitting there and looking at a screen wasnt effective enough to get this realistic experience that you would need to get actual, effective driving skills from this product. We figured why not leverage this technology, which has really been developing a lot over the past few years, and see where we can go with it and try to develop a realistic terrain so that when youre learning how to drive, you dont feel like youre not on the road. You are basically on the road, but in a safer location.

Wharton Global Youth: When did you launch the apps and how many users do you have? Tell us about the community youve built around VirtuRoad?

Sara: Weve finished our mobile app at the beginning of the year, but the mobile app is only one part of our entire product, so we havent released it to the public. Right now, its just my team and I working with developers to do quality-assurance testing. In the future, we do hope to reach out to our supporters. A lot of people have been promoting our product along the way through social media and weve also been using YouTube to reach out to people. Weve been focused on getting customers who would be interested in our product, but we havent really been able to let any of our customers test out VirtuRoad.

Weve been told by investors that we had a good idea, but they didnt feel comfortable funding a startup raised by teensIf I wanted to be respected as an entrepreneur, I had to step up and show that I was serious about what I was doing. Sara Beniwal, Co-founder, VirtuRoad

Wharton Global Youth: How do you make sure youre creating features that appeal to the end user?

Sara: Appeal to the end user is definitely something we talked a lot about. One way that we did that was through storyboarding. We were able to figure out how to create a product that would have a better UI (user interface) by reaching out to a couple of our friends to test out our product and tell us what they thought of it. For the most part, its been consulting with developers who have had experience in the past. As high schoolers, theres only so much we can do about user experience. Weve definitely considered the simplicity of our app and how easy it would be for our users to use it.

Wharton Global Youth: I was excited to speak to you today about virtual reality, and also another topic. I hear often that one of the biggest challenges of teen entrepreneurship is people not taking you seriously. Has that also been a challenge for you?

Sara: There have definitely been a lot of times when my age would stop me from being taken seriously. Weve been told by investors that we had a good idea, but they didnt feel comfortable funding a startup raised by teens. These words helped me to become stronger in real life. If I wanted to be respected as an entrepreneur, I had to step up and show that I was serious about what I was doing. And so, there were competitions where I would make the judges completely unaware that I was under 18. I would quickly spit out details about gross margins or five-year projections or our driving school partnership model. This constant situation of being underestimated has really helped me grow stronger, not only as an entrepreneur but as a person. If you know what youre doing and you know it well, no one can take that away from you.

Wharton Global Youth: Driving school partnership model? What is that?

Sara: Our product isnt just B-to-C or from us to a customer directly. Were considering working with driving schools because we feel driving schools will give us this opportunity to market out to people in a different way. We often emphasize the fact that VirtuRoad is not an alternative to driving schools or a driving instructor, its really a supplement. We know you cant replace in-person driving. We do want to help alleviate some of the stress that comes with learning how to drive. So, we wanted to work with driving schools and create a revenue-share model where we would give our products to driving schools for free and in return we would give them some revenue for however many headsets they sold or rented out. That way we could really develop relationships with a big, established industry.

Wharton Global Youth: Have you had success building those partnerships?

Sara: Building partnerships with driving schools has been something weve had to struggle with. Driving schools arent just a franchise or an industry, its a lot of local driving schools run by a single person. Weve had to do a lot of calls where we reach out to driving schools and see if they would be interested in our product. Weve got a lot of positive feedback and responses from driving schools, so thats really made us excited that we have potential there. We worry how we are going to scale that because driving schools are pretty local-based. Scaling is the one thing were concerned about, but we think that driving schools open up a lot of opportunity to market ourselves.

Wharton Global Youth: So, I hear these terms like scaling. Youre throwing a lot of business terms at me. You spent some time with Wharton Global Youth this summer studying virtually in our Business Leadership Academy. Have you been able to apply anything from that experience to your VirtuRoad development?

Sara: I was super excited to be part of the Business Leadership Academy this summer, and I learned a lot about not just leadership, but teamwork, communication and a lot of essential skills that you need whenever youre working in a group. And I was able to do this with a bunch of people across the globe, which was super amazing. One thing Ive been able to apply to VirtuRoad is the importance of delegation. In one of our activities at the Business Leadership Academy, we did this simulation called the Saturn Parable. Without giving anything away to someone who might do it in the future, there were so many tasks we had to do. Our group focused on delegating tasks. We would pull up a GoogleDoc and list each item and who would finish them so we would get everything done on time. That strategy helped us become one of the top teams at the end of the simulation. In VirtuRoad, Ive applied this by focusing on delegation and making sure we know exactly who is doing what so we can successfully meet deadlines or competitions.

Wharton Global Youth: What ultimately do you see for this product that is still very much in development?

Sara: Once we finish VirtuRoad, our goal is to do a geographic expansion. So we start small in California and San Diego, which is where were located, and then hopefully we want to go nationwide in a couple of years if we can. Aside from that, we dont think VirtuRoad is limited just to cars. Were venturing into considering motorcycles or other types of transportation that might require people to learn how to drive.

Wharton Global Youth: Where are you today in your own new-driver journey? Do you have a license? A car? Have you gotten rid of those jitters?

Sara: This is going to sound ironic, but Ive been so busy with VirtuRoad that I still havent gotten my license. I started driving behind the wheel finally. I think working with VirtuRoad inspired me to go in the car finally. Im considering being one of VirtuRoads first customers, so unfortunately, I dont have my license yet. I think that this product pushed me out of my comfort zone and I feel more comfortable sitting in a car and learning how to drive.

Wharton Global Youth: I hear about different technologies targeting teen drivers, like GPS tracking. What intel have you learned about new drivers that you think the business world should know as they innovate in this space?

Sara: I would say that new drivers are a lot more tech-savvy. They are focused on efficiency and quality of the product, which we had to incorporate a lot into our own product. Making the product just fun and exciting, something you would want to use on a daily basis, is a great way to catch their attention. Im also speaking as someone who fits the demographic of a new driver, so if I were a new driver, I would definitely want something with these characteristics. Another thing we talked a lot about was affordability. A lot of users mentioned that they wanted an affordable product that they didnt feel would press a burden on their finances. A lot of the products on the market right now are on the pricier side. So we focused on making VirtuRoad inexpensive for the everyday driver.

Wharton Global Youth: How much does it cost?

Sara: Our product costs $150 a month. Its a subscription basis, so you dont have to buy our product directly, you can rent it out. This is actually a really good deal because our product can be used any time in the comfort of your own home. You can spend as many hours as you want in that month period to test out our product and practice how to drive from home.

Wharton Global Youth: Are you a senior in high school right now?

Sara: Yes, I am a senior in high school.

Wharton Global Youth: I feel often these entrepreneurial projects go by the wayside because you get busy with life after high school. Will that happen, do you think?

Sara: Weve had this discussion quite a bit. We have come to consensus that we do want to continue developing our product in college. It may not be as fast-paced as it is now, but even now we are all busy with school and were still able to manage working on the business and making progress. I would say we would love to continue our product. Weve also considered hiring and recruiting other teen entrepreneurs who want to touch their toes in the water of entrepreneurship. Weve gotten a lot of interest from [people] who want to help us out. I think thats where the future of VirtuRoad is.

Wharton Global Youth: Is technology in your future? Has this helped to inform your path forward?

Sara: I think technology is definitely in my future. Im a very STEM-oriented person and I think we can really leverage technology in a lot of meaningful ways in the future. I think VirtuRoad is just one example of that. There are a lot of different ideas created out of new tech. Im really interested lately in blockchain. Thats definitely something I would want to consider and see if we can implement that in different industries. Blockchain isnt specifically for crypto anymore. Its also expanding to the insurance industry and voting. Blockchain is another form of technology that I would want to investigate further.

Wharton Global Youth: One question that I like to ask everyone on Future of the Business World is if you could change one thing in the world, what would it be?

Sara: I would like to change the stigma that surrounds teen entrepreneurship. When I started learning about business, I thought that I could never have a startup at this age. There are actually so many different ways to begin a company now thanks to technology. Especially during the pandemic, the fact that everyone was online helped put them on an even playing ground because a lot of work that we did was completely digital. This shows that technology is helping teens like us get more opportunities in creating our own startups. If you have a good idea, you can go out there and make it a reality regardless of your age.

Wharton Global Youth: Lets wrap up with our lightning round. Please try to answer these questions as quickly as you can.

What is a technology, other than VirtuRoad, that you just cant live without?

Sara: Definitely cars.

Wharton Global Youth: If you would win a senior superlative, what would it be?

Sara: Most likely to sleep through an earthquake. Ive been told I sleep a lot.

Wharton Global Youth: What book, video or podcast are you bingeing on these days?

Sara: When I get time, Ive been reading a book called Atomic Habits by James Clear. Im hoping that I can use some habits and fix my sleeping pattern.

Wharton Global Youth: A skill you have that you feel will serve you best as a future business leader?

Sara: I think when you hear the term leader it has to be about speaking and projecting. Another important skill is just being able to listen.

Wharton Global Youth: If you could invite one business person to lunch, who would it be?

Sara: I would probably invite Facebook CTO Andrew Bosworth, because I want to discuss making a deal about oculus VR headsets for VirtuRoad.

Wharton Global Youth: Sara, thanks so much for joining us on Future of the Business World. Its been great talking to you!

What did Sara Beniwal learn through market research? Do you agree with some of the team's data about new drivers?

Would you use VirtuRoad to become more confident behind the wheel? Why or why not?

How do you think VirtuRoad might have greater success with its driving school partnership model?

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Future of the Business World: A Virtual Reality for Nervous New Drivers - KWHS - Knowledge Wharton Highschool