Category Archives: Virtual Reality

In Virtual Reality News

October 11, 2021 Moth+Flame, a developer of immersive virtual reality (VR) training technology, and the National Urban League, a historic US civil rights organization based in New York City, have recently announced a partnership that will see both organizations work together to develop virtual reality-based diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) workforce training programs.

According to Moth+Flame, the programs are being developed for use by large corporations who have approached the National Urban League for scalable DE&I training solutions. The first program, part of a series that is being developed by the partnership, is titled Hiring Equity, and is focused on helping HR managers bring decisions back to objective criteria when race or other subjective cultural criteria have entered the decision-making process. As a subject matter expert, the National Urban League has helped to create and guide the learning curriculum at the heart of the experience.

Additional programs expected to roll out in the coming months include:

Supplier Diversity;

Virtual reality technology is one of the newest additions to the DE&I training toolbox to facilitate having those sometimes-difficult discussions, said Donald R. Cravins, Executive Vice President at National Urban League. Virtual reality scenarios can be used to train a large group of people in a cost-effective way and we are excited to start onboarding our national partners so that they can roll out this game-changing technology to their national workforce.

Moth+Flame stated that over the course of the next year, there will be an entire library of National Urban League developed content made available for the VR training platform.

Putting people into a virtual reality environment surrounded by human actors who react in real time to what is being said has a really profound impact, said Kevin Cornish, CEO and Founder of Moth+Flame. The emotional connection people make during these training sessions as they are forced to confront difficult situations speaking in their own voice is proven to change behavior. It is so much more effective than a static power point presentation.

Moth+Flame has already had its VR tech deployed for several important causes this year, including by the US Air Force to help facilitate suicide and sexual assault prevention training, and also in the foster care system in Ohio to help workforces there address issues of inequities in their systems. For more information on Moth+Flame and its VR training solutions, please visit the companys website.

Image credit: Moth+Flame

About the author

Sam Sprigg

Sam is the Founder and Managing Editor of Auganix. With a background in research and report writing, he covers news articles on both the AR and VR industries. He also has an interest in human augmentation technology as a whole, and does not just limit his learning specifically to the visual experience side of things.

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Moth+Flame partners with National Urban League to develop Virtual Reality diversity training programs - Auganix

11 October 2021

by Daniel Wasserbly

InVeris Training Solutions' VR-DT uses virtual reality to prepare users for de-escalation of force situations. (InVeris Training Solutions)

InVeris Training Solutions (formerly Meggitt Training Systems) revealed its immersive Virtual Reality Decisions and Tactics (VR-DT ) system for de-escalation training at the Association of the United States Army's (AUSA's) annual meeting.

VR-DT is the genesis of what we've been doing from the FATS side of the house, Eric Perez, InVeris director of military system sales and business development, told Janes ahead of the meeting. FATS trainers employed by several Department of Defence organisations use large screens for marksmanship, scenarios that test trainees' judgement, or collective training for small units. VR-DT is meant to be more dynamic and immersive, Perez noted.

VR-DT enhances training for de-escalation, safety tactics, mental health crisis intervention, use of force, and protocol, the company said. A customised laptop enables an instructor to direct the scenarios, environments, and weapons.

Based on trainees' actions, the instructor can branch the scenarios to escalate or de-escalate the situation, and review their decision-making skills to ensure proper tactics are used from any angle during after action review, InVeris said. Rather than using pre-programmed responses within the software for the training scenarios, with VR-TD the instructor can be the subject's voice and communicate with the trainee.

VR-DT combines hardware, scalable software, and a content library that is always increasing, the company said. There are so far approximately 100 different avatars, plus an Anytown USA' that includes normal urban or suburban scenes like a gas station or library, and InVeris creates new content either based on the contracts they receive or on perceived needs, such as a security gate at a military base, Perez said.

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AUSA 2021: InVeris showcases new Virtual Reality Decisions and Tactics training system - Jane's

Tech Trends

Augmented and virtual reality will grow to more than eight timesits current size over the next five years, making it the fast-growingcategory among emerging devices, which include wearables and smarthome devices.

According to a new report from tech market research firm IDC,augmented and virtual reality will finish 2021 at a total value of$4.43 billion. In 2025, that value will escalate to $36.11 billion,representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 68.4%.

"Virtual Reality headsets are seeing strong growth in 2021from both consumer and commercial buyers," said Tom Mainelli,group vice president for IDC'sAugmented and Virtual Reality team, in a prepared statement. "Weexpect VR growth to continue well into the future as more consumerand enterprise use cases present themselves. Today, AR headsets areprimarily focused on enterprise use cases, but we do anticipateconsumer-focused headsets will gain traction in the later years ofour forecast as major technology companies enter the space with newproducts."

According to the report: "Augmented and Virtual Reality willsee the fastest value growth in the coming years with theanticipation of new devices coming to market from both establishedand start-up companies and a warming reception among new users.Enterprise users have moved beyond exploratory and pilot use casesand into broader deployments while a growing number of consumers havedemonstrated pent-up demand for robust gaming solutions. While theheadset itself will be the site of data consumption and attention,keep an eye on how the experience evolves from consuming andinteracting with content on the device to connecting with otherdevices and systems to serve seamless experiences at work and athome."

The wearables market is already much larger than the AR/VR marketand will end 2021 at a value of $77.78 billion. By 2025, that willreach $106.35 billion, a CAGR of 9.9%.

"Wearables' value will increase with the continued popularityof earwear and smartwatches. Driving the earwear market higher is acombination of strong end-user demand, a constant replacement cycle,and a long range of devices from emerging and established companiesalike. Meanwhile, the smartwatch market will grow as the health andfitness experience evolves to provide prescriptive data as well asdescriptive data to uncover new actionable insights," accordingto the report.

Smart home is by far the largest category in emerging devices,with an expected 2021 value of $289.93 billion, growing at a compoundannual rate of 10.1% to $400.36 billion by 2025.

About the Author

David Nagel is editorial director of 1105 Media's Education Technology Group and editor-in-chief of THE Journal and STEAM Universe. A 29-year publishing veteran, Nagel has led or contributed to dozens of technology, art and business publications.

He can be reached at [emailprotected]. You can also connect with him on LinkedIn at or follow him on Twitter at @THEDavidNagel (K-12) or @CampusTechDave (higher education).

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Augmented and Virtual Reality Leading Growth in Emerging Devices - T.H.E. Journal

"At Canon, we innovate so creators can push artistic boundaries, and this commitment to innovation is what led us to introduce the new RF5.2mm F2.8 L Dual Fisheye lens. As Canon's first entry into the world of virtual reality image capture, the EOS VR System represents an important milestone in our company's rich history as a lens manufacturer and welcomes a bright future for VR content creation," said Tatsuro "Tony" Kano, executive vice president and general manager of Canon U.S.A.'s Imaging Technologies & Communications Group. "This new RF lens produces a stunning 8K virtual reality image and sets itself apart through its simplified workflow. Our goal is to make immersive storytelling more accessible for all."

The RF5.2mm F2.8 L Dual Fisheye features high-quality L-series optics engineered with an interpupillary distance of 60mm for delivery of 3D imagery in VR with natural parallax closely resembling human vision when viewed through a compatible headset. With a 190 degree field of view captured from two separate optical systems they deliver outstanding results for 180 VR viewing platforms. With subwavelength coating technology offering impressive flare control in backlit conditions, VR creators can have freedom to shoot regardless the time of day, or position of the sun. The dual fisheye design provides versatile exposure control with a maximum aperture of a bright f/2.8 to a deep depth of field of f/16 with electronically controlled apertures allowing the dual fisheye lens to operate just like other RF mount lenses. Between the dust and water-resistant sealing and fluorine coating of the lens and the robust build of the EOS R5 camera, this System delivers peace of mind even in challenging weather conditions. Canon's free Camera Connect app and Canon's EOS Utility program both will be updated in the future to offer remote-control live view functionality for monitoring purposes while on-the-go.

The EOS VR System's convenient workflow is a standout feature. Accomplished by recording left and right fisheye images to a single full-frame image sensor, this design helps to solve common VR challenges of stitching and synching, by outputting one single image file. Canon is currently developing two paid subscription-based software solutions as available options for completing the post-production process. Canon's EOS VR Utility will offer the ability to convert clips from dual fisheye image to equirectangular and make quick edits, as well as select the resolution and file format before export. With the EOS VR Plug-In for Adobe Premiere Pro, creators will be able to automatically convert footage to equirectangular, and cut, color, and add new dimension to stories with Adobe Creative Cloud apps, including Premiere Pro.

Compact, lightweight, and portable, the RF5.2mm F2.8 L Dual Fisheye is easily packed in a camera bag to help the creator tell unlimited virtual reality stories.

Additional features of Canon's first interchangeable, stereoscopic 3D 180 VR 180 lens include:

Pricing and Availability The Canon RF5.2mm F2.8 L Dual Fisheye lens is scheduled to be available in late December 2021 for an estimated retail price of $1,999.00***. In addition to the lens, both of Canon's EOS VR Software solutions (EOS VR Utility and the EOS VR Plug-in for Adobe Premiere Pro) are currently scheduled to be available in late December 2021. Both software solutions will be available as a paid subscription based model, but will offer free trial periods (details to be disclosed at a later date) as well as the ability to process still images and certain clip lengths for free. For additional information, please visit usa.canon.com.

About Canon U.S.A., Inc. Canon U.S.A., Inc., is a leading provider of consumer, business-to-business, and industrial digital imaging solutions to the United States and to Latin America and the Caribbean markets. With approximately $30.4 billion in global revenue, its parent company, Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ), ranks third overall in U.S. patents granted in 2020 and is one of Fortune Magazine's World's Most Admired Companies in 2020. Canon U.S.A. is dedicated to its Kyosei philosophy of social and environmental responsibility. To keep apprised of the latest news from Canon U.S.A., sign up for the Company's RSS news feed by visiting http://www.usa.canon.com/rssand follow us on Twitter @CanonUSA.

Based on weekly patent counts issued by United States Patent and Trademark Office.

*When paired with the Canon EOS R5 camera equipped withan upcoming firmware updateversion 1.5.0 or later, andwithuse of Canon's EOS VR Utility or EOS VR Plug-in for Adobe Premiere Pro paid subscription-based software solutions (both currently in development availability and details to follow on or about early 2022. Viewing in 3D requires a compatible Head Mount Display.

** As of October 5th, 2021, among all lenses for digital interchangeable lens cameras (based on Canon research). Must be paired with the Canon EOS R5 camera equipped with firware update version 1.5.0 or later and utilize Canon EOS VR Software solution(s) (paid subscription).

***Specifications, availability and prices are subject to change without notice. Actual prices are set by individual dealers and may vary.

SOURCE Canon U.S.A., Inc.

http://www.usa.canon.com

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Virtual Reality Through A New Lens: Canon Introduces Their First Dual Fisheye Lens For Stereoscopic 3D 180 VR Capture In 8K - PRNewswire

A virtual reality platform could provide a safe and effective way to reduce the amount of heading footballers do in training.

Guidance restricting the frequency of heading in training is now in place at all levels of the game in England.

The guidance for the adult grassroots and professional game was introduced prior to the start of the current season, and limits players to a maximum of 10 higher force headers each week.

Studies suggest an increased risk of death due to neurodegenerative disease amongst professional footballers compared to the general population.

This indicates a possible link between concussions suffered by players or by the sub-concussive impact of repeated heading.

So researchers at Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) are trialling the Player 22 VR platform, developed by cognitive development and analysis company Rezzil, to see if it can be an effective substitute for real life heading.

What does this platform actually do?

The virtual-reality headset reduces the amount of actual heading players do and improves their technique in order to make the real-life headers less damaging in terms of impact.

Dr Greg Wood, a senior lecturer in Sport and Exercise Psychology at the Universitys Institute of Sport, said: At the moment, coaches are caught between needing to teach the skills of heading but also being constrained in how much they can do because of the potential dangers, which is why VR could be a solution as you can teach the skill without the impact.

But the important question for us is can VR actually improve the skills of a player in a real world setting?

We have no doubt that the VR system will improve the skills of a player whilst playing the game, but there is little benefit unless this translates to the real world, and thats what we have been testing.

How is it tested?

Three mixed-gender groups of 15 people will each take part in the trial to measure the accuracy of their heading.

Individuals will be asked to head balls fired from a ball machine at around 30 miles per hour into a goal.

They will be measured on how many times they hit the target, and also on how close they are to getting the ball into the optimum spot just inside the post.

So how exactly does it work? ITV News Northern Reporter Sangita Lal gets a close-up look

The control group will take part in the trial and repeat it seven to 10 days later, and do nothing in between.

The VR group will take part in the trial, undergo VR training using goggles and then repeat the trial, while the real life group take part, undergo real-life training and then repeat it.

The hope will be that the VR training proves to be at least as effective, if not more effective, than the real-life training.

So what is good heading technique?

Generally a header should hit the centre of your forehead not the top or the side of the head, Dr Wood added.

In the VR system itself there are professional instructions about heading the ball to do with your stance having your feet shoulder width apart keeping your eye on the ball as its coming towards you and making sure it hits the centre of your forehead.

The VR set has been found to have five to six times lower impact than real heading, with the only force being that exerted by the user in moving their head towards the virtual ball, rather than any impact from a physical ball.

The accuracy study is ongoing, with the final results expected to be published in the new year.

A separate study involving the VR headsets will look at the impact on the brain and how it communicates with the muscles after a real life heading session compared to a virtual one.

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How VR could soon become part of football training in bid to reduce injury - ITV News

This article was originally published here

JMIR Serious Games. 2021 Oct 8;9(4):e29586. doi: 10.2196/29586.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Although the proper use of hygiene and personal protective equipment (PPE) is paramount for preventing the spread of diseases such as COVID-19, health care personnel have been shown to use incorrect techniques for donning/doffing of PPE and hand hygiene, leading to a large number of infections among health professionals. Education and training are difficult owing to the social distancing restrictions in place, shortages of PPE and testing material, and lack of evidence on optimal training. Virtual reality (VR) simulation can offer a multisensory, 3-D, fully immersive, and safe training opportunity that addresses these obstacles.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to explore the short- and long-term effectiveness of a fully immersive VR simulation versus a traditional learning method regarding a COVID-19-related skill set and media-specific variables influencing training outcomes.

METHODS: This was a prospective, randomized controlled pilot study on medical students (N=29; intervention VR training, n=15, vs control video-based instruction, n=14) to compare the performance of hand disinfection, nasopharyngeal swab taking, and donning/doffing of PPE before and after training and 1 month later as well as variables of media use.

RESULTS: Both groups performed significantly better after training, with the effect sustained over one month. After training, the VR group performed significantly better in taking a nasopharyngeal swab, scoring a median of 14 out of 17 points (IQR 13-15) versus 12 out of 17 points (IQR 11-14) in the control group, P=.03. With good immersion and tolerability of the VR simulation, satisfaction was significantly higher in the VR group compared to the control group (median score of User Satisfaction Evaluation Questionnaire 27/30, IQR 23-28, vs 22/30, IQR 20-24, in the control group; P=.01).

CONCLUSIONS: VR simulation was at least as effective as traditional learning methods in training medical students while providing benefits regarding user satisfaction. These results add to the growing body of evidence that VR is a useful tool for acquiring simple and complex clinical skills.

PMID:34623315 | DOI:10.2196/29586

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Effectiveness and Utility of Virtual Reality Simulation as an Educational Tool for Safe Performance of COVID-19 Diagnostics: Prospective, Randomized...

NEW YORK, Oct. 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Resolve, the leading virtual reality solution that allows operations teams to review 3D design models before construction, has announced an enterprise partnership with the Anglian Water @one Alliance. Anglian Water, one of the UK's largest water suppliers, and @one Alliance design and construction partners are adopting Resolve to strengthen operation's input on designs, which can reduce construction rework and improve operations efficiency and safety.

Resolve's support for complex models on standalone VR devices enables teams to interact with building information models (BIM) more independently even while working remotely. With Resolve, teams can conduct a virtual Safe to Operate walkthrough to flag accessibility and safety concerns before construction. Resolve connects with Anglian Water's common data environment for BIM to seamlessly integrate with existing workflows.

"The use of Resolve allows teams to confidently assess the site in VR for issues before it gets built and increases engagement with our existing 3D models, improving the quality of the real-world product," says Richard Morris, Engineering Implementation Manager at @one Alliance.

Resolve was piloted by two sites that discovered its benefits for helping operations staff have a more active role in the design process. Staff working from home reviewed water schemes immersively rather than via screen share. Previous solutions required a centralized VR set up at an office that required travel, but the intuitive Resolve platform and standalone Oculus Quest make it easier to scale VR to projects across the portfolio.

With this partnership, all projects in Anglian Water @One Alliance's 1.2B scope of work in AMP7, which runs through 2025, now have access to Resolve. The partnership will also contribute to the company's commitment to sustainability by reducing the carbon footprint from travel and delivery of additional materials due to rework.

Anglian Wateris one of the UK's largest suppliers of water and water recycling services, covering the largest geographical area across England and Wales. In April 2020, Anglian Water received a Queen's Award for Enterprise: Sustainable Development for the second time. This is the UK's highest accolade to celebrate business success.

The Anglian Water @one Alliancecomprises consultants, contractors, and other stakeholders who together will deliver projects accounting for over half of Anglian Water's capital investment programme. The @one Alliance will design and build around 800 schemes worth approximately 1.2 billion including water and water recycling treatment centres serving more than six million people in eastern England (and the Hartlepool Water region) and maintaining/improving the region's water mains and sewerage network. Alliance partners are Anglian Water Asset Delivery, Balfour Beatty, Barhale, MMB, SWECO, Skanska and MWH Treatment.

Resolvebuilds software that unlocks 3D building information models for operations teams of complex facilities. Its custom software can render large BIM files on the standalone VR devices making it a scalable, easy to use solution for project teams. Resolve is used by leaders spanning industries like water treatment, data centers, biopharmaceuticals, and green energy.

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SOURCE Resolve

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Resolve Partners with Anglian Water @one Alliance to Improve Operations Access to 3D Assets with Virtual Reality - ABC 12 News

I recently went to Morningstars Investment Conference in Chicago, but, of course, due to travel restrictions I couldnt be there physically. So I attended virtually.This was achieved using an Oculus Quest 2 VRheadset and theGatheringsVRsoftware created by London based specialist financial services virtual reality developers, Mesmerise.

Using the software, delegates could watch live presentations, visit sponsors booths and enjoy pre-recorded content. And if they missed a session they simply went back and watched the recording.

This gave me with a fascinating insight into not just the future of conferences, but also the potential for immersive technologies, likeVRand augmented reality (AR) services to change the way we work and how financial advice is delivered.

VR certainly gives you the ability to capture someones attention more completely that other forms of remote conferencing as it blocks out distractions, but how do you take notes when you are in a VR session?

In my experience one of the big challenges in attending conferences remotely is there is far less opportunity to interact with exhibitors. The VR technology goes some way at least to addressing this via virtual booths, although it not the same as being able to go and have a full conversation on a booth with an exhibitor on-site. The ability to meet dozens of technology firms in a single location is one of the main things I get from conferences.

As someone who, pre-Covid,typically visited the USon a monthly basisto attend conferences, the VR experience does add some things more traditional remote technology cant.

Over the past 18 months I have remotely attended several conferences in the US. I find the biggest challenge is the time difference. If a conference is effectively taking place between five to eight hours later than in the UK than, it can become tiring to say the least. This is difficult for conferences on the east coast, virtually impossible for the west coast.

Who wants to join a conference at 9am PCT which is actually starting at 5pm GMT. I certainly dont want to be at that event at 5pm PCT, or 3am GMT. Lots of people are predicting a major reduction in international travel as a result of increased video conferencing capabilities.They have not properly considered the time difference issues.

While it was really interesting to watch the views given by Morningstars director of product management Jason Stipp, director of behavioural science Sarah Newcombe, and director of financial planning methodology Shawn Brayman, it wasnt the same as being there in person. After their sessions in 2019, I was able to wander up and ask them questions directly.

It would be helpful to be able to pose questions to pre-recorded presenters and receive answers by email or chat subsequently.

Livesessionarepresented as if you are in a theatre surrounded by other virtual guests, this is an interesting experience and you can potentially have conversations with other virtual delegates but I did not find a way to do this with people actually there in person.It would be helpful to add a do not disturb setting as other virtual guests next to you talking can distract from the main speaker.

There are still considerable challenges to attending a conference via VR and based on this experience the technology has not yet evolved to the state where its as good as attending in person.There must also be questions to ask about ability to support multiple platforms, how interoperable are different VR systems. This is fascinating technology but at this stage its probably more about the state of the possible rather than actually using it in a day-to-day environment.

That said I think there is a good case or conferences to explore virtual reality options but for now I think this is probably a solution to use to attend conferences in the same country remotely rather than internationally.

Ian McKenna is director at the Financial Technology Research Centre

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Ian McKenna: The reality of virtual reality, or VR, conferences - Money Marketing

Organizations across the world are experiencing significant worker shortages, which contributes to knowledge loss, decreased productivity and lost revenue due to equipment downtime. Heavy equipment operation requires specialized knowledge and skillsets that take significant time to learn and develop. For these types of organizations with specialized technicians, the worker shortage is a more acute and immediate challenge. Librestream's AR solutions incorporate a deep knowledge network that records critical data operators use to make real-time decisions and get new workers up to speed quickly, effectively, and safely.

"Today's heavy equipment is increasingly complex. It is essential that workers have access to the right knowledge and tools at the right time," said Charlie Neagoy, SVP of Customer Success at Librestream. "Our advanced technology solutions scale knowledge across workforces to make organizations more efficient, resilient, and adaptable by enabling organizations to inspect, diagnose, and repair any piece of equipment from anywhere in the world and through almost any device."

Librestream longtime partner, RealWear, produces the HMT-1, a ruggedized assisted reality device that navigates the Librestream software with simple voice commands to record and communicate with remote experts.

"Wearables paired with assisted reality platform solutions are achieving the future of frontline work," RealWear Chief Product Officer Rama Oruganti said. "Our hands-free devices are compatible with PPE and can be operated in extremely loud, cold, windy, wet, dusty or other harsh environments. When paired with Librestream's Onsight solution, today's modern industrial worker can feel empowered to safely and efficiently access the right information, when it's needed, to complete tasks."

NOV developed TrackerVision, a custom application that utilizes the hands-free devices from RealWear and Librestream's Onsight collaboration solutions to connect field personnel with remote experts around the world. NOV's global aftermarket organization currently support customers across multiple languages and geographies using interactive schematics and drawings to deliver immediate support.

"When global operations slowed down and travel restrictions were rising, we already had the infrastructure in place to support our customers' operations," said Katie Saski, NOV's Director of Sales. "We are able to offer 24/7 global service and support to our customers without increasing downtime due to travel or even quarantine time. Offering remote Factory Acceptance Tests (FAT's) has saved our customers anywhere from 4 to 8 days of travel, plus expenses. From real-time inspections of marine resources in port to troubleshooting a piece of equipment on an offshore exploration rig in the remote waters off Australia, TrackerVision has ensured that NOV's customers are able to maintain uptime and operations continue as intended. For NOV's global customers, the value of TrackerVision goes beyond the direct expenses of technician travel and time."

The field service, construction, and heavy equipment workforce shortages, resulting knowledge loss, and industrial and remote working conditions make immersive technology solutions a prime fit to transform the way these sectors work. NOV, Librestream, and RealWear will come together on October 6 at the 8th annual Enterprise Wearable Technology Summit (EWTS) to share in-depth insight into NOV's adoption and use of TrackerVision, powered by Librestream and RealWear, benefits achieved, and provide best practices to other companies when considering and implementing remote collaboration solutions. Learn more about the presentation and register here.

About Librestream

Librestream transforms workforces through advanced AR and AI solutions that scale knowledge across businesses to enhance safety, efficiency and resiliency. With the Onsight augmented reality knowledge platform, Librestream helps workers and distributed teams gain immediate access to the content, people, relevant data, and guidance needed to solve business challenges. Librestream's global Forbes 2000 customer base includes energy, manufacturing, service, aerospace, and defense enterprises with aggregate annual revenues totaling $3.2T. The company has been honored with recognition including ranking as the #1 AR remote assistance solution provider by independent research firm, Verdantix, and winner of the Field Service WBR Innovation Award. Visit Librestream at http://www.librestream.com and connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook & Twitter.

About RealWear

RealWear is the world's leading provider of assisted reality wearable solutions that engage, empower, and elevate the modern frontline industrial worker to perform work tasks more safely, and with increased efficiency and precision. RealWear gives these workers real-time access to information and expertise, while keeping their hands and field of view free for work. Workers use voice-controlled commands even in high noise environments to collaborate with remote experts or navigate through workflows.

RealWear offers the only assisted reality wearable solutions fully supported by the world's leading video conferencing applications. RealWear is compatible with worker PPE, purpose-built for industry and enterprise, and features the only "full shift" battery in its category. RealWear is field proven with world-class customers, including ExxonMobil, Goodyear, Mars, Colgate-Palmolive, and BMW, who use it to improve workplace safety while delivering unprecedented ROI.

RealWear is headquartered in Vancouver, Washington in the United States, with local offices in the United Kingdom, Singapore, Germany, Australia, the Netherlands, and Japan, along with a new customer experience center in Dubai. RealWear's number one position was further strengthened with triple (3X) year-over-year growth in 2020. The company has shipped wearable devices to more than 3,000 unique enterprise customers worldwide in a range of industries, including Energy, Manufacturing, Food & Beverage, Automotive, and Telecommunications. For more information, visit http://www.realwear.com.

About NOV

NOV delivers technology-driven solutions to empower the global energy industry. For more than 150 years, NOV has pioneered innovations that enable its customers to safely produce abundant energy while minimizing environmental impact. The energy industry depends on NOV's deep expertise and technology to continually improve oilfield operations and assist in efforts to advance the energy transition towards a more sustainable future. NOV powers the industry that powers the world. Visit http://www.nov.com for more information.

Librestream press kit here.

ContactsKaren BlondellLightspeed PR for Librestream[emailprotected]

Sarah EkenbergDirector, PR & Communications, Librestream[emailprotected]

Aaron CohenDirector of Marketing and Communications, RealWear[emailprotected]

Ben LasherSenior Brand Manager, NOV[emailprotected]

SOURCE Librestream

https://librestream.com

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Augmented and virtual reality reshapes how the field service and construction workforce utilize and service equipment - PRNewswire

BEIJING, CHINA - NOVEMBER 26: A Chinese couple wear virtual reality (VR) glasses on a roller ... [+] coaster simulator at Leke VR Park, a leading chain, on November 26, 2016 in Beijing, China. While virtual reality is still seen as a niche technology in many Western countries, VR is flourishing in China as a form of mainstream entertainment. Hundreds of VR arcades, kiosks, cafes, and "experience rooms" are springing up in cities across the country, and offer a VR experience for about the price of a movie ticket. Chinese companies are investing heavily, and some offer VR headsets for as little as US$20 to make VR accessible to the masses. Analysts expect the virtual reality industry in China to boom to US$8.5 billion by 2020, a high-tech surge supported by the government as it seeks ways to diversify the economy away from heavy manufacturing. Chinese president Xi Jinping cited China's development of virtual reality as establishing an "innovative the world economy" during his keynote speech to world leaders at the G20 Summit in September 2016. (Photo by Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)

Today the BLS announced only 194,000 jobs were created in September, far below expectations. There are still over ten million unfilled jobs across the country, while the total number of employees remains about five million lower than in February 2020. Some of this labor gap will shrink over time as Covid-19 subsides, but there are underlying trends that will delay, and maybe even prevent, a full return to the pre-pandemic labor market if things do not change.

The lack of labor is showing up everywhere. I am visiting family in southwest Ohio and the local Burger King only opens its drive thru and closes at 4 p.m. because it is understaffed. The local Bob Evans closes at 5 p.m. for the same reason. Dollar General also closes early everyday because it cannot find workers for the night shift.

My sister works for an alarm system company, and shipping delays for equipment and parts are reaching a month. Recently, she had to take a friend to the emergency room, and it took them an hour to check in because there was only one person staffing the front desk. She said one man with a cut on his head left before he even checked in after waiting 45 minutes. The one worker was doing the best she could, but it was clear it was too much for one person.

Maybe these are just anecdotes that reflect the difficulties caused by Covid-19, and once the virus subsides people will return to work. Or perhaps these anecdotes reflect a deeper shift in how people think about work in the real world, especially younger people.

Surveys show that a majority of Gen Z and millennials want to be so-called social media influencers on platforms such as Instagram and Tik Tok. My wife, who teaches middle-school English and speech and debate in Virginia, says many of her students want to be influencers. The venture capital firm SignalFire reports that content creator is the fastest growing small business.

Comedian and talk show host Bill Maher recently criticized Gen Z and their influencer aspirations, remarking that in the past people worked for 30 years before traveling the country and forcing friends and relatives to watch their home movies.

While a job as a content creator sounds silly to Maher and many others, perhaps these kids are just responding to incentives. Why take a job at Bob Evans or Burger King when there is so much to do in the digital world?

One of the things tech advocates often celebrate, and rightly so, is the freedom in the digital world. In the mid-1990s when the internet was taking off, the Clinton administration took a largely hands-off approach regarding regulation, allowing people to experiment and innovate. Researcher Adam Thierer calls this permissionless innovationthe idea that experimentation with new business models and technologies should generally be permitted without prior approval.

Now, contrast the freedom in the digital world with the constraints in the physical world. An e-commerce websiteeither made from scratch or via a platform like Etsy or Shopifycan be operational in hours, allowing a person to sell their clothes, jewelry, or expertise directly to consumers.

Opening a brick-and-mortar store takes months, thousands of dollars, and piles of paperwork and permits. Even home-based businesses require permits and continuing compliance with various regulations, such as how much of the homes floor area can be used for business purposes. Many local governments ban most home businesses altogether.

Today, kids do not need to pound the pavement to find places to play their music, recite their poetry, or display their artwork. They do not need to work at a factory to save money for studio time like Eminem did in 8 Mile back in 2002. They can use their smart phone to post a video or picture on YouTube, Tik Tok, or Instagram in seconds.

I worry about the labor market because the physical world is getting more constrained and sclerotic while the virtual world is more accessible and dynamic than ever. The more I think about it, the more it makes sense that kids spend much of their time in the digital or virtual world. In the virtual world they are free. Free to create entire worlds in Minecraft; be a soldier of fortune in Call of Duty; or choregraph a new dance for Tik Tok. They can create avatars and alter egos. The digital world is their oyster, while in the physical world they cannot even open a lemonade stand.

And the virtual world is getting better. Virtual reality is already here and improving all the time. In the not-so-distant future people will be able to explore the worldthe Louvre, the pyramids, the Great Barrier Reefwithout leaving home. There will be no need to arrive at an airport two hours early, be patted down by a TSA agent who throws your full-size toothpaste in the trash, and then ride in an old, cramped plane powered by old technology because the FAA curtails innovation.

Virtual vacations do not require real people making drinks at the hotel bar, giving tours, or cleaning hotel rooms. This elimination of jobs would be acceptable and necessary so long as it were the result of the virtual world and physical world competing on an even playing field, but this is not what is happening. We have put the physical world in a straitjacket via too much regulation and an anti-progress worldview that discourages innovation, while the virtual world is open and dynamic.

Take occupational licensing. There will be no occupational licensing in the virtual world. People who want to try something will just do it. People will be able to experience what it is like to be a pilot, a race car driver, a doctor, a chef, a paramedic, or a firefighter without any of the training required to actually do these things.

These virtual experiences may inspire kids to pursue these jobs in real life, but for kids used to instant gratification, the hundreds of training hours and thousands of dollars it costs to obtain licenses for many jobs may be too much of a nuisance. As a result, they will return to the comforts of their virtual world.

This does not mean we should abolish all licensing and training requirements. However, we should think hard about which requirements are needed so that the gap between the real world and virtual world is as small as possible.

Building things is another example. Kids who love to build can create worlds in Minecraft without zoning boards, NEPA enforcers, NIMBY groups, or building inspectors harassing them because a building exceeds the local height limit or does not have an acceptable facade. Because it is so easy to build things in the virtual world, these kids are likely to be discouraged by the red-tape, cronyism, and mind-numbing paperwork they will need to overcome to build things in the physical world.

In the movie Ready Player One, the characters spend most of their time in the OASIS, a virtual reality simulation that in many ways is better than the actual world they live in. The movie does not show how this equilibrium is reached, but we can guess: As the virtual reality simulation improved relative to the real world, people spent more time in it, causing them to neglect needed maintenance in the real world. This further increased the relative attractiveness of the virtual world and caused them to spend even more time in it. By the time the movie starts, Columbus, Ohiowhere it takes placelooks like a hellhole.

Lets face it: The world of atoms is becoming dull and stagnant, while the world of bits is interesting and innovative. We are not in the dystopian world of Ready Player One yet, but if we fail to keep the physical world as interesting as the virtual one, we will get there.

We do not need to slow innovation in the virtual world to fix this problem, as some politicians on both sides of the political aisle want to do. Instead, we need to make the physical world as exciting as anything on the internet, and we can do that by setting it free.

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Virtual World Will Surpass Real World If We Dont Do Something About It - Forbes