Category Archives: Virtual Reality

Once again the era of virtual and augmented reality might be upon us.

After years of promises and false starts, Covid-19 has driven a record number of workers remotely and could finally usher in their regular use of VR and AR at home or at least give the tech a push on the path to mainstream.

A PwC report last year predicted that nearly 23.5 million jobs worldwide would be using AR and VR by 2030 for training, work meetings or to provide better customer service. According to a report by ABI Research this year, before the pandemic the VR market was forecasted to grow at a 45.7% compound annual rate, surpassing $24.5 billion in revenue by 2024. Virtual reality used within businesses is forecasted to grow from $829 million in 2018 to $4.26 billion in 2023, according to ARtillery Intelligence.

Companies like Spacial, which creates something like a virtual reality version of Zoom, has seen a 1,000% increase in usage since March, according to head of business Jacob Loewenstein. IrisVR, which specializes in immersive software for architecture and planning, can hardly keep up with demand for new subscribers, said CEO Shane Scranton. Meanwhile Accenture, a multinational professional services company, is using VR exercises for new recruitment techniques.

Businesses out of VR-focused global accelerator Vive X have raised some $60 million within the last year with the largest rounds of funding in the healthcare and enterprise training areas. And Facebook's VR headset brand recently released an Oculus for Business platform aimed at commercial use.

But with the expansion of VR and AR could come a host of new opportunities for abuse according to legal experts: privacy and data concerns chief among them but tort and even harassment cases possible. As happened after the internet and email, laws for new technology need time to catch up. And company's need time to figure out best practices. Some matters may easily be regulated by current laws while others will need precedents.

Employee avatars take part in a virtual meeting using VR company Spatial's platform.

Spatial

The question may not be whether immersive technology is finally ready for the public, but rather, are we ready for it?

Experts agree that privacy is the biggest concern. "With VR/AR technology we're collecting information that to date has not generally been collected, certainly not in any broad scale," said David Hoppe, author of "Esports in Court, Crimes in VR, and the 51% Attack." There are legitimate reasons for companies to record physiological responses like eye movement or heart rate from users. For example, a company may want to prevent VR sickness. But that information could also be used to derive psychological responses gauging sexual preferences, proclivity to violence and degrees of empathy. And that data is very valuable to those trying to reach consumers, explained Hoppe.

"Trying to maintain the privacy of those types of things will be very important," said Darrell West, director of the Center for Technology Innovation at The Brookings Institution. If an employee claimed their expected privacy was breached, they could sue an employer or company depending on their state's laws. The most contentious cases are sure to end up in court. "The problem is that judges aren't trained on emerging technologies," said West.

According to Perkins Coie's survey, health care will be the area most disrupted by immersive technologies over the next year. For example, doctors can use AR body mapping to see medical stats directly on a patient, use VR in training and education or even a surgery run-through with a virtual version of the patient's body. Patient's meanwhile could utilize the technologies for things like physical therapy.

But record-keeping practices are a concern, according to Ann Marie Painter, a labor and employment lawyer with the firm. "That's the first, most important issue to the extent that the interactions in an AR/VR environment are recorded and kept," said Painter. "That's where maybe the law hasn't caught up yet."

Meanwhile, according to a survey by XR Association, which represents headset and technology manufacturers across the industry, 54% of respondents said they were updating privacy policies and disclosures regarding consumer data in 2020.

But there's even more unwelcome behavior possible. Tort law in the virtual world will be a "huge" issue, according to Schuyler M. Moore, a corporate entertainment lawyer at Greenberg Glusker. "All the torts that you can commit in person you can commit rather easily in the VR world," said Moore. A 2016 survey by research firm The Extended Mind and social VR platform Pluto VR says 49% of female respondents and 36% of male respondents reported sexual harassment while using VR.

An office with augmented reality features using Spatial's virtual platform is seen with an employee avatar and in-person worker wearing a VR headset.

Spatial

Possibilities of identity in the virtual world will also expand. "What latitudes will employees have to choose their avatar?" said Hoppe. Or perhaps more troublesome, how will one be permitted to see someone else? With AR glasses, explained the author, one might view another in a provocative way in different clothing or even a different gender.

With protective speech laws and slower tech adoption rates, the U.S. is arguably behind the curve compared to other countries in regulating virtual spaces. In South Korea a cybercrime investigations team has been looking into crimes in virtual worlds and multiplayer games like money laundering or fraud since 2003.

Belgium police investigated a user in 2007 for "virtual rape" in the popular world-building game Second Life. Recently, the Cyberspace Administration of China has banned "fake news" created with virtual reality. And many European countries have prohibited virtual child pornography, although it is protected in the U.S. under the First Amendment.

All the torts that you can commit in person you can commit rather easily in the VR world.

Schuyler M. Moore

corporate entertainment lawyer at Greenberg Glusker

Misuses in the workplace are likely some time off as the technology has failed to reach the mainstream. But the litany of possibilities of crime and abuse in the virtual world can be imagined transferring to the enterprise sector.

There have been a few notable cases in the U.S. The developer of AR game Pokmon Go settled a lawsuit last year with people who suffered through PokStops placed near their homes. A wrongful termination suit filed last year claims Second Life's parent company mishandled user's data and allowed money laundering and simulated acts of child molestation. A Second Life art gallery was sued for trademark violation and a 2012 class-action suit included at least 57,000 users who lost virtual property in the game.

"The internet was around for a while before any internet-specific laws were enacted. Some of them were good; some of them were bad," said Eugene Volokh, author of a University of Pennsylvania Law Review article on legal challenges presented by VR and AR. Although laws generally apply without regard to technology, in the future those laws can be supplemented, he explained.

There are a couple reasons Volokh thinks that actions in virtual worlds may avoid the law altogether. The first he describes as the Bangladesh problem, which refers to the ability of people in a virtual space to be located across the globe. Prosecution of harassment, for example, between users in the U.S. and a far-off locale like Bangladesh will be unlikely. "Law enforcement is going to become even more difficult because even more people are going to be half a world away," said Volokh.

The other reason is that many issues arising in VR and AR will be solved by their hosting platforms. It could be analogous to Zoom's solution to a rash of "Zoom bombing" incidents where unwanted callers jumped into video conferences. The company simply added encryption and privacy controls. A VR heckler, rather than be virtually dragged out of the venue by law enforcement, could instead be muted by a moderator. If someone is walking down the street in an offensive avatar, one may simply block that too.

Meanwhile, Spacial's goal, said Loewenstein, is to optimize both safety and user freedom. Within the program, for example, one has the superpower to teleport into different rooms and spaces potentially popping up a bit too close to a co-worker. Although they haven't had complaints yet, they are working on a "physical space bubble" for avatars so that one can't get creepily close to another employee.

"We are trying to comprehensively design to both unleash the superpower but not unleash it too much so that it enables you to violate social norms," said Loewenstein.

Concerning privacy, Loewenstein noted that his company only collects metadata. As a subscription service, he said Spatial had an incentive to keep his customer's information safe. He said one should look up the hardware chain for the possibility of more shady dealings with data.

At IrisVR, Scranton said social norms are figured out quite quickly in the virtual space. "The more immersed you are and the more you can see other people, it really starts to feel like you're interacting with that physical person," said Scranton.

For more on tech, transformation and the future of work, join the most influential voices disrupting the next decade of work at the nextCNBC @Work Summitthis October.

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Virtual reality is booming in the workplace amid the pandemic. Here's why - CNBC

Pandemic Gives New Meaning to the Phrase 'Virtual Reality' | 2020-07-07 | Architectural Record This website requires certain cookies to work and uses other cookies to help you have the best experience. By visiting this website, certain cookies have already been set, which you may delete and block. By closing this message or continuing to use our site, you agree to the use of cookies. Visit our updated privacy and cookie policy to learn more. This Website Uses CookiesBy closing this message or continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Learn MoreThis website requires certain cookies to work and uses other cookies to help you have the best experience. By visiting this website, certain cookies have already been set, which you may delete and block. By closing this message or continuing to use our site, you agree to the use of cookies. Visit our updated privacy and cookie policy to learn more.

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Pandemic Gives New Meaning to the Phrase 'Virtual Reality' - Architectural Record

Video conferencing tool Zoom is undoubtedly the breakout app of the coronavirus pandemic, which has curtailed travel and face-to-face meetings.

But some tech firms are already looking beyond video conferencing. Their solution for the socially distant world? Collaboration tools that use virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR).

Both technologies saw a surge in interest during the pandemic, especially for virtual collaboration and gaming, analysts say.

"Confined to their homes, people had more time to use or invest in VR headsets," says Mr George Jijiashvili, a senior analyst at market research firm Omdia.

The launch of the high-profile VR game Half-Life: Alyx in March has been a shot in the arm for VR gaming, says Mr Yexi Liao, an analyst at market research firm IDC.

He estimates the game has sold almost a million copies since its launch, making it the fastest-selling VR game to date.

Mr Liao is also seeing more attention being paid towards remote education and training, which suits AR and VR.

Echoing this, Mr Rajesh Chakravarthy, academic director at home-grown game design school Mages Institute of Excellence, says: "Long-term social distancing measures could scale up AR and VR adoption and use, ranging from training to gaming to business."

The increased interest in the technology as a result of the pandemic will lead to "real innovation over the coming months", he says.

VR creates a virtual environment using headsets that block out a user's surroundings, while AR superimposes digital content over the real world, like the virtual creatures in the Pokemon Go mobile game. They are also referred to as immersive technology, with a projected market value of US$209.2 billion (S$291 billion) by 2022, according to The Infocomm Media Development Authority.

Two technology firms, in particular, are the standard bearers of this VR and AR boom in virtual collaboration.

American start-up Spatial says the usage of its holographic collaboration platform, which uses AR and VR to mimic a real-world meeting, has gone up by 1,000 per cent since it was made free in May.

The start-up, which touts early customers such as toymaker Mattel and BNP Paribas bank, raised an additional US$14 million in funding in January to bring its total to US$22 million.

Dubbed Zoom on steroids by some pundits, it creates a 3D avatar for each user from a selfie photo. Each avatar can interact with other avatars and virtual objects in a shared virtual workspace.

Users don VR headsets, which block out the real world, during their meetings. Spatial also works with Web browsers on computers and mobile devices, though the experience will be less immersive.

Last month, Taiwanese firm HTC announced several VR applications, dubbed Vive XR Suite. It is a cloud-based subscription service with VR-powered tools for remote collaboration, large-scale online conferences and virtual exhibitions. It works with computers and mobile devices, though a VR headset is recommended.

The service is expected to launch in China in the third quarter of the year before expanding to other countries later in the year.

Several local immersive tech firms have also waded into the VR and AR fray to tap the new opportunities arising from the pandemic.

SFX Corporation's virtual collaboration system can be used to conduct virtual meetings. PHOTO: SFX CORPORATION

Software developer SFX Corporation last year envisioned a virtual collaboration system, dubbed VCS, that lets users in an organisation interact remotely using VR and AR.

However, prompted by the pandemic, the company has expanded its idea to a cloud-based system that would work across various organisations.

Chief executive officer Ng Teow Khoon says: "We have been seeing a strong growth in interest in VR and AR for the past two months and we believe that VCS can be a potential new source of revenue." A beta version of VCS will be released to select clients next month.

Mr Ng says the system has been allowing his team - each equipped with a computer and a VR headset - to conduct meetings and even engage in social interactions such as virtual chess games.

Home-grown creative tech agency Trinax uses AR to spice up events, such as an AR photo booth.In April, it created an AR-powered property technology platform with a digital marketing firm in China's real estate industry, which offers interactive virtual showrooms and 3D scale models to property developers.

Trinax uses augmented reality to enhance the virtual viewing experience for prospective property owners. PHOTO: TRINAX

By scanning a QR code on a smartphone, users can experience the showroom remotely. Using AR, digital overlays that provide information about the room or unit will pop up on their screens in real time as users pan their phones.

Trinax's executive director Chong Hengkai says its AR-powered virtual gallery "erases any limitations of traditional marketing in the form of paper materials and provides convenience as customers do not need to walk around the show flat to review the property".

Hiverlab's RealityCast uses augmented reality to spice up presentations with embedded 3-D objects. PHOTO: HIVERLAB

Media tech firm Hiverlab, which offers immersive tech solutions for training and data visualisation, is tapping AR for its latest product, RealityCast.

A smartphone-based AR broadcasting solution, it lets users create "engaging presentations with 3D special effects" without requiring a professional studio.

All they need is a smartphone with the RealityCast app (launched last month for Android devices) and access to Hiverlab's cloud-based creator platform, which stores the 3D assets and models used in the AR-powered presentation.

A smartphone acts as a camera to record or stream the presentation. Moving the phone around an embedded 3D model enables viewers to see the model from various angles.

"It is a way for users to make their presentations more fun in virtual events and get their audience out of 'Zoom fatigue'," says Mr Jeremiah Goh, a digital marketing specialist at Hiverlab.

He says the early response from businesses invited to try RealityCast has been great, with the manufacturing and semiconductor industries showing the most interest because it can project complex systems and equipment in 3D.

However, while the pandemic is a boon for VR and AR, it is also presenting challenges.

Mr Bryan Ma, vice-president for devices research at market research firm IDC, says: "The pandemic theoretically should have been a perfect time for VR to take off. It is a technology meant to take the place of in-person interactions after all."

But he says the limitations and costs of the technology - VR headsets are expensive and relatively bulky - are holding the industry back. A VR headset can cost from several hundred dollars to over a thousand dollars.

Mr Jijiashvili says the industry is hampered by the limited number of VR headsets - 19 million by the end of the year, though he predicts this figure to grow to 56 million by 2024. "It is not sensible to replace a physical event with a VR event, simply because there aren't enough VR headsets in people's hands," he says.

Mr Liao notes that the pandemic has disrupted the supply chain by closing factories in China, leading to a shortage in VR and AR headsets that will persist for most of this year. As a result, he expects the VR and AR industry in Asia Pacific to grow by 27.7 per cent year on year, down from an earlier forecast of 64.6 per cent.

For some local immersive tech firms, the pandemic has directly impacted their business model.

Mr Roy Koo, co-founder of VR events firm Ignite VR, says 80 per cent of his firm's revenue comes from setting up VR showcases at conferences and roadshows, which have been cancelled due to the pandemic.

His firm has since accelerated its plans to dive into VR software development, which is not as dependent on events. Several new services have also been launched to cater to a socially distant world. An example is a VR remote party service that provides a custom virtual environment as well as the required VR equipment for up to 10 users to gather and interact virtually.

Another local VR firm that relies on now-cancelled events and workshops is Immersively. Founder Lionel Chok says the start-up is trying to find its footing, though he has seen more inquiries about virtual tours from creative agencies.

He reveals that given the general lack of access to VR headsets, his team is working on a 3D virtual events platform that does not require a headset. Instead, a user's avatar is controlled using a mouse and keyboard like in a first-person game.

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Time for virtual reality and augmented reality to shine - The Straits Times

CHAMPAIGN The Goode family huddled together in their living room in early April for their first Zoom call with the Illinois mens basketball coaching staff.

The entire family was involved. Four-star Class of 2021 guard Luke joined his parents, Susan and Craig, on the couch, mirroring his laptop to their TV to utilize the big screen.

Murphy took up residence on the ottoman. Teddy found a comfortable spot on the floor. Maybe too comfortable. He snored on and off throughout the call.

We couldnt tell if they could hear or not, Susan Goode said with a laugh.

Teddy, of course, is the Goodes goldendoodle. Murphy is their pound puppy mutt.

It was definitely the family affair with the dogs involved, who are now wearing Illinois collars, both of them, Susan Goode said. Theyre the newest Illini.

That Zoom with the Illinois coaching staff precipitated the end of Luke Goodes recruitment.

The door closed on in-person recruiting when the rest of the sports world came to an abrupt halt in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The NCAA has kept that door closed since March with repeated extensions of the recruiting dead period that now extends through Aug. 31.

College basketball programs had to get creative on the recruiting trail. Or, more correctly, off it. Recruiting has gone 100 percent digital. Zoom calls are the new in-home visit.

Luke Goode experienced both sides of the recruiting coin. The four-star Class of 2021 guard took several official and unofficial visits in the last year. When the pandemic hit, he realized he wanted to make his college choice.

I knew I didnt want to try and wait out this coronavirus pandemic because we still dont even know a set date for when theyll be able to recruit, Goode said.

So Goode was in early on virtual recruiting. He conducted Zoom calls with Michigan State and Marquette in addition to Illinois. By April 17, he was ready to commit. The Illini were the choice, his recruitment sealed with the presentation executed by coach Brad Underwoods staff.

Illinois showed Goode clips from the its bounceback 2019-20 season. Clips of Goode playing for Indy Heat on the Nike EYBL circuit were integrated into videos of the Illinis playing style showing just how he would fit on the court.

A PowerPoint presentation highlighted other aspects of the program and university.

The way they present everything to you on the Zoom is pretty cool, Goode said. The coaches would expand on those bullet points and give the deeper explanation of what those meant. They described campus and the teams play style and the basketball culture and the weightlifting program. Most of the stuff you would get on a visit to campus.

Courtesy University of Illinois

A graphic touting the success the Illinois men's basketball program has had in its history is part of the virtual recruiting pitch the Illini staff have engaged in because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Getting to the point where the Illinois staff would be Zoom-ready for virtual recruiting started with video coordinator Zach Hamer and director of creative media Kelsea Ansfield.

They joined forces to create the visual components of the recruiting pitch. Something that might have been ancillary to the heart of the recruiting process pre-pandemic became the primary way to sell the program.

Typically, well use the graphics and all the digital material I make to supplement everything else were trying to do from a recruiting standpoint, Ansfield said. Right now, its all we have.

Illinois at least wasnt starting from scratch. Ansfield develops graphics for the team to use throughout the season. Hamer does the same with video, cataloguing clips on a regular basis for future use in game preparation or recruiting.

It makes it easy to create videos and some of that content we need to get to our recruits, he said. That was really helpful to us, and we were able to turn around our first virtual in-home visit. We were able to make that transition pretty seamlessly. Kelseas done an amazing job with creating these presentations. Between she and I, we keep most things organized and try to make these experiences as similar as they can be to kids actually being on campus.

Recreating all that can happen on a visit in a purely virtual landscape took some planning. Ansfield borrowed a 3D camera from local realtor Ryan Dallas so she could produce virtual tours of both State Farm Center and Ubben Basketball Complex.

The recruiting presentations can also detail other popular spots on campus and in the community.

I think were kind of fortunate at Illinois to be a university that has a lot of brag points, Ansfield said. We go through, I would say, all the high level 30,000-feet touchpoints. Then we digress into their recruiting process. Zach Hamer does a really good job with player development from a video standpoint.

We may have a third presentation that includes a lot of really personal details about them and their family and what their major is going to be and how theyre going to develop as a person as well as a student-athlete. We try to break it down into multiple presentations and really touch everything we need to, but also make sure were giving them what they need to make the best decision for them.

Illinois virtual in-home visit with the Goodes helped fill in some of the gaps from his unofficial visits. Some of the recruiting pitch by the coaches was saved for what was going to be his official visit. The Illini staff used the Zoom to provide more details on the Gies College of Business and dove into how Goode would develop on the court in his time in the program.

We had no expectations, Susan Goode said. I liked their PowerPoint presentation. They were all tailored to Luke. Really, thats what youre looking for at that time is information about the business school, about a plan. Not everyone is so deliberate about a plan for development.

They answered questions about development that were realistic. It wasnt them promising things we know may not come true. It filled in some holes, but you definitely miss being able to really see the campus. Hell take an official hopefully at some point in the fall.

A Zoom call, of course, simply isnt the same as an in-person visit. On an official visit, for example, a recruit and his family are on campus for a 36-hour period. Distilling that experience into an hourlong Zoom thats the length the Illini staff shoots for at least was the first challenge.

It makes you decide whats the most important, Hamer said. Again, thats different for each kid. If youre recruiting a kid thats more a fifth-year transfer type kid, then some of the player development isnt as important as for a kid whos in high school. Whats most important is different in each presentation. We try to parse it down.

That the Illinois coaching staff had fine-tuned its recruiting approach since Underwood got the job in March 2017 has helped. More and stronger relationships have been built. Recruiting now is coming off success stories like landing Ayo Dosunmu. Then Kofi Cockburn. Then Andre Curbelo. Then Adam Miller.

I think weve always been pretty laser-like in what we sell about our program, Illinois assistant coach Stephen Gentry said. Its always based along the relationships and the family atmosphere and player development and winning. We know what the bedrock of our program is. Maybe its sharpened the focus a little bit, but to me, what your pitch is and what our value is hasnt necessarily changed.

From its history to its coaching staff to its upcoming renovations to the Ubben Basketball Complex to even its uniform combination, the Illinois mens basketball program has devised different ways to reach recruits virtually since the coronavirus pandemic has halted coaches from hitting the road. You want them to see that its a family, Illinois coach Brad Underwood said. Weve worked really hard at that.

What has changed is how Illinois recruits. Out of necessity, of course, with what would have been multiple evaluation periods this spring and summer flipped to dead periods instead.

Ill be very honest, Underwood said. I hadnt heard of Zoom until all of this happened. Learning to communicate and share screens have become a prominent way to recruit. Its become really our only way to pass information along and be seen so you have face-to-face contact. Thats really important.

What Underwood feels most strongly about the program hes rebuilding at Illinois, though, is also difficult to express via Zoom. The Illini coach has stressed the importance of developing a strong team culture since the day he arrived in Champaign.

Thats probably the hardest thing to duplicate in a virtual presentation is, OK, how do I make this feel passionate? How do you I get them to feel our work ethic and how were all on board? Underwood said. I think early on I had a tendency of probably talking too much and not letting Chin (Coleman) and (Orlando Antigua) and Gentry be involved as much. Weve made that change. You want them to see that its a family. You want them to get to know the coaches. Weve worked really hard at that.

Virtual recruiting, then, has taken on an all-in approach from the Illinois coaching staff. As in, the entire staff convenes on Zoom for a virtual visit.

Its not just Underwood and his three assistants in Antigua, Coleman and Gentry, either. Strength and conditioning coach Adam Fletcher is involved. So is assistant to the head coach/offensive coordinator Geoff Alexander in addition to both Hamer and Ansfield.

I think as much as these are unfortunate times, its added something special to a lot of these virtual visits, Ansfield said. The potential recruits are getting an opportunity to hear from all of our staff members. They get to know everyone, which I think wouldnt be possible otherwise.

Gentry considers Illinois all-in approach to virtual recruiting the staffs biggest strength. It can and has made a difference.

Obviously, theres typically a lead assistant thats going to do most of the leg work or phone calls, but when you see the full staff on there, it really shows how committed we are to that particular recruit and how all in we are, Gentry said. We really back it up when we say we group recruit. Its not just one or two coaches doing all the talking and everyone else is just sitting there. Were each chiming in and have a section of the presentation. That makes the recruit and parents feel at home like, Im getting to know everyone thats a part of the staff.

It made a difference for Luke Goode. Gentry was the lead recruiter for the 6-foot-5 guard out of Fort Wayne, Ind., but Goode was able to further develop his relationship with the staff as a whole via Zoom.

When a full coaching staff can take time out of their day that they have with their family to talk to me specifically, it means a lot, Goode said. When you get recruited by a school, you usually only talk to the head coach and the assistant that recruits you. You dont really talk much to the rest of the coaching staff unless youre on campus. Being able to talk to those guys on a Zoom definitely helps my relationship with them.

Courtesy University of Illinois

A graphic showing the different uniform combinations the Illinois men's basketball team had for the 2019-2020 season is part of the virtual recruiting pitch the Illini staff have engaged in because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Luke Goode picking Illinois gave Underwood and Co. a leg up in Class of 2021 recruiting. His earlier visits to campus certainly helped the Illini secure his commitment. Hes also not the only 2021 or even 2022 prospect Illinois had on campus during the 2019-20 season.

Virtual recruiting and Zoom visits become easier when prospective recruits already have a frame of reference for the program and campus.

Youre showing them again, Gentry said. Theyve seen State Farm Center packed. Theyve seen how weve played and maybe theyve even seen a shootaround or a practice.

The visual presentations constructed by Ansfield and Hamer reinforce that time already spent with the Illinois coaching staff and team. Gentry said their innovation put the Illini ahead of the curve.

They really got out in front of how recruiting was going to change during the coronavirus, he said. We needed to incorporate technology, but keep that personal touch to it, too. At the end of the day, its about relationships.

Illinois virtual recruiting isnt static either. Ansfield didnt want to give away any trade secrets a recruiting edge might be even more important in a purely virtual world but said the Illinois staff is continuing to innovate. Thats happening while an emphasis is still placed on what Underwood finds important: trying to get across the programs culture, character and passion.

Theres definitely some trial and error, Hamer said about Illinois virtual visits. Theres certain lines we know Coach Underwood is going to say in every single visit, and you get a little chuckle when that comes across. We havent done anything too outlandish, I dont think. Were pretty confident in what were selling and what we have to offer as a program. I think weve stayed away from getting overly gimmicky in these visits.

Theyve certainly evolved a little bit. We know what were trying to sell and what our program and university have to offer. The nuts and bolts dont necessarily change, but you certainly tweak it.

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Virtual reality: How the Illini have adapted their recruiting during a pandemic - Champaign/Urbana News-Gazette

It is called Empathy Training and it is designed to show officers how to de-escalate tense situations.

PHOENIX Axon, the company that makes Tasers, has rolled out a virtual reality training tool that shows officers what it is like to be on both sides of a police encounter.

It is called Empathy Training and it is designed to show officers how to de-escalate tense situations.

Right now, the virtual reality scenarios focus on mental illness, with programs for autism, schizophrenia and suicide.

The officers go into an immersive experience with virtual reality and theyre able to see that from someone elses point of view," Axon President Luke Larson said.

The autism scenario places you in the mind of a person on the autism spectrum. Loud noises cause the screen to flare brightly, sounds are magnified and the situation becomes increasingly frantic as police arrive.

After experiencing what it is like to be that person, the program flips the script and places you as a police officer responding to the scene.

At various points, the officers are given choices of how to proceed. Each option could technically be correct according to department policy. But some will de-escalate the situation without violence, while some will lead to more force being used.

For example, when dealing with the person on the autism spectrum, an officer can choose to have their partner turn down loud radio noise and turn off the patrol car's lights.

Its never been more important to make sure that we can get these de-escalation tools in the hands of the right people," Larson said.

Axon says the Phoenix Police Department picked up the training at the end of last year as part of several measures the department took after high profile shootings involving mental illness.

In 2014, Phoenix police officers shot and killed Michelle Cusseaux, a mentally ill woman who answered the door with a hammer.

That shooting led to the department re-examining how it dealt with mentally ill people.

Larson said Axon is also working to expand the virtual reality programs past mental illness.

One program Larson said the company is working on focuses on intervention training; when an officer should step in if another officer is acting inappropriately, like in thedeath of George Floyd.

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Arizona police using virtual reality to better prepare officers for tense situations - 12news.com KPNX

It is our aim to provide our readers with report for Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality (AR and VR) Market, which examines the industry during the period 2020 2026. One goal is to present deeper insight into this line of business in this document. The first part of the report focuses on providing the industry definition for the product or service under focus in the Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality (AR and VR) Market report. Next, the document will study the factors responsible for hindering and enhancing growth in the industry. After covering various areas of interest in the industry, the report aims to provide how the Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality (AR and VR) Market will grow during the forecast period.

The major vendors covered:

Oculus VR (Facebook), Autodesk Inc., Sixense Enterprises Inc, Samsung Electronics, SONY CORPORATION, HTC Corporation, Microsoft Corporation, Lenovo Group Ltd., Eon Reality Inc., PTC, Leap Motion, VUZIX, Magic Leap, Inc., Google LLC, Dassault Systemes SE. and more

The final report will add the analysis of the Impact of Covid-19 on Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality (AR and VR) Market.

Request a free sample copy @ https://bit.ly/2ZNc5xt

The Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality (AR and VR) Market report between the years 2020 2026 will highlight the current value of the industry. At the same time, there is also an estimate of how much this line of business will be worth at the end of the forecast period. As it is our goal to maintain high levels of accuracy at all times, we will take a look at the CAGR of the Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality (AR and VR) Market. We make sure that all the information available in this report has excellent levels of readability. One way we achieve this target is by Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality (AR and VR) Market segmentation. Going through the report for 2020 2026 will bring our readers up-to-date regarding this industry.

While examining the information from this document, one thing becomes clear, the elements which contribute to increase in demand for the product or service. At the same time, there will be a focus on what drives the popularity of these types of products or services. This report is for those who want to learn about Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality (AR and VR) Market, along with its forecast for 2020 2026. Information regarding market revenue, competitive partners, and key players will also be available.

Segmentation

As discussed earlier, there is segmentation in the Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality (AR and VR) Market report, to improve the accuracy and make it easier to collect data. The categories which are the dividing factors in the industry are distribution channels, application, and product or service type. With this level of segmentation, it becomes easier to analyze and understand the Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality (AR and VR) Market. At the same time, there is emphasis on which type of consumers become the customers in this industry. When it comes to distribution channels, the Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality (AR and VR) Market report looks at the different techniques of circulation of the product or service.

Regional Overview

In this part of the Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality (AR and VR) Market report, we will be taking a look at the geographical areas and the role they play in contributing to the growth of this line of business. The areas of interest in this document are as follows Middle East and Africa, South and North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific. From the Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality (AR and VR) Market report, it becomes clear which region is the largest contributor.

Latest Industry News

From this Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality (AR and VR) Market report, the reader will also get to learn about the latest developments in the industry. The reason is that these products or services have the potential to disrupt this line of business. If there is information about company acquisitions or mergers, this information will also be available in this portion of the Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality (AR and VR) Market report.

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Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality (AR and VR) Market to Set Remarkable Growth in Coming Years| Key Players: Oculus VR (Facebook), Autodesk Inc.,...

The research report on 3D And Virtual Reality Industry market delivers an exhaustive analysis of this business space while offering significant information pertaining to the factors that are affecting the revenue generation as well as the industry growth. The document also comprises of a detailed assessment of the regional scope of the market alongside its regulatory outlook. Additionally, the report provides with a detailed SWOT analysis while elaborating market driving factors.

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Strategic Analysis Covered in TOC: - Key Topics Covered

Initially, the document offers an outline of the global market with a complete take a look at key drivers, constraints, challenges, traits and product types sold by using the employer. The file studies the 3D And Virtual Reality Industry market capacity of key packages with the identity of forecast opportunities. The local evaluation with a focus on specific international locations and area of interest markets is presented. The pinnacle organization profiles with key-word market size and proportion estimation, revenue strategies, products, and other factors are studied.

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3D And Virtual Reality Industry Market Research Growth by Manufacturers, Regions, Type and Application, Forecast Analysis to 2025 - CueReport

The kindergarten children of AEM AUP School at Moorkanad, near Valanchery, jumped up in excitement as a giant elephant popped up beside their teacher Sindhu last week. Their online class had become a virtual reality of thrill all of a sudden, thanks to the brilliance of an enterprising teacher.

Shyam Vengalloor, a social science teacher at the school, has become a hero by introducing augmented reality (AR) to online classes. Many schools and teachers from across Kerala have begun to seek his help. Some have begun to borrow Moorkanads AR classes and some others, to imitate.

When the whole world was in a lockdown in April, Mr. Shyam Vengalloor was racking his brains on finding a way to make virtual classrooms more exciting for children. Using green screen, Gif (graphics interchange format) images and several apps, Mr. Shyam succeeded in creating an augmented reality for the virtual class by superimposing graphics, audio and sensory enhancements.

We need to do everything possible to retain the attention of the children. We are experimenting with several innovative methods of teaching, including Glassboard doodle, Mr. Shyam Vengalloor told The Hindu.

A social science teacher of AEM AUP School, Moorkanad, introducing the globe through augmented reality technology during an online class.

His colleagues were unconvinced at first. I went and told the KG teacher that everyone else had agreed and done their parts. So she had no way but to agree. And thus came the elephant into her class. Showing the KG class, I could convince the other teachers too, he said.

Soon social science teacher Jayasree introduced images like a globe, solar system, astronauts and a space vehicle into her class. Hindi teacher Preeta had a tiger, cow, snake and rain to augment the virtual reality of her class. Many others are in the production line.

They are offering classes through the school's YouTube channel and PTA WhatsApp group. Several schools too have subscribed to the channel.

Visuals create a big impression in the minds of children. Visual level of teaching benefits them much more than auditory level. We should encourage and promote such enterprising talents, said Mary Decosta, a kindergarten teacher at St. Thomas Residential School, Thiruvananthapuram.

With limitless possibilities for AR technology, it remains to be seen how the States teaching community takes it forward from what Mr. Shyam Vengalloor has given them.

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Elephant in the room: How augmented reality takes online classes to exciting highs - The Hindu

A doctor has combined healthcare with virtual reality to help put patients at ease.

Dr Kevin Rafferty came up with the concept of combining a disposable anaesthetic facemask with a VR headset to keep patients occupied while they undergo gas induction of anaesthesia or oxygen while working as a locum staff doctor in north Wales.

The headset is single patient use, cardboard virtual reality headset integrating a detachable medical mask. The device is used in conjunction with a smartphone to create the virtual reality experience.

The device can be used during multiple procedures, including post-operative recovery therapy, continuous positive airway pressure therapy, nebuliser therapies, inhaler therapies, CT scans, and dental procedures.

Dr Rafferty, who currently works as an anaesthetic doctor in Northern Ireland, created a prototype, made 3D models and prints, and approached AgorIP for further help.

AgorIP brings academics, clinicians and businesses together to pioneer research into cutting-edge technologies and drive commercial success with the support of Swansea University, and the European Regional Development Fund through the Welsh Government.

Thanks to AgorIP, the headset has been created en masse and has been successfully distributed into NHS Wales.

Rhydian Owen, who worked with Mr Rafferty during his time with AgorIP, said: When AgorIP started working with Kevin, he was a clinician in north Wales who had identified a way of improving the care he delivered, and had developed a DIY solution.

He had found that if he held smartphones up for children to watch, it made being anaesthetised less stressful for his young patients, and helped operations run more smoothly for the clinical team.

AgorIP provided the resources and expertise to develop Kevins idea into a headset that other anaesthetists could use, and partnered with a company that can sell large quantities of the headsets across the UK, so that many more patients can now benefit from Kevins innovation.

This is a great example of how supporting NHS innovators with specialist product development and commercialisation support can benefit both the NHS and its patients.

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Virtual Reality finds place within NHS Wales - Wales247

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Virtual Reality Content Creation Market Overall Economy, Demography And Other Similar Markets Analysis - Cole of Duty