Blog V Reality: April 2018

Monday, 30 April 2018

Zeiss VR ONE Plus Virtual Reality Headset W Apple Iphone 6 Tray

Zeiss VR ONE Plus Virtual Reality Headset W Apple Iphone 6 Tray
ID: 202298377241

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New Samsung Gear VR Virtual Reality Headset Glasses Galaxy Note 5 S6 S7 Edge Box

New Samsung Gear VR Virtual Reality Headset Glasses Galaxy Note 5 S6 S7 Edge Box
ID: 382450299848

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May 1, 2018 at 06:51AM
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These VR gloves allow people who are blind to "see" art for the first time

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NeuroDigital collaborated with Prague's National Gallery to create Touching Masterpieces, giving people who are blind a cool VR experience where they can "see" the art through touch. The haptic gloves vibrate to make the wearer feel as though they're feeling a 3D object. Read more...

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Sylvania SPVR100 Virtual Reality 3D Video Glasses

Sylvania SPVR100 Virtual Reality 3D Video Glasses
ID: 332636868419

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May 1, 2018 at 05:19AM
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How VR Brings Real Benefits To The Real Estate Industry

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One of the first steps for a prospective real estate buyer or tenant is to get an accurate sense of the unbuilt property they are interested in. Specifically, what will it look like, of course. But also, at a deeper, subconscious level, whether or not it connects with them emotionally. They want to imagine how it will feel to actually occupy the property.

For the longest time, watercolor paintings were the primary means for property developers and brokers to showcase their new development properties.

Paintings can be incredibly powerful and versatile, which is why they are representative of some of the most impressive artistic works of humankind. A well drawn painting or sketch inherently makes an emotional connection with the viewer that can be quite powerful. Yet, a painting also has an inherent limitation because it is ultimately the painter’s interpretation of the vision for the property, and is static from a single point of view, leaving much to the imagination. Paintings are also time consuming, expensive, and are difficult to iterate onto a matchbuilder’s vision.

Then, in the 90s, computers had advanced enough that we began a gradual shift from paintings to 3D computer generated (CG) renderings. And this is essentially how all unbuilt real estate developments are showcased today. They are much more true to the the builder’s vision due to accurate 3D modeling, photo realistic materials and lighting simulation, and the ability to iterate via CG software.

This of course also made it possible to overwhelm prospective buyers with a sea of similar images that has made it harder and harder to stand out. Additionally, such 2D and 3D renderings on a 2D screen just don’t have the emotional contact with a potential buyer. Furthermore, they give no sense for scale, and scale is important in how humans relate to their environment. Everything in the real world is understood from that first-person, human perspective. Lastly, renderings can easily be “cheated” to exaggerate the spaciousness of a property by using wide angle lenses.

But all that is changing.

Today we are at the cusp of yet another revolution in the way new development properties can be showcased in a way that is true to the builder’s vision and yet offers a never-before-possible emotional experience for the buyer. This is the promise of room scale, immersive Virtual Reality (VR) experiences of an unbuilt property.

VR has often been described as an empathy engine. By wearing a VR headset, one can be completely immersed into an environment as though it were happening in real-life, and thus connect with that virtual environment in an emotional, empathetic way that was never possible before

Additionally, since the VR property is computer generated, it can be easily modified to match the design vision as closely as possible. Even better, once built out, it is possible to try out different palettes, view angles, lighting solutions, furniture layouts and styles, and other such options through user control within the VR environment.

As an example, my company Outer Realm recently implemented room scale VR tours for high-end luxury properties in Aspen Colorado, with broker Andrew Ernemann and developer Aspen Starwood properties.This has been a huge success with prospective buyers and has translated into real business value. You can check out their virtual reality showroom here here. And also get a virtual tour of one of their properties here, although the best experience is through an actual VR headset.

The benefits to brokers and developers is that by showcasing homes virtually they can list their properties earlier, sell faster, and decrease development risk. And potential buyers and tenants can have a rationally informed and yet emotionally compelling experience of the property before making a decision. For brokers looking to win more exclusive listings, offering Virtual Reality tours as part of their services is a no-brainer way to differentiate.

Using VR to showcase unbuilt properties is undoubtedly a game changer.

We have come a long way from low resolution screens and clunky headsets of the past. The promise of Virtual Reality is finally becoming true. A whole generation of younger clientele comfortable with using VR and other technology is now of home buying or apartment leasing age, and real estate brokers and developer who move early to satisfy them will gain a huge competitive advantage. As a bonus, such brokers and developers will stand out as thought leaders, further opening up business opportunities.

The use of VR across industries and society is inevitable. And just as 2D renderings replaced watercolor images, 2D renderings will be steadily replaced by VR over the coming 2-3 years.

David Gull, the CEO of Outer Realm, has experience delivering over 500 New Development Virtual Tours to date. He has a unique combination of Design & Technical Expertise as a Licensed Architect and Technology Executive.

Outer Realm LLC is an LA-based startup that specializes in building customized immersive VR tours of unbuilt/under-development real estate properties. To explore Outer Realm’s suite of VR services for the real estate industry, visit the official company website.

Disclosure: This is an unpaid guest contribution from David Gull of Outer Realm. Additionally, Upload is listed as a “key customer and partner” on the Outer Realms website, but that capacity exists entirely separate from the editorial website.

Tagged with: enterprise, real estate

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Indiana Jones would hate jacket that mimics feeling of snakes slithering on you

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By inflating and deflating various air-filled pockets, this smart haptic jacket designed by Disney Research, MIT and Carnegie Mellon can simulate a wide range of sensations, including that of slime dripping down a person’s back.

The post Indiana Jones would hate jacket that mimics feeling of snakes slithering on you appeared first on Digital Trends.

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HTC VIVE Virtual Reality System

HTC VIVE Virtual Reality System
ID: 112969670178

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May 1, 2018 at 04:16AM
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Virtual Reality Headset

Virtual Reality Headset
ID: 263635677427

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April 26, 2018 at 04:18AM
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NBCUniversal & Google Are Bringing NBC Original Shows to VR

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SNL, Vanderpump Rules, SYFY WIRE and seven other shows get the 360-degree treatment in this multi-episode collaboration.

It appears as though NBCUniversal is making an even deeper commitment to VR after announcing a new partnership with Google to bring some of its most popular original programming to the world of VR in the form of 10 multi-episode 360-degree productions.

Produced using Google’s high quality Jump VR capture platform, the 360-degree series will feature original content from networks such as E!, NBC, NBC News, NBC Sports, SYFY, Telemundo, USA Network and more. This includes immensely popular shows such as NBC’s Saturday Night Live, Bravo’s Vanderpump Rules, SYFY’s Wire and others.

“We are constantly looking for opportunities to bring consumers new ways to experience content from across the NBCUniversal portfolio,” said Ron Lamprecht, Executive Vice President, NBCUniversal Digital Enterprises. “This partnership combines the creative expertise of NBCUniversal with Google’s VR capabilities to create these engaging experiences. We look forward to working with Google and YouTube on more collaborations like this in the future.”

“NBCUniversal’s networks and shows have a proven track record of high-quality storytelling that audiences can’t get enough of. Bringing them to VR lets fans connect with that content in a whole new way,” stated Amit Singh, VP of Business & Operations for VR & AR at Google. “NBCU’s teams were able to easily capture engaging VR content using the latest VR Jump cameras. And with YouTube, audiences can experience it on any device, bringing them closer to their favorite series.”

To help celebrate the announcement, two 360-degree Vanderpump Rules videos are now available for viewing on Bravo’s official YouTube channel. In Vanderpump Dogs users are given a 360-degree tour of Lisa Vanderpump’s new Hollywood dog rescue center including everything from her “trademark” pink walls to the centers surprisingly luxurious doggie biscuit bar. In James Kennedy, Scheana Marie, and Lala Kent Get Glam fans get an exclusive 360-degree bonus clip of the season finale as well as a behind-the-scenes look at the shows infamous interview set. Yes, it’s as fabulous as you’re imagining.

Additional 360-degree content from a variety of other NBCUniversal programming will be arriving over the coming weeks, as well as several videos available in VR180, a budding new format which features impressive 4k, three-dimensional video. Users will be able to access the 360-degree content using their smartphones or, for a more immersive experience, a Google Cardboard or Daydream headset.

Of course this isn’t the first instance of NBCUniversal embracing VR entertainment. The media company has experimented with the format heavily in the past releasing 360-degree content of comedians Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart during their individual guest hosting duties on SNL, as well as 180° and 360° videos during SYFY Wire’s coverage of Emerald City Comic Con.

However, with 10 multi-episode productions involving some of TV’s biggest shows on the way, this is arguably the conglomerates biggest push towards VR since their 360-degree coverage of the 2018 Winter Olympic Games. Hopefully we continue to see a healthy blend of original 360-degree programming as well as immersive behind-the-scenes tours.

The post NBCUniversal & Google Are Bringing NBC Original Shows to VR appeared first on VRScout.

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SteamVR Windows Headset Integration Leaving Early Access

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VR headsets from Acer, Lenovo, Samsung, HP, ASUS and Dell might be easier to set up than Oculus Rift or HTC Vive, but integration with Valve’s SteamVR is what makes these headsets worth consideration. Without it, owners can visit some nice virtual worlds from the Windows Store, but they’d be missing the much wider and deeper library available from Steam.

With its latest April update to Windows today, Microsoft is also taking this integration out of “early access” — meaning it should provide an overall smoother and more stable experience compared with when the software first launched late last year.

“Windows Mixed Reality for SteamVR will remain in Early Access until consumers and developers have had a chance to test titles and the experience is stable for the majority of games and apps,” Microsoft originally wrote when releasing the software early.

According to a blog post, haptic feedback is improved with the controllers in the latest updates. I’ve asked Microsoft for details about why the company chose today to have the software graduate from early access. At the time of this writing, the software is still listed as being in early access, with the minimum specification listing the need for an NVIDIA GTX 970 or better and the recommended specification listing an NVIDIA GTX 1070 or better. Though, of course, specific experiences you want to try from Steam in these Windows-based “Mixed Reality” headsets may have different requirements.

Tagged with: microsoft

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VIRTUAL REALITY Headset, with blu-tooth Remote Control

VIRTUAL REALITY Headset, with blu-tooth Remote Control
ID: 282946215486

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May 1, 2018 at 02:13AM
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Google teams with NBC to build VR content for its TV shows

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Virtual reality has yet to hit the big time with the vast majority of consumers — headset sales are still in the single-digit millions — but today Google and NBC announced a deal to make programming that could help the medium pick up some more mainstream appeal. The two said that they will be working together to produce at least 10 multi-episode VR productions that will run as extra content alongside core programming on NBC itself and its network of other channels.

Users can watch in VR on Google Cardboard or Daydream View, and it will also be hosted on YouTube for those not immersively inclined. Google said that it will also down the line make some of the content available on the VR180 format for 4K, three-dimensional video.

Initial programs that will get the VR treatment include NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” (which has already produced a selection of VR productions here, here, and here); reality show “Vanderpump Rules” from Bravo; and content from SYFY WIRE, the website for the Syfy TV channel.

With VR still a relatively young industry, and Google continuing to develop its own internal capabilities, there are a number of routes that can be taken to capture the experience. In this case, it looks like Google will be using the deal with NBC to promote and use Jump, its own platform for VR video capture that it first launched back in 2015.

We’ve asked Google if it can give more details regarding the business relationship with NBC, and we will update this post as we learn more. For now, it’s another opportunity for Google to develop more premium content — creating a new set of videos against which to sell advertising — and working alongside NBC Universal to help it also update its content for new and different audiences.

This is not the first time that NBC Universal has tried out content on VR: as one example it also worked with Intel and Oculus to bring Olympic content to headsets.

It’s also become a very standard part of TV programming to develop additional content that can be watched by fans alongside the core TV show, to help extend touch-points with an audience who may otherwise only be seen for 22 minutes each week, at best. VR presents another opportunity for that, too.

“We are constantly looking for opportunities to bring consumers new ways to experience content from across the NBCUniversal portfolio,” said Ron Lamprecht, Executive Vice President, NBCUniversal Digital Enterprises, in a statement. “This partnership combines the creative expertise of NBCUniversal with Google’s VR capabilities to create these engaging experiences. We look forward to working with Google and YouTube on more collaborations like this in the future.”

Google has also been looking for more ways to cosy up to premium content companies to develop content for its platforms, partly to secure those relationships for a future where it might find itself competing for a content-hungry VR audience, and partly to help try to create that audience today. Other partnerships have included deals with HBO and Netflix.

“NBCUniversal’s networks and shows have a proven track record of high-quality storytelling that audiences can’t get enough of. Bringing them to VR lets fans connect with that content in a whole new way,” said Amit Singh, VP of business and operations for VR and AR at Google, in a statement. “NBCU’s teams were able to easily capture engaging VR content using the latest VR Jump cameras. And with YouTube, audiences can experience it on any device, bringing them closer to their favorite series.”

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VR Quiz Game ‘Go Guess’ Uses Google 360 Captures to Make You Guess Where You Are

Sherwin-Williams AR App Takes Hassle Out of Choosing Paint Colors

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Explore over 1,500 paint options for your walls.

Nothing spruces up a drab looking room like a new coat of paint to make the walls pop with color and personality. But, if you’ve ever taken on the task of painting a room, then you know that the process can be time consuming and frustrating – and that’s just picking out the colors!

The folks over at Sherwin-Williams have understood this frustration since 2015, launching their ColorSnap Visualizer app that helps you navigate the overwhelming color picking process. At the time, it was a pretty impressive app, but it was limited in its functionality and only worked with pre-installed sample scenes.

Now thanks to an app update, ColorSnap Visualizer is getting a powerful AR makeover with the addition of Instant Paint, a feature that lets you use your smartphone or tablet camera to make faster and more confident color selections in real-time. You can use any of the over 1,500 shades of colors available from the Sherwin-Williams color catalog.

Accessing Instant Paint’s AR capabilities is super easy. Simply launch ColorSnap Visualizer and from there the app will guide you through the process of scanning the walls of your home as it prepares to do its magic.

Once your room is ready, you can then explore the multiple paint swatches, which are broken down in colors and tones, and see what color makes the room most appealing to you. If you’re not completely sure, you can always check out what the experts think.

From there, you’re able to move your paint choices into a custom palette that you can then easily swap in and out with a simple finger tap, making the process of choosing colors easier for you.

The app allows you to walk around the room and view your walls from all perspectives to decide if painting the dining room that Tailpot Palm color, or the living room Ellie Grey is something you like, or something you really love. Don’t worry about the artwork, photos, and outlets on your walls – Instant Paint, will paint around them so you can really envision the room before starting the task of painting.

“Using emerging AR technology, this new feature virtually transforms a space before picking up a brush,” said Meghan Vickers, Sherwin-Williams e-business marketing director in a press statement. “Instant Paint provides a fast, seamless way for homeowners and professionals to build confidence during color selection.”

The Sherwin-Williams painting app offers up some other nifty features other than painting in AR with Instant Paint. You can also match color swatches through a photo, figure out how many gallons you’ll need to paint a room, save your favorite colors, and match the color of something you found on Pinterest.

ColorSnap Visualizer isn’t the first painting AR app to hit the app store. In 2014, the Dutch company AkzoNobel launched the world’s first AR painting app called Visualizer and won a major technology prize at the 2014 UK IT Industry Awards for it.

Currently the Sherwin-Williams updated ColorSnap Visualizer app with Instant Paint is only available in the US on the Apple App store for iPhone 6s or newer running iOS 11, and on the Android App store for devices that are AR compatible.

You can find more information on ColorSnap Visualizer on the Sherwin-Williams website.

The post Sherwin-Williams AR App Takes Hassle Out of Choosing Paint Colors appeared first on VRScout.

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Update: Giant $500M Chinese VR Theme Park Opens Doors to the Public

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A giant robot looms over the outskirts of Guiyang, the capital of Guizhou province in China. The new VR park, named simply ‘Oriental Science Fiction Valley‘, has now opened its doors; within them reside a bevy of VR attractions and rides that hope to capitalize on China’s steadily growing VR industry.

Update (04/30/18): A new English-language CGTN report has surfaced via German VR publication VRODO detailing yesterday’s opening of China’s giant VR theme park. The video is posted below.

Contrary to the Reuters report, both the CGTN report contends the park is in fact the result of a ¥3B (~$470M USD) investment and not the previously reported $1.5B USD investment. We’ve corrected the headline and clarified the original article which follows below.

Original article (11/27/17): As reported by Reuters, the massive VR park spans 330 acres (134 hectares) and houses within its various sci-fi-inspired buildings 35 different VR attractions—including everything from shooters, virtual roller coasters, to guided spaceship tours of the region’s most scenic spots.

Its organizers have already spent ~~$1.5 billion~~ $470 million creating the park, and while it features a few non-VR attractions such as bungee jumping (from the arm of the robot), most rides will use some combination of VR headsets and motion platforms.

Occupying one of the poorest provinces in China, the park aims to revitalize the area when it partially opens February next year.

“After our attraction opens, it will change the entire tourism structure of Guizhou province as well as China’s southwest,” Chief Executive Chen Jianli told Reuters.

“This is an innovative attraction, because it’s just different,” Jianli said.

The post Update: Giant $500M Chinese VR Theme Park Opens Doors to the Public appeared first on Road to VR.

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Sega’s Space Channel 5 VR Will Come To U.S. As Kinda Funky News Flash

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Sega’s beloved Dreamcast rhythm game Space Channel 5 is coming to virtual reality, and a tweet now confirms that a U.S. version — “Space Channel 5 VR Kinda Funky News Flash!” — will see its debut at the Los Angeles VR event VRLA.

Developer Grounding says that it will offer 15 minute demos of the VR experience on May 5 and May 6.

Space Channel 5 was one of music game impresario Tetsuya Mizuguchi’s groundbreaking titles for Sega’s UGA (United Game Artists) division, offering a sleek, retro-futuristic alternative to Sony’s cartoony Parappa the Rapper series. Backed by music inspired by 1960s spy movies, it starred Ulala, a reporter seeking to rescue people from alien captors. Pressing buttons like “up, down, shoot, shoot, shoot” made Ulala dance and fire her ray gun, freeing hostages — and aliens — to join her roving dance squad.

Beyond giving players a shoulder-level view of the action from directly behind Ulala, the VR version of Space Channel 5 uses arm tracking, so players can actually dance to the music. Thus far, Grounding has shown footage of a reworked version of the original game’s first level, where all of the originally pre-rendered background art appears to be real-time 3D. It’s unclear at this point whether the finished game will be a remake of the original game, contain elements from its Part 2 sequel, and/or include brand new content.

Along with Mizuguchi’s pioneering shooter Rez, the Space Channel 5 series was one of Sega’s most noteworthy franchises during the Dreamcast era. Michael Jackson made multiple cameo appearances in the games, which won 2000 GDC awards for original game character of the year and excellence in audio. But as it became clear that the Dreamcast would be Sega’s last console, the franchise transitioned to the PlayStation 2, and UGA disbanded, ending the series.

So far, Space Channel 5 VR Kinda Funky News Flash! has only been announced for the HTC Vive, and neither a price nor a release date have been confirmed. The new U.S. site for the game mentions that there will be a “VR Arcade Version” running on the Vive, with “game hardware for console version” listed as “TBD.”

This post by Jeremy Horwitz originally appeared on VentureBeat.

Tagged with: Space Channel 5

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VR Shinecon Virtual Reality 3D Glasses Movies Game Samsung IOS iPhone 6+Gamepad

VR Shinecon Virtual Reality 3D Glasses Movies Game Samsung IOS iPhone 6+Gamepad
ID: 112969156928

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April 30, 2018 at 10:31PM
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iLive Virtual Reality Goggles,Adjustable Headstrap, For Smartphones with 3.5-6

iLive Virtual Reality Goggles,Adjustable Headstrap, For Smartphones with 3.5-6
ID: 222957509027

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April 30, 2018 at 09:12PM
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AR Experience Terminal 3 Puts You In The Boots Of A U.S. Customs Officer

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The augmented reality experience Terminal 3 tells the stories of Muslims who face additional screenings whenever they want to enter the United States. Players take the role of a U.S. customs officer who must interrogate people at an airport. Creator Asad Malik developed it in partnership with RYOT, and it debuted at the start of Tribeca Film Festival in New York.

Terminal 3’s event setup is unique. It takes place across two rooms. In one, players don a Microsoft HoloLens headset and use voice commands to ask one of six holographic characters increasingly personal questions. Once they’re finished, they step out into another room — where they meet the actual people the characters are based on.

“It’s not about ideology. Islam itself can be an ideology, but Muslims are people. What we’re trying to showcase are people and their stories,” said Malik in a phone call with GamesBeat. “We have people who are outspoken atheists. We have other people who are much more religious and follow the path a lot more seriously. We also have a lot of diversity in terms of gender and age among these six people. We’ve found them through personal connections in one place or another.”

It’s also based on Malik’s personal experiences. He’s working on an undergraduate degree at a university in Vermont, but he is from Pakistan. The title comes from Terminal 3 in Abu Dhabi International Airport, which he went through before visiting the U.S. for the first time. It was also where Malik had a terrible experience with a customs officer, though he notes that not all his encounters have been as unpleasant.

“If you strip away all the institutional agenda, it’s really just two people with an absurd power dynamic sitting down, how the conversation goes while one person tries to figure out the other person,” said Malik. “It’s a weird, rich way to get to know someone, if you desire to. That’s kind of what we’re trying to enable with the experience. You can ask questions that would lead you to a rich story, or you can ask questions that may not.”

Why augmented reality

Above: A behind-the-scenes look at how 1RIC motion-captured actors using Depthkit for Terminal 3.

Image Credit: GamesBeat

Air travel is often an ordeal for folks who are or simply look like they might be Muslim. Islamophobia continues to rise year after year. And Terminal 3’s Tribeca debut is especially timely, as the U.S.’s controversial immigration policy heads to the United States Supreme Court later this week.

Putting these experiences into a context is part of the reason why Malik chose to create it in AR instead of VR. He describes much of virtual reality as “a dreamlike experience, removed from reality.”

“AR is all about your context. I think Terminal 3 could not be displayed in China. It wouldn’t work. It has to be here. It’s in the context of this space,” said Malik. “It’s all about bringing another person to your place, rather than you imagining that you’re in someone else’s place. Someone else’s place is too dreamlike. It’s too easy to ignore it almost as fantasy. However, if someone else enters your space, as an unexpected addition, and you engage with them as if they’re real—when there’s a hologram in your space, you look around and everything you see is reality except the hologram.”

RYOT director of immersive development Jake Sally says that it’s crucial for creators to ask themselves why they’re making something in VR and AR instead of just shoehorning something into those new mediums. The company has a long history of developing documentaries using VR and 360-degree video, like 10 Shots Across the Border.

In the case of Terminal 3, Sally points to the voice commands and the perspective as unique characteristics that bring the experience to life. It necessitates that people engage with it in AR.

“But the power of voice, it does this thing to your brain where it adds that extra layer of trickery. As soon as I start talking to something, suddenly it becomes infinitely more real,” said Sally in an interview with GamesBeat. “In this project specifically, looking at immigration from two perspectives simultaneously, both as someone interrogating and as the person being interrogated, is really interesting.”

Malik says that he’s seen festival goers react differently to the experience. A lot of them have had strong emotional responses — particularly once they exit the first room and meet the flesh-and-blood person whom they’ve been “talking to.”

“Now that people are trying it, I see how different people treat it differently. It’s interesting,” said Malik. “Some people are afraid. Some people are there thinking, wow, I’m a target, or I don’t want to say something stupid, but I have to ask these questions. They kind of whisper it and get through it. Other people really get into the character and kind of demand these questions of the hologram. I feel like a lot of people’s political views on immigration and things like that come through how they talk to the hologram.”

Part of the experience, as well, is its “dynamic aesthetic.” When you sit down to interrogate someone in Terminal 3, you’re presented with two dialogue options that you select by speaking it aloud. The person you’re talking to appears at first like a sketched-out glitch, but once you start getting to know them, they start blooming in full color.

“At a high level you’re embodying someone who’s passing through so many people day in and day out, and everyone becomes just this abstract object that you’re pushing through the mill. But once you start getting into these real, deep, emotional moments, they become more human,” said Sally. “You don’t really see that in a lot of experiences. To me, again, it helps to justify the, ‘Why AR?’ In this setting, there’s a relatively complex branching narrative to it, depending on the choices you make. It’s cool to see that there’s direct one-to-one impact based on what you’re saying. It’s changing not only the craft of the story but also the aesthetic of the entire world that’s being inhabited.”

Telling unique stories

To further Terminal 3’s development, Malik received the Unity for Humanity grant, which is an annual award of $25,000 for projects that “[deal] with issues of humanitarian, social, environmental, educational, health care, science issues and themes.” It’s the first time Unity has offered the grant.

“Asad was in the midst of creating it, and in order to finish it, he was looking for some support,” said Unity producer Amy Zimmerman in a phone call with GamesBeat. “The grant program came along at the same time as we learned about Asad and his project. His project really maps back to what we’re trying to achieve with this grant – to enable our creators to tell their stories using these tools, and tell sometimes tough stories using our tools.”

Zimmerman is a producer on the Made with Unity team, which promotes projects made with that game engine. According to the company’s numbers, 60 percent of AR and VR projects are developed using Unity. And she says, she sees more diverse perspectives than ever when she’s looking through projects.

“We’re giving tools to all types of creators, whether they’re veterans or new users of the technology,” said Zimmerman. “It’s allowing for people who’ve never had the chance before to tell these stories, to show their perspectives. People who are really passionate about things that are happening in our world.”

The stories in Terminal 3 are each unique because they’re the lived experiences of individuals. But they’re not so unique in that many people have to deal with this kind of situation every time they travel. And this happens all the time — like when Malik tried to fly his parents to the Tribeca world premiere so they could see his project.

“But that didn’t quite work out, because both of their visas got rejected,” said Malik. “Both of them were interrogated in Pakistan by U.S. customs. The U.S. customs went into their last 50 years of family history – where are your step-siblings, is this relevant, where did you travel on this date – and eventually they had their visas rejected for no apparent reason. So they couldn’t make it. That’s as ironic as it gets.”

This post by Stephanie Chan originally appeared on VentureBeat.

Tagged with: Terminal 3

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Oculus Rift Virtual Reality CV1 VR Headset w/ Camera

Oculus Rift Virtual Reality CV1 VR Headset w/ Camera
ID: 323232100690

Auction price: $65.00
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April 30, 2018 at 03:19AM
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MLB Batting Game ‘Home Run Derby VR’ Now Available on PSVR, Vive & Rift

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Major League Baseball’s Home Run Derby VR will let you step into the box and swing for the bleachers. The game, first trialed at All-Star FanFest back in June, is now heading to a total of 10 ballparks for the 2018 season, and also to consumers on PSVR and SteamVR-compatible headsets including HTC Vive and Oculus Rift.

Update (04/30/18): Both the Steam page and PSN page are now live, charging $20 for a chance to step into the virtual batter’s box at Marlins Park (Miami), Nationals Park (Washington, DC) and Progressive Field (Cleveland). The original article announcing availability follows below.

Original article (02/23/18): According to a Forbes report, a consumer version of the game will offer support for the platform’s respective motion controllers, and will feature virtual versions of all three All-Star Game locations: Miami’s Marlins Park, D.C.’s Nationals Park, and Cleveland’s Progressive Field, where the 2019 Midsummer Classic will be played.

~~There aren’t any pricing or other detail at this time, although MLB says they’ll be releasing it at a later date~~ (see update above).

While the list of ballparks featuring the out-of-home version isn’t public yet, the report holds that at least two demonstrations are confirmed; one in Puerto Rico for the Indians and Twins games in April and the other in Mexico for the Dodgers and Padres games in May. Previous demos have included HTC Vive headsets coupled with Vive Trackers attached to physical baseball bats—something that’s definitely a surreal and immersive experience.

The post MLB Batting Game ‘Home Run Derby VR’ Now Available on PSVR, Vive & Rift appeared first on Road to VR.

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Oculus Go, Mirage Solo, and Vive Focus Standalone Headsets Compared

Oculus - Sensor for Rift Virtual Reality Headset - Black

Oculus - Sensor for Rift Virtual Reality Headset - Black
ID: 273181663744

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April 27, 2018 at 10:23PM
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Hamswan SMARTPHONE 3D VR HEADSET GLASSES VIRTUAL REALITY Movie/Game/Android/IOS+

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April 30, 2018 at 02:28PM
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Homido V2 VR Virtual Reality Headset For Smartphones

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April 30, 2018 at 02:58AM
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Sunday, 29 April 2018

Sony Playstation VR Skyrim Bundle CUH-ZVR2 Virtual Reality System for PS4

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April 30, 2018 at 09:00AM
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HTC Vive - Virtual Reality System for parts or repair MAY WORK ?

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April 30, 2018 at 09:21AM
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3D Google Cardboard Virtual Reality VR Glasses for Android Phone Movie Game DIY

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April 25, 2018 at 08:45AM
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Homido V2 VR Virtual Reality Headset For Smartphones brand new in box

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April 25, 2018 at 08:04AM
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Virtual Reality Headset 3D VR iPhone & Android

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April 30, 2018 at 07:03AM
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Oculus - Rift + Touch Virtual Reality Headset Bundle for Windows!!!

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ID: 173294334976

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April 30, 2018 at 05:57AM
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Sony PlayStation VR Worlds Launch Bundle Virtual Reality PSVR Playstation 4 PS4

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April 30, 2018 at 04:38AM
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Lenovo Explorer With Motion Controllers,Virtual Reality.Brand New

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April 25, 2018 at 06:07AM
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Oculus Rift CV1 Touch Bundle Virtual Reality VR System Used

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April 30, 2018 at 03:09AM
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Dream Vision Pro Virtual Reality Smartphone Headset In Pink

Dream Vision Pro Virtual Reality Smartphone Headset In Pink
ID: 302721572948

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April 30, 2018 at 02:48AM
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VR horror series ‘Campfire Creepers’ showcased at Tribeca Film Festival

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Stories told around the campfire are a horror movie staple, and veteran director Alexandre Aja has brought the genre into virtual reality with a new anthology series. The first two episodes are free to watch on Oculus and Gear VR.

The post VR horror series ‘Campfire Creepers’ showcased at Tribeca Film Festival appeared first on Digital Trends.

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This Disney Jacket Brings Physical Feedback to VR

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The ‘Force Jacket’ could be the key to taking theme parks to the next level.

Have you ever wondered what it feels like to be in the grips of a monstrous snake as it squeezes out every ounce of breath? It probably isn’t pleasant. But thanks to a collaboration between Disney Research, MIT Media Lab, and Carnegie Mellon University, you could one day physically experience this in VR.

Enter what Disney is calling the “Force Jacket,” an experimental research project that lets users feel touching, squeezing, punching, hugging and of course a snake across your body.

To create this layer of physical feedback while in VR, the designers combined a series of high frequency sensors along with 26 inflatable air compartments, and strategically placed them throughout the special jacket. Each sensor and inflatable are then activated individually—or together—in multiple configurations to create different intensities of vibrations and precisely directed force that brings the full-body sensation to life.

VR is designed to give you a full sensory experience that hacks your brain into thinking what you’re actually seeing is real. You can get an emotional response in VR, where you experience fear and anxiety, but unfortunately, true physical feedback always falls short when it comes to selling you a full immserive experience.

In a recently published Disney Research post, the team writes that “the primary motivation of this research was to enhance the entertainment value of [head-mounted display]-based visual VR experiences in games and movies, by providing on-body force feedback.”

There’s been a lot of work to close the gap between what is real and what isn’t during a VR experience. Advancements in wearables such as gloves that let you feel virtual art, to the idea of “virtual skin,” are things that show a lot of improvement in haptics, but still fall short from perfection.

In an interview with VRScout, Alex Chaucer, co-founder of The Virtual Reality Podcast said, “Adding additional senses to virtual reality, in addition to sight and sound, will continue to build the immersiveness of experiences,” continuing, “I’d say we’re a few iterations away from full body haptic feedback, but it’s a natural progression for the medium.”

To explore the possibilities of the Force Jacket, the design team created three specific VR experiences:

Snowball Fight, where you would feel the impact of a snowball.
Snake-crawling, where you would feel a snake coiling around your torso and chest.
Muscles-Growing, you would feel the sensation of bulking up instantly like The Hulk.

For Disney, the Force Jacket could offer more than snakes, snowballs and muscles. Imagine if location-based entertainment experiences like Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire could be if there was more realistic physical feedback, or better yet, imagine being able to hug your loved ones from the other side of the globe and actually feel it.

Or maybe you just want to throw snowballs and snakes at each other in VR, which actually sounds like a lot of fun as well.

Image Credit: Disney

The post This Disney Jacket Brings Physical Feedback to VR appeared first on VRScout.

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VRstudios Makes A Compact VR Experience With VRcade Atom

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VRstudios has made location-based entertainment virtual reality arcades for big commercial venues in the past, but now the company revealed the VRcade Atom, a more compact VR booth with a smaller footprint that doesn’t require an expensive facility.

The VRcade Atom is a commercial wireless VR system built for location-based entertainment (LBE) arcades, and it costs less compared to previous systems. It’s a turnkey system that includes everything a VR arcade business needs to add room-scale, free-roaming, multiplayer VR attractions.

Built on the VRcade Attraction Management Platform (AMP), the Atom is the first VR arcade solution integrating best-in-class computing power, head-mounted display technology, wireless transmission, and positional tracking from industry leaders including Hewlett-Packard, HTC, and TPCAST.

Utilizing AMP’s content management features, the Atom runs experiences from the company’s portfolio of VRcade wireless, multiplayer attractions expressly built for commercial arcade operations. This includes: VRcade’s classic Time Zombies, Barking Irons, planktOs and Drone Storm.

“Many of our customers are just beginning to consider competitively priced options that will allow them to easily install, with a smaller footprint, a commercial level attraction that can be expanded as LBE VR becomes more popular,” said Ron Davis, chief marketing officer at VRstudios, in an email. “The Atom has been designed to meet all of those objectives.”

Above: VRcade Atom is aimed at making VR into a social experience.

Image Credit: VRstudios

In addition, arcade companies can augment the VRcade commercial attractions with curated titles licensed from Valve Corporation’s Steam store, all centrally managed through AMP. Atoms can be easily installed as individual systems or in combination with other Atoms, VRcade Zones, or VRcade Arena systems. Utilizing AMP, multiple Atoms can be networked together to increase the virtual player count in attraction titles that support the feature.

The Atom is easy to set up, take down, relocate, or reconfigure. Installations can be done quickly with no special facility requirements or additional infrastructure, such as rigid truss systems. The standard configuration requires only a 10 foot x 10 foot footprint for a multiplayer system, making it an efficient use of floorspace and driving a very favorable return on investment over single-player, wired options.

“The VRcade Atom is another significant addition to our growing family of turnkey solutions built expressly for the LBE operators. It demonstrates our ongoing focus and strategy to integrate the latest and best technology available, utilizing our AMP platform to make it easy and efficient for LBEs to operate on a daily basis,” said Kevin Vitale, VRstudios’ CEO, in a statement. “Atom is a true commercial-grade, wireless free-roaming system, and its price point makes it compelling for LBEs to drop the wires and add VR attractions to their business.”

The VRcade Atom is available to demonstrate and order directly from VRstudios. VRstudios launched in 2014, and it has 55 VRcade installations in 14 countries. The company has 24 employees.

This post by Dean Takahashi originally appeared on VentureBeat.

Tagged with: VRcade

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