AuraVisor, the first untethered cross-platform virtual reality headset, is seeking to emulate the success of Oculus Rift and has launched its own Kickstarter campaign
The Bluetooth-enabled headset sports a 5-inch display capable of 1080p HD video and 100 degree field of vision. Users can participate in games via a Bluetooth game controller.
“Because AuraVisor has been designed from the ground up to specifically function as VR, the initial set up is quick and simple and the graphics do not pixelate. The headset does not suffer from noticeable latency or lagging issues as you move your head freely,” he added.
see the full story here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/11951768/First-untethered-cross-platform-virtual-reality-headset-launches-on-Kickstarter.html
Wevr Thinks You’ll Spend Hours in Virtual Reality
Here are two opinions you’ll hear a lot in virtual reality business circles today: Short experiences are better than long ones, and Apple-like app stores will win the day.
Wevr is hoping that both of those beliefs are wrong. Best known for a demo in which users come face to face with a whale underwater, the Los Angeles-based VR studio is trying to drum up interest in its virtual reality content platform, with an emphasis on longform video and the “open Web.”
“We see virtual reality as so broad that it can’t be confined to app stores,” CEO Neville Spiteri said. The technology Wevr is developing, he added, is intended to make it possible for creators to make something once and publish it on the myriad of VR devices heading to market.
See the full story here: http://recode.net/2015/10/26/wevr-thinks-youll-spend-hours-in-virtual-reality/
Q&A — Aaron Thibault and Corey Carbonara on VR and AR
TVT: Does the current research suggest that "cyber-sickness" is a technical glitch that is likely fixable or something inherent in this type of presentation? How does "cyber-sickness" affect men and women differently?
Corey Carbonara: According to the research, cyber-sickness is not just a technical "glitch" because it is a phenomenon where we just do not have all of the answers because we do not know all of the factors that affect it. This is because we still do not know exactly how all of the senses in the human body work together. We tend to focus on visual and vestibular factors, but it turns out it is much more than that. So, it is not merely a timeline where we might reach a technology threshold, for even if we had a display that was absolutely perfect, we still would just be addressing the visual factors not all of the senses combined.
The research out there indicates there is a difference between the number of cases of cyber-sickness and gender and our research at Baylor supports that. It appears that women do get cyber-sick more than men. Factors the research discusses that could account for this result is based on differences in the way that men and women process information in the brain, but more research is still needed to understand this more fully.
Haptic glove for surgeons enables virtual reality operations
The surgical Laparoscopy Virtual Trainer developed by Neurodigital Technologies makes use of the Gloveone to create a multisensory experience that combines visual, aural and tactile simulation through haptic feedback, sensor fusion and finger tracking. The Gloveone enables a concept known as "extended virtual reality" that allows interaction with a virtual world.
As well as receiving £35,000 to develop the concept, Neurodigital Technologies will work alongside King's College London to help develop it.
See the full story here: http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/haptic-glove-surgeons-enables-virtual-reality-operations-1526101
Digi-Capitol: AR/VR technical benchmarks show how far we’ve come
See the full story here: http://www.digi-capital.com/news/2015/10/arvr-technical-benchmarks-show-how-far-weve-come/#.VjGavYSadbw
Sony could take early virtual reality lead over Oculus
Venture capitalists have invested tens of millions of dollars in VR software start-ups such as Jaunt, Improbable, Altspace and 8i in recent months. Yet IHS is cautious about the VR content market.
“Overall we expect a slow ramp up of adoption and consumption of VR content,” said Piers Harding-Rolls, analyst at IHS. “While the market is more advanced than ever, there are still a number of hurdles that need to be overcome before we see broader consumer adoption.”
However, IHS warned that shortcomings in both technology and content will keep VR to a “niche” audience of early adopters and gamers in its first five years. Its analysts predict that headset sales will lag behind those of Blu-ray players or even 3D television sets at the same point after their launch, with sales of high-end VR systems such as Oculus, Vive and PlayStation VR totalling 2.5m units next year.
“Conditions are more suited to virtual reality technology and content adoption than ever before,” IHS said in its first in-depth study of the market, while adding: “It is neither a bubble nor the next big thing.”
See the full story here: http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/95749b98-7c8b-11e5-98fb-5a6d4728f74e.html#axzz3pvSlT1Sq
Blippar launches R&D lab and expands into virtual reality with an educational Google Cardboard app
More than $40 million in funding later, the now New York-based company has launched Blippar Lab, a research and development unit that will be used to explore “innovative use cases for AR and VR across a variety of industries.” The first of these Blippar Lab-branded products is Cardio VR for Google Cardboard, which is aimed at helping children learn about the human body through virtual reality.
If the distinction between augmented reality and virtual reality is lost on you, here’s a summation. AR is when the real, physical world is “augmented” with digital content, such as images or text layered upon a screen. VR is the full recreation of a world in digital, or “virtual,” form.
Cardio VR is available today for Android and iOS (iPhone). To use the app, you’ll need to procure a Google Cardboard device to place your smartphone in, but other brands will work too — I used OnePlus Cardboard to check it out. Without one of the aforementioned VR headsets, the app will look a little something like this.
See the full story here: http://venturebeat.com/2015/10/27/blippar-launches-rd-lab-and-expands-into-virtual-reality-with-an-educational-google-cardboard-app/
Sacramento Kings Take Equity Stake in Virtual Reality Leader VOKE
VOKE’s media platform utilizes a synchronized multiple point-of-view stereoscopic panoramic camera system that allows fans to be immersed in live action, as well as access multiple seat locations. A seamless 180 degree view allows viewers to follow the action in every direction. The technology enables mobile devices, computers and virtual reality headsets to utilize the same feed, as well as provide special control in 2D and 3D. Virtual add-ons like scoreboards, advanced player metrics and custom video provides the viewer with more information than ever before.
See the full story here: http://www.nba.com/kings/news/kings-equity-stake-virtual-reality-leader-voke