Facebook invests $50 mln to build the ‘metaverse’ in responsible manner
The new XR Programs and Research Fund will invest the money globally over two years to ensure metaverse technologies are "built in a way that's inclusive and empowering," Facebook said.
The company said it plans to work with researchers across four areas including data privacy and safety, to allow users to get help if something they see in the metaverse makes them uncomfortable.
It will also research how to design technologies that are inclusive and accessible to all users, and also "encourage competition" in the nascent industry, Facebook added in a blog post.
Initial partners for Facebook's new metaverse fund include Howard University in Washington D.C., which will research the history of diversity in the information technology industry and how it could shape opportunity in the metaverse.
Seoul National University and the University of Hong Kong will research safety, ethics and responsible design, Facebook said.
See the full story here: https://www.reuters.com/technology/facebook-invests-50-mln-build-metaverse-responsible-manner-2021-09-27/
TikTok Developers Erasing Faces for Augmented Reality Applications
ByteDance, the Chinese multinational internet company behind TikTok, has developed a new method for erasing faces in video so that identity distortion and other bizarre effects can be imposed on people in augmented reality applications. The company claims that the technique has already been integrated into commercial mobile products, though it does not state which products.
Once faces in video have been ‘zeroed’, there’s enough ‘face canvas’ to produce eye-boggling distortions, as well as potentially superimposing other identities. Examples supplied in a new paper from ByteDance researchers illustrate the possibilities, including restoring the ‘erased’ features in various comical (and certainly some grotesque) configurations:
See the full story, with details of the process, here: https://www.unite.ai/tiktok-developers-erasing-faces-for-augmented-reality-applications/
Augmented reality tech brings ancient Easter Ross Hilton stone to life for smartphone generation
THE fascinating story of a hand-carved stone which has become a major visitor attraction in Easter Ross has been given a high-tech twist – and there could be even more to come once a fresh probe gets under way.
The use of augmented reality technology for the interpretation of the Hilton Stone allows its story to be told via smartphone.
Meanwhile a new geophysical survey of the area planned for next month could reveal other artefacts currently hidden from view, opening a new chapter in a story dating back hundreds of years.
"Whilst the original Hilton Stone resides in Edinburgh, a magnificent full sized intricately carved replica stands where we believe the original stone was located. This is the largest manifestation of a Pictish cross slab on the Pictish trail.
See the full story here: https://www.ross-shirejournal.co.uk/news/pictures-ancient-easter-ross-stone-story-brought-to-life-fo-252169/
The Metaverse: How To Build A Massive Virtual World
... The major tech firms are already starting to build ‘proto-metaverse’ projects. Facebook’s recently released Horizon Workrooms, for instance, creates a virtual office, where you can interact with colleagues, collaborate on work and see what your co-workers are doing on their screens. ...
In the same way that today’s broadband networks use content delivery networks (CDNs) to push, say, Netflix movies closer to the end user, ensuring the data has less distance to travel, the metaverse will require similar ‘cheats’ to make sure the user experience isn’t spoiled.
Games such as Fortnite “actually predict to some degree” where the player is going to move next, said Heinz, meaning that Epic Games can “add just a little bit of latency into the experience and not ruin it”.
Similar techniques will need to be developed for the metaverse. “We will need to invent cheats there to... reduce latency and build the experience.”
See the full story here: https://www.forbes.com/sites/barrycollins/2021/09/25/the-metaverse-how-to-build-a-massive-virtual-world/?sh=42809fe96d1c
How augmented reality can advance nuclear operations
Deliver real-time access to authored content
Leverage the power of 5G
Nuclear facilities are considering adoption of 5G, driven by the edge-computing capabilities, support for remote operations and improved security and reliability. With 5G, the capabilities and value of AR applications increase, as 5G makes data more portable and AR systems faster, more secure and more resilient.
Maximising expertise within organisations is also a supported by AR and optimised by 5G. AR platforms can capture and disseminate knowledge from experts and distribute it to other staff, regardless of location, making employees more productive more quickly, with reduced classroom time.
The integration of AR with IIoT technologies will be greatly enhanced by 5G and the incorporation of sensors into legacy equipment. It will provide transparent information on demand, right at the location of frontline workers, enabling them to directly and securely access critical data. 5G also reduces latency, increases throughput and enables the deployment and connection of more sensors, providing more data for machine learning to help inform maintenance tasks.
Meanwhile advances in measures for device authentication, encryption of user traffic between devices and the network, and additional security protocols provide a new level of security required by utilities.
See the full story here: https://www.neimagazine.com/features/featurehow-augmented-reality-can-advance-nuclear-operations-9104303/
DREAMSCAPE TO DEBUT ‘MEN IN BLACK’ VIRTUAL REALITY EXPERIENCE
Dreamscape, the location-based immersive virtual reality company, will debut the interactive experience Men In Black: First Assignment at its flagship location in Westfield Century City on Friday, October 1.
“Location-based VR is an important part of Sony Pictures Virtual Reality’s strategy to grow our brands and expand them to new audiences,” said Jake Zim, senior vice president, virtual reality, Sony Pictures Entertainment. “Working with Dreamscape provides us with the unique opportunity to transport people into the immersive world of Men In Black and bring the magic of the franchise to longtime fans and new audiences alike.”
See the full story here: https://www.blackenterprise.com/dreamscape-to-debut-men-in-black-virtual-reality-experience/
