Virtual/Augmented/Mixed Reality News & Discussions

Tadasuke
Posts: 510
Joined: Tue Aug 17, 2021 3:15 pm
Location: Europe

looking back at Kurzweil's VR visions and predictions from 2011

Post by Tadasuke »

When I watched this back in 2011, I was like "Yeah, that's totally what's going to happen! 😃 He's a genius, a visionary and a prophet! :D He understands the future! 🤓 It's going to be super amazing! 😳 I can't wait! 🥳".

10 years later I was like "This Quest 2 thing feels like a cheap toy. It's underwhelming. Perhaps in another 10 years.". And now in 2023, I look at my friend's Second Life video stream and I'm like "Those textures look so 2005!". Today I understand much more than in 2011. Watching this now makes me think that he's way, way too optimistic, but I still like his visions. They are good, just not realistic. Depending on your personality, you might get sad while watching this, or laugh at the unknowing 2011 people. Now in 2023 we have a lot more data to work with and to base predictions on. We can for example say, that VR headsets screen resolutions double roughly every 3 years. GPU performance has been also doubling every 3 years, but I have my doubts that such pace can be sustained. Every 4 years seems more probable. We can now get features like separate finger detection, eye tracking and even face tracking. There is even some force feedback in PSVR2. Eye tracking allows for foveated rendering which lessens GPU load. New screens usually aren't pentile, so they feature 3 subpixels per pixel instead of 2 like some older headsets and the lines between subpixels are much less visible, because they are much narrower to lessen the "screen door effect". Overall, progress is evident and clear, but we are still way behind Kurzweil's schedule.

Global economy doubles in product every 15-20 years. Computer performance at a constant price doubles nowadays every 4 years on average. Livestock-as-food will globally stop being a thing by ~2050 (precision fermentation and more). Human stupidity, pride and depravity are the biggest problems of our world.
weatheriscool
Posts: 12956
Joined: Sun May 16, 2021 6:16 pm

Re: Virtual/Augmented/Mixed Reality News & Discussions

Post by weatheriscool »

A system that augments mixed reality visualizations using smartphones or tablets
https://techxplore.com/news/2023-04-aug ... blets.html
by Ingrid Fadelli , Tech Xplore

Mixed reality (MR) and Augmented Reality (AR) technologies merge the real world with computer-generated elements, allowing users to interact with their surroundings in more engaging ways. In recent years, these technologies have enhanced education and specialized training in numerous fields, helping trainees to test their skills or make better sense of abstract concepts and data.

Researchers at University of Calgary have been trying to develop interfaces and systems that could enhanced MR visualizations. In a paper set to be presented at CHI 2023 LBW, they introduced HoloTouch, a system that can augment mixed reality graphics and charts using smartphones as physical proxies.

"To me, this paper was inspired for the most part by a work that I published during my final undergraduate year," Neil Chulpongsatorn, one of the researchers who carried out the study, told Tech Xplore "They both originated from my interest in mixed reality interactions for data representations."

In some of their previous studies, Chulpongsatorn and his colleagues explored how they could augment data visualizations using virtual components showed via head-mounted displays (HMDs), such as Microsoft HoloLens. Other teams also proposed similar solutions, such as physically dynamic bar charts.

While some of their previous efforts yielded interesting results, the researchers realized that current MR and AR headsets did not support such dynamic and enhanced data visualizations. In their recent study, they thus tried to circumvent these limitations using existing and widely used devices.

"Rather than making physical representations interactive, we pivoted to making virtual representation tangible instead," Chulpongsatorn said. "Works like MARVIS presented this idea at a high level and demonstrated its potential. Our recent work digs further down to present the foundation of these interfaces as an interaction space for visualization designers to use in the future, as well as evaluating the effectiveness of these interaction models."

In their recent study, Chulpongsatorn and his colleagues introduced HoloTouch, a system that combines HMDs and the touchscreens on smartphones or tablets to enhance MR visualizations. Essentially, HoloTouch allows users to "touch" and manipulate holograms that they are seeing on HMDs through their smartphone devices.

"Our system addresses some of the challenges of current MR visualizations, such as unreliable tracking, low visual resolution, and imprecise input," Chulpongsatorn explained. "The novelty of our work comes from the design space presented in the paper, and not so much the prototype. Basically, we thought a lot about how mobile phones can interact with holograms (specifically of data visualizations), compiled a reference document, and showcased some examples."
Image
weatheriscool
Posts: 12956
Joined: Sun May 16, 2021 6:16 pm

Re: Virtual/Augmented/Mixed Reality News & Discussions

Post by weatheriscool »

These AI-Powered Eyeglasses Pick Up on ‘Unvocalized’ CommandsImage
Cornell University's new spectacles allow users to silently engage their gadgets' "smart assistants" by mouthing commands.
By Adrianna Nine April 10, 2023
https://www.extremetech.com/science/the ... d-commands

Today’s world is rife with “smart assistants,” but most require that you say (or shout) commands out loud. In the privacy of your home or vehicle, that’s convenient enough; in public, it’s a little awkward to tell Siri to compose a text to your mom. A new pair of AI-powered eyeglasses from Cornell University aims to solve this problem by deciphering mouthed, or “unvocalized,” commands.

A team of doctoral students at Cornell’s Smart Computer Interfaces for Future Interactions (SciFi) Lab worked together to develop EchoSpeech, a minimally-obtrusive wearable with a silent speech interface (SSI). Although EchoSpeech looks like your average pair of thick-rimmed, wayfarer-style eyeglasses, tiny microphones and speakers attached to the bottom rim detect mouth movements and turn them into actionable requests.
weatheriscool
Posts: 12956
Joined: Sun May 16, 2021 6:16 pm

Re: Virtual/Augmented/Mixed Reality News & Discussions

Post by weatheriscool »

Meta announces Quest Pro, a $1,499 “mixed reality” device coming Oct. 25
"High-end device" features thinner design, higher resolution, open peripheral vision.
https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2022/10/ ... ng-oct-25/
Kyle Orland - 10/11/2022, 11:09 AM
Just under one year after rebranding as Meta, the company formerly known as Facebook announced the Quest Pro, a $1,499 "mixed reality" headset that will be shipping on October 25.

Part of that "mixed reality" pivot comes in the Quest Pro's more open lens design, which lets users see the physical world around them in their peripheral vision. That should allow users to perform simple tasks in the real world without taking off the headset, such as "jot[ting] down a note, grab[bing] something on your desk, or just be[ing] aware of what's going on around you," Meta said. Users who want a more immersive experience, though, can clip on magnetic "light blockers" to the side of the headset for a "partial blocked" take on the outside world (optional accessories will allow for "fully immersed" experiences if a user wants to completely cut off their surroundings, Meta said.

Quest Pro also sports new, full-color passthrough cameras that capture four times the resolution of those on the Quest 2, Meta said. Combined with a depth system that can detect the location of objects in your environment, which allows for a mixed-reality layering of virtual items on a stereoscopic display of your real-world surroundings, complete with new "anchoring" technology that locks those virtual items in place, Meta said.
More power, more features

Tech-wise, the Quest Pro touts a Snapdragon XR2+ processor and 12GB of memory (up from 6GB on the Quest 2). That means the device "runs at 50 percent more power" than Quest 2, Meta said, with better thermal dissipation as well.

A new pancake lens design, meanwhile, folds light from the displays over itself multiple times on the way to the eye, allowing for a lens enclosure that's 40 percent thinner than those in Quest 2. Those displays have 37 percent more pixels per inch than the Quest 2, Meta said, making for an 1800×1920 pixel per eye resolution at 90 Hz refresh rates. Those displays also generate 75 percent more contrast thanks to "local dimming technology," Meta said, and feature a "1.3x larger color gamut" than Quest 2.


Sony PlayStation VR2 to sport OLED display with a larger size and the highest pixel density

https://www.notebookcheck.net/Sony-Play ... 370.0.html
While Sony already disclosed some of its upcoming PlayStation VR2's specifications, for the display part of the virtual reality headset it only states that "with an OLED display, players can expect a display resolution of 2000×2040 per eye and smooth frame rates of 90/120Hz." Of course, it also adds that the "PS VR2 offers 4K HDR, 110-degree field of view, and foveated rendering," too, but the all-important display size is missing. Until now, when the display analyst Ross Young from DSCC, a source that has proven to be credible, advised that the PS VR2's display will have the highest pixel density on a commercial OLED panel:

A total of 15.8M panels will find their way into VR headsets this year, with over 80% of the demand expected to come from Meta. While most of today’s VR headsets currently use LCD panels, other display technologies will soon appear. AMOLED will be back, thanks to the launch of Sony’s PlayStation VR2. We expect these AMOLED panels to have a pixel density well above 800 PPI, which is a record high for mass-produced AMOLED. With high contrast displays and no visible screen door effect, the PSVR2 is likely to be a hit among gamers.
weatheriscool
Posts: 12956
Joined: Sun May 16, 2021 6:16 pm

Re: Virtual/Augmented/Mixed Reality News & Discussions

Post by weatheriscool »

Pico announces G3 headset and gives new life to 3DOF
April 13, 2023
by Skarredghost
https://skarredghost.com/2023/04/13/pico-g3-announced/
At Laval Virtual, Pico has just announced a new headset for its enterprise line: the G3. Surprisingly, it is a 3DOF headset.
Pico G3 Headset launched

I wasn’t at Laval Virtual this year and I wasn’t even properly briefed about this launch. So when I was lazily looking at an XR news roundup and I suddenly saw the news of a new headset announced by Pico, I was a bit surprised. I started looking around for more details, and so discovered that the launch concerned a new enterprise headset: the G3, which is the evolution of the G2 4K. The G2 4K has been a very successful headset in the 3DOF market, and so Pico is releasing an update for companies that still want to invest in the 3DOF format.

The new headset, called Pico G3, has not been only announced but also immediately launched by the Chinese company.
Launch trailer of Pico G3
Pico G3 Specifications

Here you are the specifications of the device, stolen from my friends at VR Expert:

Display resolution: 1832 x 2160 pixels per eye
Refresh rate: 72/90 Hz
Pixels per inch: 773
FOV: 98°
Lens type: Fresnel
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2
Weight: 604 grams with Strap
Storage: 128 GB
RAM: 6 GB
Tracking: Inside-Out 3DoF
Controller: 3-DOF tracked Remote
Battery: 5300mAh
Price: €399

Design

These are some renders of the headset. It looks like a more polished version of the Pico G2 4K, which has taken some lessons from the design of the Pico 4.
pico g3
Image
Nanotechandmorefuture
Posts: 478
Joined: Fri Sep 17, 2021 6:15 pm
Location: At the moment Miami, FL

Re: Virtual/Augmented/Mixed Reality News & Discussions

Post by Nanotechandmorefuture »

weatheriscool wrote: Mon Apr 10, 2023 4:37 pm These AI-Powered Eyeglasses Pick Up on ‘Unvocalized’ CommandsImage
Cornell University's new spectacles allow users to silently engage their gadgets' "smart assistants" by mouthing commands.
By Adrianna Nine April 10, 2023
https://www.extremetech.com/science/the ... d-commands

Today’s world is rife with “smart assistants,” but most require that you say (or shout) commands out loud. In the privacy of your home or vehicle, that’s convenient enough; in public, it’s a little awkward to tell Siri to compose a text to your mom. A new pair of AI-powered eyeglasses from Cornell University aims to solve this problem by deciphering mouthed, or “unvocalized,” commands.

A team of doctoral students at Cornell’s Smart Computer Interfaces for Future Interactions (SciFi) Lab worked together to develop EchoSpeech, a minimally-obtrusive wearable with a silent speech interface (SSI). Although EchoSpeech looks like your average pair of thick-rimmed, wayfarer-style eyeglasses, tiny microphones and speakers attached to the bottom rim detect mouth movements and turn them into actionable requests.
If true I saw by chance a patent a year or 2 years ago that was basically this except it reads brainwaves lol if not taps into your mind to read and control it.
weatheriscool
Posts: 12956
Joined: Sun May 16, 2021 6:16 pm

Re: Virtual/Augmented/Mixed Reality News & Discussions

Post by weatheriscool »

Latest Apple headset rumors say it’ll include VR workouts and sports
https://www.engadget.com/latest-apple-h ... 16389.html
The company has allegedly been working with ‘a small number of developers’ in advance of a June reveal.
Apple CEO Tim Cook presents the new iPhone 14 at an Apple event at their headquarters in Cupertino, California, U.S. September 7, 2022.
Apple is reportedly readying a wide array of apps and services for its upcoming mixed reality headset, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. The company appears to be moving forward with plans to announce its first VR / AR headset at its Worldwide Developers’ Conference in June.

The Apple mixed reality headset (rumored to be named “Reality One” or “Reality Pro”) can allegedly switch between virtual and augmented reality. It will focus heavily on gaming, fitness, sports and collaboration tools. Customers who buy the device can use “millions” of existing apps in the headset’s 3D interface “with slight modifications” from developers. Additionally, Apple has reportedly been working with “a small number of developers” for months to optimize apps for the new product. Announcing the device months before its launch should also give other developers time to create new apps or adapt existing ones for its futuristic interface.
weatheriscool
Posts: 12956
Joined: Sun May 16, 2021 6:16 pm

Re: Virtual/Augmented/Mixed Reality News & Discussions

Post by weatheriscool »

We tried out Canon’s VR calling app Kokomo
Haje Jan Kamps@Haje / 12:00 PM PDT•April 19, 2023
https://techcrunch.com/2023/04/19/kokom ... lling-app/
When you think Canon, you might think cameras, scanners, printers and such. At CES this year, the company did a stride toward the softer side of tech, taking a broader view of what imaging means. Today, the VR calling software the company showed off back in January is available to you — if you have a VR headset such as the popular Oculu… I mean Meta Quest 2.

In a limited preview earlier this month, I was able to try out Canon’s new VR calling software platform, which involves a phone and a VR headset. Overall and in theory, the system is super-well-thought-out: You scan your face using an app on your phone, which builds a model so the app can replace the part of your face that’s covered up by your VR mask. It also asks you how tall you are, so it can scale your picture proportionally to the person you are talking to — a nice touch; as a tall person it often feels unheimlich to be face-to-face with people when I’m in VR.
weatheriscool
Posts: 12956
Joined: Sun May 16, 2021 6:16 pm

Re: Virtual/Augmented/Mixed Reality News & Discussions

Post by weatheriscool »

Snapchat’s AR technology comes to the real world with ‘AR Mirrors’
Sarah Perez@sarahintampa / 10:50 AM PDT•April 19, 2023
https://techcrunch.com/2023/04/19/snapc ... r-mirrors/
Snap today offered an update on its AR Enterprise Services (ARES), the company’s recently announced initiative focused on providing AR tools and expertise to businesses that want to leverage Snapchat’s technology in their own websites and apps. At its Partner Summit on Wednesday, the company showed partners its Shopping Suite, which includes features like AR Try-On and 3D product viewing, among other things, and announced a new offering called AR Mirrors that aims to bring AR tech to physical screens in the real world.

Coca-Cola is using the tech to make an AR-enabled vending machine and other retailers, including Men’s Wearhouse and Nike, have tested the product, Snap said, noting the tech would now become part of ARES.

The company first detailed its Shopping Suite during ARES’ official unveiling in March, explaining how businesses can utilize its features on their e-commerce sites and apps. Among the nearly half-dozen features included in the suite are those that let users view products from all angles, get fit and sizing recommendations based on their body shapes, and others to leverage AR experiences to virtually try-on things like apparel, accessories or footwear. Snap noted customers using the suite of tools included sunglasses seller Goodr, clothing company Princess Polly and Mongolian manufacturer Gobi Cashmere, to name a few.
Snap is expanding its AR features to 16 additional music festivals
Ivan Mehta@indianidle / 10:40 AM PDT•April 19, 2023
https://techcrunch.com/2023/04/19/snap- ... festivals/

Snap is expanding its partnership with events company Live Nation to bring AR-focused features to 16 new music festivals. These features include custom AR lenses, partnerships with artists for unique experiences and using AR with 3D Maps of the venue to guide users to different stages.

The company first inked a multiyear deal with Live Nation last April to “elevate performances beyond stages and screens.” This also included using Snap’s AR-try-on tech to try different festival-specific merchandise.

Snap announced at Snap Partner Summit today that the expansion will bring AR experiences to festivals like Lollapalooza Paris and the Reading Festival in the U.K.

Here is the full list of festivals:

Beyond Wonderland Southern California (San Bernardino, CA)
Electric Daisy Carnival (Las Vegas, NV)
Creamfields South (Hylands Park, UK)
Roots Picnic (Philadelphia, PA)
The Governors Ball (New York, NY)
Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival (Manchester, TN)
Day Trip Festival (Long Beach, CA)
Wireless Festival (Finsbury Park, UK)
Lollapalooza Paris (Paris, France)
Rolling Loud Miami (Miami, FL)
Lollapalooza (Chicago, IL)
Creamfields North (Daresbury Estate, UK)
Reading Festival (Reading, UK)
Leeds Festival (Bramham Park, UK)
Lights On (Mountain View, CA)
Austin City Limits (Austin, TX)
weatheriscool
Posts: 12956
Joined: Sun May 16, 2021 6:16 pm

Re: Virtual/Augmented/Mixed Reality News & Discussions

Post by weatheriscool »

Books, FaceTime, and everything else Apple’s AR headset will do out of the box
According to a new report, Apple is planning a flurry of custom AR/VR apps for its headset.
Jason Cross
https://www.macworld.com/article/179017 ... etime.html
Image

Apple is expected to unveil its new mixed-reality headset, dubbed “Reality Pro,” at the WWDC keynote on June 5. That’s less than two months from now. And while the headset is not expected to actually ship until later this year (and will be an expensive, limited-quantity item at the start), Apple needs to entice potential buyers and developers with exciting experiences.

According to the latest report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, it’s all hands on deck to create custom AR/VR versions of Apple’s core apps. Most of the apps detailed in the report have been assumed, but not actually confirmed yet. Gurman claims some company engineers have been working 80-hour weeks to get the software ready for the launch on June 5.

It seems that, in general, every app that comes pre-installed on an iPhone is going to get a custom app for the Reality Pro. Apps mentioned in Gurman’s report include:
Post Reply