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Wednesday, June 8, 2016

VR Will Transform Entertainment (Beyond Gaming)

Virtual Reality

Aside from the more obvious effect on gaming, virtual reality is set to impact many aspects of work, leisure and the way we interact with each other. So far we have only just begun to get a glimpse of the potential of the technology, but that is about to change in a big way.

As we've mentioned before, the current wave of virtual reality (VR) technology is about more than merely improved gaming. VR headsets will impact marketing, health, education, and numerous other industries and aspects of society, and in all likelihood we've only just scratched the surface of the technology. But even where entertainment is concerned, "gaming" is too narrow a focus to adequately characterize the potential impact of VR.

Staying beneath the gaming umbrella, consider for a moment that there might be entire genres and markets that have barely been mentioned in all the excitement about shooters and racing games on VR. Specifically, you might imagine the casino industry, which may not have a massive impact on U.S. gamers but is among the most popular forms of gaming in the world. There have already been demonstrations of a VR poker game of late, but the truth is that VR has the potential to radically transform casino culture and deliver an experience that would allow gamers to feel as if they're actually seated in casinos.

To some extent, a VR poker game accomplishes this feat relatively simply. To understand the scope of this genre's potential on the new format, though, requires an examination of how far casino entertainment has come online. Gala's platform mirrors the VR experience in its own way by offering live dealer experiences and interactive gameplay for games like baccarat, going well beyond the standards of poker and slots. These live table games help to build a full-on casino experience that can (and likely will) be translated to VR in due time. In other words, the real casino experience may soon be replicated in full through VR.

That covers what some may consider to be a niche gaming concept. However, looking aside from gaming completely (yet remaining in entertainment), we can also see other industries and forms of amusement that have the potential to be drastically transformed through virtual reality. Consider, for instance, how we consume sporting events. There's been a great deal of talk about even the most avid sports fans preferring to stay home when going to the game is an option. This is because home entertainment systems have become so advanced that many would rather watch games at home than attend them live. At home, they can track multiple games at once, pause and rewind, and maintain control over what they're viewing, all from the comfort of a couch and with no stadium expenses.

But what if VR headsets start streaming sporting events in a way that makes it seem as if you're actually sitting in the crowd? And then what if they start streaming in a way that makes it seem as if you're actually part of the game? The latter is probably a long way off (but could conceivably be accomplished if players wore devices or miniature body cameras to broadcast to VR users), but the former is already in the works. It's not refined just yet, but watching sports in VR is something that's being explored. If it ever comes along in a meaningful way, it could have a serious impact on how we watch athletic events (or, for that matter, concerts and other live performances).

But not all VR changes will necessarily occur in homes, even if that's where much of the excitement is happening. Think for a second about the idea of VR gaining a place in amusement parks. Samsung has partnered with Six Flags in order to create VR experiences on roller coasters that effectively take the existing thrill of riding a roller coaster and add an environmental element. A normal roller coaster is largely about how you feel, but with a VR accompaniment it can become about what you see and do. For instance, Samsung's VR headsets might be able to show passengers a futuristic setting in which they're ducking, dodging, and fending off futuristic robots all while actually riding roller coasters.

There's also the idea that VR could lead to its own amusement parks, or at least its own entertainment facilities—perhaps akin to arcades or laser tag centers. One company has done this, having created "hyper reality" experiences that utilize VR technology to provide incredible action simulations. "The Void," as it's called, will be getting more publicity this summer when it opens its first satellite location in New York City to provide a Ghostbusters-based experience to accompany the upcoming film reboot.

Looking through these examples, you can begin to get an idea of the kind of entertainment revolution we may be on the cusp of. VR gets a lot of attention with regard to both gaming and other applications in society. But when you expand gaming to include so many other ways we entertain ourselves (and this post only touched on a few of them), you start to see the big picture.

By 33rd Square

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Sunday, March 20, 2016

Augmented Reality

Along with other new and soon-to-be-available devices, the Meta 2, an augmented reality headset makes it possible for users to see, grab and move holograms just like physical objects, CEO Meron Gribetz hopes to extend our senses through a more natural machine interaction.

Will we still be using external monitors for the majority of our computer applications in a few years? Augmented reality technology holds the potential to bring us more immersive and direct user experience through the use of head-mounted display systems. So far Google Glass didn't immediately catch on, and technical issues held back wide release, and Microsoft's HoloLens is still gearing up development.

"If you're anything like me, your mind is already reeling with the possibilities of what we can do with this kind of technology."

Google's Magic Leap has been teasing us for a while now too, with demonstrations of video game applications in real world environments, and models of the solar system that seemingly float above our desks.

Now, the with a demonstration at TED, the Meta 2, an augmented reality headset makes it possible for users to see, grab and move holograms just like physical objects, Meta's CEO and founder Meron Gribetz hopes to extend our senses through more natural machine interaction.

Gribetz takes the TED stage to demonstrate the reality-shifting Meta 2 for the first time. (The video is embedded below). "Now if you're anything like me, your mind is already reeling with the possibilities of what we can do with this kind of technology," he says. The company was originally funded through a Kickstarter campaign.

Meta 2’s optics technologies include a full 90-degree field of view and 2560 x 1440 high-dpi display. The Meta 2 see-through headset makes everything below your eyebrows completely transparent and unobstructed so you can easily make eye contact with others. You can also wear the headset while wearing glasses

"What you're seeing is called augmented reality, but to me, it's part of a much more important story -- a story of how we can begin to extend our bodies with digital devices, instead of the other way around," says Gribetz.

According to Gribetz, devices like the Meta 2 may actually lead to new forms of social interaction. "It's not enough to experience things ourselves. We're inherently these social primates. And this leads me to our third guideline, the holographic campfire from our first story."

"Our mirror-neuron subsystem suggests that we can connect with each other and with our work much better if we can see each other's faces and hands in 3D," he says. "If you look at the video behind me, you can see two Meta users playing around with the same hologram, making eye contact, connected around this thing, instead of being distracted by external devices."

Meta recently hired augmented reality pioneer Steve Mann as its chief scientist. “In the very near future, wearable computers will be the dominant technology we all use. meta is the strongest contender to lead this revolution," says Mann.

Gribetz believes the system will change the way we collaborated, and even will replace our phones.

Gribetz' first encounter with augmented reality was during his service in an elite technological unit of the Intelligence Corps. He later studied computer science and neuroscience at Columbia University, which inspired the core of Meta’s Neurointerface 3D User Interface design philosophy. On the heels of Meta's explosive start, Gribetz was named to the Forbes 30 under 30 list in technology.

As for the size of the technology, the somewhat bulky headset in the demonstration will probably shrink as development continues. "In about five years, these are all going to look like strips of glass on our eyes that project holograms," promises Gribetz.

For now, Gribetz says his company will soon start to use their own device, and take all their monitors off their desks this year.

The Meta 2 Development Kit is now available for pre-order at $949 at metavision.com

SOURCE TED