mixedreality
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Acer's $300 Windows headset bodes well for the future of cheap VR
For Microsoft, the future of computing is not only virtual reality but also "mixed reality," the company's term encapsulating AR and VR experiences. That started with HoloLens, but that device costs $3,000 and is targeted at developers. Microsoft has something else in mind for consumers: $300 VR headsets from PC makers like Dell and HP. Until now, the closest we've come to Microsoft's mixed reality vision was by touching (but not using) a Lenovo headset. That all changed last week, when I put on Acer's Windows 10 headset.
Gorillaz are throwing a house party in mixed reality
Your favorite virtual band Gorillaz has a new album called Humanz on the way (as well as a TV show, it seems), and the record has had an active promotional campaign so far. The group has shared a series of social media "books" that detail what the band members have been up to the past few years, they've shared some new songs, and now, they've just released a mixed reality app.
NASA trains astronauts with zero-G virtual reality
To train ISS astronauts, NASA uses physical mockups, zero-G "vomit comet" airplane rides, neutral buoyancy (underwater) and other pricey and complex schemes. However, virtual reality has become a new option, allowing astronauts to do realistic training for things like maintenance in an accurate, simulated zero-G environment. The company that helped them build the sim, Epic Games' Unreal Engine, recently unveiled a video showing exactly how that works.
Focus is key to blending virtual objects with the real world
You might remember Avegant for its unusual take on the video headset. The Glyph looked like (and doubled up as) headphone cans but worked pretty well. We called it "a wearable cinema for serious movie fans." Now, the startup is taking on a bigger challenge with Light Field, its "mixed reality platform" that can visualize objects "at multiple focal planes". That means that it can offer variably focused virtual objects in the real world. Until now, the inability to change focus has meant virtual objects appear out of place in the real world. Take a look at the image above: The Mars Rover in the hand is in the same position (and focus) as the hand, while Mars and the corridor behind are out of focus until that focus shifts. (Milanese Apple Watch band optional. We hope.)
Tech companies and game devs are gearing up for AR
Last year's Game Developers Conference was ruled by virtual reality. From Sony detailing its PSVR launch plans to Oculus showcasing the first batch of games for the consumer Rift headset, you couldn't swing a Meowth at the event without hitting a VR booth. But perhaps fueled by the success of Pokémon Go in 2016, augmented reality has become the new industry darling. That's not to say VR has been kicked to the curb completely, but at GDC 2017 we saw the emergence of AR as a compelling technology for gaming and beyond.
Microsoft plans to bring mixed reality to the Xbox in 2018
Last year, Microsoft revealed it would open up its Windows Holographic Platform to other hardware manufacturers, and at CES, we got a sneak peek at a few different Windows VR headsets. At GDC this week, Microsoft revealed yet more plans for its mixed-reality platform. While its headsets are strictly for the PC right now, they will soon be coming to the Xbox -- as well as Microsoft's Project Scorpio console -- in 2018.
Watch Epic Games' GDC 2017 keynote right here!
Unity already had its moment at GDC 2017, and now it's Epic Games' turn to take the stage in San Francisco. The company's "State of Unreal" keynote will be presented by founder Tim Sweeney, who is expected to share new developments around the Unreal game engine. We'll probably also hear about Epic's latest efforts in virtual reality and get some captivating demos from its partners, like the Hellblade real-time motion capture from last year. You can watch the event live at 9:30AM PT/12:30PM ET -- we embedded a video of the stream below for your convenience.
Google's mixed reality tech shows faces behind VR headsets
YouTube has already perfected the art of mixed reality videos that show the VR world and the real world at the same time. A great example is the video of Conan O'Brien's virtual trip to outer space taken when he visited YouTube's VR Lab. The video platform's technique still can't capture the whole picture, however, since VR headsets get in the way. Google Research and Daydream Labs had to team up to solve the problem, and they did just that with the help of machine learning, 3D computer vision and advanced rendering techniques.
Photo of Magic Leap AR prototype leaks out, backpack and all
In December, a report by The Information indicated that well-funded startup Magic Leap wasn't nearly as close to producing its vaunted augmented reality headset as demo reels had suggested. CEO Rony Abovitz responded by claiming it had completed a "PEQ (Product Equivalent) build of our target form factor," and now Business Insider has what it says is "the first public photo" of the device. Delivered by an unnamed source, it shows a person wearing not only a headset, but also a backpack-like setup with an exposed circuit board and processor, and apparently holding the battery pack.
Six Flags and Samsung unveil 'mixed reality' rollercoaster
To many of us, roller coasters are just fine without extra visual stimulation. However, last year, several amusement parks introduced virtual reality devices, letting you fly through space or a gargoyle-infested dystopia. Six Flags and Samsung have done that one better now with the New Revolution Galactic Attack mixed reality experience. As before, Six Flags is using Samsung's Gear VR headset, but now it's using the passthrough camera on the Galaxy phones, letting you see the virtual content overlaid on the real world.
Developer combines HoloLens and Vive for 'shared reality'
As fun and immersive as virtual reality is, watching your friend play around in a completely computer-generated environment doesn't have quite the same impact when watching it on a flat monitor or TV screen. But now, thanks to the vivid augmented reality of Microsoft's HoloLens and the developer-friendly HTC Vive, virtual and augmented reality can be easily combined so observers can share in the VR experience.
Gap envisions a future with augmented-reality 'dressing rooms'
Fashion brands know experimenting with tech is imperative, whether it be to enhance the retail experience or introduce fans to the concept of virtual reality. For Gap Inc., which, in addition to its eponymous label owns Banana Republic, Old Navy, Athleta and Intermix, technology has never played a major role in its business strategy. But as the company struggles with declining sales, it's trying to find creative ways to engage with customers. That's where Gap's "DressingRoom" app will come in when it launches in the coming days.
Sennheiser Ambeo headphones record your surroundings for better audio
Binaural audio replicates the natural listening experience for a user. It captures the soundscape as it's heard by human ears. When played back, it creates an immersive audio experience that has been acknowledged as a significant component of virtual- and mixed-reality experiences. But the technique hasn't made a mark on everyday listening experiences yet. Movies, games and music are still widely experienced in stereo sound.
Mixed reality comes to your iPhone thanks to the Bridge headset
There's something more than a little magical about seeing the world in front of you being devastated by dragons or augmented with arrows pointing you to your next meeting. Alas, while mixing realities like that with our smartphones is already possible, the tech still is a long way off from reaching its potential — just look at early, disappointing efforts like Lenovo's enormous Tango phone. Luckily, startups are chasing the mixed reality dream too, including one — Occipital — that has a solid track record of solving the tricky problems that pop up when blurring boundaries between worlds. That's why the team's new mixed reality, the Bridge, seems so impressive right out of the gate.
'Reality' of Magic Leap could be further away than we thought
Over the last couple of years, we've repeatedly heard a lot about Magic Leap's supposedly advanced augmented reality tech, but have seen very little. In 2014, a half-billion dollar round of investment that included Google ratcheted up the hype and it has not slowed down since. Now, The Information is reporting, based on sources and a hands-on demonstration, that the reality hasn't lived up to all of the promises yet.
Microsoft has big plans for VR and AR in 2017
Ever since Microsoft announced earlier this year that it would be opening up its Windows Holographic platform to other device makers, the company has been an intriguing presence in the world of virtual and augmented reality (or "mixed reality," as it's fond of saying). After all, Microsoft could offer some healthy competition to the likes of Oculus and HTC, which launched their own VR headsets and platforms this year. Today at the WinHEC conference in Shenzen, the company is finally giving us a clearer sense of how it plans to bring mixed reality to more consumers.
Magic Leap will soon test its technology in the real world
We might be getting closer to finally finding out what Magic Leap's mixed-reality headset looks like. The ultra-secretive company has posted a job listing on Glassdoor for a Field Engineer, who'll actually have to drive around with its devices and collect data in real world locations. "Work will entail setting up and using high precision equipment to capture both environments and user behavior in home settings," the listing reads. Magic Leap announced a Star Wars and a Twilio partnership this year, but its technology is still shrouded in mystery even now.
The Linq mixed reality headset blends the real and the virtual
Microsoft's HoloLens augmented reality headset overlays virtual objects in the real world, but what if there was a better way to blend the two? That's exactly what Stereolabs says it accomplished with its Linq mixed reality headset. The company explains that with a wider field of view and a device that doesn't require you to map out a room before using it, the Linq blends the real and the virtual "in an immersive and photorealistic way."
3D audio is the secret to HoloLens' convincing holograms
The streets of Microsoft's campus are lined with tall fir trees. A drive through lush, green urban woods reveals dozens of nondescript buildings. Minibuses shuttle employees across the company's 500-acre headquarters in Redmond, Washington. Inside Building 99, a concrete and glass structure that houses Microsoft Research, Ivan Tashev walked through the quiet halls toward his lab, where he devised the spatial sound system for HoloLens. Tashev leads the audio group at Microsoft Research, which is the second largest computer science organization in the world. For HoloLens, a mixed reality headset that places holograms in your immediate environment, his team worked on a sound system that creates the illusion of 3D audio to bring virtual objects to life.
Augmented reality studio castAR picks up 'Disney Infinity' devs
CastAR, the augmented reality company founded by two former Valve engineers, has set up a new studio in Salt Lake City with the goal of creating fresh mixed-reality experiences. To help fill the new digs, castAR scooped up a handful of developers who worked on the Disney Infinity series at Avalanche Software until that studio was unceremoniously shut down in May.
