Global Market Overview of Stereoscopic Software Solutions

Many users from the high-tech sectors of biochemistry / molecular research, geo-information (GIS, photogrammetry & LiDAR), medicine (CT, MRI & ultrasound) or construction (CAD, CAM & 3D printing) - often do not know which of the many software applications offered on the market are capable of stereoscopic visualization with spatial 3D-stereo and therefore true depth-perception, in contrast to the standard, flat and perspective, monoscopic representation.

After two years of intensive research and in cooperation with leading software manufacturers, the company Schneider Digital, recognized for its professional 4K/8K and VR/AR hardware solutions, has now published for the first time a global market overview of all 3D-stereo software solutions. More than 300 applications are currently listed and linked together with their creators in a monthly updated community-based database. Schneider Digital first checks the individual applications for their basic 3D-stereo functionality in order to then certify them individually for plug & play operation with its 3D monitors or the smart VR wall. The overview provides an open platform for users and software manufacturers, on which they can quickly and easily find stereoscopic software solutions tailored to their requirements:

https://www.3d-pluraview.com/en/application-field#su-software

Through the continuous maintenance of this central database, in which all worldwide relevant 3D-stereo software applications are listed, the company Schneider Digital provides users with an always up-to-date orientation aid, how their work processes and visualization quality can be improved using 3D-stereo technologies. A declared goal of the Miesbach-based company is to help as many software manufacturers as possible, to effectively integrate stereoscopic image output options into their existing applications. This offer is extended also to the implementation of a stereoscopic mouse pointer, which enables the user to directly and intuitively select every point, surface and edge in 3D space. Schneider Digital has been providing significant company resources for this pioneering work for more than two years. As a result, a manufacturer and hardware-independent "Open-Source Compendium" was created for the benefit of all software manufacturers and application users. At a glance, this global market overview shows which of the available software applications really have native 3D-stereo capability. In other words - "which software is able to display 3D data true-to detail, holographically, as real objects in 3D space, and which software already has a 3D-stereo cursor"?

Cross-industry compendium of 3D-stereo applications

Following the vision of creating a comprehensive market overview of all relevant 3D-stereo applications, Schneider Digital tested more than 300 software applications for their 3D-stereo functionality. The company has already certified most of them for operation with its own, passive 3D monitor systems, the 3D PluraView monitors.

Software solutions from the geospatial industry, from medicine, CAx, DCC/CGI and biotech sectors and many others, can be found under the download link https://www.3d-pluraview.com/en/application-field#su-software. The applications are sorted according to software and areas of use. They are listed and linked in alphabetical order, including information about the respective manufacturer. With the help of this overview, software manufacturers and users can quickly and easily find a solution that is tailored to their requirements. It is also planned to further expand this collection with video tutorials for 3D-stereo configuration settings and include also a graphics card database with all suitable, stereo-capable and professional graphic cards. The project initiator and CEO of Schneider Digital, Josef Schneider, summarizes the goal of the project as follows:

“Our vision is the continuous expansion of this market overview, creating a complete, community-based database of all relevant 3D-stereo applications. In addition to listing all manufacturers and applications, we also want to integrate the relevant documentation, ‘how-to’ guides and video tutorials for the software configuration there.”

More than 300 3D-stereo solutions at a glance: www.3D-PluraVIEW.com

Most of the currently more than 300 software solutions have been extensively tested by Schneider Digital for their 3D functionality and certified for use with 3D monitors or power walls. The geospatial section includes leading 3D software applications from Esri, Hexagon, Bentley, Trimble, DAT/EM Systems, and Terrasolid, among many others. The "Medical" category includes, for example, the 3D Slicer software from KITWARE, the 3D application Stereotaxy from Brainlab, Vesalius3D, and the 3D software syngo.foursight TEE & Cinematic Anatomy from Siemens. All 3D software applications listed in the overview are widespread solutions for sophisticated visualization. For design and modeling in the CAx area, 3D-stereo solutions are listed, e.g. from Autodesk, Dassault Systems, PTC, Siemens and ESI. Autodesk, Blender, Dassault Systems, KeyShot, and Lumiscaphe offer professional 3D software solutions for design and rendering. “Our goal is to make stereo technology more widespread in the market for use with professional applications. We would like to further establish the advantages of working and visualization in 3D-stereo for the most important industry applications," says Josef Schneider, summarizing the benefits of the market overview.

The market overview created by Schneider Digital with its more than 300 "real" 3D-stereo capable applications serves users and software manufacturers alike as an effective guide. The company makes the list of 3D-capable software applications available for download on its website at:

https://www.3d-pluraview.com/en/application-field#su-software. 

If you are not on the list with your 3D-stereo software application and would like to be included, please email Schneider Digital at software@pluraview.com.

Direct download of the PDF market overviews:

3D-Stereo Applications by Category

3D-Stereo Applications by Manufacturer

Complete 3D-stereo workstation solutions - a powerful combination of software and hardware

Working with holographically displayed 3D models is becoming increasingly established in application areas such as research, analytics, development, construction, design or medical diagnostics. The passive-stereo 3D PluraView monitors are now the industry standard for all stereoscopic software applications because they guarantee precise 3D-stereo visualization with the highest resolution of up to 4K per eye. They are used in a wide variety of areas, such as photogrammetry, GIS/mapping, LiDAR point clouds, laser scanning, oil & gas exploration, archaeology, AEC/BIM, visualization of 3D city models, CAx, medical or biotechnology and molecular chemistry.

3D visualization is a complex subject which can only lead to excellent, industrial-grade visualization results, if the software and hardware components work flawlessly together. Schneider Digital has over 25 years of industry and product experience with sophisticated professional hardware and has gathered detailed market knowledge and application expertise over these years. Schneider's experience has proved: the combination of computing performance and visualization technology is essential! If you use a 3D-stereo software solution and want to work stereoscopically - or with VR/AR - you need a competent CPU/GPU hardware combination. Only in perfect interaction with powerful, professional hardware can landscapes, buildings, entire cities, complex CAD models, GIS infrastructure, industrial processes or human anatomy be processed and visualized in three dimensions, true to detail, efficiently and smoothly. The larger the data sets to be processed are, the higher the demands on the performance of the workstations and the image quality of the 3D monitors. Professional users with demanding 3D work tasks benefit from the Schneider Digital’s visualization technology, in combination with high-performance workstations and 3D/VR/AR input devices as complete workplace solutions.

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Vendor-neutral and hardware-independent open-source compendium: Schneider Digital regularly publishes a global market overview of 3D-capable software solutions. Over 300 applications have already been tested for their 3D stereo functionality and certified for operation with 3D monitors or power walls.

Schneider Digital – The company:

Schneider Digital is a global full-service solution provider for professional 3D-stereo, 4K/8K and VR/AR hardware. Based on its 25 years of industry and product experience as well as its excellent relationships with leading manufacturers, Schneider Digital offers innovative, sophisticated professional hardware products and customized complete solutions for professional use. Qualified advice and committed after-sales service are the company's own standards.

The Schneider Digital product portfolio includes the right professional hardware solution for the respective requirements in these areas: High resolution 4K/8K to multi-display walls. Schneider Digital is the manufacturer of its own powerwall solution smartVR-Wall and the passive stereo monitor 3D PluraView. Performance workstations and professional graphics cards from AMD and NVIDIA as well as innovative hardware peripherals (tracking, input devices, etc.) round off the product range. Many articles are in stock. This guarantees fast delivery and project realization.

Schneider Digital is an authorised service distributor of AMD FirePRO/Radeon Pro, PNY/NVIDIA Quadro, 3Dconnexion, Stealth int., Planar and EIZO. Schneider Digital products are used primarily in graphics-intensive computer applications such as CAD/CAM/CAE, FEM, CFD, simulation, GIS, architecture, medicine and research, film, TV, animation and digital imaging.

Further information is available at www.schneider-digital.com and www.3d-pluraview.com.

Schneider Digital press contact:

LEAD Industrie-Marketing GmbH

André Geßner

Tel.: +49 80 22 - 91 53

188Hauptstr.46 D-83684 Tegernsee

E-Mail: agessner@lead-industrie-marketing.de

Internet: www.lead-industrie-marketing.de 

Calling all Canadian VR/AR Companies! Join Our SXSW 2020 Delegation!

Calling VR/AR companies in Canada! 

Join the VR/AR Canadian delegation to SXSW 2020, Taking place every spring in Austin, Texas, SXSW is one of the largest interactive, creative, film, and music festivals that attracts decision-makers from some 106 countries around the world.

Last year saw 160,000 people take part across conference and satellite events.

The Vancouver VR/AR Association/Launch Academy is proud to announce via the GOA (Global Opportunities for Associations) has received national funding for Canadian VR/AR companies that are looking to attend and build business opportunities at SXSW (Austin TX) March 13-17. This opportunity gives Canadian companies the ability to develop business opportunities abroad with some of the leading enterprises, investors and thought leaders.

Global Opportunities for Associations (GOA) provides non-repayable contribution funding to support trade organizations undertaking new or expanded international business development activities, in strategic markets and sectors, for the benefit of an entire industry.

There will be a group that will choose 5 Canadian VR/AR companies to join the delegation. GOA will be reimbursing up to 75% of your eligible travel cost including flights, accommodations, conference registration and more. We will also be setting up B2B meetings, speaking/networking opportunities, and demo space. This is a great opportunity to showcase your technology/content to some of the biggest buyers/investors in the world.

If you are interested please fill out this form by Feb 1st, 2019. Applications are reviewed on a first come first serve basis so we encourage you to apply ASAP! See program guidelines here

Selected companies will be announced on Feb 7th 2019.

If you identify yourself as a woman, indigenous or visible minority, we highly encourage you to apply. 

Canadian VR/AR at the 4th Annual AWE EU

This year the Vancouver VRAR Association led a mission to the fourth annual Augmented World Expo (AWE) EU in Munich, Germany. As the world’s leading VR/AR conference, the AWE draws industry experts, insiders, and enthusiasts from around the world each year to explore the latest advancements in immersive technology. With nearly 2,000 guests, 125+ speakers, and 100+ exhibitors, plus a record number of startups and enterprises in attendance, 2019 was the biggest year yet.

In partnership with Launch Academy, the VRARA was proud to debut the first-ever Canadian Pavilion and host a delegation of ten Canadian companies from across 5 provinces and 5 from BC: VR Vision Inc., Finger Food Advanced Technology Group, MAMMOTH XR, Kognitiv Spark, Motive.io, Arcane Technologies, Volumetric Camera Systems, Precision OS Technology, Quantum Capture Inc., and YDX Innovation. 

Over the course of the two-day conference, the Canadian Pavilion put Canadian VR/AR talent and innovation on display for the world to see and interact with. The pavilion included booths for each company where conference guests could meet and greet with local leaders and demo the latest activations. 

“Attending AWE EU was the perfect opportunity to bring our local industry together to showcase the strength of the Canadian VR/AR ecosystem and the incredible talent at work here to an international audience of VR/AR leaders.” Dan Burgar, President of the Vancouver VRAR Association.

Panel discussions and networking opportunities gave the Canadian delegation the opportunity to further share their experiences and weigh in on the future of VR/AR.

Vancouver VR/AR Association VIP Reception Dinner

To kickstart the conference, the Vancouver VRARA hosted a special VIP reception dinner that brought the Canadian delegation of companies together with international VR/AR thought leaders and top brands including BMW, Siemers, Daimler, Audi, and the BBC. 

The evening was led by Nancy Basi, Executive Director of Media and Entertainment at the Vancouver Economic Commission, and focused on emerging trends in VR/AR and opportunities for growth and global collaboration. 

Panelist speakers included Jay Latta of BMW Group, Amy Peck of HTC and EndeavorVR, Martin Liboska of Deutsche Telekom, Jacob Loewenstein of Spatial, Kavya Pearlman of XR Safety Initiative, and Jan Pflueger of Audi. 

It was a full-house event and a lively evening of networking and relationship building where guests discussed the latest advancements in VR/AR technology, exchanged ideas, and laid the foundation for future collaboration. 

Between the well-attended VIP dinner and bustling two-day conference, the delegation had the chance to network with big-name brands and VR/AR thought leaders who they otherwise may never have connected with. It’s in-person meetings like these that drive collaboration and spark innovation. 

The Canadian Delegation at AWE EU will have an impact on not only the companies who attended but also the wider Canadian VR/AR ecosystem as a whole. The Vancouver VR/AR Association has been focused on developing the immersive industry in BC by driving increased exposure and securing global interest for local enterprises. AWE EU presented the perfect opportunity to expand these efforts across the country and forge stronger relationships between Canadian VR/AR companies from coast to coast. 

The Canadian Delegation was hosted jointly by the Vancouver VR/AR Association with support from our valued partners the Vancouver Economic Commission, Launch Academy, VHDA, Tourism Vancouver, Creative BC, Trade and Invest BC, the Canadian Government, and the Bavarian Government. 

Canadian VR/AR Talent on the World Stage at AWE EU 2019

Canadian VR/AR Talent on the World Stage at AWE EU 2019

10 Canadian companies to attend Europe’s largest VR/AR conference

September 23, 2019 - The Vancouver VR/AR Association (VRARA), in partnership with Launch Academy, is proud to introduce the Canadian Pavilion at the 2019 Augmented World Expo (AWE), the essential international VR/AR conference and expo taking place in Munich, Germany, on October 17 and 18, 2019. 

Ten leading Canadian VR/AR companies from across five different provinces will showcase their technology in the Canadian Pavillion at the 4th annual AWE EU: VR Vision Inc., Finger Food Advanced Technology Group, MAMMOTH XR, Kognitiv Spark, Motive.io, Arcane Technologies, Volumetric Camera Systems, Precision OS Technology, Quantum Capture Inc., and YDX Innovation. 

The AWE EU attracts over 1,000 industry professionals each year, bringing together a mix of CEOs, CTOs, developers, and designers from top companies as well as creative agencies, investors, and media. The event is a fantastic opportunity to explore emerging technologies, meet and learn from industry leaders, and establish new partnerships.  

“Vancouver has established itself as one of the leading VR/AR ecosystems in the world and we are excited to use this momentum to showcase the innovation taking place not just in Vancouver, but across Canada. These ten exciting companies represent the incredible VR/AR talent and innovation at work here in Canada.” - Dan Burgar, President of the Vancouver VRARA.

The Canadian Pavilion will also host a curated panel discussion on opportunities in the Canadian VR/AR ecosystem moderated by Nancy Basi, Executive Director of Media and Entertainment at the Vancouver Economic Commission. The discussion will feature executive leaders Joannah Apelo from VR Vision Inc, Peter Wittig from Motive.io, Dan Burgar from Vancouver VR/AR Association and Daniel Japiassu from  YDX Innovation.

“Launch Academy and the Vancouver VR/AR Association are proud to showcase promising Canadian VR/AR companies at the largest VR/AR conference in Europe. This delegation is an important first step to cultivate a long-term partnership with the EU’s VR/AR ecosystem and demonstrate Canadian innovation and creativity.” - Alex Chaung, Co-Founder of Launch Academy and Vancouver VRARA Director. 

The VRARA represents the fastest-growing VR/AR and MR ecosystem in the world. In just a few short years, Vancouver has grown into the second-largest immersive tech hub with over 250 local companies developing technologies that span everything from gaming to healthcare and retail. Together with Launch Academy, the VRARA is excited to showcase these ten Canadian VR/AR companies at AWE EU 2019 and bring international attention to Canadian VR/AR technology, talent, and innovation.  

The Canadian Delegation is hosted jointly by the Vancouver VR/AR Association with support from their valued partners the Vancouver Economic Commission, Launch Academy, VHDA, Tourism Vancouver, Creative BC, Trade and Invest BC and the Canadian Government. The overall programming will feature key meetings, networking, hosted VIP dinner which will include global brands and enterprises like Audi, Siemens, Porsche, Deutsche Telekom and innovation thought-leaders, Canadian Happy Hour, panels, booth & demo activations and economic development to round out the program. 

Delegates include:

VR Vision Inc provides both hardware solutions and custom content developed in-house by their team of VR professionals. VR Vision Inc. offers a full range of immersive technology services to empower businesses and bring them to the forefront of immersive technology. 

Finger Food Advanced Technology Group creates industry-transforming solutions for global companies such as Microsoft, KPMG, Activision, Cirque du Soleil, Lowe’s, and Lululemon. Most recently they worked with MEC to develop an app that showcases life-sized virtual tent models and product information. Viewed through an AR or Hololens, customers can make tent buying decisions without needing to set foot inside a store. 

MAMMOTH XR is an award-winning studio that develops world-class AR/VR experiences. They recently worked with USAY, the Urban Society of Aboriginal Youth, to create a VR experience called ”Thunder.” The purpose of the project is to preserve the Blackfoot language and culture through a blend of storytelling and technology. 

Kognitiv Spark is a global leader in secure, reliable, and effective industrial AR task support software. They built an intelligent and interactive 3D worker support solution called RemoteSpark for the Microsoft Hololens. It connects frontline and field-service workers to the expert resources they need when they need it, so they can achieve a new dimension of productivity. 

Motive.io developed the Motive Training Platform to create and deploy AR and VR content for training at scale. It includes their XR Player which provides custom training solutions in a fraction of the time it would take to create a custom training app from scratch. 

Arcane Technologies is a software and hardware engineering company specialized in emerging and 3D interactive technologies. Their mission is to support businesses to integrate emerging and 3D interactive technologies for product R&D, marketing, design, training, and production. 

Volumetric Camera Systems is a studio that provides portable 4D capture services to create high quality and realistic “holograms-in-motion” of any moving subject. They also offer photorealistic 3D environment captures. These two unique technologies can be merged together as one experience or applied separately. 

Precision OS Technology provides the most high-fidelity virtual reality platform for surgeons to practice specific procedures. This includes educational modules that allow trainees to improve their surgical skills through practice volume and evaluation. They also have a preoperative tool that enables surgeons to upload peri-articular fractures to structure a pre-planned approach to their case which they can perform and analyze. 

Quantum Capture Inc. is bringing AI to life with their CTRL Human which embodies natural language and AI. The virtual humans are designed to enhance customer service, employee training, content marketing, and entertainment applications. CTRL Human is a software platform compatible with the Unreal 4 game engine.

YDX Innovation recently rebranded from YDreams after 16 years of building innovation projects for some of the world's biggest brands. They’ve since created disruptive companies to change VR technologies and gaming. Most recently they were commissioned to create an interactive VR experience for Shell Brazil. The project involves several 360°films combined with interactive branded content. 

Vancouver VR/AR Association (VRARA) The Vancouver VRARA is the industry association for the VR/AR ecosystem in Vancouver, our mission is to make BC and Vancouver a world leading hub for growing and scaling VR/AR companies. We promote technology adoption, incubate early-stage companies, facilitate international trade, attract foreign investment and build communities. 

We’ve helped turn Vancouver/BC into the 2nd largest VR/AR ecosystem in the world with over 250+ companies. 

The VR/AR Association (VRARA) global is an international organization designed to foster collaboration between innovative companies and people in the VR and AR ecosystem that accelerates growth, fosters research and education, helps develop industry standards, connects member organizations and promotes the services of member companies.

For more information please visit www.thevrara.com/vancouver-chapter/ and find the VRARA Vancouver on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. 

Dan Burgar 

President, VR/AR Association Vancouver

dan@thevrara.com 

Alex Chuang

Director, VR/AR Association Vancouver

alex@shapeimmersive.com

Calling VR/AR companies in Canada! Join the Canadian Delegation to AWE EU in Munich! (Deadline Extended to Aug 2)

Calling VR/AR companies in Canada! 

Join the VR/AR Canadian delegation to Munich, Germany Oct 17-18 for what Forbes calls "THE MOST ESSENTIAL AR/VR CONFERENCE AND EXPO". 

The Vancouver VR/AR Association/Launch Academy is proud to announce via the GOA (Global Opportunities for Associations) has received national funding for Canadian VR/AR companies that are looking to attend and build business opportunities at Augmented World Expo EU (Munch Germany) Oct 17-18. This opportunity gives Canadian companies the ability to develop business opportunities abroad with some of the leading enterprises, investors and thought leaders.

Global Opportunities for Associations (GOA) provides non-repayable contribution funding to support trade organizations undertaking new or expanded international business development activities, in strategic markets and sectors, for the benefit of an entire industry.

There will be a group that will choose 10 Canadian VR/AR companies to join the delegation. GOA will be reimbursing up to 75% of your eligible travel cost including flights, accommodations, conference registration and more. We will also be setting up B2B meetings, speaking/networking opportunities, and demo space. This is a great opportunity to showcase your technology/content to some of the biggest buyers/investors in the world.

If you are interested please fill out this form by Aug 2nd. Applications are reviewed on a first come first serve basis so we encourage you to apply ASAP! See program guidelines here

Selected companies will be announced on Aug 5th 2019.

If you identify yourself as a woman, indigienous or visible minority, we highly encourage you to apply. 

Member Precision OS brings virtual reality to surgical residents

VANCOUVER, British Columbia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Vancouver-based Precision OS (CEO Dr. Danny Goel will be speaking at the VR/AR Enterprise Summit in Boston) has partnered with 10 North American universities and medical institutions to bring their high-fidelity virtual reality orthopedic surgery training platform into the surgical classroom.

“VR training is the way of the future. It will enhance patient care by having a more skilled and well-prepared surgeon. The software and training unit of Precision OS is brilliantly put together and is a major advance for our residency and fellowship training program!”

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Precision OS envisions a future where surgeon trainees (residents) everywhere can receive the highest quality orthopedic training with real-time feedback, augmenting the cadaveric experience. To get there, they’re using the power of virtual reality technology.

Virtual reality offers unparalleled surgical immersion unimpeded by real-world circumstances and without the risk of harming patients. The Precision OS platform simulates operating room experiences, from the virtual tools used to the patient anatomy. This is reinforced with user-specific metric feedback collectively to empower surgeon trainees to reach peak performance through repeated practice and personalized learning.

"Virtual reality has the potential to positively impact and advance the way surgery residents are trained by offering more frequent and in-depth operating room experience. We are looking forward to exploring this technology and introducing the Precision OS platform to our residents and fellows." Dr Joaquin Sanchez-Sotelo, Professor in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at the Mayo Clinic

Unique to the Precision OS system is the breadth and depth of their training modules. Residents can practice a procedure under a variety of changing conditions, to ensure they are prepared with the skills needed to navigate potential complications in real surgery. Conditions such as arthritis and age can change the standard of procedure for surgeries involving implants. While it is not a guarantee that a resident will be exposed to such surgical experiences in a traditional training program, with VR it is.

The Precision OS VR platform offers surgeon trainees the opportunity to gain more operating room experience than they typically would in a traditional medical residency. From minor complications to critical mistakes, residents can experience surgery up close simply by putting on a headset.

Several hundred surgeon trainees at 10 medical institutions in the United States and Canada will now get to experience this technology first hand in their residency programs. Precision OS will be used for orthopedic surgery training at:

• The Mayo Clinic

• The University of British Columbia

• The Sunnybrook Hospital at the University of Toronto

• The Pan Am Clinic Foundation

• Western University

• McGill University

• Dalhousie University

• The Boston Shoulder Institute

• The University of Mississippi Medical Center.

The Precision OS team are also collaborating with Dr. John Costouros, MD FACS, an orthopedic surgeon and Assistant Professor at Stanford University, to trial virtual reality in training soon-to-be graduating surgeons.

This will be the first time that this quality of high-fidelity and immersive VR technology will be used for such intensive surgical training.

“The next generation of surgeons will have to learn advanced skills and decision-making with limited time for their training. Virtual reality offers an impactful way to create value by improving surgical skill and reducing errors. Precision OS will deliver value to all stakeholders in healthcare: educators, industry, hospitals, insurers, and patients. The timing of such a technology could not be more perfect!” Dr. Jon J.P. Warner, Founder of the Boston Shoulder Institute, New England Shoulder and Elbow Society, The Codman Shoulder Society, and a past president of American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons

Precision OS offers an enhanced learning environment for orthopedic trainees by increasing access to surgical practice. By way of a headset and handheld sensors, residents can step into the operating theatre any time from anywhere. This increases practice volume and improves surgical skill outcomes in case-based scenarios.

“VR training is the way of the future. It will enhance patient care by having a more skilled and well-prepared surgeon. The software and training unit of Precision OS is brilliantly put together and is a major advance for our residency and fellowship training program!” Dr. Peter MacDonald, Professor and Head Section of Orthopaedics at the University of Manitoba

And each time a resident begins a Precision OS training module they are immersed in a life-like surgical experience. The virtual patient is responsive to successes and errors in a procedure, thereby allowing trainees to learn from their mistakes. This simulated environment is a critical difference between VR and traditional surgical training, as mistakes are not permitted in real surgery to prevent causing harm to patients. But it is precisely this opportunity for error that demands heightened attention and focus from trainees and creates a more active, effective, and impactful surgical learning experience. This is what makes Precision OS unique.

During and following a procedure, residents are provided with detailed performance metrics so they can assess their surgical skills in real-time and identify areas of improvement. This immediate feedback facilitates tangible performance improvements and increases surgical precision quickly.

“Our core agenda has always been to combine surgical education and cognitive skill in a portable, efficient, and immersive learning experience.” Dr. Danny Goel, CEO and Co-Founder of Precision OS, and an orthopedic surgeon at the University of British Columbia

Precision OS is leading the way for innovation in orthopedic surgical training and the international medical community is taking note. Last year, Precision OS secured $2.3M in funding led by AO Invest, the venture capital arm of Swiss orthopedic education and research organization, the AO Foundation.

The company has also been nominated for the Technology Impact Awards and was a semi-finalist at the Orthopedic Research Society.

“This is only the beginning of what may be a complete disruption of how we learn and train surgeons. To be at the cutting edge of introducing this technology, with a focus on demonstrating its value, is a social responsibility for us at Precision OS. Virtual reality is an exciting and innovative area of technology that can influence surgeons and their patients around the world.” Dr. Goel

Precision OS is a software company developing the most high-fidelity virtual reality platform for surgeons to practice specific procedures. Their focus on the critical elements of surgery haptics and metric feedback provides for an unparalleled educational experience. In addition, their pre-operative planning tool eliminates the trial and error associated with fracture care through an immersive interaction with the patients’ images. This, combined with their carefully selected team, provides the domain expertise one would expect to change the delivery of Orthopedic care globally. For more information, please visit https://precisionostech.com/.

Are you a VR/AR founder/startup looking to expand and relocate your business into North America?

VRARA Vancouver and Launch Academy through the VR/AR Hub has a program launched to help founders like you looking to relocate and become a Canadian Permanent Resident and benefit from easier access to the US/Canadian market for business and travel.

Launch Academy is Vancouver’s leading non-profit tech hub, focused on helping emerging tech entrepreneurs launch, fund and grow their startups since 2012.

They’re a designated organization of the Canadian Government's Start-up Visa Program and are currently working with over a dozen different who have relocated to Vancouver, Canada. See more info about the Start-up Visa Program below.

Application Deadline is March 15th. Get your application started today!

Read more here

VR/AR Hub at Launch Academy In Vancouver, Now Accepting Companies and Founding Partners

Are you an entrepreneur taking the leap into VR/AR?

Are you a startup that is looking to grow and learn from leaders?

Are you a startup that is looking for a collaborative environment to work from?

Are you an organization looking to be apart of and help build/support a booming technology ecosystem?

Are you from another city/country looking to move to one of the top VR/AR ecosystems in the world?

Let’s talk!

Growing from 15 companies in 2015 to over 220 organizations this year, Vancouver’s VR and AR ecosystem is one of the city’s best stories and the momentum is continuing!

VRARA Vancouver/Launch Academy are now accepting new companies and founding partners for our VR/AR incubator a 12,000-square-foot facility which will feature a device lab to test out new technologies and access to top mentors/influencers, programs, events and workshops to help companies to grow and scale. The existing infrastructure built from Launch Academy of incubating 600+ companies, raising a collective $150M and supporting entrepreneurs from over 35 countries. This initiative was built on our mandate to support and grow the community!

The VR/AR Hub will be the home base for VR/AR companies who are looking to make an impact. This will also be the place for non-traditional VR/AR companies/businesses to test and be connected to innovators in the space, a lab if you will.

Our world-class network of mentors include Super Ventures, the VR Fund, WXR Fund, Outpost Capital, the GFR Fund, Microsoft, Finger Food Studios, Archiact, LNG Studios, LlamaZoo Interactive Inc., Blueprint Reality Inc., Cognitive3D, YDreams Global Interactive Technologies Inc. and the Vancouver Economic Commission.

Some of our mentors:

“The reason why Launch Academy is successful is because we believe in community first,” says Ray Walia, CEO of Launch Academy “In a nascent industry like VR/AR, it is especially important to cultivate early-stage entrepreneurs, cross-pollinate their networks with other existing emerging tech communities, and provide them with the resources they need to tackle their audacious visions.”

Space at the new hub is in high demand. Membership fees start at $300 a month, with the first 10 permanent desks being offered to VR/AR Association members at a 20 percent discount.

We’re also looking for founding partners to help support this thriving community.

Apply here to be apart of it! Contact Alex Chuang (alex@launchacademy.ca) or Dan Burgar (dan@thevrara.com) if you have questions.

VRARA Vancouver Chapter: Our 2018 in Review

Written by Faye Maidment

As a fast-growing chapter of budding creators, developers and industry leaders in VR/AR, we’ve had quite the year. We thought we’d steal a look back to the conferences and delegations of 2018, and in turn look forward to the events of the new year! We’ve helped turn Vancouver into the second largest ecosystem in the world for VR/AR and we look to continue that growth for 2019!

January 2018

We started the year off strong with organizing a delegation with the Consulate General of Canada in LA for a visit to Virgin Hyperloop One (the future of transportation) and Warner Brothers with top VR/AR companies like Cognitive3D, Archiact and Ziva Dynamics, while also bringing down BCIT and companies ranging from AI and IOT technologies.

February 2018

Our first event of the year was our real estate and architecture event called “Formation” where we invited the top real estate developer, architects and designers to see how VR/AR is transforming the building world. It was held at Deloitte and it was a packed house!

March 2018

SXSW - 2018 VRARA BC Delegation

In Spring, several Vancouver board members travelled to Texas, in partnership with Trade and Invest BC, to attend the highly acclaimed SXSW conference. Alongside supporting 7 companies, we also hosted a panel and mixer events throughout the event.

April 2018

TED - ‘The Age of Amazement’

‘The Age of Amazement’ event was spectacular and consisted of an inspiring set of days full of talks by innovators and change makers. Members Shape Immersive, LlamaZOO, Archiact, Finger Food, Cognitive3D, Ziva Dynamics and Precision OS were amongst those companies selected to present to attendees.

May 2018

AWE - Augmented World Expo

AWE this year was a blast! Our time at the expo included an organized dinner with the VRARA Vancouver, Trade and Invest BC and top VC’s and enterprises.

June 2018

AR Everywhere: The Spatial Era is Here

In June we were lucky to have Marco De Miroz of ‘The VR Fund’ deliver an insightful keynote on the future of AR and the AR cloud.

September 2018

The VR/AR Global Summit

As the host city for this year’s VR/AR Global Summit, it was an honour to have been a part of such an event. Organized by Vancouver Chapter Board Director Anne Marie Enns, and with presentations from international experts in VR/AR and networking events throughout the weekend, the Summit proved to be an inspiring and engaging event for industry and community alike!

October 2018

The VR/AR Hub at Launch Academy

In October we partnered with Launch Academy to support our new VR/AR Hub in Downtown Vancouver. Since then, the Hub has hosted several AR community events in collaboration with Circuit Stream and AWE Nites.

November 2018

VRTL Summit in LA (Paramount Studios)

In November we organized a delegation of 8 top Vancouver VR/AR companies to travel to the ‘VRTL Summit’. Delegate companies benefited from a booth at the conference with Trade and Invest BC!

December 2018

VFS has partnership with the VR/AR Association and Launch Academy to offer members $2,500 off of their tuition for this 8 month program! The VR/AR Design & Development program.

We would like this time to thank our members, community and industry sponsors and to all of the Vancouver VR/AR community for the collaborative support this year. Vancouver is truly a global leader of emerging technologies and we can’t wait to see what opportunities the new year brings!

VR/AR Startup Growing Pains - A Guide to Choosing the Right Office Space for Your Business

By Alain Rivere of CBRE

Choosing the right office space for your business is an incredibly important decision. Location, size, style, price and features all play a part in determining whether a commercial space complements your day-to-day operations, your company’s future roadmap and most importantly your brand and culture. The VRARA Vancouver has teamed up with Alain Rivere from The High Technology Facilities Group of CBRE, to offer advice to companies in the tech, production and VR/AR industry of the available commercial real estate options in Vancouver. With coworking spaces growing in our booming technology ecosystem, finding a suitable spot can seem daunting, so we’ve broken down the key differentiators to help you find your perfect match!

In today’s Deep Dive we’ll be delving into Vancouver’s space opportunities for StartUp companies that not only provide ample space for a growing company, and that also promote incubation, education, community and support.  

Coworking: Global Vs Local Spaces - Which will best suit my business goals?

Global Co-Working Space

An explosion of co-working spaces in the Vancouver downtown core now gives small (and large) tenants a wide range of options of flexible, pay-as-you go, think-tank work environments. These options include larger international brands like WeWork, Spaces, Regus, which have large spaces in large office buildings and provide full-service amenities in today’s leading office design. They offer private offices for single individuals, up to 20 people or up to a full floor, basically no maximum size. The spaces are built and furnished and the snacks, coffee machines and kegs are stocked. However these beautifully designed, furnished, turn-key solutions do come at a premium price tag.

Source: WeWork Burrard Station

Local Co-Working Spaces

The local co-working companies are also benefiting from the growing demand for flexible workspace solutions. They vary in size, location, amenities and price. There are larger spaces run by companies like The Profile and The Network Hub, who cater to all businesses, with a focus on the startup community. Other co-working spaces are operated by incubator companies that have a specific focus on what types of companies they cater to, for example Launch Academy is focused on incubating local startups in tech, and recently put space aside specifically for the VR/AR sector and another area for cannabis-tech. This type of focus will continue to evolve as new industries and technologies emerge. In addition, The Cube in Railtown opened in 2017 to provide a user friendly space for VR/AR companies. These are great spaces in character boutique office buildings, offering a plug-and-play, furnished and flexible workspace solution, at a price well below what the bigger players charge.

Source: Launch Academy

Key Benefits to Co-Working:

• Flexible lease terms (month to month, 6 month, 12 month and longer).

• Community and networking

• Events, Workshops and Investor relations

• Additional membership benefits: meeting spaces, access to other locations (globally and locally), beer and wine on tap, snacks and more.

While co-working offers amazing benefits that a private office does not, they do have their challenges. Here are a few things to consider:

• More noise, interruptions and overall distractions.  

• Challenge in booking meeting rooms and call rooms.

• Lack of privacy

• Branding and culture challenges, lack of ability to create your own identity

Pricing Table

Overall, there are many co-working options to choose from, and a company should carefully audit its immediate, short term and long term needs as best it can. As your team is still small, your board, management, senior staff or even your full company team should be consulted to understand what your needs are and then compare to what is offered in the market that best meets those needs. We also recommend that any company evaluate their needs with a broker, as they can also assist in negotiating better terms with co-working options.

Private Office Spaces

If co-working is not the option you are looking for and you prefer your own Private Office suite, there are a broad range of options that can be summarized in two: Short-Term and Long-Term lease commitments. The pros/cons of each are listed below to help you make sense of what is most appropriate for you.  

Before digging into this, it is important to understand the state of the Vancouver Office Leasing Market:

• Demand and Vacancy: Vancouver has witnessed strong tenant demand for office space for the past 2 years, bringing vacancy to a near all-time low of 4.5% in the downtown core, 1.5% in Yaletown and 3% in Gastown.

• Rental Rates: Few available spaces means landlords have the upper hand and they have been steadily increasing rents throughout 2018. This is expected to continue into 2019.

• New supply: New buildings are under construction, however the next few buildings are not expected to have any significant impact on availability until late 2020 and 2021.

• Tips to a successful lease negotiations: start your search early, hire an experienced broker, evaluate all aspects of your needs, plan for future growth (if able), be “market-ready” so when the right space comes along you can secure it quickly.  Be prepared for competition and to step-up (if needed), as multiple offer scenarios can occur.

Private - Short-Term Office Lease (6 - 36 months)

These opportunities include those ranging from 6-months to 3-year commitments for a dedicated private office suite. Typically these are short term subleases from tenants with that no longer need their space. Most landlords look for a (minimum) 3 year lease term, so finding a tenant looking to exit their lease early are great opportunities.

Pros: branding and “make-it-your-own” capabilities, security and privacy, limited distractions, controlling your space, positive optics for investors/clients and for hiring. Sublease opportunities may allow for extra savings in free furniture and existing infrastructure to minimize set up costs.

Cons:  Limited number of available spaces to accommodate this size of office spaces (800 - 2,000 SF). Lease term is set, limited flexibility to expand/contract. Upfront set up costs, i.e: renovations and/or furniture. Required to manage day to day office items such as (printers, internet, coffee etc). Limited flexibility/growth potential, however there are some ways to workaround this with the right lease.

Private - Long-Term Office Lease (36 - 60 months or longer)

These types of space opportunities range from 3 to 5 years, and longer (if desired), for your own dedicated office. Typically these are leases negotiated directly with the landlord, however sublease opportunities may be available too (possibly with discounted rents!).

Pros: In addition to most benefits shown above, long-term leases provide security in locking in rental rates for longer, ability to negotiate stronger lease terms, including: free rent, improvement allowances and more. Financial set up costs are spread out over a longer period of your lease.

Cons: long term leases limit growth flexibility, subleasing may be required (this could be an asset, upfront setup costs (i.e: potential renovations and furniture), business goals may not align with long leases (i.e: investors want easy liquidity for potential sale).  That said, there are creative solutions to many of these issues.

Source: A Thinking Ape

As a starting point, if you’re not sure which option is right for you?  Here are some key questions to ask yourself and your team:

• How long before we grow beyond 12 - 15 people?  

• Are we willing to stay in a co-working space long term, does it drive innovation / productivity, does it fit our culture and brand?

• What is the 1 - 2 year goal and what is our budget for space for this period?

• What type of space do we really need? (quiet, private, meeting room space?? And does the co-working solution offer these needs?

• Are clients, investors or other important contacts visiting us?

A thorough analysis of all these questions (and possibly more), should help to give you and your executive team a better understanding of which option is best and give you the confidence to move forward with your decision. It is worth putting in this work upfront to make sure you get it right the first time.  

To get familiar with what’s happening in the office market, which tech companies are moving, and other relevant information on culture, hiring or attracting, startup community and workspace design and innovations, we recommend following Alain Rivere’s Linkedin, visiting The HTFG website, and subscribing to his team’s Quarterly Newsletter here.

VFS launches new VR/AR Design & Development Program in Partnership with the VR/AR Association and Launch Academy

Member Vancouver Film School (VFS) announces this innovative new program, one of the only diploma programs of its kind anywhere in the world. The new 8-month VR/AR Development & Design program will bring a new immersive technologies curriculum in virtual (VR) and augmented (AR) reality to prospective students in April 2019. This exciting new program will allow students to explore and create VR/AR applications in a variety of rapidly evolving sectors including health care, engineering, tech, education, real estate, and entertainment.

VFS has also partnered with the VR AR Association and Launch Academy to ensure that the program is as informed and plugged into industry as possible. The focus of the program is to solve real-world problems in industries where there are needs for immersive technologies. This program will afford students the opportunity to use the Unreal and Unity Game Engines to create VR/AR experiences, from the design and research phase to asset creation, programming, and production.

“Vancouver is at the centre of a booming VR/AR ecosystem that is only getting bigger. As an industry we need to keep the momentum going and part of that is developing top talent. The VR/AR program at VFS will help create the next wave of innovators for the future.”

– Dan Burgar, Vancouver Chapter President, VRARA

In their first term, students will have the opportunity to work on client-led VR/AR initiatives with private and public sector companies and organizations across a broad spectrum of industries. The partnership with VRARA and Launch Academy will help ensure that students are matched with mentors working within the industry of their choice. In their last term, students will be able to create their own projects or continue to work on client-led projects.

“The Launch Academy Team is really excited to partner with VFS and help contribute to the VR/AR Design & Development Program. The opportunities in the VR/AR industry are significant and we have a chance to position Vancouver as a global leader. We are really looking forward to connecting VR/AR companies to top quality talent graduating from Vancouver Film School and also helping the entrepreneurial minded Vancouver Film School students with the execution on their own VR/AR start-ups.”

• Ray Walia, CEO and cofounder of Launch Academy

VFS is very excited to collaborate with the VR/AR Association and Launch Academy. Partnering with such leading-edge organizations devoted to cultivating up-and-coming talent in the VR/AR industry will definitely set students up for success, and we look forward to seeing what comes of the 8-month program.

“With a projected economic impact of almost $16 billion USD by 2020, VFS wants to position the next generation of VR and AR developers and designers to be industry leaders through this innovative new 8 month diploma program.”

• Mary Lim, M.Ed., Program Development Manager, Vancouver Film School

Exclusive pricing has been offered to VR/AR Association members and tech incubator Launch Academy for the new VFS VR/AR Design & Development program. This is an early opportunity to become established in this rapidly expanding field. As such, VFS is offering an exclusive price to VRARA members of $19.5k for this 8 month program, saving $2.5k off the standard domestic tuition!

If you have questions, please reach out directly to:

Gija Williams, Director of Admissions

Phone: 604.685.5808 Ext. 3074

Email: gija@vfs.com

To learn more about this program and see full course details, please go to https://vfs.edu/programs/vrar.

Member Precision OS Announces Series A Funding of $2.3 Million to Advance Surgical Training Platform

Original Article from BIV, written by Tyler Orton

Precision OS announced November 15 the Series A funding round was led by AO Invest. Other undisclosed investors also participated.

“Precision OS technology is working to create a virtual language able to add depth of understanding that simply cannot be achieved using current simulation tools,” Precision OS co-founder and CEO Dr. Danny Goel, an orthopedic surgeon by trade, said in a statement.

“Adopting VR as a way of improving decision-making is directly relevant for patients and value-based care.”

Precision OS produces what it calls “the most immersive and realistic form of deliberate surgical practice.”

It’s now in the midst of developing a tool allowing surgeons to introduce images of specific patient’s anatomy to the software before conducting a procedure.

Funding is also being used to bolster distribution partnerships and create additional content for trainees.

The company, which was founded in 2017, is among the 200-plus firms developing VR applications that have sprung up in Metro Vancouver over the past three years.

Switzerland-based AO Invest is the venture capital arm of the AO Foundation, a network of more than 19,000 surgeons and scientists in orthopedics and trauma.

Global Services and Design Leader Stantec Joins the VR/AR Association

We’re very excited to have Stantec join the VR/AR Association as our newest Corporate member.

Albert Liu (Membership Manager) of VRARA Vancouver caught up with Aubrey Tucker, an innovative Technology Developer at Stantec to discuss VR/AR in engineering and what they’re up to.

Can you tell me more about Stantec and your role?

Stantec is a 22,000 person organization with over 400 offices around the world. We predominantly focus on engineering but we also work with all forms of design and large scale work. For example, we’re involved with skyscrapers and large transportation projects such as railways. My team is interested in emerging tech and they’re looking into business cases for adopting it. We want to improve computation design, visualization and the way people deliver work.

How long has Stantec been involved in VR/AR?

Stantec first became involved with VR/AR in 2015 through a R&D program called the Greenlight fund which supported creative and innovative ideas from our employees. There are a lot of us throughout the company that have adopted VR/AR for a broad range of use cases. Some of us were early adopters of the Hololens and create our own content for it. I was first introduced to VR/AR in 2010 with Vizard and World Viz through the Oculus SDK 1 and other older platforms.

Some of our designers use Enscape which is an AR plug-in that sits in their software design tool and provides real time rendering with typical artistry work such as BIM (Building Information Modelling). They’re focused primarily on using Enscape to design rather than creating raw content. They also use Twinmotion which is a simplified version of the Unreal Game Engine to produce architectural visualizations and VR environments.

What made you decide to join the VRARA?

We decided to join the VRARA to network, get access to events and see what everyone in the industry is up to. We want to be a more active member in the worldwide VR/AR community. My selfish interest for joining the VRARA is to provide all the different offices around the world with a way to engage with other technology creators that are local to them. We want people from these offices to attend events, meet new people, learn and experiment with emerging immersive technology.

What are some things that we can expect from Stantec in the future?

We were shortlisted for an award for our immersive design experience for the Royal Columbian Hospital (RCH) and the Fraser Health Authority. We used VR to help the staff experience the interior rooms of the hospital. The nursing team noticed the types of storage that had been specified were too small in some areas and too big in others. They told us that they wouldn’t have noticed this without using VR. Real time visualization was a game changer for the RCH because it allowed for many more considerations within the interior and exterior spaces.

Stantec is also interested in moving into simulation and looking at how long it takes people to get to places. We’re seeing a lot of startups focused on these issues. It’ll also be interesting to look at collaborations where we can work together with others in a VR environment.

Recently, we worked with Archiact, another member of the VRARA to incubate ideas with them. Scenarion launched an extension for SketchUp called Rendezvue which makes it easy to review and edit 3D models in VR. We’ll also be working with them for another project on space planning. We’re always looking for other companies to work on projects with!

How do you see VR/AR making an impact in the building design/architecture space?

Design and aesthetics are the obvious ones but VR/AR is making an impact in many different ways. There are different mediums that can explored such as true immersive walk throughs and the potential for world building in VR. Another interesting challenge is the question of interfaces and how to set up complex interfaces in a VR environment.

In AR there’s a huge opportunity in construction by bringing in health safety applications to reduce and prevent danger onsite. There is also the use of Reality Capture which passively captures 3D models in construction. We can review these models and send instructions to workers to improve work efficiency.  

Daqri and Microsoft are also breaking into these spaces with their AR headsets. Construction is an old school industry and there’s a lot of room for disruption but we’re still not quite there yet.

How do you see the future of VR/AR integrating into designing buildings and communities in the next 3-5 years?

It’s hard to predict what will happen in the future but I believe there will be a lot of progress made in construction. It depends on how advanced the hardware becomes because once it’s built, the software and other technologies will be easy. We know what we want in construction because if that works all of the other use cases will fall in line. At the end of the day hardware is the linchpin that will dictate the future of VR/AR in construction and engineering.

Closing comments

My team and I at Stantec are very excited to be members of the VRARA. We’re looking forward to building new relationships, pushing the technology further and meeting everyone.

See Aubrey’s talk from one of VRARA Vancouver’s events earlier this year

Launch Academy Announces NEW VR/AR Hub in Vancouver

Source: BetaKit

Vancouver technology incubator Launch Academy has announced a new facility for virtual reality (VR) and immersive technology companies.

Partnering up with VR/AR Association Vancouver, Launch Academy will create a local VR/AR Hub to support the city’s burgeoning industry. Offering training and education programs, VR and AR equipment rental, mentorship, events, and workshops, the 12,000 square foot facility will provide necessary tools for entrepreneurs to get their startup off the ground.

“The reason why Launch Academy is successful is because we believe in community first,” said Ray Walia, CEO of Launch Academy. Walia is also a co-founder of Victory Square, which launched a cannabis accelerator last week. “In a nascent industry like VR/AR, it is especially important to cultivate early-stage entrepreneurs, cross pollinate their networks with other existing emerging tech communities and provide them with the resources they need to tackle their audacious visions. VR/AR Association Vancouver and Launch Academy share the same passion to help these entrepreneurs succeed.”

Mentors of the new initiative include Silicon Valley-based investors from Super Ventures, The VR Fund, WXR Fund, Outpost Capital, and The GFR Fund. In addition, over 25 local mentors have expressed their support, including founders and experts from Microsoft, Blueprint Reality, Cognitive3D, Vancouver Economic Commission, YDreams, Archiact, Finger Food, LlamaZOO, LNG Studio and many more.

“We have all the right ingredients to make Vancouver number one,” said Dan Burgar, Vancouver Chapter President of the VR/AR Association. “We believe it’s extremely important to keep the momentum up and build the support infrastructure now for companies to accelerate their growth. Launch Academy has a proven track record of incubating over 600 companies and we’re thrilled to work with them on this.”

A limited number of spots are still open for companies interested in joining the VR/AR hub at Launch Academy. To learn more, visit http://launchacademy.ca/launchpad or email Dan Burgar or Alex Chuang.

The VRARA GS Round Up: Our Top 5 Highlights from the VR/AR Global Summit

The VRAR Association’s Global Summit, organized by Vancouver chapter board director Anne Marie Enns, was an innovative delight of engaging presentations, industry networking and captivating demos of the present and future XR technology. With over 800 industry professionals in attendance, plus 100 speakers, the conference was a great way for enthusiasts to form valuable relationships and collaborate on new and exciting projects.

Here’s our shortlist:

1) Amazon announced its Sumerian AR/VR challenge at the Summit

“Amazon Sumerian lets you create and run virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and 3D applications quickly and easily without requiring any specialized programming or 3D graphics expertise.”

Amazon’s hackathon was a great opportunity for all hackers, hu$tlers and technophiles to get a taste of Amazon’s new Sumerian software and compete for over $100K worth of prizes. Without requiring any specialist coding or experience, attendees were able to try the new development tool and build out experiences for one of the following categories: Education, Training, and Simulations; Brand Engagement and Retail; Entertainment, Hospitality and Media or Other (new product/service, etc).

It’s not over! There’s still time to submit your builds for Amazon’s review. Deadline is January 8th! Find out more here.

2) Intel brought its ‘Classroom of the Future’ to Vancouver

When perusing the conference floor, it was difficult to not be mesmerised by the flashy, blue luminous frame in the top right-hand corner of the conference hall. We were excited to have Intel’s ‘Classroom of the Future’ at the Global Summit as a perfect use case of VR ameliorating current learning resources. After being taken to your desk in the futuristic space equipped with your own VR headset, you enter into a virtual world representation of the Smithsonian American Art Museum. No longer bound to the confines of a classroom, you are able to get close to the artefacts and showpieces whilst walking about the space. A perfect solution for teachers wanting to take the stress out of field trips and who wish to give a deeper context to their teaching.

The classroom is so in the future, we almost can’t call it a classroom at all. A clever installation by Intel to question the need for physical spaces in the future.

3) Cathy Hackl Introduced Us to A New Westworld-Style XR Artistry

Is there anything more unnerving - yet totally fascinating - about how much the artistry in XR has developed over the last few years? Futurist and leading XR thought leader, Cathy Hackl, seemed to think so and highlighted these developments through a ‘Real or XR?’ interactive game to start her keynote. These had the audience spellbound as results weren’t quite as some had predicted...

4) Embodied Labs Wins the Global Summit Pitchfest

Carrie Shaw, CEO and Founder of ‘Embodied Labs’ has the goal of ‘revolutionizing the way healthcare providers, caregivers, and patients learn about human health.’ Her incredible and moving story prompted her to create a revolutionary VR experience that puts wearers in the body of the sufferer with Alzheimer's. Carrie states that ‘by understanding the science of the brain and the story of the person who has the disease, that together will enable caregivers to be better care providers.’

Congratulations to Carrie and her team at Embodied Labs, a well-deserving winner of the prize money to help further the cause!

5)  VEC’s Speed Dating Provides Unique Networking Opportunity  

The Vancouver Economic Commission held their great ‘Speed Dating’ event on Friday, and it was a tremendous success! With many people flooding in from all areas of the conference hall to network over a glass (or two), it provided the perfect environment for intense, free-flowing discussion with fellow attendees - no small talk allowed!

Special thanks to Nancy Basi for organizing the event.

With such an array of incredible experiences at the VRARA Global Summit 2018, our shortlist provides a small taste of the exciting array that was on offer. For those who were unable to attend this year - or who simply wish to relive the weekend -  check out the video by Novus TV on this year’s event here!

See you all in 2019!

A World of Patents - Alice Through VR Glasses

Enter your email to get this white paper: 

The VRARA are delighted to have partnered with Stephen Ferance of Gowling WLG Vancouver to produce this seminal whitepaper, offering all a more profound extrapolation of patenting, and its conduciveness to VR/AR technology specifically.

Ferance speaks to Alice from Alice v. CLS Bank, a decree issued by the Supreme Court that an abstract idea does not become eligible for a patent simply by being implemented on a generic computer. As you can guess, or may well have experienced yourselves, before Alice the generic law surrounding patents galvanised greedy patent buyers to attack startups and to skew R&D innovation before it had truly taken flight.

Since Alice’s implementation in 2014 by the Supreme Court, it has been pivotal in fighting back against so-called patent trolls. Now gone are the days that patent owners could lock down an IP without barely contributing to the development of the technology. R&D has flourished as a result and arguably so has software development and innovation.

Can VR/AR technology too be saved by Alice?

With the current climate, and with four years of Alice battling patent rogues, Stephen Ferance is largely positive about the future trajectory of patenting, especially relating to XR hardware. He comments that claims to such are ‘unlikely to be struck down as abstract ideas’ unlike some of the other case studies mention in the paper.

Secondly, he states that ‘even for software-implemented inventions, VR and AR technologies are conveniently amenable to a number of the exceptions to the “abstract idea” exclusion from patentability.’ This is due to the fact that many VR and AR developments will ‘improve the functionings and capabilities of a computer,' or ‘may even provide a new set of rules to improve animation.’

Thirdly, Ferance makes the astute observation of the link between venture capital and companies that have patented their IP, ‘if venture capital investors have literally hundreds of innovative companies to choose from, their screening processes will almost certainly eliminate those companies that have not taken adequate steps to patent and protect their intellectual property.’

The conclusion strikes a motivational chord for all business owners, technological innovators and creators in this space - ‘Against this backdrop, it must be borne in mind that the patent system is a first-to-file system, so patenting is indeed a race, just as much so as the race to the land claims office back in the days of yore. Those who sit on the sidelines to see how things shake out will find themselves left out and likely eclipsed by their competitors, while those who instead take decisive action to protect their innovations at the earliest opportunity stand to reap the rewards of an industry poised for exponential growth in the coming years.’

Written by Faye Maidment, Marketer and Communications Officer for VRARA Vancouver.

AR Everywhere I The Spatial Era is Here!

VRARA Vancouver was delighted to invite its members to its most recent chapter event: AR Everywhere I The Spatial Era is Here. With in-depth panels discussing the future of AR and the AR cloud, a preliminary keynote from Marco de Miroz and with demos galore, the night was quite the extravaganza.

Here were some of the highlights:

A Deeper Dive into The AR ecosystem

Marco de Miroz from The Venture Reality Fund never fails to give us tasty exclusives. We all got a sneak preview of The VR Fund’s now newly-released AR ecosystem map:

With AR experiencing a surge in adoption and with AR companies growing by 50% compared to 2017, the growth of the Augmented Reality industry has the potential to be exponential!

Extrapolation of the AR Cloud

Throughout the evening with Vancouver AR industry members such as Aaron Hilton from Steampunk Digital, Alex Chuang of Shape Immersive, Jordan Brighton from Virtro and Miles Marziani of Quest Upon, we were exposed to the nouveau industry topic of the AR cloud, and what this means for creating persistent AR experiences.

                                                                                                          Marco de Miroz of The VR Fund

As defined by Alex Chuang of Shape Immersive, “By definition, the AR cloud is a machine readable 1:1 scale model of the world. Some call it the world's digital twin or a real-time spatial map of the world. Personally, I'd like to think of it as a parallel digital dimension that perfectly overlays on top of our real world.”

                                                                                                         Alex Chuang of Shape Immersive

Significant points raised during the discussion panels included:

• The importance of image persistence in the progression of the AR industry

• The need to create memorable and valuable AR experiences to increase user adoption

• The increase in development of multiplayer modes to enhance augmented experiences

• The predicted rise in geo-relevant content

• The potential of the AR cloud to supersede Google in its ability to organize the world’s information

Watch a short clip of the evening's events below! 

With such a rich XR ecosystem in Vancouver we’re delighted to be able to organise these meetups, which not only allow the community to come together in our unique partnership, but also enable the much needed sharing of new information, innovation and technological skill amongst members.

If you'd like to watch the full event talks including the keynote click here.

Join us for our next event and stay up-to-date by following us on Facebook and Twitter!

VR/AR Education: Take Classes at BCIT Vancouver

Image Source: BCIT

You’d be right in thinking that Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality education has been all the buzz recently - and with good reason.

The VR revolution has arrived and the aptly named ‘empathy machine’ is just at the tipping point of disrupting all industries. With Apple’s release of the ARKit 2 with iOS 12 and Zuckerburg’s standalone Oculus Go VR headset making headlines worldwide, it has never been a more perfect time to consider a career in emerging technology. (Not to mention, the global augmented reality market is expected to grow significantly to about 90 billion U.S. dollars by 2020 with 1 billion users!)

What does all this mean? Strap on a headset, reach for your controller and get ready to future-proof your career. When immersive technology comes knocking - you’ll be prepared.

Where can I learn? BCIT is one of Vancouver’s treasured educational institutions, with campuses in Downtown Vancouver and in Burnaby. In the fall of 2017, BCIT launched their Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality (VRAR) Statement of Completion comprising of four part-time courses offered by the BCIT School of Computing and Academic Studies. Check them out below!

COMP 1011 - UX/UI Fundamentals begins with a focus on user experience (UX) and introduces user interface (UI) design.

COMP 1910 - Introduction to 3D Simulations and VR/AR focuses on how to create 3D models with multiple tools to create a simple Unity AR/VR/MR demo.

COMP 2012 - Applied UX/UI for VR/AR transforms existing 2D/3D content and evolves interface concepts based on UCD for MR environments.

COMP 3919 - Applied VR/AR Project applies story-boarding, rapid prototyping and user testing for a VR/AR/MR Project.

With Vancouver globally respected as one of the top VR/AR hubs in the world, and with over 130+ local members in the VRARA’s Vancouver chapter alone, British Columbia is proving itself to be a (virtual) force to be reckoned with.

Apply to one of BCIT’s programs now to join the rapidly growing VR/AR community in Vancouver, and get the skills you need to make, design and reshape your own realities!