SynergyXR, a growing no-code enterprise XR platform, is introducing a massive overhaul to the platform with brand-new demo experiences, UI improvements, and full iOS support. Dive into this new version of SynergyXR and explore how the Corporate Metaverse can benefit all industries.
It's always been our mission to bring “XR to the people”, and we’re happy to double down on that mantra by making it even easier to get started with SynergyXR. Introducing our new demo experiences that take you from A-Z in the Corporate Metaverse and spotlight the future of work!
Now you can sign up for a free 30-day virtual journey that lets you discover the vast opportunities for driving value in XR with our industry-tailored demo experiences and touch on everything from onboarding to sales and marketing in the Metaverse.
We’ve also given our UI an overhaul, and with user-friendly improvements that make everything more streamlined and intuitive to navigate in SynergyXR, even completely inexperienced users will feel right at home.
It’s equally important to us that we make the Corporate Metaverse accessible to everyone, and that’s why we’re now launching the complete SynergyXR experience for iOS mobile devices. That means working in XR is now as simple as grabbing your iPhone or iPad and collaborating with your colleagues in real-time in Virtual Reality.
SynergyXR 2.2 Release Highlights
Here’s what we’ve packed inside the latest version of SynergyXR
> Spectacular demo experiences
> Significant UI improvements
> Full platform support for iOS devices
Magic Leap 2 hits the market, and the UM community got a first look
Originally Appearing on Refresh Miami by Nancy Dahlberg
On Friday, Magic Leap announced that its next generation enterprise augmented reality platform, Magic Leap 2, is now commercially available.
Widespread availability follows its Early Access Program with companies like Cisco, SentiAR, NeuroSync, Miami-based Heru, Taqtile, PTC and Brainlab, where Magic Leap continued to improve the device for training, communication and remote assistance use cases in clinical settings, industrial environments, defense, and retail stores.
Magic Leap CEO Peggy Johnson said: “The Magic Leap 2 is the smallest and lightest augmented reality device built for the enterprise. After working with customers across industries like healthcare, manufacturing and the public sector, we’re proud to release a device that features innovative breakthroughs critical to driving widespread adoption, including Dynamic Dimming™ technology, the industry’s largest field of view, and unparalleled image quality and text legibility. Magic Leap 2 will take the current use cases to the next level, and we can’t wait to see what our customers create.”
In addition to Dynamic Dimming, Magic Leap 2 is 20% lighter and 50% smaller than its predecessor and includes proprietary optics breakthroughs and the largest field of view (up to 70° diagonal), compared to similar currently available AR devices, Magic Leap says.
The University of Miami has been a Magic Leap partner since 2018. Recently, students, faculty and the developer community were able to try out the Magic Leap 2 with a Magic Leap executive. Here is UM’s report:
By Janette Neuwahl Tannen – Guest Contributor, University of Miami
In a Magic Leap 2 Developer Event held in September, the company let students, faculty members, staff, and local professionals learn more about the newest headset, set to be released Sept. 30.
Oscar Arana and George Thompson have a vested interest in being familiar with the latest technology.
Thompson, a first-year music engineering major, and Arana, a sophomore computer science major, hope to delve into the virtual or augmented reality industries after graduation.
So, on Tuesday evening, they joined a group of students, faculty and staff members, and local extended reality professionals who attended the VR/AR Association’s Magic Leap 2 Developer Event, where leaders from Plantation-based Magic Leap unveiled the latest headsets, which will officially hit the market at the end of the month.
“The headset is very cool, and it will be interesting to think about its applications—I’m excited to see what will come out of it,” said Arana.
Founded by University alumnus Rony Abovitz in 2010, Magic Leap is one of a few companies specializing in augmented reality hardware, which layers digital images and experiences on top of the physical world. For example, augmented reality (AR) applications allow consumers to visualize digital furniture in their actual home, and they could allow first responders to immediately visualize hazards currently hidden behind walls, like gas lines or electrical panels when entering a fire in an actual building.
“The key to the future of digital technology in the physical world is keeping the human at its center,” said Lisa Watts, vice president of product marketing and developer programs at Magic Leap. “And we are here to make that digital content truly exist in the physical world and to enable humans to have that next level of interaction.”
The Tuesday event was hosted by the University’s Institute for Data Science and Computing (IDSC) and the XR Initiative and held in the Lakeside Village Auditorium. It was sponsored by Magic Leap and Unity, which creates software that is often used to build virtual and augmented reality experiences. It came just a few months after the Miami chapter of the VR/AR Association was launched on campus last spring.
“Magic Leap 2 has more capabilities to bring the digital and physical world together, and the University wants to be at the forefront of these technologies to expose our faculty and students to these new realities,” said Nick Tsinoremas, the University’s vice provost for research computing and data, as well as director of IDSC. “We are very excited about our relationship with Magic Leap and Unity, as well as how we can advance this technology and make it more pervasive. Because we want to create the next generation of developers, the next generation of creators, and the next generation of people that can change the world.”
A representative from Magic Leap shows sophomore Oscar Arana the capabilities of the new Magic Leap 2 headset. Photo courtesy Kim Grinfeder/School of Communication.
During the evening event, Watts explained that the Magic Leap 2 evolved from the company making many revisions to its first headset, the Magic Leap One, to make it more human-centric. Some of these include expanding the user’s field of vision, so that people wearing the headsets can see a wider area.
The company also worked to make the digital images appear more solid before they are layered on the physical world, Watts noted. The new device also has more than 18 cameras and sensors, four microphones, and two speakers to make the AR experience more engaging.
The new headsets also have a global dimming feature that allows digital images to become sharper. In addition, Magic Leap has made its platform more accessible to developers and switched to an Android-based operating system. The device costs $3,299.
The new features will help the headsets become more useful to people outdoors or in bright light, students and faculty members familiar with the previous headsets pointed out. Sophomore Marcos Morales, who works on the information technology Innovate team to develop Magic Leap applications with faculty members, said many of the changes were positive.
“It’s a large improvement on how much you’re able to see onscreen in the new device, and the virtual objects look much more real,” he said.
In 2018, Magic Leap and the University entered a partnership where students and faculty and staff members developed new uses for the devices. Through Magic Leap mini-grants sponsored by the Office of the Provost, applications were crafted to do things like teach three-dimensional vectors in physics and for surgeons to view and interact with 3-D images of a patient’s struggling organs.
Now, the hope is that the University community and professionals from a burgeoning Miami tech industry will help them develop more applications for the Magic Leap 2.
“In this new headset, we’ve given you more tools to help that digital content really blend into the real world,” Watts said, speaking to an audience of potential Magic Leap developers. “And you as the development community need to help us bring this to life. So, we want to enable you and give you access to the possibilities.”
Photo at top of post: A participant at the Magic Leap 2 Developer Event gets a chance to try on the company’s latest headset. Photo: Matthew Rembold/University of Miami.
This story was first published by the University of Miami and Refresh Miami here is republishing it with permission.
CYMAX Excellency award in AR VR
CYMAX has produced the official VR 360° video of Thub-2 and being launched by Telangana IT secretary Mr.Jayesh Ranjan on 30-09-2022 .The VR 360° video capturing is one of the products of Cymax where all the ceremonial functions, concerts , Architecture and real estate projects will come as real-time live experience before the viewers, as if they are at the place and are participating in the actual scene watching through the VR headset either the recorded content or 360° live streaming. All these features are pioneered by CYMAX over years of upgradation where the new generation will be able to see in its lifetime all that was good in the past and whatever is happening today and what is going to happen tomorrow with ease and finesse. At the outset on the same event CYMAX was felicitated with "TECHNOLOGY EXCELLENCE IN ARVR” award, organised by Sri Sandeep Kumar Maktala ,the global president of TITA (Telangana State Information Technology Association)
easics launches nearbAI™ IP cores for XR devices that will set the standard for extreme edge AI performance and immersive experiences
Battery-powered extended reality (XR) devices need to sense and analyze their environments within the response time of the human senses to provide instant visual and aural feedback towards the user. And do so with extremely low power consumption and with ultra-low latency. The easics solution meets these demands with their compact nearbAI semiconductor IP cores and its unique L3-Optimizer technology for low power + low latency + low area balance. The digital IP cores are optimized for integration in ASICs, ASSPs and SoCs inside XR devices and available as of today.
The growth of edge computing and edge AI is driving the need for high-performance neural network inference engines on edge devices. Gartner projects that by 2027, deep learning will be included in over 65% of edge use cases. XR edge devices in the form of virtual reality (VR) headsets and augmented reality (AR) glasses are forecasted to experience double-digit growth and surpass 50 million units by 2026, according to IDC. XR devices will increasingly employ edge AI to locally sense and analyze their environments, as part of the distributed computing landscape of the metaverse.
nearbAI IP cores are highly efficient neural network inference engines, configurable for an extensive and growing range of AI models and use cases optimized for energy consumption, performance and area. nearbAI powers functions such as scene segmentation and reconstruction, object and face detection and recognition, foundational to consumer and enterprise XR applications.
“nearbAI is unique, delivering best-in-class extreme edge AI inference solutions for XR devices. It builds on more than three decades of DSP and image sensor chip design. Our mission is to provide customers with IPs that perfectly fit their specifications, offer outstanding performance, and are seamless to integrate right through to tape-out”, said Ramses Valvekens, CSO & Managing Director at easics.
Ideal for mobile XR processor chips and even fits in the most compact near-sensor AI chips:
Extreme optimization
- Proprietary L3-Optimizer: low power + low latency + low area balance
- Scaled and tuned to the application, yet field upgradable
- Record-breaking MAC utilization up to 95%
- Wide-ranging configurable number of MACs: 16 to 4096
- Configurable MAC accuracy, independent coefficient and data quantization, 4 to 16-bit, single bit granularity
- Configurable internal memory bank sizes and bus widths
Low power
- As low as sub 10 milliwatt
Ultra-fast response time
- Face detection in 2 milliseconds
Zero-latency switching
- Continuous multiplexing between multiple neural networks on the same nearbAI core, saving silicon area
Support for any sensor
- RGB, ToF, NIR, thermal IR, LiDAR, hyperspectral, stereo, ultrasound, audio
“easics is committed to bringing the most advanced technology and solutions to market. With nearbAI, along with our partners and customers, we are pushing the latest AI innovation to the extreme edge”, added Mr. Valvekens.
To learn more about nearbAI for XR devices and experience a live demo, visit the easics booth at Augmented Enterprise Summit (AES) 2022 in San Diego, October 18-20, Booth 802 (www.augmentedenterprisesummit.com), or visit www.nearbai.com.
About easics
easics is a market leader in digital chip design and semiconductor IP licensing. With over 30 years of design excellence in embedded solutions, easics provide unique competence and development platforms that leads to first-time right, reliable and optimized logic. easics supports leading OEMs and semiconductor companies with custom designs and customizable IP blocks for smart embedded processing systems that can be realized in custom ASICs / ASSPs / SoCs and in FPGAs.
For more information, please visit www.easics.com or follow easics on LinkedIn.
MEDIA CONTACT:
easics:
Jon Jacobsen
Marketing Manager
E: marketing@easics.com
P: +32 16 395 611
Web: www.easics.com
Resources:
PR as Word document >>>
easics logo (High-resolution) >>>
nearbAI logo (High-resolution) >>>
nearbAI IP core diagram (High-resolution) >>>
Alberta-Based Project Deploys Consumer Health Monitoring Technology to Pilot an Innovative Home Environment for Aging Populations
CALGARY, Alberta--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The HealthTech Home project, a new initiative from The Brenda Strafford Foundation (BSF) and Health Cities, aims to address pressure on health systems by integrating and validating consumer technology and innovative health solutions in a residential setting.
s the largest generation of Canadians, the Baby Boomer Generation, reaches the senior age demographic, aging at home has become a priority in the health sector. Recent studies have shown aging at home can lower the cost to the health care system while enabling older adults to remain safe, independent, and connected to their homes and communities. However, understanding the technology required to support older adults to age at home is not always a straightforward selection, as many products are costly or do not integrate directly with existing consumer or health systems.
The HealthTech Home project creates a sandbox environment deployed within a BSF-owned condo unit for independent older adults that is connected to one of their continuing care homes. Health technology solutions are selected and installed to monitor the health of an independent-living condo tenant over the course of one year in an effort to slow, or reverse, any decline in health, and to aid aging in place. The selection, implementation, and evaluation of technology will build a framework that supports aging in place. Currently, little framework exists to inform technology implementation for aging care in a residential setting.
In addition to validating consumer and health technologies, this project has established the HealthTech Home Innovation Council, the first group of its kind. The Council, comprised of key stakeholder groups, will meet regularly to share results and review outcomes to inform policy and funding decisions. Once a technology has been validated within the project, the Council will assist with scale and deployment to ensure greater impact.
Best Buy Canada is the project’s first technology partner. The company's expertise in commercial technology designed to support aging in place, paired with its unique ability to introduce foundational elements into the HealthTech Home in a consolidated way, allows for an agnostic approach to vendor selection scalable across Canada. Additional partners include the University of Calgary’s Brenda Strafford Centre on Aging, CBI Health and W21C.
“Today’s generation of aging seniors have different expectations around remaining in their homes and maintaining their independence as they age," says Tony Weeks, President and CEO at The Brenda Strafford Foundation. "We are committed to leading research and innovation that enhances the quality of life and quality of care for older adults in support of our mission to optimize well-being and enrich people’s lives, creating impact within our seniors’ care communities, and beyond.”
"We know that enabling seniors to age in place, where they are comfortable and have the support of their communities, leads to better health outcomes,” says Reg Joseph, CEO at Health Cities. “Designing a technology and solutions framework is key to building a more efficient health system for aging populations. Alberta’s economy is dependent on creating these opportunities for Canadian health technology companies to integrate their solutions."
“Best Buy Health is driven by the belief that technology can make life better— at any age, for any need,” says Sara Aghvami, Director at Best Buy Health. “We are thrilled to work on the HealthTech Home project, and we believe it will provide a perfect example of how technology enriches lives and allows countless people to age in any place they call home.”
About The Brenda Strafford Foundation
The Brenda Strafford Foundation is a registered Canadian charitable organization established in 1975. The Foundation’s core operations are in seniors’ care, owning and operating five continuing care communities in and around Calgary, AB, and with a strategic focus on research and innovation in seniors’ health and wellness. The Foundation also operates local charitable programs to serve women and children fleeing domestic violence and families at risk of homelessness, as well as international charitable programs for vulnerable populations in need of health services in underserved regions of the Caribbean.
About Health Cities
Health Cities is a Canadian not-for-profit corporation that works with clinicians, innovators, philanthropic organizations, and companies to develop new models of care that can drive better health outcomes and economic growth in the health sector. Our focus is on transforming innovations from our health sector into solutions that have commercial application and global relevance, adopting them for impact locally and scaling them for export to global markets.
Visit healthcities.ca for more information.
About Best Buy Canada
A wholly owned subsidiary of Best Buy Co., Inc. (NYSE:BBY), Best Buy Canada Ltd. is one of Canada’s largest and most successful omnichannel retailers, operating the Best Buy, Best Buy Mobile, and Geek Squad (www.geeksquad.ca) brands. With over 160 Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile stores across Canada and an expanded assortment of lifestyle products offered through BestBuy.ca, Best Buy is a leader in total retail, catering to customers how, when, and where they want to shop. Best Buy Canada is committed to making a positive impact in the community by providing services and technology that help caregivers, enhance digital skills, and expand the reach of businesses that specialize in care.
For more information, visit BestBuy.ca.
Contacts
Media Inquiries:
Health Cities
Stephanie Gillis-Paulgaard
Email: media@healthcities.ca
Phone: 780-885-0458
The Brenda Strafford Foundation
Julie Arnold
Email: julie.arnold@theBSF.ca
Phone: 403-536-8682
Best Buy Canada
Mathew Wilson – Communications Specialist
Email: media@bestbuycanada.ca
Phone: 604-809-3416
Highlights from our VRARA Retail Forum 2022: We had 1249 attendees from 69 countries. Top Speakers and Sessions.
Goldman Sachs reported the Metaverse is estimated to be a $12 trillion opportunity. Our Retail Forum showcased how much commerce is part of this! Thank you to all the speakers, attendees, and sponsors!
Let’s continue the conversions! Join our weekly Online Meets and see you in Madeira, Portugal for our Immerse Global Summit Sept 28-30!
Highlights from our Retail Forum:
According to JP Morgan, direct-to-avatar sales of virtual goods have amassed a $54 billion market. Gucci sold a digital version of its Dionysus bag for $4,115 –more than the price of the physical item itself. Technology research and consulting firm Gartner, Inc. has predicted 25% of consumers in the U.S. will spend one hour daily in the metaverse shopping, socializing, being entertained and learning by the year 2026. According to McKinsey’s and Company, marketers and the metaverse represent an opportunity to engage consumers in entirely new ways while pushing internal capabilities and brand innovation in new directions. Now is the right time to adopt a test-and-learn mindset, to be open to experiments in the metaverse, and to move on quickly from failure and capitalize on success.
Event Sponsors
Thank you Marxent , Mixtiles , and ZERO10 for sponsoring our event!
JOBS AND SKILLS OF THE FUTURE: MIAT LAUNCHES TWO NEW MASTERCLASSES TO ANSWER THE MARKET DEMAND
In an extremely dynamic and constantly evolving market, brands and companies are increasingly oriented towards innovation, driven by the spread of emerging technologies and metaverse.
Nevertheless, there are very few courses that offer training in integrated and transversal skills of this type to professionals and artists.
For this reason, MIAT is launching two new on-site Masterclasses in the MIAT Academy: “XR Optics” with Meta and “Live Performance in the Metaverse” in order to help professionals in to answer the call of immersive technologies and the Metaverse and meet the demand of this fast growing markets.
XR OPTICS MASTERCLASS
In the span of about a decade, companies like Apple, Meta, Google, Microsoft, Samsung, Sony, Huawei have opened VR/MR divisions, acquired companies and hired thousands of engineers and PhDs in the field of optics to enable this technology leap.
To help engineers and scientific profiles having a competitive advantage in the job Market, MIAT is launching Masterclass with META on XR Optics, led by Dr. Giuseppe Calafiore - Manager responsible for the XR optics at META Reality Labs, who with his team is responsible for the design and implementation of all MR smart glasses and in VR for Meta around the world.
The Masterclass, will be held in Milan from 12 to 16 December 2022, aimed at providing highly specialised professionals (engineers and scientific profiles) with an overview of the fundamentals of optics for virtual reality and mixed reality devices.
The core of the course will focus on advanced and proprietary MATLAB scripts for the design of Mixed Reality (MR) devices. This type of profile is in great demand at international level and there are currently no courses of this kind available in the world.
Link to the Masterclass: https://www.miat.tech/courses/xr-optics-masterclass-bootcamp/Link to the Masterclass: https://www.miat.tech/courses/xr-optics-masterclass-bootcamp/
LIVE PERFORMANCE IN THE METAVERSE
The metaverse increasingly requires the ability to conceive, design and realise essential practical skills in live performances through collaborative and practical experimentation.
The unique international “Live Performance in the Metaverse Masterclass” will take place on 18, 19 and 20 November and on 25 and 26 November full time.
During the Masterclass, led by António Baía Reis - Ph. D in Immersive Media, Professor in Digital Media, Co-founder and Stage Director of Cuarta Pared VR, Professional Actor and Digital Artist, participants will also operate in a virtual world through VR headsets with an artistic crew connected from Spain. They will acquire specialised knowledge and practical skills that will allow them to have a kit of conceptual and practical tools to conceive, design, plan and implement any metaverse project that needs know-how for live performance. The output will be the realisation of a prototype for a live performance project for the metaverse that participants will present on the last day of the masterclass to a jury of international experts
• Jorge Esteban Blein: Co-founder & VR Creative Director in La Cuarta Pared VR, Academy Coordinator & Mentor at Virtual Voyager academy, Metaverse theatre, Ph.D.
• Mark Ashmore: Founder Future Artists, 3rd Year PhD Researcher Immersive Arts, Twitch Producer, Live Event Producer.
Link to the Masterclass: https://www.miat.tech/courses/live-performance-in-the-metaverse masterclass-bootcamp/
Here some useful links:
https://www.miat.tech/the-institute-for-arts-and-emerging-technologies/
https://www.miat.tech/
ABOUT MIAT
MIAT is an educational and creative hub for immersive arts and emerging technologies, integrating an Immersive Academy with hands-on and practitioner-driven industry access training programs, alongside a full-service immersive production centre generating original immersive and metaverse experiences.
We are an international team of immersive storytellers, filmmakers, producers, XR developers, lead artists, animators, sound engineers, combining high artistic skills with a cutting-edge technological expertise delivering training programs in immersive storytelling, metaverse, directing, creative producing, filmmaking, VR shooting, XR art, interactive emerging technologies applications. We love to strengthen the talents of the future and create together high-end original immersive experiences for artistic expression and social impact.
MIAT s.r.l. Via Carlo Freguglia, 10 - MIlan . www.miat.tech . miat@miat.tech . miatsrl@smart-cert.it Registro Imprese di Milano Cod. Fisc. e P.IVA 10581970968 . REA MI - 2543408
Stop by the Lenovo booth at our Immerse Global Summit in Madeira Island, Portugal, Sept 28-30
Lenovo ThinkReality offers an extensive portfolio of XR solutions because enterprises are looking for an easier pathway to scale into the Metaverse.
Hardware and software will always be critical to the future of successful XR projects, but they are still only part of a solution. Services are going to be a major differentiator in our nascent industry. Why? Because speed-to-solution is going to separate firms that accelerate in this new business reality from the rest of the pack.
Lenovo, a trusted global enterprise technology leader, not only offers XR hardware and software, but also end-to-end services to help customers quickly realize the return on their investments. Lenovo helps enable enterprises by delivering immersive digital transformation solutions that span across engineering design and modeling, maintenance and repair, remote collaboration, worker safety and training, and much more.
Stop by our booth at the Immerse Global Summit in Madeira Island, Portugal September 28-30 and speak with Lenovo experts about how we can help your business transform and grow in the Metaverse.
Sanovo finds the perfect solution to maintaining machines
As international airspace quietened down due to the Covid-19 pandemic, local businesses proceeded as normal. But international companies with production facilities spread across the globe were working under conditions that were far from ordinary.
The challenge: overcoming travel restrictions
With the ongoing pandemic, Sanovo was forced to adapt to offering its products and services under these new conditions. Their international clients were still in full operation, maintaining a high demand for the firm’s products and services.
The pandemic, and its subsequent travel restrictions, made it challenging for Sanovo to provide their customers with the correct support and accurate machine reparations without being physically present.
The solution: maintenance and repairs through remote support
The remote support solution, offered by SynergyXR, successfully overcame Sanovo’s challenge by delivering an easy-to-use platform that enabled their technicians to repair, and offer support, completely virtually.
For instance, the client’s plant technician (located anywhere in the world) simply places their HoloLens on, and the support technician, located in Denmark, can assist and support remotely, through their computer.
The support technicians, in Denmark, are able to share 3D content such as instruction diagrams, manuals, and other documentation to help facilitate reparation. The physical actions are executed by the plant technician on location.
The plant technician can manipulate this content with their hands and follow instructions in real-time, while the support technician digitally “looks over their shoulder”.
The result: reduced downtime from 2 days to 2 hours
From two days to just a few hours. That’s how quickly this new solution lets Sanovo repair machines remotely. What was previously a laborious affair that required grueling international travel, often to remote areas, can now be remedied from Denmark in just a few hours.
The successful solution has the potential to profoundly reduce Sanovo’s time and costs spent on traveling to onsite locations, as well as improving productivity. The idea of being able to support a global fleet of machinery from a single base is now becoming a reality. And the reduced travel, says Olaf, “has the added benefit of helping us reduce our carbon footprint”, a goal that the company was already working towards.
Cognitive3D, a Spatial Analytics Platform for 3D Apps, Raises a $2.5M Seed Funding
Cognitive3D uses spatial analytics to help analyze user experiences within 3D simulated environments
VANCOUVER, CANADA: SEPTEMBER 8TH, 2022 - Cognitive3D, the spatial analytics platform that collates and measures how users behave within immersive 3D environments, has raised a $2.5M Series Seed round led by Konvoy, with participation from Space Capital and Boost VC.
Jim Preston, Lead Technical Producer at Electronic Arts (EA), with over 20 years of experience in cutting-edge frontier technology and video games, and Konvoy Principal Taylor Hurst will be joining Cognitive3D’s board.
Cognitive3D uses immersive technology to help provide an innovative way of researching consumer behavior within a 3D extended reality (XR) setting. As users move from content consumption through 2D web and mobile platforms, towards a more interactive content participation in 3D apps, Cognitive3D provides the ability to understand what happens within a 3D space, including how users interact with objects in the chosen environment.
With user experiences and metrics changing through the advancement of 3D apps, traditional analytics tools are becoming less efficient as organizations are struggling to gain important user insights within XR environments. As a result, Cognitive3D identified a unique opportunity through collecting spatial intelligence by leveraging virtual, augmented, and mixed reality devices as means for data collection.
This approach of using spatial analytics to carry out user research and collate essential data enables organizations to understand consumer behavior through a unique quantitatively measured platform. This includes showing where users look and how they engage with the 3D environment; how they navigate and where they spend the most time; and specific events that happen, such as users taking off their headsets which could indicate that they got stuck in an immersive 3D experience.
Through the launch of a freemium offering, the company is constructing industry standard benchmarks for application performance that evaluates telemetry from XR devices. These benchmarks provide baselines for a participant’s comfort, presence and performance, and provides insight into where developers should spend their time in app optimization, and how their app compares against other apps in their category.
Vancouver-based Cognitive3D was founded in 2015 by CEO Tony Bevilacqua, and since launching has built a team of nine, all based in Canada, with the aim of doubling the headcount over the next 18 months. The latest seed round brings Cognitive3D’s total funding amount to date to $3.5M.
Cognitive3D Founder and CEO Tony Bevilacqua comments: “The interest and use of 3D applications is on the rise as it creates a simulated environment that can fully immerse users and be easily adapted and improved. As with all platforms there needs to be a way of assessing its effectiveness and efficiency, and this is where Cognitive3D’s innovative and unique methods come in. Our way of testing and assessing user experiences within 3D environments allows those building and creating them the ability to see what works and how their applications can be enhanced.”
Taylor Hurst, Principal at Konvoy, adds: “Cognitive3D’s ability to collect and measure spatial data to bring visibility to user participation, and help organizations optimize their games and apps is a game changer for all of those involved in creating immersive 3D environments. From training simulations, to consumer and academic research, and entertainment, the adoption of immersive 3D applications is increasing exponentially, and Cognitive3D is poised to be the market leader in this new category of spatial analytics.”
About Cognitive3D
Cognitive3D is a spatial analytics platform that collates and measures how users behave within immersive 3D environments. Vancouver-based Cognitive3D was founded in 2015 by CEO Tony Bevilacqua, and since launching has built a team of nine, all based in Canada, with the aim of doubling the headcount over the next 18 months. Cognitive3D has to-date raised $3.5M and is backed by Konvoy, Space Capital, Boost VC, and HTC Vive.
About Konvoy
Denver-headquartered Konvoy (www.konvoy.vc) is an early-stage investment firm that invests at the frontier of gaming. With the launch of its latest fund, Konvoy Fund III, it will have $270M under management. Konvoy’s portfolio consists of 33 companies which have collectively raised $450M in follow-on funding. Founded by Managing Partners Josh Chapman, Jason Chapman, and Jackson Vaughan, Konvoy currently employs six investment team members and a Head of Platform.
For media enquiries please contact Nick Mouton at Nara Communications
nick.mouton@naracommunications.com
Catherine D. Henry Appointed as President of LA Chapter
We are excited to announce Catherine D. Henry as our LA Chapter President. A renowned global leader in the Metaverse and Web3 media and technology, Catherine is a strategic advisor to Boards and executive management teams, shaping how the world’s most successful companies will enter, market and monetize this new media landscape. She has developed successful branded AR experiences, VR films and documentaries and the first Awards Show in the Metaverse.
“I am honored to lead the VRARA in Los Angeles as Chapter President and Industry vertical lead for Entertainment. As a leader in Metaverse and Web3 media and technology, I bring extensive experience as a strategic advisor to Boards and executive management teams, helping craft how the world’s most successful brands identify will enter, market and monetize the new media landscape. I am excited to help grow awareness of the possibilities of this medium for entertainment, enterprise, education and research by driving discourse and thought leadership in this emerging and important space. Please feel free to connect with me as we begin to build our agenda for 2023!”
With an MBA in Marketing and MA in Economics, Catherine D. Henry brings over 20 years experience as an institutional advisor on frontier technologies in investment banking, and driving thought leadership on global megatrends. She is a futurist, a keynote speaker and the author of a forthcoming book about GenZ and Web3. Catherine was recently awarded Campaign magazine’s top 40 executives in media for 2022-2023.
She currently sits on the board of advisors for the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), The SXSW advisory board (2023) and is Chapter President of the VRAR Association of Los Angeles.
Plover Animation partners with i-Create!
Plover Animation is excited to announce our latest partnership with i-Create LLC!
i-Create LLC is a narrative and diverse brand licensed across NFTs, Gaming, and IRL retail.
Here are some interesting facts about them:
The founders, John and Steve Campanella, are brothers
i-Create LLC (formally known as i-Create International, Inc). who has been licensing and distributing its original, fashionable, colorful and fun content since January 1996 (pre-launched in late 1995). They were one of the first to offer originally-created, digitally born assets, as a licensed brand.
Their licensed assets have been on hundreds of category products, including international mobile distribution, and especially apparel in multiple mid, mass, value, upper and specialty retailers across the US.
They master trends with creative derivatives and concepts, all by utilizing their ownership to thousands of copyrighted assets.
Home to over 100,000 Digital Art Licensed Assets Combined for eCommerce Goods, Gaming, NFTs, P2E and Mobile.
They are the creators of the NFT collection Joe Ravioli, which has sold over 30K and will launch 60K in the future. Plover Animation will partner with them to create animations and art for this IP!
Check out the story and collection of the "cheesiest imPasta" at: joeravioli.io
Design Interactive Partners with American Diesel Training Centers to Bring Augmented Reality Training to Trucking and Transportation
ORLANDO – Design Interactive (DI), creators of the XRMentor™ training platform, announced its partnership with the industry-leading maintenance experts at American Diesel Training Centers (ADTC) to create and deliver instructor-led training and self-guided procedure modules to the trucking and transportation market.
XRMentor™ is an instructor-led training and self-guided procedure platform enhanced by augmented reality. Together, DI and ADTC will create instructor-led training modules and self-guided procedures for customer delivery using XRMentor™. Further, ADTC will offer live training courses to customers using XRMentor™’s instructor-led training feature ClassroomXR™ reducing the need for trainees to travel for onsite training that could be done remotely.
“We are excited to work with the team at ADTC”, says Matt Johnston, Director of Commercial Solutions for DI. “With their help we will address two big pain points. First, some firms need help to create and deliver training and secondly, it is expensive to travel for training, not to mention the lost productivity when employees are on the road. The relationship with ADTC means we can offer training content out of the box and save clients time and money with ADTC leading remote learning sessions”.
According to Aaron Picozzi, President of ADTC, XRMentor™ is an excellent fit with their vision. “We see XRMentor™ as a great fit with how we plan to grow and better support our partners and graduates, long term. Today, we train entry-level technicians to be value-added contributors on day one. With XRMentor™ we can maintain a long-term relationship with our students and support their career progression”.
XRMentor™ includes the following features
• ClassroomXR™ - instructor-led training, live streamed training enhanced by augmented reality
• Self-Guided Procedures – Step-by-step how-to guides for refresher training or use as job aids
• Remote Collaboration – 1:1 video collaboration between experts and remote employees
• Authoring Platform – A no-code, easy to use, website to create training modules
XRMentor™ enables organizations to rapidly create and share content such as how-to videos to remote employees at the click of a button. According to Picozzi, this helps ADTC support the philanthropic elements of their business. “The instructor-led feature allows us to record our live, hands-on demonstrations. We can then share that video with our former students. It will enable us to continue to help drive career advancement, and individual income growth of our graduates beyond the entry-level training we currently provide.”
About Design Interactive and XRMentor™ - Design Interactive Inc is a small, woman owned business with headquarters in Orlando, Florida. Founded in 1998, DI are experts in human performance and the development of augmented and virtual reality training. DI has delivered augmented and virtual reality training solutions for various customers in the trucking and transportation industry, utility, manufacturing, healthcare sectors and within the United States Department of Defense.
About American Diesel Training Centers - ADTC was founded in 2017 to address a nationwide diesel technician shortage and help American workers in low-wage jobs transition into sustainable careers. The program significantly cuts down the cost and time typically required for learners to become diesel technicians. ADTC launched its first class in July of 2017 and produced more than 2,000 entry-level diesel mechanics, who work for companies all across the United States. ADTC now works with more than 250 transportation and trucking companies.
Dynepic Awarded $1.7M Contract to Develop Multiplayer Services on MOTAR
New capability will provide critical infrastructure to power teamwork across USAF’s immersive training applications
Dynepic® has signed a $1.7M Tactical Funding Increase (TACFI) contract to level up its secure DX platform - whitelabeled as MOTAR® (Member, Operations, Training, Analytics, Reports) for the United States Air Force (USAF) - and bring multiplayer learning to its Virtual Reality (VR) users.
This news comes just weeks after Dynepic announced its acquisition of SurrealVR, a pioneer in platform agnostic VR that helped lay the groundwork for immersive collaboration in the Metaverse.
“Dynepic is stoked to bring multiplayer services to MOTAR so the US Air Force can train together in XR applications!” said Dynepic Co-Founder and CEO, Krissa Watry. “This new service will be integrated into the MOTAR APIs and Unity SDK to enable the Ecosystem to efficiently create and deliver multiplayer experiences.”
The TACFI contract was awarded by AFWERX, the innovation arm of USAF, through which Dynepic got its start with USAF in 2019 after winning its Mixed Reality Platform Challenge. Since then, MOTAR has been named a requirement across the organization and proven to be critical in supporting today’s Multi Capable Airman.
Capt. Paulina Morales, who serves as Dir. of Operations at AETC A9 Detachment 23 and whose leadership has been integral to the adoption of MOTAR, championed Dynepic’s TACFI effort.
“We have explored how the DX platform’s capabilities could potentially impact us across a wide spectrum of USAF training, including observation of how multi-player services can expand our ability to execute collaborative learning,” Morales said. “The partnership with Dynepic and all the ecosystem’s vendors will create a learning environment that enables us to work as a team, make mistakes and learn in a realistic but safe environment.”
Over the next year, Dynepic will build new APIs within MOTAR that will allow its ecosystem of 30+ vendors to plug in and provide VR learning opportunities for Airmen with real-life scenarios to prepare them for the frontlines. Vendors using the MOTAR platform can leverage this new service with their existing applications and immediately provide multiplayer experiences within their training products! For those who already offer multiplayer in their training applications, integrating with this new MOTAR service will help accelerate the ATO process. The move will save significant time, money, and effort for USAF’s MOTAR users and vendors.
“It's a huge step toward our ultimate goal of providing the right capabilities that enable people to level up their skills, learning, and knowledge,” said Arthur Goikhman, Dynepic’s Sr. VP of XR Innovation. “Having multiplayer built into the core of our secure DX platform will benefit collaborative training efforts across military, corporate, and educational environments.”
Press Inquiries: shanti@dynepic.com, 206.465.7422
IGS Europe 2022 to Rally XR at Madeira’s Savoy Palace
Post by Demond Cureton originally appearing on XRtoday.com.
The ongoing bid to unite the virtual, augmented, mixed, and extended reality (VR/AR/MR/XR) sectors requires significant joint efforts to develop novel solutions, technologies, platforms, and standards.
Organisations such as the VR/AR Association have responded to the demands of a rapidly changing tech sector since 2015 by providing a platform capable of facilitating such transformative development.
Nathan Pettyjohn, Founder and CEO of the Immerse Growth Network and Founder and President of the VR/AR Association (VRARA), discussed with XR Today the Immerse Global Summit 2022 Europe, an industry-leading event set to take place in Madeira Island, Portugal, which will allow tech firms to showcase their efforts to reach such a milestone.
Paradise Hosts the IGS 2022 Europe
When asked what the Summit had to offer compared to previous ones, Pettyjohn explained how the conference aimed to unite the industry by helping attendees “learn and be inspired” with new technologies capable of advancing their businesses.
According to the executive, he said that the President of Madeira Island and its Government had supported the VRARA amid efforts to attract new technology firms and talent to the region, which currently hosts over 2.5 million tourists annually and hosts 250,000 residents.
Explaining further, Pettyjohn said,
“They’re very advanced in terms of technology and incentivizing companies to come and set up there [in Madeira], which was a beautiful [place], especially coming out of [the pandemic] the last few years”
Pettyjohn also stated the event expected roughly 500 people for a more intimate setting, covering both small and medium enterprises (SMEs) along with multinational tech giants.
Great Expectations
When asked what he expected from the IGS 2022 Europe, he stated this year’s iteration would be much different than previous ones, namely as the organisation had pulled in “a lot broader collection of technologies” related to the Metaverse, VR, AR, blockchain, and non-fungible token (NFTs) firms.
He added such additions were “very critical going forward for decentralised computing,” adding the “increased value propositions of digital assets are creating a very strong need for this.”
Explaining further, he said the NFT ecosystem had significantly grown, adding,
“We have some really cool companies coming in that are going to have some NFT collections on display, but they’re also going to be talking about how they fit into business legitimately for enterprise, for gaming, for entertainment”
The conference’s overall theme, ‘Inspiration Delivered’ aimed to allow attendees to “step out of their comfort zone” and expand their knowledge in emerging technologies, he said, adding: “If you’re in gaming, we want you to come and learn from what Unity is doing with digital twins, aerospace, [and so on].
The event will also feature a theatre for immersive experiences near the Savoy Palace, a five-star resort hosting providing accommodation for attendees.
Conference A-List Attendees
When asked about some of the biggest firms exhibiting at the conference, he stated Maria Pace, Google’s Head of XR, Hardware, Global Partnerships, and Strategies and Lisa Watts, Vice-President of Magic Leap would join the event along with many other top executives.
Executives for Nokia, including Leslie Shannon, Head of Ecosystem and Trend Scouting, would also leverage the firm’s metaverse and networking ecosystem technologies.
Other multinationals such as Adidas’ Runtastic division and Mojo Vision, the groundbreaking tech firm developing wearable AR contact lenses, were set to attend.
Massive tech enterprises such as Lenovo, Sony, Deutsche Telekom, and Vodafone all planned to discuss their respective tech ecosystems, namely in 5G, networking, and metaverse infrastructure.
Pettyjohn noted,
“[Vodafone] has got a whole division that’s already working on blockchain technologies, so very, very cool stuff that’s happening. I think that all of these companies are contributing in their own unique way, and these are the trailblazers that are literally setting the stage for this whole next wave of technology”
The IGS 2022 Europe will take place from 28 to 30 September at the Savoy Palace in Funchal, Madeira Island in Portugal. The event aims to step up efforts to rally the global tech industry around immersive and emerging technologies changing the sector, and will host a huge roster of panel discussions, workshops, events, and exhibitions along with networking opportunities and keynote speeches.
Some of the world’s top metaverse firms, including Accenture, Unity Technologies, KIT-AR, Qualcomm, EY, HTC VIVE, Meta Platforms, Adobe, VNCCII, EndeavorVR, Virtualware, and many others will exhibit the latest in their immersive technologies at the celebrated expo, which represents the global XR industry and its collaborative efforts to develop an interoperable ecosystem of immersive solutions.
To register and for more information, kindly visit the event’s website.
The Meta Park Pass Launching This Month Can Identify Real Users In Web3
Release Originally Appearing on Benzinga.com
The future of the video gaming industry could be shaped by Play to Earn games (P2E) built on blockchain technology. Learn about P2E games and why they might disrupt the traditional gaming business model.
Blockchain-based virtual reality interactive platform Aftermath Islands Metaverse, along with Liquid Avatar Technologies, is launching a Meta Park Pass, a digital identity credential that allows users to prove themselves as a real person without disclosing personal information.
Liquid Avatar Technologies is a blockchain and fintech solutions company focused on digital identity, integrated avatars and the metaverse.
The Web3-based digital identity credential can be used for any website, gaming platform, eCommerce site and other online platforms, the companies said Thursday.
The Meta Park Pass is expected to launch in mid-to-late September.
Aftermath Islands Metaverse Is First To Use Meta Park Pass
Aftermath Islands Metaverse said it will be the first entity to use the Meta Park Pass, which can be used at all participating metaverses or platforms without having to create new credentials.
The pass uses a scannable QR code to sign in along with a user’s biometrics, eliminating the need for usernames and passwords and potentially reducing the opportunity for fraud.
Meta Park Pass Aims To Improve Social Engagement, Reduce Costs
“Web3 and the Metaverse give us an opportunity to reset some of the deficiencies that we've come to just accept. With the Meta Park Pass we can create assurances, increasing safety, and privacy and reducing fraud for all,” David Lucatch, managing director of Aftermath Islands, told Benzinga.
He added that higher levels of assurance can be created to ensure people who are being engaged with are real in the absence of personal data.
Knowing that participants are not bots can improve engagement and reduce costs, increasing value in the ecosystem, Lucatch said.
In a press release, the company said the Liquid Avatar mobile app and Meta Park Pass support the migration from Web2 to Web3 and make it simple for users to engage with a partner website, Metaverse, or a platform.
By scanning a QR code or activating through a mobile URL, the user is prompted through their mobile device to accept the credential request and to verify that request with their biometrics.
The verified credential will be passed to the site or platform and facilitate a login for the user.
“Liquid Avatar Technologies mission is to usher in Web3 technologies that give the power back to the individuals. Our tools empower people to own, manage and control their identity and digital footprint,” said RJ Reiser, chief information officer of Liquid Avatar Technologies Inc.
“Aftermath Islands’ Metaverse is an ideal showcase for our Meta Park Pass which will allow users to prove that they’re real people and allow businesses and partners a higher level of assurance in their marketing and promotional activities, potentially creating more value for everyone,” he said.
Antonio Quintella Appointed as President of Brazil Chapter
We are so excited to announce Antonio Quintella as our Brazil Chapter President. "I sincerely thank the association for giving me the privilege to head the Brazil chapter of the VR/AR association. I will bring to my position a well-established community of innovation in the metaverse and virtual reality space across Brazil."
Antonio Quintella is a vascular surgeon in Brazil. He started his career as a resident in the cardiovascular surgery department which spanned from 2002 - 2006 and has an MSc. in Medical Science in 2018.
Antonio has established his reputation as a surgeon. He is Board-certified in Vascular and Endovascular Surgery by the Brazilian Society of Angiology and Vascular Surgery. He is currently the coordinator of vascular surgery and also the coordinator of the vascular surgery residency program at Rede Mater Dei de Saude, Brazil.
Antonio is a futurist and passionate about health technology, especially the use of VR/AR in healthcare services. This eventually led him to found Ibyhealth, an emerging digital health and extended reality company that offers virtual health services to everyone from anywhere in the world.
He believes health should be available for all and he is working towards achieving a health-for-all-world. You can contact him at brazil@thevrara.com.
SynergyXR introduces new Creators Club for XR enthusiasts
Are you excited by the Metaverse? Join an exclusive community of XR creators and help define how the Metaverse unfolds!
Designed to equip content creators with cutting-edge tools and explore everything XR, the SynergyXR Creators Club is your golden opportunity to experience Extended Reality and help set the standards for the Metaverse.
As a member of the Creators Club, you get a front-row seat to the XR industry alongside other creators and professionals invested in the Metaverse, with whom you can easily connect and share ideas in real time.
All club members get the following perks:
- Your personal XR workspace and VIP access on the SynergyXR platform
- Exclusive creator events with free merch, speaking- and networking opportunities
- Creator competitions with a chance to win awesome prizes
- Unlimited storage on an enterprise-grade cloud platform
Who we’re looking for
The Creators Club is a free-to-join community partnership that puts XR tools and an industry network in the hands of content creators. That’s why we want the most unique and creative people on the platform to blaze the trail and help grow the XR industry, which we measure by the following profile descriptions:
- XR enthusiasts seeking exposure to the industry and opportunities to engage with a dedicated XR community.
- Creators and 3D designers who want to upload their creations within a secure space and invite others at their discretion.
If your profile matches these criteria, we encourage you to apply today at: https://synergyxr.com/creators-club/
