VR Voyaging, a news and review site focused on travel and cultural heritage, has joined the Virtual Reality Augmented Reality Association (VRARA) through the Seattle Chapter.
VR Voyaging focuses on non-gaming uses of virtual reality, especially immersive experiences that are interactive, educational, and culturally enriching. They publish articles about how VR works, thoughts about the current and future state of the technology, and interviews with creators in the field. They also maintain a database of nearly 200 VR applications that align with their focus, many with in-depth reviews. Finally, the site also keeps track of real-world exhibits and events that feature VR at museums and other venues. They are especially proud of their use of Google Maps technology to show the real-world places that are recreated in the apps they catalog and review.
Arian Kulp, founder of VR Voyaging, said, “There's a common view that VR is mostly for gaming and niche training applications. I think that if more people were aware of the immense opportunities to learn about our world through immersive experiences, adoption would increase by leaps and bounds as entirely new segments of people saw the value.” In addition to joining VRARA, Kulp is a former Microsoft MVP, has served as the director of K-12 STEM program the Oregon Game Project Challenge in the past, and has extensive experience with software development in the field of healthcare.
ABOUT VR VOYAGING:
VR VOYAGING is a media web site specializing in articles, reviews, and events relating to travel and cultural applications of virtual reality.
For more information about this topic, please visit https://www.vrvoyaging.com/about-contact or contact arian@vrvoyaging.com.
VRARA Seattle Chapter Event Recaps and Updates
April AND May have been packed with the first in-person events since March 2020. Don’t miss the upcoming event on May 11 at the Expansive, keep reading to learn more.
Seattle Chapter in-person at last!
We had a successful reactivation of in-person events for the Seattle Chapter on April 20 with a hands-on user-test party of the Seattle Time-travel Adventure Tour, currently in beta and coming to the App Store soon. In true Seattle fashion, in 45-degree rainy weather, the team of Fair Worlds walk small groups of attendees through the experience. Thank you Erik Horn, Todd Little and Jordan Kellogg for walking and sharing your stories with all of us. Joe Gabriel and Trond Nilsen thanks for joining.
And to the chapter advisors Dan Collin and Boaz Ashkenazy for stopping by and sharing the wet cold memorable experience with all of us, thank you so much.
Here are some photos of the Seattle Center Time-Travel tour we so much enjoyed.
Virtual Event HOW TO CHOOSE A SOCIAL VR PLATFORM FOR YOUR EVENT – April 27 recap
It was great to see so many of you for our virtual event last week: How To Choose a Social VR Platform For Your Event presented by Drew Stone of Locusium. It was chock-full of great questions (and answers!) such as: why even hold an event in VR? Drew walked us through the advantages and challenges as well as the ever growing social VR platform landscape. Keep an eye out for more programming on this topic. Drew will be returning for hands-on, in-VR training sessions for several platforms.
If you were not able to attend the discussion live, you can find the recording on the VRARA Youtube channel here.
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Drum roll please! – in-person with Snap Inc – May 11
BattAR up: from VR to AR. Join us on May 11, 6-8 pm, IN-PERSON for Snap To It: AR Beyond Snapchat, at Expansive 's gorgeous office space in Pioneer Square and AV and music provided by Wunderland Events.
This AR fest will be full of demos and lively conversation with Snap Inc's Global Head of AR Developer Relations, Joe Darko, and Global Head of Learning, Stacey Long-Genovese PhD. Get the latest news on how Snap is breaking out of the Snapchat eco-system with AR mirrors and their AR SDK for iOS, Android, and now web. Local Seattle Snap Lens Network Partners Novaby AR Studio and DB Creations will demo some of Snap's latest and cutting-edge effects including games, landmarker lenses, real-world physics, and Spectacles.
Roberto Haza, Founder of Xtended Reality Advisory and VRARA Seattle Chapter President, and Julia Beabout, CEO of Novaby AR Studio and VRARA Seattle EVP of Partnerships and Community, are excited to host and share with the community why Snap is widely considered to be among the best and most innovative AR technologies on the market today. There will be fun, merriment, and info for all including AR/VR creators, developers, enthusiasts, and customers alike.
Register for our next event: Snap To It: AR Beyond Snapchat
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Many more events lined up for the rest of 2023. From big data for good, to the very first regional event in partnership with the VRARA Vancouver Chapter, to unique opportunities available only to VRARA members later in the year.
We are looking forward to seeing all of you. Join and grow being part of the VRARA community in Seattle. Submit your inquiry here https://www.thevrara.com/membership-details
Reality+'s Cinematic VR Piece "The Werewolf Experience" to be Featured @ Cannes!
Reality+'s Cinematic VR Piece "The Werewolf Experience" to be featured in the Fantastic Pavilion at the Cannes Film Festival and Market. On display from May 16th-24th Reality+ and Belgium production company The Pack will share a booth and exhibition of their work in the Rivera pavilion booth J1.
"Such an amazing opportunity to showcase our piece at the grandest festival and market in the world," said Christopher Morrison the founder of Reality+ and the director of the piece. "Showcasing narrative VR is a tough sell and we're thrilled that the awesome people behind the Fantastic Pavilion allowed us space for a narrative VR piece."
The Werewolf Experience is a branching narrative where the user plays as a werewolf running through 1850's gold rush California. The user is trying to catch the holy white stag in order to cure themselves of their lycanthropy but the townspeople know your secret and are chasing you while you chase the stag. The Werewolf Experience also features a unique immersive element... the user must use their own voice to howl like a wolf in order to trigger the branches in the story. Their decisions lead to one of three endings.
See you in Cannes!
Cybersecurity Assurance Readiness (CSAR) Prepare Tool Launches to Accelerate the Path to ATO Approval for DoD Vendors
Ingalls Information Security’s Government Programs Team is thrilled to announce the launch of Cybersecurity Assurance Readiness (CSAR) Prepare, a software automation tool that streamlines and simplifies the path to Authorization to Operate (ATO) approval. Launched today, “CSAR Prepare” is the first prototype and Minimum Viable Product (MVP) available for use and it supports the Prepare and Categorize System steps of the Risk Management Framework (RMF). Lowering the barrier to Assessment & Authorization (A&A) entry and acting as a precursor to eMASS, CSAR Prepare accelerates the RMF Prepare Step, automating AF mandatory ATO forms, and enabling users to keep pace with RMF requirements.
Ingalls understands the unique challenges surrounding the DoD ATO process, which is why the Government Programs Team developed CSAR with the long-term mission to help small businesses that don’t know how to start the A&A process get on the right track.
Ingalls won a USAF Simulators Innovation Pitch Day Competition in December 2020 to build a prototype tool for accelerating applications through the A&A process to achieve an ATO. After performing usability tests with the various training prototype applications, it was soon realized that CSAR had a broader, enterprise-wide use, not just for training applications, but for any application going through the A&A process.
Ingalls took the most frustrating and difficult part of the RMF process and automated it. In CSAR, AF mandatory forms such as the ITCSC, PIA, and PCIL are mapped so that you answer once, and it maps to many. The repeatable and sustainable A&A services in CSAR are much more scalable and responsive than traditional methods. The CSAR Prepare process can cut up to 20% of time creating complete and accurate forms, which leads to higher acceptance rate into the Authorizing Official workflow.
Admission Window for School of AI & Data Science Announced
School of AI and Data Science, IIT Jodhpur, India in collaboration with iHub Drishti Foundation, the Technology Innovation Hub (TIH) at IIT Jodhpur, India invites applications for admission to the part-time M.Tech. in Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality (AR & VR) for Working Professionals for the Semester commencing in session 2023-24. Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality has been emerging as a core technology with a significant impact on productivity. To cater to the immediate requirement of working manpower trained in emerging AR & VR technologies, IIT Jodhpur & TIH iHub Drishti Foundation, IIT Jodhpur offers a part-time M.Tech. Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality. It is designed to enable working professionals to pursue M.Tech in AR-VR Technologies as off-campus students with campus immersions not exceeding 15 days per semester.
a. Link to website: https://ihub-drishti.ai/mtecharvr/
b. Link to apply: https://oa.iitj.ac.in/OA_PG_ADMISSION/
c. The minimum duration of the programme will be two academic years.
d. Qualifying Degree: B.E./ B.Tech./M.Sc./MCA in any discipline.
e. "The programme will be conducted by faculties from different IITs and Industry experts"
f. Features of the Program:
● Impart in-depth knowledge and analytical and experimental research skills to solve AR & VR systems problems
● Provide knowledge of several tools for the design and modeling of AR & VR applications and immersive experiences
● Develop the ability to cultivate technological solutions for addressing the growing demands of AR & VR systems
g. Advertisement 𝐏𝐃𝐅: https://iitj.ac.in/uploaded_docs/3.%20Admission%20to%20%20M.Tech%20%20in%20Augmented%20Reality%20and%20Virtual%20Reality%20(AR%20&%20VR)%20for%20Working%20Professionals%20A.Y.%202023-24_05042023.pdf
h. Curriculum: https://iitj.ac.in/acad_website/pg_curriculum/Concept%20Note%20on%20M.Tech%20AR-VR%2014.6.2022.pdf
i. Youtube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxPHWCJgOH0
Last Date to apply: May 15, 2023
In case of any query with respect to the online application form, candidates may contact: Office of Automation (oa_automation@iitj.ac.in). Other general queries may be directed to the office of the School of AI and Data Science, IIT Jodhpur. (Email address: office_saide@iitj.ac.in or hr@ihub-drishti.ai)
Call for Sponsors: Nashville Chapter Launch Party
Doug Hohulin Appointed as Co-Chair for VR/AR Association's Generative AI Committee
We are thrilled to have Doug Hohulin help lead our community for Generative AI.
Doug brings extensive experience and expertise to the position, having worked for 33 years at Nokia/Motorola in Strategy, Business Development, Account Management, and Engineering roles. He is a Generative AI Consultant and Innovation Advisor and focuses on Generative AI, XR/Metaverse, Digital Health, Telehealth, Education, Telecommunication (5G/6G, WiFi, Cable/10G), Sustainability/Energy/Smart Grid, and Public Policy projects. Additionally, Doug frequently shares his knowledge on Generative AI through workshops, webinars, and panel discussions.
“I am excited to co-chair the AI committee because it provides an incredible opportunity to bring together professionals, researchers, and organizations to harness the immense potential of Generative AI in the XR domain. Together, we can innovate, collaborate, and drive the industry forward, paving the way for groundbreaking solutions that will reshape our digital experiences and interactions. The AI market is expected to reach $42.6 billion by the end of the year, growing at a compound annual rate of 32% to $98.1 billion by 2026, according to PWC/PitchBook Data Inc. This presents a significant business opportunity for those involved in Generative AI, and being part of this committee will enable members to stay at the forefront of this rapidly evolving industry, leveraging insights and networking opportunities to drive success and growth.”
Revolutionizing pharma with VR
The pharmaceutical industry is on the brink of a technological revolution, and Virtual Reality is leading the charge. VR enhances employee education and training, optimizes data analysis, and streamlines collaboration and the presentation of research results. Pharmaceutical companies rely on skilled employees to ensure the safety and efficacy of medicines. VR provides an immersive learning experience and eliminates the risks and costs associated with real-world training.
Pharmaceutical companies generate huge amounts of data in connection with drug development and clinical trials. Virtual Reality speeds up processes in research and development. The immersive, interactive environments of VR enable three-dimensional analysis of complex data sets in real time.
Don't miss the benefits VR brings to the pharma industry! Download our whitepaper to learn more!
If you'd like to know more about VR and the Metaverse, schedule a meeting!
Brought to you by VRdirect.com.
UL8400 safety standards around immersive technologies for AR/VR/MR head-mounted electrical equipment
Exciting times for safety standards for VR/AR! Ibrahim Jilani takes us through UL Solutions continuing efforts in establishing UL8400 safety standards around immersive technologies to increase public safety of all VR/AR Association (VRARA) members as well as help manufacturers mitigate the unique safety risks associated with AR/VR/MR head-mounted electrical equipment. Listen to our interview with Ibrahim here.
See Ibrahim speak at our annual Enterprise & Training Forum on May 24.
Advances in 5G and Wi-Fi 6 technologies combined with more affordable and compact devices are driving rapid innovation and adoption of AR/VR/MR technology. However, there are safety hazards related to the use of an AR/VR/MR headset that need to be addressed. Particular aspects addressed by this standard include the means to reduce, as far as practicable, the effects of visually induced motion sickness, visual opacity (luminous transmittance, spectral transmittance, and relative visual attenuation quotient), flicker, skin compatibility, heat exposure to the eye, biomechanical stress, mechanical robustness, and optical occlusion to some extent (enhanced spatial perception).
VRARA recognizes UL Solutions as an organization whose mission is working for a safer world, and a global leader in safety, security, and sustainability. Several VR/AR Association members participated in the UL 8400 standard development, the world’s first safety standard dedicated to VR/AR/MR equipment. We want our members to have greatly reduced risk from injury from safety hazards related to VR/AR/MR equipment and support that all VR/AR/MR equipment demonstrate 3rd party certification by an OSHA National Recognized Testing Laboratory to UL 8400 and be certified 1 year after date of publication noted above.
We look forward to working with UL Solutions in advocating for safety that will help to advance the VR/AR/MR technology in a transparent way that the public, stakeholders & regulators can trust.
Regards,
Kris Kolo
VRARA
1140 people joined our Education Forum 2023 from 61 countries!
Our annual Education Forum 2023 was a full day event for immersive learning, VR/AR, and metaverse that brought together 70+ speakers and 1140 attendees from the academia and industry, including Harvard, Stanford, Meta, Google, Microsoft, Lenovo, Dell, Magic Leap, Unity, ArborXR, Full Sail, NYU, CMU, University of California, FIU, UCF, Univ College of London, and 100+ other schools and organizations.
To purchase access to video recordings, see here
Top countries and top sessions/speakers shown below:
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Some of the positive feedback we received includes:
Diversity of contents, time precision and great set of speakers.
The diversity of people and backgrounds in attendance
The vast amount of topics focused in XR for education and the speakers that gave specific examples of their work, and their approach towards XR implementation and challenges they solve.
I learned so much, it is hard to describe. Thank you to the speakers who were so informed and free with their knowledge and time. I am just blown away, thank you so much.
The connections and content were quite nice.
Plenty of networking time!
See our upcoming events here
Keen Research Announces Web Browser Support for their On-Device Speech Recognition Solution
Keen Research's latest offering, KeenASR for Web, provides on-device speech recognition for web-based applications. KeenASR SDK for Web is a JavaScript library that performs speech recognition locally ("offline") in the browser. KeenASR SDK already runs on iOS and Android platforms, including standalone AR/VR headsets, and the latest update now extends this support to browser-based applications. KeenASR's cross-platform capabilities make it a versatile solution for gaming, education, training, and frontline worker applications.
KeenASR stands out from cloud-based systems as it can perform speech recognition locally on the device without requiring an internet connection. This feature makes KeenASR particularly relevant for applications with limited internet connectivity or where users value privacy, security, scalability, and customization. This approach makes it a valuable tool for AR/VR applications, providing a seamless, responsive, and truly immersive user experience without the hiccups that can arise from spotty internet connectivity.
Find out more about KeenASR for Web on the Keen Research blog page: https://keenresearch.com/blog/keen_research/introducing-keenasr-for-web.html
Start building your headworn XR experiences with Snapdragon Spaces™ XR Developer Platform
Start building your headworn XR experiences with
Snapdragon Spaces™ XR Developer Platform
Snapdragon Spaces supports Open XR and offers SDKs for Unity and Unreal to help XR developers create immersive experiences.
Benefit from:
Positional & Orientation Tracking (6DOF)
Environmental Understanding (e.g., Plane Detection)
Local Anchors
Image Recognition and Tracking
Spatial Mapping and Meshing
Hand Tracking and more
The Snapdragon Spaces Dev Kit includes the Lenovo ThinkReality A3 AR glasses and the Motorola edge+ smartphone.
Snapdragon Spaces is a product of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries.
Hear from Qualcomm at our annual Enterprise Forum on May 24
Why TINT Is the Most Realistic Virtual Try-On Tool Ever
The lack of interactivity is a common complaint among online shoppers, with 47% citing it as their primary issue, according to Statista. To address this concern and boost sales in the cosmetics industry, virtual try-on technology has become increasingly popular.
The TINT Virtual Makeup Platform is an example of an advanced AR try-on tool that is highly realistic, making it difficult to distinguish from physical products. It creates impressive user experience and significantly improves sales (up to +300%), engagement (up to +500%), and average order value (up to +30%).
Banuba, a leading company in the augmented reality market, conducted makeup research on the three main factors that contribute to the realism of digital cosmetics, and incorporated all of them into the TINT platform.
These factors include pigmentation, accuracy, and color representation, which were identified through interviews with over 100 makeup artists.
Pigmentation.
This aspect covers the amount of colored particles per unit. It determines how cosmetics interact with the skin, as high-pigmentation products could entirely change its tone. TINT is the only virtual try-on platform that uses this parameter for digital products, which means it is also the most realistic.
Accuracy.
The AIs are good at detecting the general size and shape of the facial features, but can falter on their edges (e.g. in the corners of eyes). This can lead to virtual makeup being either smeared too far or not covering some parts of the face.
Color representation.
This includes both the base color of the product and how it is displayed when applied to people of all skin tones.
TINT also includes unique features such as automated seasonal color analysis, AI makeup recommendations, and quick digitization, which can significantly improve business metrics.
As a result, TINT can increase conversion rates by up to 300%, average order value by over 30%, and website engagement rates by more than 400%.
Full Sail Brings Tech Leaders Together for Central Florida Immersive Tech Summit
Full Sail University recently hosted the Central Florida Immersive Technology Summit, a collaborative conference featuring more than 100 speakers from some of the top tech companies in the Central Florida area.
The summit kicked off with a Women’s Breakfast, where high-achieving women in tech could network while enjoying coffee and refreshments. Several women took turns speaking to the group about the importance of leading and representing the next generation of female tech professionals.
“I don’t want to be a typical nurse. I don’t want to be a typical anything,” said Colonel Cheryl Lockhart as she told her story about making waves in the Air Force. “About a year and a half ago, we were able to bring in the Air Force’s first medical treatment facility [virtual reality] program.”
“Bringing women together and having this alliance between all these different women who are working in different industries in the technology space is very important for us,” shared Full Sail’s Education Director of Emerging Technologies Dr. Haifa Maamar.
Students and industry professionals also attended a Unity Developer Workshop. Several company heads, including Brady Moore, Cesium's Director of Mission Support, walked participants through best practices using Unity software. Their talks featured demos, insights into their decision-making, and opportunities to get hands-on with Unity.
“What's really important about the Unity workshop is that there is a ton of opportunity for anyone to access Unity, learn it, and then take their ideas to the next level. One of the biggest things that Unity is all about is democratizing development,” explained Full Sail graduate Caris Baker, a Senior Technical Artist with Unity Technologies and one of this year’s inductees into the Full Sail University Hall of Fame.
There were several opportunities to play with companies’ gear and technology at the summit.
Throughout the day, summit attendees could sit in on 30-minute talks held around campus. Speakers included John Cunningham, Head of Government and Aerospace at Unity, Carol Ann Logue, Director of Programs and Operations at the University of Central Florida, and Kevin Carpenter, General Manager at Siemens Energy.
“[The summit] is taking the people who are developing a lot of this technology and putting them in a room with people who are going to use it,” said Full Sail’s Education Director for Visual Arts Rick Ramsey. “It's exciting that people who provide technology are here at a school where we teach technology to the next generation that's going to be out there.”
Students could also attend the large career fair located in the Full Sail Live venue, which was held in partnership with the VR/AR Association of Central Florida. Several tech companies, including Magic Leap Inc., X-Force, and AVT Simulation, set up booths and welcomed students to come chat throughout the afternoon.
“Today’s in-person career fair is an opportunity to get to network and meet these employers who are looking to cultivate talent [in the Central Florida region]. Students couldn’t ask for a better situation to get started,” shared Full Sail’s Associate Director of Career Development Brad McDonald.
The Central Florida Immersive Technology Summit came to a close in the evening with an outdoor networking reception. Industry professionals and students gathered to socialize, exchange ideas, and celebrate a successful summit.
VIRTUALWARE INKS A €1.16M MULTI-YEAR AGREEMENT IN CENTRAL AMERICA TO INTRODUCE ITS VIROO PLATFORM IN LOCAL UNIVERSITIES.
Bilbao, April 11, 2023 – Spanish technology company Virtualware, one of the European leaders in the virtual reality industry, has signed a multi-year contract with Corporación Digital SA de CV under which the company will further introduce VIROO at the University of El Salvador.
The agreement is worth approximately €1.16 million. As a result of the contract, Virtualware guarantees the University of El Salvador the use of VIROO subscription plans for the next three years including the installation and maintenance of six additional VIROO VR rooms at different university campuses.
Corporacion Digital, a member of VIROO’s Partner Program, has been dedicated to the development of innovation projects in the area of ICT and Audiovisual in Central America for more than two decades. From its HQ in El Salvador, the company has been working in the Private, Academic, and Public sectors, looking for those unattended technology needs that impact on the new forms and trends of information processing.
“We are thrilled to bring our VIROO platform to the University of El Salvador and help improve the way people teach and learn. With VIROO, Central American teachers will have the ability to create and deploy virtual reality learning resources and activities autonomously, making the Virtual Reality-driven content creation process much simpler and valuable”Unai Extremo, Virtualware CEO & Founder
Virtualware’s flagship product VIROO, the world’s pioneering VR as a Service (VRaaS) platform, makes Virtual Reality accessible to companies and institutions of all sizes and sectors. It is an all-in-one digital solution that enables the development and deployment of multi-user Virtual Reality applications remotely.
“This multi-year agreement with Corporación Digital is a significant milestone for Virtualware as we continue to expand our reach and establish VIROO as the standard for developing industrial and educational Virtual Reality applications worldwide.”
adds Extremo
VIROO is already used by more than 40 companies and institutions worldwide including GE Hitachi, Ontario Power Generation, Gestamp, ADIF, the Spanish Ministry of Defense, El Retoño Technological University, and EAN University.
“We have found VIROO to be one of the most complete and adaptable solutions for the education and training needs that our region is beginning to demand. Through this agreement, we will improve the way many people teach and learn at the University of El Salvador”
Luís Segovía, Managing Director of Corporación Digital
The enterprise VR platform has been the backbone to develop strategic projects for defense ministries, critical infrastructure training projects, and innovative educational programs. VIROO aims to become the standard for developing industrial end educational Virtual Reality applications worldwide.
Founded in 2004, Virtualware is one of the pioneering companies in the field of Virtual Reality, where its team of more than 50 people has already developed more than 500 projects in more than 33 countries. It is headquartered in Bilbao, Spain, and has a North American office in Hamilton (Canada).
The corporation will go public on Euronext Paris on April 20 in a bell-ringing ceremony to be presided over by the company’s two founders, Unai Extremo, and Sergio Barrera. The listing will take place in the Access segment and follows a year and a half of preparation.
Euronext is the pan-European stock exchange that groups together the stock exchanges of Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels, Oslo, Milan, and Dublin.
Vivoka challenges the voice assistant giants with its offline solution
Paris, France. April 11, 2023.Written by Anaïs DAUFFER
Vivoka is announcing an NLU (Natural Language Understanding) technology that is as powerful as the cloud, but running in an embedded voice assistant. In doing so, Vivoka is challenging the biggest in voice technology such as Siri, Alexa or Google Assistant as the French company stands out for its ability to operate offline and thus advocate data protection and Green IT.
An almost human voice assistant?
The NLU (natural language understanding) allows voice assistants to understand any vocal command as long as the user’s intention is clear. Today, artificial intelligence pushes the limits of what is possible by allowing real interactions between humans and machines.
The voice assistant focuses on the intention and not on the words in particular. The machine, which learns from examples, will refine its understanding to interact more easily, quickly and widely with humans; this is called Machine Learning. Until now, embedded voice assistants have included predefined phrases and voice commands could not go outside of this framework.
“The current boundaries of embedded voice assistants lie in their limited ability to understand complex sentences. The NLU we’re working on will enable tomorrow’s assistants to not only perform as well as those available in the cloud, but also limit energy impact and protect our customers’ data.” said William Simonin, Vivoka’s co-founder and CEO.
The particularity of Vivoka, since the creation of its VDK (Voice Development Kit), is the fact that everything is offline (embedded). Indeed, the voice assistants, implemented in any device, can be used without an internet connection, which allows a total independence on the final product. This independence already takes effect in the development of Vivoka, which does not use any external components for this version of its software.
The disconnection mainly reduces the impact of data and data storage on the environment. Vivoka’s digital sobriety allows its customers to meet their sustainability goals while having a voice assistant as powerful as those connected.
The power of the cloud but embedded?
Vivoka is the first company to achieve this!
“It was time to bring to the industry and to consumer electronic devices, the possibility to control their interfaces by voice, without having to make them dependent on the Internet, for a secure and operational use instantly. Well, it’s done with our voice development software VDK. In 2023, Vivoka brings embedded voice control to life with revolutionary AI functionality.” – confirms Emmanuel Chaligné, Product Director.
Many sectors, such as defense, industry, logistics or even household appliances, cannot depend on an internet-connected solution. As a result, the demand from players in these sectors is growing. Vivoka is not only established in France but worldwide thanks to this not so widespread technology. The development of this functionality based on natural language seemed logical to them:
“Today we export our VDK technology to all five continents and are present in many industrial sectors. We know the demand. Our partners have been waiting for a long time for a high-performance solution that allows their users to talk naturally to their systems, without going through the Internet. The technical barrier that we are going to remove with the first embedded NLU will make this possible. This was the logical next step in our development. It will allow Vivoka to show that the cloud is not an obligation, and that a company should not have to choose between performance and data protection.” says William Simonin.
Here are two examples of how an embedded NLU can be used:
Professional setting:
Voice implemented in dental office chairs will allow practitioners to naturally and easily control patient height and tilt.
The NLU will enable next generation robots to be equipped with speech. Voice is a natural interaction and robots will be able to replicate human actions in many fields such as education, industry or health.
Private setting:
In the future, household appliances will be controlled by voice without the need for the house to be connected and without an internet connection for these appliances. Users will not need to learn ready-made phrases, they will be able to speak naturally, as they would with other humans.
These are only 3 examples among many sectors concerned such as: IoT (internet of things), connected home, transport, logistics, education, connected glasses/headsets, robotics, defense and health.
About VIVOKA
Vivoka is a global leader in voice AI technologies founded in 2015. Thanks to its VDK (Voice Development Kit), Vivoka offers an all-in-one solution that enables any company to create its own high-performance, secure embedded/offline voice assistant in record time. Vivoka has won several innovation awards and has established leading partnerships with major players in the voice market. Vivoka has a portfolio of more than 100 customers from all major industries and is pursuing its goal of bringing people closer to technology through voice.
Press contact:
Floriane Bret
Communication officer
floriane.bret@vivoka.com
Tim Hill of Intuitive Research and Technology joins the Board of Advisors of the VRARA Central Florida Chapter
The VRARA is excited to announce that Tim Hill is joining the Board of Advisors of the VR/AR Association (VRARA) Central Florida Chapter. Tim is currently the Director of Central Florida Operations for Intuitive Research and Technology Corporation (INTUITIVE), a defense aerospace company specializing in providing engineering services and building teams to solve hard problems.
Tim is a former Navy Captain, who retired from the Navy in 2021 after completing a successful tour commanding Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division (NAWCTSD) and Naval Support Activity Orlando. His tour was the culmination of nearly 30 years of naval service, split between flying operationally and in developmental test, and managing large weapons systems acquisition programs. He accumulated over 3,200 flight hours and 600 carrier arrested landings, deployed aboard four different aircraft carriers, and participated in operations in the Former Yugoslavia, Iraq, and Afghanistan. In Central Florida, Tim has led many strategic initiatives, including establishing the Central Florida Tech Grove and STARBASE Central Florida.
Tim is extremely passionate about applying leading edge technology and actively serves throughout our community to foster an ecosystem of innovation. He is active with groups such as the National Center for Simulation, National Training and Simulation Association, Orlando Tech Community, and the Central Florida Navy League.
“The VRARA Association is an organization focused on education, networking and creating business opportunities for our members. Tim has been a member of the Central Florida ecosystem for many years both while in the Navy and now as a business leader. I am pleased to welcome Tim to the VRARA Central Florida Advisory Board where he can help shape the direction of the Association and ensure that we continue to meet the needs of our membership and our ecosystem!” John Cunningham, President VRARA Central Florida Chapter.
Qualcomm to keynote at our Enterprise & Training Forum 2023
Qualcomm becomes a Platinum sponsor for our VRARA Enterprise & Training Forum 2023 happening virtually on May 24! Hear from Martin Herdina during the keynote, Spaces Enabling the Next Generation of Enterprise MR Experiences.
Snapdragon Spaces supports Open XR and offers SDKs for Unity and Unreal to help XR developers create immersive experiences.
Our annual Forum is a full day event with best practices, guidelines, and insights as we bring together industry leaders in VR/AR, smartglasses, and digital transformation from solution providers and the end-users/brands. We expect 1000+ attendees, and 50+ speakers. Don't miss the 1-on-1 networking sessions throughout the day where you can build meaningful connections!
We look forward to you joining our virtual event on May 24!
