VR/AR Global Summits are world-class events bringing together the best knowledge and networking in VR & AR for enterprise, hardware, software and content providers from across the globe. See event website here
The VR/AR Association publishes the Belgian Ecosystem Report featuring 50 Companies
How are the European Parliament, New Balance, Volvo, and other leading companies leveraging the VR/AR ecosystem of Belgium? Why are they investing in this new technology?
Together with Howest, we decided to create this VRARA Ecosystem report, which gives up-to-date information about the VR/AR space in Belgium. Almost 50 Belgian companies shared their experience, predictions for the future, and real use cases! We kindly share this report with you to help you capitalize on the next major computing platform shift and understand why Belgium will play a role in that!
Foreword
For nearly 25 years, Howest University of Applied Sciences has acted as a pioneer in the field of applied computer sciences. Anticipating the future and exploring the talents and motivation of each student, we have coached our students to become competent, highly employable, team oriented young professionals.
Introducing new bachelor programmes, inspiring hundreds of young early adopters, we have aimed to set the mark for socially relevant, practice-based education and valorisation oriented research and community service for the broad regional and international labour market.
Anticipating new trends and needs, we have designed new profiles. With our programme in Digital Arts and Entertainment, we have become part of a worldwide, cutting edge circle of trendsetters.
We have generated a practice-based, state of the art curriculum in close collaboration with all the major partners in the field of technology, creating a multidisciplinary setting, integrating education, research and community service, which allows us to create an added value for our students, staff and society as a whole. Twice we have been awarded the Rookie Award for best gaming programme worldwide.
More recently, we have developed new programmes in the field of AR, VR and – our newest programme – in applied AI. Although they are different, VR and AR share common processes and technologies such as software and data processing. They also tend to concentrate in the same business and research worlds hence creating overlapping ecosystems, as is clearly shown in ‘Virtual reality and its potential for Europe’, a paper by Ecorys (2017). VR & AR ecosystems are also closely related to the industry of artificial intelligence (AI).
Howest University of Applied Sciences has always stimulated entrepreneurship, creating a fertile soil and facilitating students and alumni in pursuing their dreams. No wonder so many names in this register have a familiar ring to them: they are alumni of Howest! Needless to say we are very proud of their achievements!
It goes without saying that none of these efforts could reach fruition without a supportive context. The Kortrijk region is wellknown for its technology giants such as Barco but also for its entrepreneurial SME’s. The town council and its mayor are valued partners. Flanders itself aims high with its Goals 2050 programme.
Howest University of Applied Sciences is rooted in enthusiasm, dedication and hard work. These values have made us the future forward organisation we have been for so many years. It is our firm intention to be the change agent for the years to come.
-- Lode De Geyter
President, Howest University of Applied Sciences
www.howest.be
Virtualware and Biogen create a Virtual Reality multi-user experience in the pharmaceutical industry
Biogen is one of the world’s leading biotechnology companies, developing therapies for neurological, autoimmune and rare diseases, with a clear focus: have the greatest impact on patients of any biotechnology company in the history of the industry.
As one of the pioneers in biotechnology, Biogen is constantly seeking cutting-edge technologies and new ways to engage professionals in the industry congresses and meetings, where they showcase how they are solving some of the most challenging and complex diseases in neurology.
For the 5th congress of the European Academy of Neurology in Oslo (Norway), Virtualware created the first multi-user immersive experience in the pharmaceutical industry where professionals could get a deeper understanding of two complex diseases: Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) and Multiple Sclerosis (MS).
A large-scale collaborative all-in-one solution (50m2 | x4 users) where visitors could learn about the two showcasing pathologies by playing engaging missions. Virtualware provided content development and equipment, deployed and managed by VIROO (Virtualware’s proprietary software platform), and full support during the congress.
Highlights:
1st Multi-user VR Experience
9.8 Overall rating
300K views on Youtube
More info here
VRARA SF Advisor Shel Israel Offers Ghostwriting to the VR/AR Community
Acomplished author and VRARA SF Chapter Advisor Shel Israel can help craft your VR/AR Narratives
The VR/AR Association tagline is Growth | Knowledge | Connections. And we strive in the San Francisco chapter to embody those principles in all moves. Pursuant to that charter, we announced in April that author, startup advisor and thought leader Shel Israel joined the chapter as advisor.
Now we’re doubling down on that. Israel is offering his services to VRARA members and the broader VR/AR community to ghostwrite a tech-business book or to advise startups on developing narratives. This includes a free hour of consulting for VRARA SF and Silicon Valley members.
Having written seven books on tech transformation, Israel brings historical perspective of past tech disruptions, and business realities that defined them. Specifically for AR and VR, you could say that Israel “wrote the book” on their expected impact. The Fourth Transformation stands out on the bookshelves of our chapter principles, and remains a signpost for the early stages in a long evolution of AR and VR.
“As someone who’s defined tech transformation both with his thought leadership and his hands-on work advising startups, Shel has been a hugely influential figure to all of us in the SF tech community,” said San Francisco Chapter co-president Emily Olman.
Israel just shared with us that he has completed two big projects and is available as a content marketing resource to VRARA members and beyond. Get him now, while available. You can read more about him on his website or email him.
New Immersive Environment: Station IX (VR without goggles)
In early 2018, Imagine 4D, a Montreal-based tech company, launched Station IX. They are excited about Station IX, an immersive 3D display environment, because it differs from other solutions on the market. Their display environment makes use of Reflected Reality ™, which allows users to see 3D content without VR goggles, or head-mounted displays (HMDs).
Reflected Reality ™ simultaneously uses seven curved mirrors, seven projectors, and a large curved screen to surround users in a 3D virtual world.
Without HMDs, users can collaborate freely and enjoy 3D content without the common limitations of virtual reality, such as VR sickness, eye fatigue, and loss of spatial awareness. Their team has taken every measure to create a space that is shared and comfortable.
Imagine 4D believes that VR/AR, and Station IX specifically, can change how businesses operate. Military professionals, for example, can train for high-risk scenarios in safe environments. Similarly, cabin crews can familiarize themselves with aircrafts and emergency procedures before takeoff. Architects and real estate developers can also design, visualize, and present their projects to clients in a collaborative space unrestricted by VR goggles. These are just a few industry use cases; Station IX can be used for a variety of applications in many fields. The possibilities are endless!
If you would like more information about their new immersive technology, please contact us at info@imagine-4d.com
The VR/AR Association appoints Kevin Carpenter of Siemens as Co-Chair of the Energy Industry Committee
To participate in the Committee, email info@thevrara.com
The Energy Committee of the VR/AR Association serves as a resource to promote the application of VR/AR technology in confronting the challenges posed by the energy transition. The committee will enable the sharing of best practices and information on VR/AR related applications in the energy industry as well as curate industry relevant case studies. Furthermore, the committee will, as necessary, shape and recommend best practices for the scaling of VR/AR applications across the energy industry.
Some areas that the Committee will focus, include:
Data visualization
Learning & Training for industry specific needs
Safety & EHS as pertains to the energy industry
Guided assistance of factory workers & field technicians in the energy industry
Kevin Carpenter is currently Head of the Global Operations Technical Education and Competence Center Network for Siemens Power Service Power & Gas with technical education and competence centers located throughout the United States, Germany, China & Egypt. Kevin recently spoke at our VRARA Enterprise Summit
As a co-chair, Kevin will work with the Association and industry at large to create a community of thought-leaders committed to the application of VR/AR technology in solving the problems associated with the energy industry and its transition. Together we will establish a regular forum for exchange that will include industry relevant guest speakers and information exchange; This will include webinars and panels at events, in addition to industry guidelines and best practices publications.
To participate in the Committee, email info@thevrara.com
This Thursday, join us live online for our Storytelling expert panel presenting the latest work with Accenture, Deutche Telekom, Verizon, The Morgan Library, Carnegie Museum, and others
Our Storytelling Committee will present the latest case studies, use cases and best practices for how VR/AR is used in Storytelling.
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.
Varwin Begins Open Beta for VR Reality Management System aimed at streamlining the workflow between developers and clients
Varwin RMS (Reality Management System) has announced its VR creation and
management platform aimed at streamlining the workflow between developers and clients. This software allows developers to create high-quality VR projects that anyone can manage. Until now, that task was only accessible to highly-trained developers due to the complexity of VR technology.
Varwin makes it easy for clients to make small changes themselves. This is achieved thanks to the drag-and-drop logic interface based on Google’s Blockly visual language that presents coding concepts as interlocking blocks. The internal logic of objects is created by the community of developers in Unity and then transferred into Varwin for simple drag-and-drop management. Logic schemes, scenes and objects can be reused, so every creator contributes to the development of the platform and simplifies creation for other users.
For more info contact Anna Salova anna@varwin.com
VR/AR Association Day declared in Florida. Magic Leap present for the special occasion
Here’s a recap of our Orlando Chapter event!
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer declared July 10th 2019 as VR/AR Association Day in Orlando in recognition of the launch of the VR/AR Association Central Florida - Orlando Chapter.
Thanks to Mayor Dyer (Orlando), Mayor Jerry Demings (Orange County) and Congresswoman Stephanie Murphy (7th District) for your support of the VRARA and our mission of making Central Florida a global hub for VR/AR technology and services. Special thanks to Graeme Devine, Chief Game Wizard of Magic Leap for his presentation on how spatial computing will change our world and how he is helping to create the Magicverse. Also to Jesse Havens from Valorem Reply on how Mixed Reality and IoT are benefiting the enterprise.
An Augmented Reality Engine Comes to Life with Avatar's SimplifyXR
True Story! Using SimplifyXR, the AVATAR Partners Team developed an Augmented Reality Engine Maintenance Application for a Patrol Boat in just a few hours.
Since we did not have the CAD drawing of the engine, we used our 3D Lidar Scanner (which took 3 minutes). From there, Dan Kelton (Multimedia Lead) generated a rendering of the Engine.
He then used SimplifyXR to build the Engine AR Experience that comes to life. The user can see the maintenance task, and validate the task accuracy, using a Microsoft Hololens, phone or tablet. The application overlays onto the Engine with an accuracy of 1/8th of an inch, while the user moves in, out and around the engine. If the engine is not readily available, his AR Application displays a high-fidelity virtualized engine, through which the user can use the experience.
Dan built the application at our AVATAR Partners US headquarters and Showcase Office in Huntington Beach, CA, just 3 miles from the ocean. If you're in the area, you must come see our Showcase Office and get a tour of the latest Augmented Reality applications and products.
Lear more at our website www.avatarpartners.com
RSVP for our Healthcare Webinar and learn how VR can reduce anxiety based on ISNR review studies!
Get involved as a Speaker, Exhibitor or Sponsor for our VR/AR Global Summit #VRARAGS
Apply to be a Speaker, Exhibitor or Sponsor at the VR/AR Global Summit in Vancouver
The VR/AR global summit is a stand-out event for the industry, bringing together the world’s most exciting thought leaders, innovations, and technology from around the world. Early bird tickets are now available for the Vancouver summit, November 1-2, 2019.
The diverse lineup of speakers, exhibitors and sponsors is what makes this event so special – from infamous tech giants to trail-blazing entrepreneurs. The summit will see topics covering the most important issues in the field today; including in education, enterprise, training, blockchain and more.
Get involved in industry networking events and forge new connections at the conference, during and after the event. Connect with an audience driven by founders, executives, game-changers, and businesses that rely on immersive tech for business.
Call for Sponsors: 3D Modeling Standards and Guidelines for Virtual and Augmented Reality
If interested in sponsoring, email info@thevrara.com
Over the past few months, the VR/AR Association’s 3D Working Group within the Retail Committee has been working on these 3D Modeling Standards and Guidelines for VR/AR/Web. We are now ready to publish and help the industry accelerate VR/AR adoption. We are seeking Sponsors to help us with this effort.
Background
Many retailers, especially those with a strong e-commerce presence, are now using 3D to help customers better visualize their products. Today, the majority of that 3D content is being used behind the scenes to create traditional imagery. As VR and AR become mainstream, brands and retailers are increasing looking to be able to repurpose their 3D assets for these experiences. There are some challenges in optimizing 3D models for AR/VR/Web and these guidelines aim to make it easier for everyone to create models that look consistent on any platform.
A note about openness vs trade secrets: Companies that were early to the 3D space rightfully would like to protect their investments and competitive advantage, but also understand that the best value for those assets comes when consumers expect them as part of their shopping experience. To strike a balance, these Modeling Standards and Guidelines only focus on real-time 3D assets and the contributors will keep their render-ready asset production processes as trade secrets.
Main Authors:
Mike Festa, 3XR
Sumit Goyal, Overstock
Thomas Huang, Target
Manil Bastola, Aisle411
Alban Denoyel, Sketchfab
Josh Belay, InContext Solutions
Jeff Hunt, Snap36
Saurabh Bhatia, Microsoft
Ross McKegney, Adobe
Kevin, Farnham, Mirra
CenturyLink Demonstrates Effectiveness (400% increase in engagement) of Virtual Reality Technology in B2B with Kaon Interactive using the Lenovo VR headset
Increasing Trade Show Booth Engagement 400% with Award-Winning Application
Kaon recently crafted a case study of how CenturyLink used virtual reality to completely upend their event/booth strategy, starting at AWS re:Invent last year, with great success (and a nod from the 2019 Communicator Awards as well). The Amazon Web Services show was the first enterprise deployment of the standalone, 6-DoF, Lenovo Mirage Solo headset, and it was also the first time Kaon Interactive created and deployed a VR storytelling experience on an untethered headset.
Through successful partnership with Kaon Interactive at recent tradeshows, CenturyLink was able to generate a 400% increase in event booth engagement versus the previous year – within a smaller, more cost-effective booth space.
Looking to elevate event technologies and techniques, Becky Kelly, director of solutions marketing strategy at CenturyLink, decided to turn to a more innovative and engaging solution in an effort to generate higher-qualified booth leads.
“We wanted to create a lasting experience for show attendees without spending exorbitant amounts of money. We wanted to achieve something meaningful that we could grow for reuse. I wanted to create a theme we could tie things around to effectively tell our story and then use those best practices for future ones,” Becky said.
After establishing its message of “Why Milliseconds Matter,” the Kaon Interactive and CenturyLink team began developing the award-winning, visually engaging, virtual reality experience that would effectively convey this critical message with two goals in mind. The first, to empower the CenturyLink booth staff to engage with tradeshow attendees faster. The second, to have more productive interactions with attendees so they understand that CenturyLink is more than just a phone company.
Using the Lenovo Mirage Solo® standalone VR headset with Google Daydream, booth attendees were able to immerse themselves in a familiar coffeeshop (and other relatable venues) and experience how CenturyLink touchpoints enable important data to travel, within milliseconds, to execute daily transactions and activities. Because it was developed on Kaon’s High Velocity Marketing Platform®, CenturyLink has the ability to add scenarios and solutions to the application, evolving it for future trade shows. The platform also enabled the deployment of the application on the web, smartphones, touch screens, laptops, and mobile tablets, in immersive VR, to be used by customers and the sales team alike.
“There is a huge cost and time efficiency in not having to recreate this interactive content from scratch for future sales and marketing programs and devices,” Becky stated. “We want to tell our story everywhere our buyers are, and Kaon's platform affords us the ability to do that. Not only did Kaon help us push the envelope, they gave us an innovative technology platform that allows us to break new ground and raise the bar.”
This CenturyLink application was recently selected from more than 6,000 entries, from companies and agencies of all sizes, to win a 2019 Communicator Award of Distinction in the Marketing Effectiveness B2B Campaign category. Read the full case study, or schedule a demo, to learn more.
Discover the Brain Science Behind Augmented Reality (New Report)
How can industrial companies capture knowledge from retiring experts and deliver it to new workers?
The brain learns most effectively when it’s presented with information in real-time and in the flow of work. This “learning by doing” approach engages multiple learning and memory systems in the brain.
To overcome the growing workforce skills gap, expert workers need to transfer the know-how and behavioral skills that they draw from on-the-job to newer, inexperienced workers.
Download this report from Amalgam Insights to learn how industrial companies can use AR to:
Simultaneously engage cognitive, experiential, and behavioral skills learning systems in the brain
Record step-by-step directions quickly and accurately in a format that is easy to understand
Train both the subject matter expertise and behavioral skills repertoire of new workers
Discover why solutions that are optimized for the way that the brain learns can speed time to productivity while reducing training costs. Download Now
Call for Participation in the Netherlands VR/AR Ecosystem Report
The VR/AR Association (VRARA) Netherlands Chapter is producing an industry report on the country's VR AR ecosystem to promote Dutch companies and organizations involved with immersive technologies and media. The report will be promoted by VRARA and our media partners around the world.
As an example, you can see our Reports for other ecosystems around the world here.
Would you be interested to have your company featured in this report? If yes, then please email netherlands@thevrara.com
The report will specifically highlight the following:
Size of the market
Number of relevant companies in region
Company info (size: number of employees, revenue; vertical, customers)
Reasons why company is based in the region
Needs and hopes from and for the regional ecosystem
The report will be promoted via VRARA channels and our partners, which includes:
Our global newsletter to 27K emails, on our website (20K unique visitors per month), and social media (1M user reach)
If you are interested in being featured or sponsor, please email netherlands@thevrara.com
VR Usage & Consumer Attitudes (New Report)
ARtillery Intelligence’s latest report, VR Usage & Consumer Attitudes examines original consumer AR survey data. Subscribe for the full report. VRARA members get a discount.
How do consumers feel about VR? Who’s using it? What devices and apps do they prefer? And what do they want to see next? Perhaps more important, what are non-users’ reasons for disinterest? And how can VR software developers and hardware players optimize product strategies accordingly?
These are key questions at VR’s early stages that we set out to answer. Working closely with Thrive Analytics, ARtillery Intelligence wrote questions to be presented to more than 3,100 U.S. adults in Thrive’s established consumer survey engine. And we’ve analyzed the results in a narrative report.
This follows similar reports we’ve completed over the last two years. Wave III of the research now emboldens our perspective and brings new insights and trend data to light. All three waves represent a collective base of 7,065 U.S. adults for a robust longitudinal analysis. This will continue to improve.
Meanwhile, what did we find out? At a high level, 16 percent of consumers surveyed have bought or used a VR headset, up from 11 percent in 2018. More importantly, VR users indicate high levels of satisfaction with the experience: 67 percent reported extreme or moderate satisfaction with VR.
As for price sensitivity, demand seems to inflect at $400 and $200. These are interestingly the price points for Oculus headsets including Quest, Rift S and GO. This indicates Oculus’ competitive edge aggressive price competition and accelerating market share, congruent with our separate projections.
Furthermore standalone VR – embodied by Oculus Quest, Go and other emerging headsets – represents a key inflection point for VR this year. Though still early (this survey was fielded before Quest’s market launch), standalone VR addresses many consumer objections evident in this survey.
However, it’s not all good news: Non-VR users report relatively low interest in VR ownership – 27 percent, down from 31 percent in 2018 – and explicit lack of interest. This downward trend in interest is concerning for VR but isn’t surprising given the dip in excitement we’ve anecdotally observed.
Moreover, the disparity between current-user satisfaction and non-user disinterest underscores a key challenge for VR: you have to “see it to believe it.” In order to reach high satisfaction levels, VR has to first be tried. This presents marketing and logistical challenges for the industry to push that first taste.
The same challenge was evident in our corresponding AR report, but mobile AR’s adoption barriers are lower. This is nonetheless a common challenge for immersive technologies. It will take time, acclimation and price reductions before they reach a more meaningful share of the consumer public.
These points join several other strategic implications that flow from latest consumer VR sentiments. We’ll examine those takeaways in the coming pages, including the latest wave of findings, and our narrative analysis for what it means. The goal is to empower you with a greater knowledge position.
Subscribe for the full report. VRARA members get a discount.
