The NEPTUNE Mission will be using Luxsonic’s VR Medical Imaging System!

Come meet us at the VR/AR Global Summit Nov 1-2


The citizen scientists from NEPTUNE will be testing Luxsonic’s VR medical imaging system during their under sea mission in Florida! They will be simulating a clinical scenario and using our VR medical imaging system to communicate with a radiologist above water. This will be the first test of Luxsonic’s system in an extreme environment and the first international real-time collaboration using VR and medical images!

NEPTUNE mission is an international team of 5 scientist-explorers, a 5-day research endeavor that will take place 20 feet underwater at the Jules Undersea Lodge. Short for “Nautical Experiments in Physiology, Technology & Underwater Exploration,” the NEPTUNE mission will take advantage of Jules' isolated, confined, and extreme (ICE) environment to test our VR medical imaging system, SieVRt, in a simulated clinical scenario.

The crew consists of:

● Commander Dr. Joseph Dituri (USA), biomedical researcher and retired US Navy Commander;

● Executive Officer Paul Bakken (USA), logistics coordinator and former Army officer;

● Medical, Health & Safety Officer, Dr. Shawna Pandya (Canada), physician and researcher;

Mission partners include Nutrition Solutions, BORP, the Association for Marine Exploration, the International Board of Undersea Medicine and the International Association for Nitrox Divers and Technical Divers.

New VR/AR Association Chapter in Jacksonville! Our 3rd in Florida.

Florida is so hot right now, we had to open another Chapter in Jacksonville!

Our 3rd Chapter in Florida!

One of the fastest growing cities in the US, Jacksonville is becoming recognized for its forward thinking and innovative approaches to technology. Businesses in the area are beginning to realize the importance and necessity of VR and AR in their daily operation. With chapter leaders who are paving the way for VR and AR in Jacksonville, and work with these technologies daily, we are excited to invite you to join a movement in our great city. Our goal is to unite, encourage, and inspire those in the industry and those who are interested in the technology to develop and establish partnerships and collaboration. Membership with the Jacksonville chapter will gain you access to local events, resources, and a host of new opportunity. Join today!

Chapter President: Tim Hogg jacksonville@thevrara.com

Tim is the Founder of augLab, a Jacksonville, FL based XR development and training agency specializing in the creation of immersive experiences for business. He has a background in software development, web and mobile application development, as well as marketing, sales, IT, and team management. augLab is a subsidiary of 1:9 Technology LLC, which Tim formed in early 2017 as a development agency focusing on web and mobile applications. Through these entities, Tim has worked with an array of reputable enterprise clients, as well as non-profits to help grow their digital footprint and increase engagement from their audiences.  Tim is passionate about utilizing XR technology to transform the way companies do business and engage with their customers. He also adores his wife Leah, their three children, and his dog.


Chapter VP: Devon Fox

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Devon Fox is an award-winning, forward thinking sports executive. As a leader in the emerging sports technology space, she believes exceptional leagues, teams, and players lean into new and innovative ways of doing things while acknowledging the history and heritage of their sport. With a focus on the fan, she leads the digital innovation efforts for the PGA TOUR. She has led the PGA TOUR Labs & Innovation team through several award winning initiatives including the launch of the PGA TOUR VR and PGA TOUR AR apps. Prior to her time in the sports industry, Fox spent time exploring banking, mortgage insurance, and ecommerce. She earned a degree in Information and Computer Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh in 2003 and an MBA with a concentration in Marketing at Drexel University in 2013. In her spare time, Fox enjoys playing and officiating roller derby and serves on the Board of Directors for a top-10 roller derby league in Jacksonville, FL.

About VR/AR Association

The VR/AR Association (VRARA) is an international organization designed to facilitate collaboration between innovative companies and people in the VR and AR ecosystem that accelerates growth, fosters research and education, helps develop industry standards, connects member organizations and promotes the services of member companies. Over 4000 companies, brands, school and 27,000 professionals are registered with VRARA and 20 committees are working on best practices and guidelines for the industry. Learn more at thevrara.com

Learn from others in our Community! Recap from our Training Committee Conference Call

Come meet our Training Committee at the VR/AR Global Summit Nov 1-2

Our Training Committee meets via conf calls/web every 2 weeks and participants share their lessons learned, challenges, and success stories. Join us on our next call! Email info@thevrara.com

For example, below is a quick recap (of what we can share publicly) of what the conf call participants are working on:

Julie Smithson: XR Ignite received over 180 applications, ~30 companies in the general area of training.

David Trainor: Completed project on VR-based training around data visualisation for high-value manufacturing.

Mike Wesolowski: Preparing for NEPTUNE mission. An international team of 5 scientist-explorers has announced the launch of the NEPTUNE MIssion, a 5-day research endeavor that will take place 20 feet underwater at the Jules Undersea Lodge. Short for “Nautical Experiments in Physiology, Technology & UNderwater Exploration,” the NEPTUNE mission will take advantage of Jules' isolated, confined, and extreme (ICE) environment to test our VR medical imaging system, SieVRt, in a simulated clinical scenario. 

Marlo Brooke: AR training system for US Coastguard boats (engine maintenance). System is now in production.

Ryan Chapman: Crisis scenario training for women’s hospital. For Women's Hospital, we're developing 6 training scenarios dealing with obstetric crisis scenarios. The goal is to augment simulation training for anesthesiologists and nurses, which is currently very time-consuming and expensive.

María Calvo Garrido: Immersive training. Hardware focus for training welders. Certification from welder’s associations.

Ramesh Verma: Working on 3 conferences. International Medicon (teleheath). Army Design Bureau. Patent program in Bangalore. All events have education/training focus.

Join us on our next call! Email info@thevrara.com


ThirdEye Announces World’s Smallest Mixed Reality (MR) Glasses Now Available Worldwide

Come meet ThirdEye at the VR/AR Global Summit Nov 1-2

ThirdEye, a leader in augmented and mixed reality (MR) enterprise solutions, announces the availability of its X2 Glasses – the world’s smallest Mixed Reality (MR) glasses.

Unlike like other products in this space, the X2 Glasses provide an all-in-one hardware and software solution, while offering advanced technological capabilities not available on a normal monocular device. At just 9.8 ounces , these glasses fit a wide (42 degree) field of view, provide powerful sensors (thermal, ambient light, flashlight), and a built-in proprietary SLAM (simultaneous localization and mapping) system, called VisionEye SLAM, that allows for 3D environment scanning and other advanced MR features – such as live AR remote help, CAD modeling and overlay, 5G mobile edge computing, and more.

TheX2 Glasses are now available for purchase at$1,950 USD. Pre-orders for the glasses as well as the $300 discount on ThridEye’s website will remain effective until the remaining mass production units are delivered in October. For purchasing information, visit www.thirdeyegen.com/x2-smart-glasses-4

For more information onThirdEye, visit www.thirdeyegen.com

About ThirdEye Gen

ThirdEye is a leader in AR/MR solutions for enterprise, providing an all-in-one (hardware and software)solution for all industries, including energy. While many companies today use just smart glasses or only software, ThirdEye provides a full end-to-end package for its customers and employees. It offers the smallest MR Smart Glasses on the market, including a built-in proprietary SLAM (simultaneous localization and mapping) system that allows for 3D environment scanning and advanced MR features that aren’t available on a monocular device. The ThirdEye App Suite, used by over 500 enterprise customers around the world, offers live AR remote help, 3D SLAM based CAD modeling/overlay and more.

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Tech in Motion Selects VR/AR Association's Chicago Chapter President Matt Wren as Best Tech Manager Finalist for 2019 Timmy Awards

Come meet Matt and the Chicago delegation at the VR/AR Global Summit Nov 1-2

Congratulations Matt!!

Tech in Motion selects VRARA Chicago Chapter President and BUNDLAR CTO Matt Wren as a Top 10 finalist for Best Tech Manager in Chicago at the 2019 Timmy Awards, which recognizes the top workplaces for tech professionals. Winners will be announced at a live ceremony this October, with two awards per category. “Having innovative finalists year-after-year speaks to the growth of the tech community here, and the event series has the honor of celebrating those leaders of change in each workplace,” says Mandy Walker, Director of Marketing at Motion Recruitment, creator of Tech in Motion. “Each finalist was chosen for exemplifying a ‘Best Tech Manager’ and we’re excited to see who takes home a Timmy.” The selection criteria for the Best Tech Manager​ is based on the following: (1) Promotes career growth ​and inspires innovation; (2) ​Goes above and beyond to ensure a great team culture​; (3) Employs a clear and communicated vision to produce a great product.

“It is truly an honor to be selected as a top ten finalist for Best Tech Manager in Chicago by Tech in Motion,” said Wren. “What we’re accomplishing at BUNDLAR by providing the marketplace with easy augmented reality solutions using our do-it-yourself CMS is going to change how organizations benefit from AR in the coming year.” The BUNDLAR Platform makes it easy for businesses and institutions to integrate innovative augmented reality (AR) technology into their communications to benefit their customers, employees, and vendors.

Aside from Best Tech Manager, the other award categories include: Best Startup, Best Workplace for Diversity and Best Work Culture. The Timmys ceremony in October will be free and open to the public, consisting of tech demos, entertainment, and networking. If interested in learning more or attending, visit the Timmy Awards or the Tech in Motion event page. To vote for Matt, visit https://timmyawards.secure-platform.com/a/gallery/rounds/2/details/2322.

Future Visual joins VR/AR Association! Clients include International Air Transport Association, and rLoop

Come meet Future Visual at the VR/AR Global Summit Nov 1-2

We are delighted to announce Future Visual has become the newest member of the global VR/AR Association. The team is really excited to participate and interact with all the other distinguished worldwide members, including the Aerospace Committee.

From its studio in Brighton, UK, Future Visual focuses on delivering a return on investment in the areas of collaboration, training and behaviour change using spatial computing. Their work in multi-user has led them to develop their collaboration platform VISIONxR which enables multi-user, multi-location, multi-device (VR, AR, desktop and mobile) teams to work together in the same immersive space.

Key sectors for Future Visual are aviation, manufacturing and engineering, - all sectors that require high risk, high-value training and/ or collaboration and visualisation involving complex models.

Current key clients include IATA (International Air Transport Association) and rLoop.

Have a look here to learn more about VISIONxR.

Future Visual will be attending the VR/AR Global Summit in Vancouver in November. Drop them a line if you would like to catch up over coffee: tim@futurevisual.com

Varjo Accelerates Global Expansion with Opening of US Headquarters

Come meet Varjo at the VR/AR Global Summit Nov 1-2

Earlier this month Varjo announced the opening of its US headquarters, growth of their reseller program and launch of shipping to Japan. This news comes on the heels of what has already been a milestone year for the company having brought their VR-1 device to market, launched the developer edition of the XR-1 headset and announced several key software integrations to continue building their partner ecosystem.

Company exhibits strong momentum to better serve key markets with opening of first US office, growth of reseller network and launch of shipping to Japan  

Varjo™, the technology leader in industrial-grade VR/XR headsets, today announced the opening of its US headquarters in the Washington D.C. area. The company, which is celebrating three years of business this month, has seen unprecedented momentum to date in the industrial virtual reality space having brought to market the industry’s only human-eye resolution headset (Varjo VR-1), launched a reseller program for local, on-the-ground customer support of its VR-1 device and announced several integrations with leading software partners in the design, training and simulation and research ecosystems.  

As the company continues to grow, the United States represents an increasingly important target market for Varjo. Beyond establishing its US headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, located just outside of Washington D.C., Varjo also today announced the continued expansion of its recently launched reseller program. Two additional US resellers - GC Micro and FoxGuard Solutions - have joined the network and this expansion, coupled with the newly open US office, ensures Varjo is better able to actively reach and support customers and partners across North America, while also maintaining ideal communication with the home office in Helsinki, Finland. 

“2019 has been an exciting year for us so far with the announcements of our first two products – the Varjo VR-1 and Varjo XR-1 Developer Edition – among other key milestones, and this is just the beginning,” said Timo Toikkanen, president and COO of Varjo. “As we continue to expand our global footprint, through new offices, additional reseller partners and entrance into new sales markets, we look forward to delivering the innovative solutions and local support our enterprise customers need to apply VR in new and compelling ways.”

Customers using the Varjo VR-1 include leading global enterprises such as Saab, Airbus, Siemens PLC and Audi. To make the world’s first human-eye resolution virtual reality headset accessible to even more users, Varjo recently started selling and shipping the VR-1 in Japan, which is a new market for the company. Learn more about Varjo and its cutting edge VR/XR technology at www.varjo.com.

 

About Varjo: 

Varjo Technologies Oy is based in Helsinki and is creating the world’s best hardware and software for groundbreaking VR/AR/XR computing devices, merging the real and digital worlds seamlessly together in human-eye resolution. 

All trademarks and registered trademarks previously cited are hereby recognized as the property of their respective owners. 

VR/AR Global Summit: Enterprise program highlights for Nov 1&2: Lenovo, Walmart, Microsoft, Boeing, HTC, Raytheon

For more info, see the event’s website here vrarglobalsummit.com

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On Nov 1 & 2 in Vancouver, the VR/AR Global Summit will bring together industry frontrunners from around the world to discuss the present and future of VR/AR for the enterprise.

Below is our initial schedule & highlights for industrial topics & use cases, including manufacturing, training, military, energy, and more:

Nov 1st:

  • 9am-5pm Mainstage Keynotes from Lenovo, Magic Leap, Mastercard and more.

  • 11am-7pm Expo featuring Microsoft, Lenovo, Pico, VirtualWare, Theorem Solutions, Trivantis, Varjo, and many more!

  • 12-5pm Workshops featuring Lenovo, Magic Leap, HTC, Unity, Microsoft, and more.

Nov 2nd:

  • 9am-5pm — Track: Enterprise Uses of VR/AR. Talks by Siemens, US Navy, Boeing, Amazon, HP, IT People Group, IBM, Walmart, HTC

  • 9am-5pm Workshops featuring Lenovo, Magic Leap, HTC, Unity, Microsoft, and more.

  • 9am-5pm Expo Open

About the VR/AR Global Summit

This world-class conference and expo will welcome 1000+ Executives, 120+ Speakers and 70+ Exhibitors from leading companies like Lenovo, Microsoft and so many more. With over 230 companies active in VR/AR, Vancouver is the 2nd largest immersive ecosystem in the world. This is the 4th time the show is happening in Vancouver and this year’s Global Summit will have a strong focus on Enterprise and AR.

About VR/AR Association

The VR/AR Association (VRARA) is an international organization designed to facilitate collaboration between innovative companies and people in the VR and AR ecosystem that accelerates growth, fosters research and education, helps develop industry standards, connects member organizations and promotes the services of member companies. Over 4000 companies, brands, school and 27,000 professionals are registered with VRARA and 20 committees are working on best practices and guidelines for the industry. Learn more at thevrara.com

Lynn Rosenthal of Periscape VR will Co-Chair the VR/AR Association Travel & Tourism Committee

We are thrilled to announce Lynn Rosenthal of Periscape VR Experience Centers will co-chair our Travel & Tourism Committee along with Darshan Lama of Expedia and Craig Vezina of Realcast.

Email info@thevrara.com if you would like to participate!

This committee will create best practices, guidelines for Travel & Tourism. Specifically, we will identify opportunities and accelerate widespread adoption of VR/AR technologies in the travel industry by OTAs, Airlines, Airports, Lodging, Conference Centers, Destination Marketing Organizations and other Travel companies, for marketing, branding and enhancing the user experience through each phase of the traveler’s journey (dream, plan, shop, book, pre-trip and post-trip)

I’m excited to Co-Chair this committee and look forward working aside my esteemed colleagues to drive our mission forward globally

Lynn Rosenthal

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Varjo VR-1 can help minimize human errors in the most safety-critical environment. The cost of VR is 1/10th of "physical costs"

Come meet Varjo at the VR/AR Global Summit Nov 1-2

With the help of virtual reality, design validations as well as operator training at nuclear power plants can now be done more effectively. The Loviisa plant in Finland is the first nuclear power plant in the world building a dedicated VR training room for control room operators. And the Varjo VR-1 is the only virtual reality device that is up to the challenge.

When it comes to industrial environments, the nuclear industry leads the way in improving safety. Enormous amounts of money are spent yearly on the design and validation of the human-machine interfaces, as well as procedure optimization. Nuclear power plant operators worldwide act according to strict manuals. Nothing is left to chance. The goal is to maximize safety and efficiency, and human-machine interfaces play an important role in it.

Joakim Bergroth is a human factor engineering expert with over 10 years of experience in the nuclear field. His responsibility as the product lead at Fortum eSite is to develop and take new technologies, such as virtual and augmented reality (VR & AR), into daily use at nuclear power plants and other safety-critical environments. Fortum is one of the largest power generation companies in the Nordics, and Fortum eSite is their internal venture which provides leading industrial-grade VR solutions to safety-critical environments and the process industry in general.

Bergroth is also involved in the implementation of the world’s first fully dynamic and interactive virtual reality control room in Loviisa, where the operators are now getting ready to take VR into training and daily use on site.

“Fortum eSite’s virtual validation solution is globally unique – nobody else has done integrated system validation for nuclear power plant control rooms up till now.”

Already now, 90% of Loviisa personnel have done training in VR environments.

“In safety-critical environments and process industries, human errors can lead to serious accidents and production losses. Millions of euros are used to build physical simulators where operators can practice different scenarios from small disturbances, such as pipe leakages, to severe accident trainings. The physical simulators are usually fully booked, which doesn’t leave much time for additional testing or evaluations,” Bergroth says.

Training in a traditional physical simulator is expensive, but building a physical simulator is even more expensive. A physical simulator means building an exact, functional replica of the real environment, such as the control room of a power plant. Recreating a virtual replica costs only a fraction compared to that, bringing about huge cost savings and the ability to implement changes quickly.

“The cost of a VR simulator is 1/10th of the cost of building a physical simulator. And with the Varjo VR-1, the visual fidelity of our virtual simulator is finally on a level that it should be.”

Read the full case from: varjo.com/blog/vr-can-help-minimize-human-errors-in-the-most-safety-critical-environments/

http://vimeo.com/varjo

WordPress Lessons: Applicable for VR? What can we learn from WordPress to boost the VR content market

Come see the latest in VR/AR at our Global Summit Nov 1-2. See here

What can we learn from WordPress to boost the VR content market?

Content Management Systems today look nothing like they did several years ago. They have completely changed the world of websites, and because of them creating online content is no longer a magic power exclusive to developers. We are about to experience the same changes for more immersive technologies such as VR, AR, and MR. The ingredients are all there for the new market to surge, but it lacks structure: there are game engines like Unity and Unreal, dozens of platforms for VR/AR creation without programming skills like BrioVR, and platforms for quick and easy VR management like Varwin. What doesn’t exist (yet) is one clear approach that allows anyone to create VR/AR content. This is exactly what Content Management Systems have enabled with the growth of WordPress.

How can we apply the concept of CMS to VR/AR content creation?

There are some VR CMS tools on the market today. At this point, most of them allow managing 360 videos and using 3D objects. They give some flexibility, but not enough freedom to create complex scenarios and interactive stories. Most of the VR CMS or drag-n-drop tools today are just like landing page tools from years ago: they give a taste of how the future could look, allowing you to dip your toe into the innovation pool but preventing you from diving deeper. Unlike VR CMS tools, Reality Management Systems will allow creating projects with complex logics in both VR and AR, or whatever these will be called in a few years.

How can we repeat the CMS success story with RMS tools?

The main features of WordPress include plugin architecture and a template system. The closest tool to WordPress in the XR world is the Varwin platform. Just like in WordPress, it has an interface-like template system, where users can manage content without writing a single line of code - only instead of web themes Varwin houses VR scenes and objects. Plugin architecture in WordPress enables extended features and functionality for websites. Instead of this, Varwin has a plugin for Unity, which allows for adding new logics, interactivity, scenes, and objects that can be used in the future. This part usually requires some code as it creates the basis for non-coding users.

The power of community

“We believe great software should work with minimum set up, so you can focus on sharing your story, product, or services freely” — says the WordPress mission statement. This statement is more than applicable to the XR ecosystem. Once we have an engaged community and a good user interface for VR platforms, everything else will work automatically. Sharing stories in VR and AR just like you share your Instagram stories, creating VR business projects in minutes — this all is just around the corner. Reality Management Systems are already here to boost the XR market. Now is your chance to become part of this revolution.

More at varwin.com

Call for Participation in the VR/AR Association's Aerospace Committee

The VRARA Aerospace Committee will have its kickoff call on Sept 20th 1pm EST.

The Committee is co-chaired by Samuel Trevino, Insitu (a Boeing company) and Dr. Alethea Duhon, Air Force Agency of Modeling and Simulation.

If interested to participate, email info@thevrara.com

About the Committee

The Aerospace Committee of the VR/AR Association serves as a resource to promote the application of VR/AR technology as a solution to a number of traditional problems in aerospace. The committee will enable the sharing of best practices and information on VR/AR related applications in the aerospace 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 aerospace.

Areas of focus for the Committee include:

  • Data visualization

  • Learning & Training an aging workforce;

  • Learning and training a new work force; 

  • Troubleshooting and live support;

  • Safety & EHS as pertains to the aerospace industry

  • Guided assistance of factory workers & field technicians in aerospace.

Why so many Silicon Valley companies are moving to Vancouver

Vancouver is the 2nd largest VR/AR ecosystem in the world, after Silicon Valley, with over 230 companies working in VR/AR! The VR/AR Association (VRARA) is proud to present the VR/AR Global Summit to be held in Vancouver, Canada on Nov 1-2, 2019. This is the 4th year of the show in Vancouver! 2019 Summit sponsor include Microsoft, Lenovo, Niantic, Viacom among others, with over 70+ Exhibitors, 120+ Speakers, and 1000+ executives from around the world. More info and tickets here

Why so many Silicon Valley companies are moving to Vancouver?

In the past 12 months, a concentration of Bay Area businesses have started looking north for new headquarters

by Kate Wilson

When Amazon announced its expansion into Vancouver in April 2018, an almost imperceptible shift happened in the local tech ecosystem. With the exclusion of Microsoft’s move into the city in 2016 to establish a two-floor, 750-person office, the technology landscape has been dominated almost entirely by small, 50-employee-or-less startups. While breakout local successes like Hootsuite, Avigilon, and Slack have made a name for themselves in Silicon Valley, few Bay Area companies and Seattle giants would have considered the locale to be a noteworthy tech hub.

Read full article here

Source

EPIC and VRARA Partner to Advance VR/AR Industry (Press Release)

28 August 2019, Berlin, Germany

Philip Wogart, Executive Director DACH, Co-Chair Location Based Entertainment Committee of the VR/AR Association (VRARA) and Carlos Lee, Director General of EPIC (European Photonics Industry Consortium) signed a Memorandum of Understanding on 28 August 2019. The signature took place at EPIC’s highest-level conference - EPIC World Photonics Technology Summit 2019

There are so many facets of the photonics industry that have direct application to the advancement and adoption of Immersive Technologies, which is entirely our organisation’s goal and mission statement. To find the leading advocate in photonics with its trusted experts and leaders right here in Europe that connect their own industry across the entire value chain, it made perfect sense that our associations not only collaborate, but indeed connect members in business opportunities that accelerate both ecosystems…”
— Philip Wogart, Executive Director DACH VRARA

VRARA and EPIC are leading international organizations that are working tirelessly towards the development of virtual/augmented reality and photonics industries, respectively. They are mutually motivated in cooperative activities involving the technological and commercial advancement in the area of photonics as both organizations help to develop industry standards. The partnership will encourage direct contact and cooperation between its members, assist future cooperation including participation at events and promoting the VR and AR ecosystem, exchange of information and contacts, as well as advisory mandates with the aim to support the development of a more cohesive and sustainable industry.

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EPIC’s model of connecting the European photonics community worldwide is through collaboration and partnerships, and thereby integrating the industry and improving the workings of photonics ecosystems. The VR/AR community is developing very fast and with this partnership, we want to offer this community access to EPIC’s members leading to future collaborations between members. Partnerships like this bring industries together and it’s good that the photonics industry is getting integrated and more organized
— Carlos Lee, Director General of EPIC

The signature of the MoU took place in conjunction with the EPIC World Photonics Technology Summit in Berlin, Germany, in the presence of 150+ CEOs/CTOs and decision makers from worldwide leading photonics companies. The signing is the culmination of 9 months collaboration starting already last year at the EPIC Meeting on AR/VR at SONY in Stuttgart and several online collaborative webinars. Then earlier this year Director General Carlos Lee gave the keynote at the Executive Dinner at Mobile World Congress hosted by the Barcelona Chapter of VRARA. The cooperation continues to grow onto the international stage with the VR/AR Association’s invite for EPIC to participate in their annual Global Summit in November in Vancouver.

VR/AR Association (VRARA) has over 50 chapters around the world and a community of over 4,200 companies, brands, schools, and 27,000 professionals interested in the fields of VR/AR technologies. This complements very well the interests of most of the 500 members of the European Photonics Industry Consortium (EPIC), that encompass the entire value chain from photonics fields such as lighting, photovoltaic, photonics integrated circuits, optical components, lasers, sensors, imaging, displays, optic fiber and all other photonics related technologies.

About VR/AR Association

The VR/AR Association (VRARA) is an international organization designed to facilitate collaboration between innovative companies and people in the VR and AR ecosystem that accelerates growth, fosters research and education, helps develop industry standards, connects member organizations and promotes the services of member companies. Over 4000 companies, brands, school and 27,000 professionals are registered with VRARA and 20 committees are working on best practices and guidelines for the industry.

About European Photonics Industry Consortium

EPIC is an industry association that promotes the sustainable development of organizations working in the field of photonics in Europe. Its members encompass the entire value chain from LED lighting, photovoltaic solar energy, photonics integrated circuits, optical components, lasers, sensors, imaging, displays, projectors, optic fiber and other photonics related technologies. EPIC fosters a vibrant photonics ecosystem by maintaining a strong network and acting as a catalyst and facilitator for technological and commercial advancement. EPIC currently represents close to 500 companies across 33 countries. www.epic-assoc.com

Augmented Reality Coming to a Cereal Bowl Near You thanks to Balti Virtual, Snapchat, Giant Foods, and the Washington Capitals

Come see the latest in VR/AR at our Global Summit Nov 1-2. See here

Balti Virtual, a full-service AR/VR studio located in Baltimore, Maryland, has teamed up with leading grocery chain Giant Foods and the Washington Capitals to create limited-edition, augmented reality cereal box that will hit store later this month. 

Ovi O’s Slapshot presented by Giant, created by Balti Virtual using Snapchat's Lens Studio, allows customers to scan the box and access an interactive hockey game with the ability to shoot the cereal at moving targets. After time runs out, players can share their scores on social media to compete with friends or scan the box again to keep playing. Information on how to access the game in Snapchat will be released in conjunction with the cereal on Sept. 17.

See the full press release from Giant below. 

Giant Food and Capitals Star Alex Ovechkin To Release Limited Edition Ovi O’s Cereal 

Exclusively available at Giant Food, cereal box features Ovechkin’s trademark smile and supports the Children’s Cancer Foundation, Inc. (CCF)

Landover, Md. (September 4, 2019) – Giant Food, the leading greater Washington D.C. regional grocery chain and official grocery sponsor of the Washington Capitals, today announced a collaboration with Washington Capitals Captain Alex Ovechkin to release a limited-edition Ovi’ O’s cereal.  The honey nut cereal will be available starting Sept. 17, Ovechkin’s birthday, while supplies last.

A portion of proceeds from the sale of Ovi O’s will benefit the Maryland-based Children’s Cancer Foundation, Inc. a non-profit that is committed to funding locally-based researchers, programs and facilities until every child is assured a healthy future.

“Giant Food has been a sponsor of the Washington Capitals for over three years, and like all fans, we have enjoyed the spirit and energy Alex brings to the game and our local community,” said Ira Kress, interim President of Giant Food. “Teaming together for such a fun and healthy product is a win-win for us all. We are proud to offer a delicious breakfast cereal that will also help fund the important work of the Children’s Cancer Foundation.”

The cereal box will be hard to miss for dedicated hockey fans, as Ovi O’s will feature Ovechkin’s toothless smile on the box and will sell for $2.69 for a 12.25 oz. box. In addition, the Capitals teamed up with Balti Virtual to bring the Ovi O’s box to life with an augmented reality game, Ovi O’s Slapshot presented by Giant, using Snapchat's Lens Studio. Customers who have purchased Ovi O’s can scan the box in Snapchat to access this interactive hockey game which gives fans the ability to control Ovechkin as he shoots the cereal at moving targets. After time runs out, players can share their score on social media to compete with friends or scan the box again to keep playing. Information on how to access the game in Snapchat will be released in conjunction with the cereal on Sept. 17.

The cereal is available across all 163 stores in Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia, and Delaware. 

“I love cereal and it’s a huge honor to work with Giant to make Ovi O’s and help the Children’s Cancer Foundation support kids and families in the D.C. community,” said Alex Ovechkin.

The launch of Ovi O’s marks one of many community-related initiatives in which Ovechkin is involved. In addition to supporting organizations that grant wishes of sick children, Ovechkin also participates in Ovi’s Crazy 8s. Ovechkin created Ovi’s Crazy 8s in 2006, a program through which he purchases and donates eight Capitals season tickets to Most Valuable Kids and ASHA, allowing fans who normally wouldn’t have access to tickets the opportunity to attend games. He also has a longstanding relationship with the American Special Hockey Association, having hosted ASHA for skating and street hockey events for five consecutive seasons. 

For more details about Giant Food, Ovi O’s cereal, and other ways to help support Children’s Cancer Foundation, Inc., visit giantfood.com or www.childrenscancerfoundation.org.

About Giant Food
Giant Food is headquartered in Landover, Md. and operates 163 supermarkets in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and the District of Columbia. Giant Food employs approximately 20,000 associates. Included within the 163 stores are 153 full-service pharmacies. For more information on Giant, visit www.giantfood.com.

About Balti Virtual 

Balti Virtual is a full-service studio focused on building amazing Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) experiences for brands, agencies, and institutions. Over the past four years, the Baltimore-based company has worked with forward-thinking partners including Marvel, Hallmark, Under Armour and PayPal. Balti Virtual is a one-stop-shop that solves complex industry problems with expert knowledge of cutting-edge technology. From mobile native AR apps and WebXR to headset-based VR/AR, the BV team excels at creating compelling immersive experiences. Whether it’s marketing or entertainment, education, training or healthcare, Balti Virtual works with industries to create awe-inspiring and out-of-the-box campaigns. With roots dating back to the video game industry of the late 90s and a stellar track record of delivering cutting-edge experiences, Balti Virtual is uniquely positioned to help make virtually any AR/VR dream a reality. For more information, visit www.baltivirtual.com.

Lenovo, Niantic, US Navy, Viacom, Microsoft at the VR/AR Global Summit (Press Release)

1000+ Executives, 120+ Speakers, 80+ Exhibitors


VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA (PRWEB) SEPTEMBER 04, 2019

On November 1 & 2, 2019, in Vancouver, Canada, the VR/AR Global Summit will bring together industry frontrunners from around the world to discuss the present and future of immersive technologies. This world-class conference and expo will welcome 1000+ Executives, 120+ Speakers and 70+ Exhibitors from leading companies like Lenovo, Niantic, HTC, Mastercard, Magic Leap, Forbes, US Navy, Amazon, Viacom, Accenture, Microsoft, and so many more.

With over 230 companies active in VR/AR, Vancouver is the 2nd largest immersive ecosystem in the world. “This is the 4th time the show is happening in Vancouver and this year’s Global Summit will have a strong focus on enterprise and AR, as well as on immersive interaction design
— Kris Kolo, Global Executive Director, VRARA

Over two full days, attendees can attend the expo, talks, panels, workshops, investor events, networking and demos that will explore topics like enterprise, training, education, healthcare, automotive, energy, 5G, fitness and sports, location-based entertainment, mobile AR, music and sound, and ethics.

This year’s VR/AR Global Summit is sponsored by Lenovo, Niantic, Viacom, Tourism Vancouver, and the Vancouver Hotel Destination Association and takes place at the newly launched Parq Vancouver, Vancouver’s largest entertainment, casino, and conference destination.

Lenovo will be featuring its recently announced ThinkReality enterprise software and hardware solution, which is designed to help enterprises build, manage and deploy commercial AR/VR solutions at scale. Lenovo is also hosting a developer workshop for enterprise customer developers that will draw a global crowd of Fortune 500 companies and their developers looking to build new innovative solutions.

Niantic, Inc. creates some of today's most popular AR games. But what does the future look like for Niantic and the rest of the AR industry? Ross Finman, Head of AR Strategy at Niantic, will discuss the future of AR; from games to mainstream adoption and beyond.

Viacom's Advanced Advertising Innovation Products team matches and operates emerging tech in support of sales needs. The team helped VR/AR spring to life in Nickelodeon (KCS, KCA, Henry Danger, Loud House), MTV (VMA's Missy Elliot Vanguard), and most recently Comedy Central (Your Brain On Clusterfest). Group lead, Diego J Medina, will be talking about the unique multiplicative quality VR/AR has of voicing IP and audiences through technology.

Tickets are on sale for the Summit. Save 30% on limited discounted tickets by using promo code PR30

For press inquiries or for more information please visit the website at vrarglobalsummit.com


About VR/AR Association

The VR/AR Association (VRARA) is an international organization designed to facilitate collaboration between innovative companies and people in the VR and AR ecosystem that accelerates growth, fosters research and education, helps develop industry standards, connects member organizations and promotes the services of member companies. Over 4000 companies, brands, school and 27,000 professionals are registered with VRARA and 20 committees are working on best practices and guidelines for the industry.

Shortage of Nurses? Immersive Healthcare Learning Experience through 3D Virtual Reality Simulator can Help

See the latest solutions at the VR/AR Global Summit Nov 1-2!

The United States and the Global Market in general are experiencing a shortage in nurses in the coming years. In addition, Universities and institutions look for accurate and more innovative ways to improve their standard of education offered to students. As the healthcare courses require real life practical sessions for assessment and skill evaluations, the conventional education methods are not quite adequate to meet the industrial standards and rising demands.

With the advent of disruptive technologies such as VR and AR, the possibilities of delivering digital course content for professional training are much higher, faster, cost effective and convenient over other training methods.  

VR Simulator

Having long term expertise in interactive application development and innovations in emerging technologies, InApp created a 3D-based seamless virtual reality simulator that is used by the Healthcare universities and institutions to assess and evaluate student’s skills. 

The VR simulator is a web based tool that allows the students to interact with various virtual patients, survey areas with health hazards and different real world scenarios where the students are required to be proactive. The universities can analyze the reports and assess the students based on their reaction time, proactive measures taken to ensure proper care to patients and various other factors that are difficult to be evaluated through a paper-based test.

The nursing students can access this simulator at the comfort of their homes which allows the university to evaluate the candidates on all aspects. The assignments/tasks are placed in various places throughout the virtual world, which needs to be identified by the students and submit reports on the same. For example, say, the students are tasked to examine a patient suffering from malaria. In order to survey the patient’s living area, they can virtually travel to their respective location using the simulator and observe the surroundings for any health hazards which could be a potential cause for the disease and which could even spread to other people living in the neighbourhood. The students are required to report back these observations and the probable cause analysis back at the faculty, which again is done virtually. All these tasks can be performed anywhere at the student’s convenience. 

VR make things much simpler and effective for both the students and faculties. The university can easily customize different tasks for students and create more critical scenarios or create new patient case studies with complex diseases that could improve the competency of the students. Universities and institutions have benefited a lot by the use of VR simulator for providing specialized professional trainings and to examine the student’s skills. There is a tremendous scope for VR and AR technologies for developing digital content and applications for delivering immersive learning experience that can be applied to various industries that adds value in specialized and cost effective trainings. 

More info, download the case study

Contact InApp Information Technologies www.inapp.com or email bijoy@inapp.com