Monthly Archives: May 2020

The Under Presents has been running for months. It's a model for where virtual theater could evolve.

I used to love spending time in immersive theater, in the real world. Site-specific spaces like Then She Fell and Sleep No More, where actors and participants could wander together, exploring and feeling part of something new. Those spaces are closed, at least for now. Real theaters aren't here anymore. I'm not sure when they'll return.

Actors have been performing on Zoom, now. I saw a friend do a live reading of a play in one. Saturday Night Live does Zoom as improv comedy. All the world is a Zoom stage.

There's another way. Since November, actors have been performing in an ongoing virtual theater experience called The Under Presents. The game/experience, available on Oculus Quest and Rift headsets and now Steam VR as well, is a space I visit from time to time. There are recorded performances in this cartoon-like world, like a cabaret space in the Twilight Zone. But there are also live performers who beckon you to join them, too.

These actors, trained in collaboration with the New York theater company Piehole and the VR company Tender Claws, have been living a virtual performance life for months, well before the rest of the world shut down. "We realized that we are suddenly in a position where we're actually some of the actors' main employment in acting... because it's remote. And that's something we couldn't have anticipated," Tender Claws' Samantha Gorman says.

Now, the live performances have been extended until the end of May. Tender Claws is also exploring ways that ticketed performances inside The Under Presents could be a gateway to how live theater could exist in virtual spaces, too.

In The Under Presents, or most VR, it's the opposite of what we get in Zoom. In a Zoom, Hangout or Facetime, we see lots of real faces, but we're on flat screens. In VR, there's movement, presence and I can move my hands and head around, but no one can see my face.

It's like a game, but it's also an ongoing performing world. And one of the biggest surprises so far has been the game's Discord group, which has an active community that feeds back into the world of The Under Presents.

"Sometimes even the actors are very aware of these discussions that are happening online," Gorman says. "And then, because it's real time and evolving, they can then feed that back into the performance. It didn't really occur that that could happen. And that has become a really interesting layer, how things have evolved."

I spoke with the creators of The Under Presents and several of its actors, months after I first met the team, to talk about what they've learned and what could happen next in the world of virtual performance. A lot of what they're doing could be the first steps in a virtual world of communication that we'll all be living in more.

In Zoom (or other video-based) performances, everything is about actors and their faces. In VR, theater is the opposite: no real faces, but lots of physical movements. With hand controllers and a headset that tracks head movements, it can become like dance.

Actors in The Under Presents can talk and have their own toolkit to offer up extra interactions with audience members. They can also look like distinct things: tiger people, dancing crabs, whatever. They interact with the silent audience that watches them.

Actor James Cowan, selfie taken while performing in The Under Presents.

"One of the things that surprised me the most was the ability to communicate without words in the game," actor James Cowan says. "So much of live immersive theater is the cues that you can pick up from body language, the small comments that people make, being able to stare into their eyes."

"But when you go digital ... You know, we're a meeting of minds. We're melding and we're having communications and there is still movement tracking, like, very basically. People can shake their head yes, or shake their head no. There are certain body language things people have learned how to do and how to communicate."

Dasha Kittredge, another performer in The Under, agrees. "While you don't have the eyeballs, it's made me notice some very beautiful, subtle body language," she said. "It's brought my attention to some very subtle cues that people give you when they're very intent, or when they're feeling something, or when they start to get distracted. And that's an acquired skill I now have because of this particular project.

"In a very commedia dell'arte way, they will overemphasize their emotions to express to you their reaction a lot. They're adapting their emotion to the experience as well."

Kittredge says what she didn't expect is how the performances, over time, have become an ongoing storyline. "We've developed these characters, we actually have real relationships with the regulars and they love being seen. And they all look the same, but they've figured out how to be seen, which is so cool, because they have these totems that they make."

Kittredge refers to players plucking random objects from The Under Presents' world and using them as identifiers. Kittredge often knows who's who by the totems.

"When you recognize them and see them in that way, or acknowledge that you remember them... even though you can't see their face, you can tell that they love that and that it means something to them. And that's really cool," said Kittredge. "I never expected that kind of relationship-building with the audience. Especially with the loneliness we're all experiencing."

Actor Dasha Kittredge performing in The Under Presents, virtually.

I think about how VR is changing for people, now that we can't go anywhere in the real world. Virtual performances might be the only option for a while. The Under's actors have seen changes in the virtual world since shelter at home began.

"When shelter in place started out, I noticed in the game people were much more violent," Cowan says of the transition. "They weren't necessarily there just to be entertained. They needed a space to grapple with what was happening in the real world. And they can do that, in this virtual world. As we settled into shelter at home, all of the violence and violent tendencies sort of dissipated a little bit. Now there's more of a need of community."

"In that first week I saw more people coming and giving me hugs, or trying to physically be closer and engage with me in a sweet and gentle way," Kittredge observes. "There started being these in-jokes where they would offer me toilet paper. Sometimes tons of toilet paper. I made an area that is the stash ... It became this kind of running joke."

I think about my already virtual life now: jumping from Zoom to Houseparty to Animal Crossing, living across spaces. What difference, really, is a theatrical experience in a VR headset? It's a matter of degrees. But I feel that the silences in VR, oddly, are what get me. On Zoom, it's about talking and looking eye-to-eye, sitting still. But the world of VR is about movement and space.

Maybe the two will intertwine, someday. But also, I wonder when audience members will become more like performers. The Under Presents still keeps a separation between these worlds, allowing the actors a specific toolset and an ability to notice where people are. Could people like myself eventually improvise, become actors, play more of a part in the creation of the experience?

It's early days to figure out answers to this, and even the language is changing. "Restriction breeds creativity. The taking away of the voice, or limiting things, forces you to come up with another way," Kittredge says of the way the current audience performance tools work.

Tender Claws' producers, Samantha Gorman and Tanya Leal Soto, don't necessarily see more tools arriving in the near future. But there will be a lot more opportunities for players to experience interactions with real actors.

The Under Presents is expanding its live performances, launching a Friday and Saturday night series of more interactive shows in May with ten actors moving around and performing on-stage and off (Fridays at 5pm PT, Saturdays at 7pm PT).

Much like how I felt wandering around immersive theater years ago in Sleep No More, wearing a mask and silently submitting to a new reality, VR's next wave of immersive theater might open up to whole new experiences sooner than expected. The actors will continue to live in these worlds; for now, there's no other theater to go to.

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With real theaters closed, actors are turning to virtual reality - CNET

Virtual reality may find its place in the Cavaliers player development program thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The NBAs suspension in play after the games of March 11 cost the young Cavs a valuable month of growth. The teams practice facility opened Friday, but only four players are allowed in at one time and group drills are prohibited. Coach J.B. Bickerstaff explained the social distancing restrictions as one player, one coach, one ball.

There is much to do, and little that can be done at Cleveland Clinic Courts. The Cavs have seven rotation players on the roster age 25 and under, including four guards Collin Sexton, Darius Garland, Dylan Windler and Kevin Porter Jr. selected in the past two drafts. Forward Cedi Osman is a part of the teams future after signing a four-year, $30.8 million contract extension in October.

So the lockdown has forced the staff to start thinking about technological advancements that could accelerate the players advancement during the Cavs rebuild.

The first step may have been when the player development staff put together a ball handling session on a Zoom call.

Weve had guys show up for that in groups, Bickerstaff said in a Zoom conference with local media Wednesday.

But that might have been just the beginning.

We have to be more creative, Bickerstaff said. In talking to some people around the basketball world, [there has been] the use of virtual reality, and how do we use that to help development.

You basically can put a guy on the floor and hes got to move through space like he would on a real court playing against opponents.

Players can shoot 3s or drive and finish at the rim by themselves. According to Kelsey Russo of The Athletic, one Cavs player bought a hoop at Walmart and assembled it himself while isolated.

But that doesnt encompass everything the Cavs want their young core to work on.

The individual development is a little more difficult because sometimes it takes three or four people working with a guy to get them to understand the reads on a pick and roll, those type of things, Bickerstaff said.

During the crisis, Bickerstaff said he has most frequently talked to Atlanta Hawks coach Lloyd Pierce and Sacramento Kings coach Luke Walton. While their chats help during the isolation, they are also brainstorming.

Its trying to gauge whats going on in different places, Bickerstaff said. Everybody has different reasons why theyre doing things, and weve got to do whats best for our group because each group is different. We can work through things and bounce ideas off one another.

Bickerstaff said some of those conversations may prove fruitful even after the pandemic subsides.

This has given us a unique opportunity to think outside the box, working with our staff and having conversations that we dont always have to do what weve always done just because weve always done it, Bickerstaff said. This is an opportunity to push the envelope and try to come up with some new and creative things that can help our guys even when things do get back to normal.

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Cavaliers thinking outside the box, exploring virtual reality as player development tool - Lima Ohio

Credit: Jazna Rossi/Pixabay

Virtual reality has the potential to increase access to treatment for a range of conditions. There is no shortage of research demonstrating this, covering post-traumatic stress disorder, Parkinsons, stroke, autism and more. But this year, Norfolk and Suffolk became one of the first NHS trusts to integrate VR into its psychological care pathways.

Using off-the-shelf VR headsets and specially created virtual worlds, the trust has been offering virtual treatment to patients struggling with disabling phobias. By gradually increasing patients exposure to situations they would usually avoid, the trust says it is helping them to manage their feelings in a safe and controlled environment.

Previously, there were practical difficulties in coaching patients through situations which were troubling them. Nesta Reeve, a consultant clinical psychologist and lead for wellbeing services at the trust, explains: When you follow National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines for the treatment of phobias, you tend to immerse people into the specific situation in real life.

That is difficult for a therapy service because we are office-based, we tend to see people one after another and so we dont really have the time to go out. Also, people who were successfully treated for phobias were having a lot of sessions in Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) services.

Automated treatment with VR, however, offers significant solutions. It means that patients do not have to leave the clinic, nor it is necessary for a clinician to be present.

I think this is a great opportunity to use technology to help people get greater exposure to their fears and to overcome them without having to leave the clinic, says Reeve. It means we can treat people more quickly, and hopefully we will get more people coming forward with fears that might seem minor, but which are stopping them from doing something important.

Fears of MRI scans and injections are good reasons for doing the exposure. But there are also people who are blocked in their careers for fear of public speaking, sitting exams or going into lecture theatres. This can help people to move their lives on.

The catalyst for Norfolk and Suffolks innovation came when the East of England clinical network for IAPT put out a challenge for clinicians to find new digital ways of working.

With financial backing of 10,000 from the network, in mid-2019 Joe Embrey, a cognitive behavioural therapist at the trust, began testing VR to treat people with a fear of needles and agoraphobia.

The trial showed that VR is a really effective at bridging the gap between real-life exposure and what the patient feels able to do at the time they enter treatment, says Embrey. It has been especially useful for things like needle phobias, because the process of preparing for and giving an injection is not something which we can easily replicate in the therapy room.

Software challengesBuying VR headsets was easy for the trust. Finding the right software was difficult. Reeves search failed to identify a UK supplier, but found a VR platform for psychology and mental health from Spanish company Psious. Its product includes fears of injections, scans, social situations, darkness, animals and agoraphobia.

Norfolk and Suffolk pays Psious 1,000 per licence. Although the licence can only be used with one patient at a time, the number of patients and times it can be used is unlimited.

I know that Psious is used by private clinicians in the US and UK, but when I was in contact with company recently, I asked them if any other NHS trust was using their VR and they said that at the moment, no, we are the first, says Reeve.

But they are getting involved with the NHS in Manchester and they are keen to learn from our experience because there were a few blocks to implementing this. Not least, in the NHS it is quite hard to buy something bespoke. Buying something from Spain in euros was a little challenging too.

"We can treat people more quickly, and hopefully we will get more people coming forward with fears that might seem minor, but which are stopping them from doing something important"Nesta Reeve, Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust

Research at University of Oxfords department of psychiatry into immersive VR to treat fear of heights, found patients were willing to go into situations that troubled them and to try new ways of responding. They were willing because they knew it was a simulation. But what the patients learned through VR, was transferred to the real world.

In Norfolk and Suffolks experience, patients are usually more willing to try VR than face a real-life situation. They can control and even stop the experience if they wish. And the system also enables them to monitor their anxiety and to know how their anxiety has reduced over time.

The Covid-19 crisis means that all the trusts psychology consultations are taking place via phone or video. For the time being, the VR treatment is on hold. But when clinics are cancelled, staff are encouraged to use the time available to familiarise themselves with the VR system.

Phobias can have a real negative impact on peoples lives, says Reeve. Now we have this technology, we hope that more people will come forward to ask for help with their phobias, and that VR will help them to get better more quickly so that they can enjoy activities which many of us take for granted.

The rest is here:

'We hope more people will ask for help' how an NHS trust is using virtual reality to treat phobias - PublicTechnology

Here are some virtual cultural events of regional interest that are planned for the week ahead:

Philadelphia Youth Orchestra

WRTI is broadcasting concerts by the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra (PYO) on Sundays in May. Conducted by Maestro Louis Scaglione, the concerts will be streamed from 4 to 6 p.m. and will be co-hosted by WRTIs Kevin Gordon and Scaglione. They will be available on the radio at 90.1 FM, online atWRTI.organd on the WRTI App.

Airing this Sunday will be the Feb. 23 concert with guest violinist Francesca dePasquale, a PYO alumna. The program will open with Samuel Barbers Medeas Dance of Vengeance, then proceed with dePasquale as soloist with the orchestra in Dmitri Shostakovichs Violin Concerto No. 1 and conclude with Aaron Coplands Symphony No. 3.

The PYO features 130 instrumentalists who range in age from 15-21.

Comedy Conversation

1812 Productions, Philadelphia's all comedy theater company, presents Comedy Conversation, a one-night-only special event featuring storytelling and a live reading with author and humorist R. Eric Thomas, as well as a Q&A with Philadelphia storyteller Hillary Rea, on Monday, May 11, at 8 p.m. The event will be streamed live at http://www.crowdcast.io/e/1812-comedy-conversation.

Thomas is an award-winning playwright, storyteller, author and the creator of Eric Reads the News, a daily humor column forELLE Magazine. His first memoir, "Here for It, or How To Save Your Soul in America," which Lin-Manuel Miranda hailed as, pop culture-obsessed, David Sedaris-level laugh-out-loud funny, was released in February.

Following a live reading, Thomas will be joined by Rea, who is the founder of Tell Me A Story, an organization whose mission is to assist entrepreneurs, business leaders and artists in finding their own narratives.

Comedy Conversation is pay what you choose. Questions can be directed to 1812 Productions box office at http://www.1812productions.org or at 215-592-9560.

Virtual Escape Room

The Escape Game King of Prussia has launched The Escape Game Remote Adventures escape games you play on Zoom from anywhere in the world. Players progress through the room using an online clue bank, a live Game Guide and a 360 degree view of the room. You explore by controlling an avatar wearing a live camera feed and use what you find in the room and the items in your digital dashboard to progress through the adventure. You have 60 minute to escape. Cost is $25 per person. To reserve a time, go to theescapegame.com/remote-adventures.

Berks Bards Poetry Reading

The grassroots poetry group Berks Bards will hold its First Thursday Poetry Reading on Zoom today at 6 p.m. Special guest will be Brandon Krieg, the author of "Magnifier," winner of the 2019 Colorado Prize for Poetry; "In the Gorge"; "Invasives," a finalist for the 2015 ASLE Book Award for Environmental Creative Writing; and a chapbook, "Source to Mouth." Krieg is an assistant professor of English at Kutztown University. To join the Zoom, go to https://tinyurl.com/VirtualBard.

Comedy Night Online

The Kelly Center for Music, Arts and Community in Havertown is presenting Comedy Night Online hosted by Mark Lipsky on Saturday from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Included will be an interview with "Saturday Night Live" alum Gary Kroeger, a conversation with shape-shifting comedian Jillian Markowitz and comedy clips and stand-up video from Rob Stant, Joan Weisblatt and Mike Eagan. The event is pay-what-you-can and can be viewed on the Kelly Center's Facebook page or on Youtube.

Philoso-Fest

The Lawn Chair Philosophy Foundation, Bala Cynwyd, presents Philoso-Fest on Saturday from 3:30 to 11:30 p.m. Artists and academics are invited to present 20 to 30 minutes of songs, poems or readings from academic papers, and talk about their personal philosophies. The lineup is posted on the group's Facebook page.

Friday FB Live Concerts

TheFriday FB Live Concert Seriescontinues this Friday with performances by Tin Bird Choir (Eric and Heather Hurlock) at 8 p.m., followed by Mike Baker (Rumi Kitchen) at 8:30, Kevin Killen at 9 and Dave Cope at 9:30. A $20 donation is requested, with 75% of the money going directly to the artists and 25% going to the charity Feeding America, which provides food to people in need through a nationwide network of food banks.

Philadelphia Virtual Music Phest

The Philadelphia Virtual Music Phestival presents an interview with violinist David Kim, concertmaster of The Philadelphia Orchestra, on Saturday from 7 to 8 p.m. on its Facebook group page.

Kim frequently appears as a guest with famed modern hymn writers Keith and Kristyn Getty at venues such as the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and Carnegie Hall. He appears as soloist with The Philadelphia Orchestra each season as well as with numerous orchestras around the world.

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Virtual reality: Your online regional events roundup for the week ahead - Reading Eagle

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The "Augmented and Virtual Reality HMD Market Size Analysis and Outlook to 2026 - Potential Opportunities, Companies and Forecasts for HMD connectivity and components across End User Industries and Countries" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The Augmented and Virtual Reality HMD market is one of the dynamic sensor technology segments with major factors such as technological advancements, wide range adoption and large scale applications.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on the market size for the year 2020, with small and medium scale companies struggling to sustain their businesses in the near term future. The analyst anticipates around 2% to 3% deviation in growth outlook due to the coronavirus spread. The Augmented and Virtual Reality HMD market growth has become variable by region with some countries offering huge growth potential while others face closures and low profit margins.

Over the medium to long term future, the analyst anticipates the Augmented and Virtual Reality HMD market to regain growth momentum, mainly with support from developing markets.

Scope of the Augmented and Virtual Reality HMD Market report includes:

1. The base year for the market analysis is 2019 and forecasts are provided from 2020 to 2026

2. Annual Forecasts of Augmented and Virtual Reality HMD markets, 2018 to 2026

3. Augmented and Virtual Reality HMD Market Size as a whole, 2018-2026

4. Market Size of Augmented and Virtual Reality HMD across Types, 2018-2026

5. Augmented and Virtual Reality HMD other segments, 2018-2026

6. Applications and End User Verticals, 2018-2026

7. Augmented and Virtual Reality HMD Market across Countries and Regions, 2018-2026

8. Regions covered - Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East and Africa, North America and Latin America

Key Topics Covered

1. Global Augmented and Virtual Reality HMD Market Overview

1.1 Key Snapshot, 2020

1.2 Introduction to Global Augmented and Virtual Reality HMD Market

1.3 Global Augmented and Virtual Reality HMD Market Definition-Types

1.4 Global Augmented and Virtual Reality HMD Market Definition-Applications

1.5 Global Augmented and Virtual Reality HMD Market Definition-Regions

1.6 Market Research Methodology

2. Augmented and Virtual Reality HMD Market Opportunities and Business Prospects

2.1 Fastest Growing Types of Augmented and Virtual Reality HMD, 2018-2026

2.2 Potential Application verticals of Augmented and Virtual Reality HMD, 2018-2026

2.3 Fastest Growth markets being targeted by leading players, 2018-2026

3. Augmented and Virtual Reality HMD Market Strategic Analysis Review

3.1 Near term and Long term trends set to shape up the future of Augmented and Virtual Reality HMD market

3.2 Market Drivers

3.3 Market Challenges

3.5 Porter's Five Forces Analysis

3.5.1 Overall Index

3.5.2 Supplier's Power of Augmented and Virtual Reality HMD Market

3.5.3 Buyer's Power of Augmented and Virtual Reality HMD Market

3.5.4 Competitive Rivalry in Augmented and Virtual Reality HMD Market

3.5.5 Threat of New Entrants in Augmented and Virtual Reality HMD Market

3.5.6 Threat of Substitutes in Augmented and Virtual Reality HMD Market

4. Global Augmented and Virtual Reality HMD Market Outlook

4.1 Global Augmented and Virtual Reality HMD Market Outlook by Type, 2018-2026

4.2 Global Augmented and Virtual Reality HMD Market Outlook by Application, 2018-2026

4.3 Global Augmented and Virtual Reality HMD Market Outlook by Country, 2018-2026

5. Asia Pacific Augmented and Virtual Reality HMD Market Outlook

6. Europe Augmented and Virtual Reality HMD Market Outlook and Growth Opportunities

7. North America Augmented and Virtual Reality HMD Market Outlook and Growth Opportunities

8. South and Central America Augmented and Virtual Reality HMD Market Outlook and Growth Opportunities

9. Middle East Africa Augmented and Virtual Reality HMD Market Outlook and Growth Opportunities

10. Augmented and Virtual Reality HMD Market Competitive Analysis

10.1 Leading Players in Augmented and Virtual Reality HMD Market

10.2 Key Strategies/ Initiatives of Leading Players

10.3 Business Profiles of Leading Augmented and Virtual Reality HMD Companies

10.3.1 Introduction

10.3.2 Augmented and Virtual Reality HMD Products

10.3.3 SWOT Analysis

10.3.4 Financial Analysis

11. Recent Developments in Global Augmented and Virtual Reality HMD Market

11.1 New Product Launches

11.2 Mergers and Acquisitions

11.3 Manufacturing Developments

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/2iijak

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Augmented and Virtual Reality HMD Markets, 2018-2026: Impact of the Coronavirus Pandemic - ResearchAndMarkets.com - Business Wire

With all the University of Mississippi classes being delivered online during the COVID-19 outbreak, professors have had to get creative. While many are streaming live or playing pre-recorded videos, one professor is using a virtual reality version of himself and getting surprising results in return.

This screen capture illustrates how real-life action compares with the VR version for Jones lectures. Submitted photoAdam Jones has been using VR to deliver lectures for two courses, CSCI 343: Fundamentals of Data Science and CSCI 447: Immersive Media, a VR development class. Besides the VR lectures, he has been conducting live-streamed tutorials and Q&A sessions on YouTube.

Ive been really pleased with the results, said Jones, assistant professor of computer and information science in the School of Engineering.

There are, of course, wrinkles to be ironed out when making a big change like this, but it has been surprisingly easier than expected. Students have the option to view lectures through VR headsets, on computer screens like a first-person 3D game, or through online video.

Jones said the process for translating a lecture into VR is pretty smooth.

It is very similar to teaching in a real classroom, he said. Instructors do not just give slideshows. They point, gesture, move and make eye contact with students while they teach. These are things that you sometimes lose when delivering online lectures by video, but you get to keep these visual cues in VR.

It also has the added bonus that you can lecture in your pajamas.

Students taking these VR courses have enjoyed interacting with Jones and one other.

The use of a VR environment, which incorporated a traditional PowerPoint and a floating head with hands, was a genius method to continue classes without interruption, said Logan Parker, a sophomore computer science major from Laurel. The VR environment proved to be engaging as well as entertaining to me.

VR instruction doesnt feel much different than being in a standard classroom, said James Tweedle, a senior in biomedical engineering from Cleveland.

It simply felt like I was watching Dr. Jones present at the front of the classroom, Tweedle said. Whereas in a classroom setting, I might miss something a teacher states without realizing it or being able to write it down, (but) having VR lectures I can return to if need be has made learning the material easier.

Jones said even his 2-year-old daughter enjoys watching the lectures.

She absolutely loves robots and gets very excited to see robot daddy on the computer, he said. I think its just a really fun format.

Students in the VR development course use the collaboration function to share the virtual worlds that they build for their assignments. The creativity that they have shown in building these worlds has been phenomenal, Jones said.

It is super exciting grading their virtual worlds because I never know what to expect. For their last assignment, they were instructed to build a retro-sci fi-themed world. Many of the students incorporated elements about the pandemic into the narratives for their virtual worlds.

With the spring semester winding down, Jones will be teaching a summer workshop for middle and high school students with UM Outreach and Continuing Education using this VR technology. Jones said he plans to continue using VR for teaching post-pandemic.

This format is highly scalable since you arent limited by seats in a physical classroom, but you still have that in-person feel, he said. The virtual environment that were using is made to enable collaboration.

To see a video of one of Jones VR lectures, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHhf2y8dH88.

By Edwin B. Smith, University of Mississippi Communications

Follow HottyToddy.com on Facebook (If You Love Oxford and Ole Miss...), Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat (@hottytoddynews).

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Virtual Reality Courses Offer Immersion into Remote Instruction - HottyToddy.com

At a time when nearly30 million Americans are unemployed, entire industries are shut down, and much of the world has come to a standstill, theres one thing many of us could use right now: a laugh.

To give the world much-needed comic relief in this time of crisis, D.L. Hughley, one of the original Kings of Comedy, tapped three fellow comedians for a new comedy series with an innovative twist. Hugely, Chris Spencer, Ryan Davis, and Bo Dacious teamed up with Ceek to produce a virtual reality series called The Laugh Experience, which marks the first-ever virtual reality comedy special.

During an interview on BLACK ENTERPRISEs The New Norm With Selena Hill, Spencer opened up about The Laugh Experience, his life in quarantine, and new-age comedy. Its some futuristic stuff. Im very excited to be a part of it, he said.

Spencer, whose 30-year-long career in Hollywood includes writing and producing Grown-ish, creating Real Husbands of Hollywood, starring Kevin Hart, and writing for The Emmys and SNL, is also planning to launch his own channel on CEEK. Some of the original content that will air includes his upcoming talk show that aims to bridge the gap between veteran standup comedians and funny social media stars.

A lot of them think we dont like them and we think that they dont like us, he said. I want to put them into a room together and lets have some conversations about how we can help you because your stand up sucks and how you can help us because our social media sucks.

Outside of CEEK, Spencer is working on a new talk show called Still Standing, featuring famous standup comedians whove gone under the radar, like Bruce Bruce, Alex Thomas, Tony Woods, and George Wallace.

Youre going to get a chance to see all the comedians you grew up with and are wondering what they are doing now, he said. Some of them are doing other things besides stand up. Some of them become writers. Some of us are heavy in the stock marketI want to bring that out and let people know where the hell these people are and what theyre doing.

In addition, Spencer talked about why many people are just now getting hip to VR platforms like CEEK, which launched in 2015 by Mary Spio, a rocket scientist born in Ghana.

Watch Spencers interview on The New Norm with Selena Hill below.

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Chris Spencer Talks About Using Comedy, Virtual-Reality in Times of Crisis - Black Enterprise

While Digi-Capitals AR/VR Analytics Platform tracked over $4 billion AR/VR investment last year, virtual and augmented reality investment dropped in Q4 2019 and Q1 2020 in terms of both deal volume (i.e. number of deals) and deal value (i.e. dollars invested). The first quarter of this year saw AR/VR investment volume (again, number of deals) at a quarterly level last seen back in 2013. In the context of COVID-19s impact on all startup investment (not just AR/VR), this looks like it might be the start of at least a medium-term trend.

It is too early to tell whether the peaks of AR and VR investment from recent years might return after the coronavirus crisis has reached a resolution. What could be needed for that to happen is a VC catalyst on the scale of the Facebook/Oculus deal, which in many ways sparked the current virtual and augmented reality market. A potential catalyst could be Apple entering the smartglasses market in late 2022, but as previously discussed only Tim Cook and his inner circle know if and when that might happen.

AR/VR investment volume (number of deals) declined significantly in the last 2 quarters. Total quarterly investment volume in Q1 2020 was at a similar level back in Q4 2013, before VC interest in the current wave of AR/VR was sparked by Facebook acquiring Oculus. Categories with the highest volume of deals in the last 12 months to Q1 2020 were AR/VR tech, education, games, enterprise, medical and smartglasses. All other categories had fewer deals in the last 12 months.

The largest number of investments by stage in the last 12 months to Q1 2020 in order were Seed, Series A, Grants, Series B and Accelerator. All other stages saw fewer deals.

As above, AR/VR investment value (dollars invested) dropped significantly in the last 2 quarters, with Q1 at a level similar to Q3 2015. Again, the impact of COVID-19 on the wider tech investment market appears to indicate at least a medium-term trend. AR/VR tech and social categories each raised the largest amounts in the last 12 months to Q1 2020, with smartglasses, location based entertainment, games, photo/video and lifestyle categories also significant. Other categories also saw investment, but at a lower level.

Apart from post-IPO equity raised by Snap, the highest value investment stages for AR/VR in the last 12 months to Q1 2020 were in order Series F, Series B, Series A, Series C and Series D. All other stages raised lower amounts.

Geographically, the US and China continued to dominate AR/VR investment over the last 12 months to Q1 2020 as they have for some time. These were followed by Israel, the UK and Canada. All other countries produced less investment.

AR/VR has seen relatively low M&A volume (i.e. number of deals) compared to other tech sectors due to the early stage of the market. Apart from outliers like Facebook/Oculus, quarterly AR/VR M&A value (i.e. dollars paid to acquire companies) has generally remained in the tens to hundreds of millions of dollars per quarter. Compared to other tech markets, this highlights the limited amount of M&A for AR/VR so far. While this could change if there is an inflection point in coming years, there isnt an obvious catalyst to drive large-scale M&A in the medium term.

In the current augmented and virtual reality market, startups might be most focused on short term revenue generation and managing burn rates through 2020/2021. Leveraging VC investment to accelerate growth is challenging in normal times, but these arent normal times (again, not just for AR/VR). Hopefully the strongest startups might find a way through to the other side.

(Full analysis in Digi-Capitals new 378 page Augmented/Virtual Reality Report Q2 2020 and 500,000+ data point AR/VR Analytics Platform at http://www.digi-capital.com)

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Virtual and augmented reality investment at 2013 levels in first quarter - VentureBeat

Tired of staring at your living rooms walls? VR experiences could provide the answer to your seemingly neverending boredom. The COVID-19 pandemic has created an opportunity for the latest technology to prove itself as an alternative to the real travel experience. It could even provide an eco-friendly way to help avoid overtourism in some of the world's most visited spots.

It may not be quite the full experience but you can put your feet up and discover the tallest waterfall in the world, Venezuela's Angel Falls, experience Machu Picchu in Peru or walk around in Paris and see the view from the Eiffel Tower via a 360 degree VR tour video. You are just one click from visiting the Grand Canyon using Google Earth.

Interested in Mayan or Viking culture? The British Museum has set up a virtual reality tour allowing you to select from a number of historical periods of across various continents so you can travel in both time and space. Alternatively, you can visit the Louvre's exhibitions and galleriesvia an online tour to get your art fix.The Guggenheim Museum in New York City also made 1700 important artworks available online after having to close due to social distancing measures.

If you are the mood to visit royalty, you can walk through the Schnbrunn Castle.Austria, like many other European countries, has made a list of famous tourist destinations available via Google Arts and Culture.

A wide variety of zoos have also been sharing live camera footage for you to watch endangered species at parks across the world. These cubs came live from the Netherlands, at Ouwehand Zoo where the Polar Bears International Arctic Ambassador Centre plays an important role in efforts to sustain a future for wild polar bears.

The Faroe Islands is the latest to offer an online experience. The small North Atlantic archipelago's tourist board has created a virtual reality app that lets lockdown web users remotely control a tour guide, moving them through its towns and volcanic islands like a video game character.

The Faroe Islands is an 18-island rocky, volcanic archipelago that's home to 50,000 people with nearly half of its population living in Torshavn, the capital. Tourism has been growing over the last five years. Around 120,000 people visited the semi-autonomous Danish territory last year.

Despite its government already easing some restrictions aimed at preventing the spread of the virus, international tourists have been advised not to travel to the territory until at least 1 May.

While the pandemic has resulted in improved air quality around the world, it is expected to have a disastrous impact on the tourism sector, which counts for one-tenth of global GDP. Up to 75 million jobs are at immediate risk in global travel and tourism due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC).

Like many other destinations, the Faroe Islands tourism board believes in the positive effect VR can have on real-world travel. Author of a recent report, Ralph Hollister, claims that "more companies are realizing the potential of Virtual Reality in terms of creating bespoke marketing campaigns for aspiring travellers, instead of viewing it as a gimmick".

It seems that VR and similar technologies can give a boost to the sector, rather than replace the real adventure. "The idea is to whet people's appetite and get them to want to come and experience this in real life," says Levi Hanssen, Content and Communications Manager, Visit Faroe Islands.

Click on the video above to visit the Faroe Islands.

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Euronews Living | Could this be the moment for virtual reality travel? - Euronews

Latest Report On Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Market including Market Landscape, and Market size, Revenues by players, Revenues by regions, Average prices, Competitive landscape, market Dynamics and industry trends and developments during the forecast period.

The global Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training market is broadly analyzed in this report that sheds light on critical aspects such as the vendor landscape, competitive strategies, market dynamics, and regional analysis. The report helps readers to clearly understand the current and future status of the global Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training market. The research study comes out as a compilation of useful guidelines for players to secure a position of strength in the global market. The authors of the report profile leading companies of the global Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training market, Also the details about important activities of leading players in the competitive landscape.

Key companies operating in the global Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training market include: CAE Immersivetouch Mentice Mimic Technologies Simbionix Surgical Theather Virtamed VR Simulators Zspace Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training

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The report predicts the size of the global Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training market in terms of value and volume for the forecast period 2020-2026. As per the analysis provided in the report, the global Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training market is expected to rise at a CAGR of xx % between 2020 and 2026 to reach a valuation of US$ xx million/billion by the end of 2026. In 2020, the global Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training market attained a valuation of US$ XX million/billion. The market researchers deeply analyze the global Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training industry landscape and the future prospects it is anticipated to create

Segmental Analysis

The report has classified the global Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training industry into segments including product type and application. Every segment is evaluated based on growth rate and share. Besides, the analysts have studied the potential regions that may prove rewarding for the Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training manufcaturers in the coming years. The regional analysis includes reliable predictions on value and volume, thereby helping market players to gain deep insights into the overall Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training industry.

Global Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Market Segment By Type:

, Hardware, Software and Service Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training

Global Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Market Segment By Application:

, Medical Education, Training

Competitive Landscape

It is important for every market participant to be familiar with the competitive scenario in the global Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training industry. In order to fulfil the requirements, the industry analysts have evaluated the strategic activities of the competitors to help the key players strengthen their foothold in the market and increase their competitiveness.

Key companies operating in the global Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training market include: CAE Immersivetouch Mentice Mimic Technologies Simbionix Surgical Theather Virtamed VR Simulators Zspace Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training

Key questions answered in the report:

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Table Of Content

1 Report Overview1.1 Study Scope1.2 Key Market Segments1.3 Players Covered: Ranking by Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Revenue1.4 Market Analysis by Type1.4.1 Global Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Market Size Growth Rate by Type: 2020 VS 20261.4.2 Hardware1.4.3 Software and Service1.5 Market by Application1.5.1 Global Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Market Share by Application: 2020 VS 20261.5.2 Medical Education1.5.3 Training1.6 Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19): Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Industry Impact1.6.1 How the Covid-19 is Affecting the Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Industry

1.6.1.1 Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Business Impact Assessment Covid-19

1.6.1.2 Supply Chain Challenges

1.6.1.3 COVID-19s Impact On Crude Oil and Refined Products1.6.2 Market Trends and Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Potential Opportunities in the COVID-19 Landscape1.6.3 Measures / Proposal against Covid-19

1.6.3.1 Government Measures to Combat Covid-19 Impact

1.6.3.2 Proposal for Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Players to Combat Covid-19 Impact1.7 Study Objectives1.8 Years Considered 2 Global Growth Trends by Regions2.1 Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Market Perspective (2015-2026)2.2 Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Growth Trends by Regions2.2.1 Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Market Size by Regions: 2015 VS 2020 VS 20262.2.2 Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Historic Market Share by Regions (2015-2020)2.2.3 Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Forecasted Market Size by Regions (2021-2026)2.3 Industry Trends and Growth Strategy2.3.1 Market Top Trends2.3.2 Market Drivers2.3.3 Market Challenges2.3.4 Porters Five Forces Analysis2.3.5 Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Market Growth Strategy2.3.6 Primary Interviews with Key Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Players (Opinion Leaders) 3 Competition Landscape by Key Players3.1 Global Top Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Players by Market Size3.1.1 Global Top Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Players by Revenue (2015-2020)3.1.2 Global Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Revenue Market Share by Players (2015-2020)3.1.3 Global Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Market Share by Company Type (Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3)3.2 Global Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Market Concentration Ratio3.2.1 Global Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Market Concentration Ratio (CR5 and HHI)3.2.2 Global Top 10 and Top 5 Companies by Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Revenue in 20193.3 Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Key Players Head office and Area Served3.4 Key Players Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Product Solution and Service3.5 Date of Enter into Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Market3.6 Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion Plans 4 Breakdown Data by Type (2015-2026)4.1 Global Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Historic Market Size by Type (2015-2020)4.2 Global Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Forecasted Market Size by Type (2021-2026) 5 Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Breakdown Data by Application (2015-2026)5.1 Global Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Market Size by Application (2015-2020)5.2 Global Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Forecasted Market Size by Application (2021-2026) 6 North America6.1 North America Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Market Size (2015-2020)6.2 Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Key Players in North America (2019-2020)6.3 North America Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Market Size by Type (2015-2020)6.4 North America Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Market Size by Application (2015-2020) 7 Europe7.1 Europe Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Market Size (2015-2020)7.2 Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Key Players in Europe (2019-2020)7.3 Europe Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Market Size by Type (2015-2020)7.4 Europe Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Market Size by Application (2015-2020) 8 China8.1 China Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Market Size (2015-2020)8.2 Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Key Players in China (2019-2020)8.3 China Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Market Size by Type (2015-2020)8.4 China Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Market Size by Application (2015-2020) 9 Japan9.1 Japan Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Market Size (2015-2020)9.2 Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Key Players in Japan (2019-2020)9.3 Japan Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Market Size by Type (2015-2020)9.4 Japan Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Market Size by Application (2015-2020) 10 Southeast Asia10.1 Southeast Asia Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Market Size (2015-2020)10.2 Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Key Players in Southeast Asia (2019-2020)10.3 Southeast Asia Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Market Size by Type (2015-2020)10.4 Southeast Asia Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Market Size by Application (2015-2020) 11 India11.1 India Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Market Size (2015-2020)11.2 Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Key Players in India (2019-2020)11.3 India Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Market Size by Type (2015-2020)11.4 India Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Market Size by Application (2015-2020) 12 Central & South America12.1 Central & South America Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Market Size (2015-2020)12.2 Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Key Players in Central & South America (2019-2020)12.3 Central & South America Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Market Size by Type (2015-2020)12.4 Central & South America Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Market Size by Application (2015-2020) 13 Key Players Profiles13.1 CAE13.1.1 CAE Company Details13.1.2 CAE Business Overview and Its Total Revenue13.1.3 CAE Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Introduction13.1.4 CAE Revenue in Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Business (2015-2020))13.1.5 CAE Recent Development13.2 Immersivetouch13.2.1 Immersivetouch Company Details13.2.2 Immersivetouch Business Overview and Its Total Revenue13.2.3 Immersivetouch Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Introduction13.2.4 Immersivetouch Revenue in Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Business (2015-2020)13.2.5 Immersivetouch Recent Development13.3 Mentice13.3.1 Mentice Company Details13.3.2 Mentice Business Overview and Its Total Revenue13.3.3 Mentice Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Introduction13.3.4 Mentice Revenue in Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Business (2015-2020)13.3.5 Mentice Recent Development13.4 Mimic Technologies13.4.1 Mimic Technologies Company Details13.4.2 Mimic Technologies Business Overview and Its Total Revenue13.4.3 Mimic Technologies Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Introduction13.4.4 Mimic Technologies Revenue in Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Business (2015-2020)13.4.5 Mimic Technologies Recent Development13.5 Simbionix13.5.1 Simbionix Company Details13.5.2 Simbionix Business Overview and Its Total Revenue13.5.3 Simbionix Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Introduction13.5.4 Simbionix Revenue in Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Business (2015-2020)13.5.5 Simbionix Recent Development13.6 Surgical Theather13.6.1 Surgical Theather Company Details13.6.2 Surgical Theather Business Overview and Its Total Revenue13.6.3 Surgical Theather Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Introduction13.6.4 Surgical Theather Revenue in Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Business (2015-2020)13.6.5 Surgical Theather Recent Development13.7 Virtamed13.7.1 Virtamed Company Details13.7.2 Virtamed Business Overview and Its Total Revenue13.7.3 Virtamed Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Introduction13.7.4 Virtamed Revenue in Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Business (2015-2020)13.7.5 Virtamed Recent Development13.8 VR Simulators13.8.1 VR Simulators Company Details13.8.2 VR Simulators Business Overview and Its Total Revenue13.8.3 VR Simulators Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Introduction13.8.4 VR Simulators Revenue in Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Business (2015-2020)13.8.5 VR Simulators Recent Development13.9 Zspace13.9.1 Zspace Company Details13.9.2 Zspace Business Overview and Its Total Revenue13.9.3 Zspace Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Introduction13.9.4 Zspace Revenue in Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Business (2015-2020)13.9.5 Zspace Recent Development 14 Analysts Viewpoints/Conclusions 15 Appendix15.1 Research Methodology15.1.1 Methodology/Research Approach15.1.2 Data Source15.2 Disclaimer15.3 Author Details

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Virtual Reality in Medical Education and Training Market Regional Analysis, key Drivers and Restraints, by Product, Top Players and Forecast Analysis...