Monthly Archives: February 2022

Apple has completed key production tests for its long-rumored augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) headset, according to DigiTimes.

The preliminary information was shared in DigiTimes' paywalled "Before Going to Press" section, so there are no further details yet. The full report should be published by tomorrow, potentially with more information.

While Apple's headset was widely believed to be scheduled to launch this year, a recent report from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman cast doubt on the chances of the device emerging this year due to development problems.

Nevertheless, Apple's headset project is said to be "approaching liftoff," with the device mirroring the development timeline of the Apple Watch in the period before its launch. Apple's work on the headset's operating system, realityOS, has been rumored since 2017, but the existence of the operating system was recently confirmed when references to it were found in App Store upload logs and Apple open source code. DigiTimes' latest report is yet another sign that Apple's headset is ebbing closer to mass production, even if the timeframe for the device's announcement now seems to be vaguely situated somewhere in 2022 or 2023.

The headset is rumored to feature a lightweight design, two 4K micro-OLED displays, 15 optical modules, two main processors, Wi-Fi 6E connectivity, eye tracking, a see-through AR mode, object tracking, hand gesture controls, and more. The device's exact price point is as yet unclear, but some reports indicate that it could cost customers around $3,000. For more detailed information, see our comprehensive roundup.

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Apple hasn't come out with a new product category since the 2018 launch of the HomePod, and there hasn't been a new wearable since the 2015 debut of the Apple Watch. That's set to change in the not too distant future, as Apple's AR/VR headset is nearing completion and will likely see a launch in 2023.Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Rumors about the first head worn ...

Apple's first AR/VR headset will enter mass production this fall with a launch taking place before the end of the year, according to industry sources cited today in a report from DigiTimes.Concept render based on purported leaked information by Ian Zelbo Yesterday, DigiTimes previewed a report stating that Apple's headset has completed production tests, and now, in the full report published...

Apple's long-rumored AR/VR headset could be delayed until 2023 after being beset with issues during the development process, according to Bloomberg.Concept render based on purported leaked information by Ian Zelbo Citing people familiar with Apple's plans, the report claims that Apple originally planned to launch the headset in 2021 and ship it this year. The company then set its sights on...

As 2022 is shaping up to finally be the year Apple announces its long-awaited and rumored AR/VR headset, a new set of artistic renders have offered us our best look yet at what Apple's first headset will look like, based on credible reports citing sources from within the company.The renders, created by concept maker Ian Zelbo, are based on details provided in a report from The Information...

Apple's long-rumored augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) headset could come with a monthly subscription service, according to a report from TrendForce.Concept render based on purported leaked information by Ian Zelbo In a report forecasting the growing sales of AR and VR devices from major tech companies in 2022, TrendForce said that Apple's headset will likely be...

New references to "realityOS," the AR/VR operating system that will run Apple's rumored mixed reality headset, have been found in App Store upload logs and Apple open source code this morning.Concept render based on purported leaked information by Ian Zelbo Apple is working on at least two AR projects that include an augmented reality headset set to be released in late 2022 or 2023, followed ...

Google has internally kickstarted the development of an augmented reality headset that will "blend computer graphics with a video feed of the real world" to deliver an immersive AR experience, with a launch tentatively set for 2024, according to a report from The Verge.The report describes the headset, codenamed Project Iris, as a "tightly kept secret" at Google with around 300 employees...

Apple appears to be bringing aspects of the redesigned MacBook Pro to its long-rumored mixed-reality headset to facilitate a Mac-level experience, according to recent reports.Last year, TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that Apple's mixed-reality headset will feature two independent chips, including one for Mac-level computing and one to manage the device's array of...

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Apple's largest supplier, Foxconn, has begun trial production of the iPhone 14 Pro, suggesting that Apple has finalized its design as it moves into the early stages of device manufacturing, according to a report from the Taiwan Economic Times. According to the report, Foxconn will manufacture the higher-end models of the iPhone 14, while Luxshare, another Apple supplier, will take on the...

Apple is preparing to launch at least one new Mac next month during an event rumored to be held on Tuesday, March 8, and that announcement will be followed by another round of new Macs around May or June, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.Writing in his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman said, "Apple is already gearing up for another round of Mac releases around May or June," following...

Apple has likely delayed its foldable iPhone until 2025 and the company is exploring all-screen foldable MacBooks, according to Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC) analyst Ross Young.In a new DSCC report on upcoming foldable and rollable devices, Young explained that Apple's long-rumored foldable iPhone has been delayed until 2025. This appears to be a significant delay compared to previ...

Apple is widely expected to unveil a new Mac next month, but with the high-end Mac mini, the 27-inch iMac, and the Mac Pro all still featuring Intel chips and Apple's M1 machines from 2020 now reaching almost 15 months in age, it is not immediately clear which new model the company is planning to announce next.Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, who often reveals accurate insights into Apple's plans, r...

Apple has completed key production tests for its long-rumored augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) headset, according to DigiTimes.Concept render based on purported leaked information by Ian Zelbo Citing information from the headset's component suppliers, the device has reportedly completed second-phase engineering validation tests (EVT 2) to ensure that prototype units meet...

If you're a regular internet user you've probably heard of popular web-based daily guessing game Wordle, created by Josh Wardle. The game, which is entirely free to play, was introduced last fall and has been spreading like wildfire.Wordle asks players to guess a five letter word by identifying which letters are in the word and are located in the right location. Players get six guesses per...

We're more than halfway through February, and rumors are continuing to fly about what might be coming at Apple's rumored March event and beyond. The latest teaser comes from a regulatory database where several new Mac models have popped up.Rumors about the next 27-inch "iMac Pro" and the iPhone 14 Pro continue circulate, and we're also expecting some new Apple displays at some point, so...

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Apple Reportedly Completes Production Tests for AR/VR Headset - MacRumors

A virtual reality arena was coupled with in vivo fluorescence brain activity imaging to observe the neural dynamics of brain structures implicated in learning and memory formation during conditioning. Credit: Dhruv Grover, UC San Diego KIBM

Immersive virtual reality and real-time brain activity imaging showcase Drosophilas capabilities of attention, working memory, and awareness.

As they annoyingly buzz around a batch of bananas in our kitchens, fruit flies appear to have little in common with mammals. But as a model species for science, researchers are discovering increasing similarities between us and the minuscule fruit-loving insects.

In a new study, researchers at the University of California San Diegos Kavli Institute for Brain and Mind (KIBM) have found that fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) have more advanced cognitive abilities than previously believed. Using a custom-built immersive virtual reality environment, neurogenetic manipulations and in vivo real-time brain-activity imaging, the scientists presented new evidence on February 16, 2022, in the journal Nature of the remarkable links between the cognitive abilities of flies and mammals.

Researchers created a panoramic virtual reality arena where flies were conditioned to associate the image of an upright T with a negative heat stimulus and an inverted T without heat. Credit: Dhruv Grover, UC San Diego KIBM

The multi-tiered approach of their investigations found attention, working memory, and conscious awareness-like capabilities in fruit flies, cognitive abilities typically only tested in mammals. The researchers were able to watch the formation, distractibility, and eventual fading of a memory trace in their tiny brains.

Despite a lack of obvious anatomical similarity, this research speaks to our everyday cognitive functioningwhat we pay attention to and how we do it, said study senior author Ralph Greenspan, a professor in the UC San Diego Division of Biological Sciences and associate director of KIBM. Since all brains evolved from a common ancestor, we can draw correspondences between fly and mammalian brain regions based on molecular characteristics and how we store our memories.

Fly wingbeats were imaged and analyzed in real-time (200 Hz) to determine if they flew straight (left), turned clockwise (center), or counter-clockwise (right). The virtual reality imagery was then rotated to reflect the orientation of the flying fly. Credit: Dhruv Grover, UC San Diego KIBM

To arrive at the heart of their new findings the researchers created an immersive virtual reality environment to test the flys behavior via visual stimulation and coupled the displayed imagery with an infra-red laser as an averse heat stimulus. The near 360-degree panoramic arena allowed Drosophila to flap their wings freely while remaining tethered, and with the virtual reality constantly updating based on their wing movement (analyzed in real-time using high-speed machine-vision cameras) it gave the flies the illusion of flying freely in the world. This gave researchers the ability to train and test flies for conditioning tasks by allowing the insect to orient away from an image associated with the negative heat stimulus and towards a second image not associated with heat.

They tested two variants of conditioning, one in which flies were given visual stimulation overlapping in time with the heat (delay conditioning), both ending together, or a second, trace conditioning, by waiting 5 to 20 seconds to deliver the heat after showing and removing the visual stimulation. The intervening time is considered the trace interval during which the fly retains a trace of the visual stimulus in its brain, a feature indicative of attention, working memory and conscious awareness in mammals.

The researchers also imaged the brain to track calcium activity in real-time using a fluorescent molecule they genetically engineered into their brain cells. This allowed the researchers to record the formation and duration of the flys living memory since they saw the trace blinking on and off while being held in the flys short-term (working) memory. They also found that a distraction introduced during traininga gentle puff of airmade the visual memory fade more quickly, marking the first time researchers have been able to prove such distractedness in flies and implicating an attentional requirement in memory formation in Drosophila.

This work demonstrates not only that flies are capable of this higher form of trace conditioning, and that the learning is distractible just like in mammals and humans, but the neural activity underlying these attentional and working memory processes in the fly show remarkable similarity to those in mammals, said Dhruv Grover, a UC San Diego KIBM research faculty member and lead author of the new study. This work demonstrates that fruit flies could serve as a powerful model for the study of higher cognitive functions. Simply put, the fly continues to amaze in how smart it really is.

The scientists also identified the area of the flys brain where the memory formed and fadedan area known as the ellipsoid body of the flys central complex, a location that corresponds to the cerebral cortex in the human brain.

Further, the research team discovered that the neurochemical dopamine is required for such learning and higher cognitive functions. The data revealed that dopamine reactions increasingly occurred earlier in the learning process, eventually anticipating the coming heat stimulus.

The researchers are now investigating details of how attention is physiologically encoded in the brain. Grover believes the lessons learned from this model system are likely to directly inform our understanding of human cognition strategies and neural disorders that disrupt them, but also contribute to new engineering approaches that lead to performance breakthroughs in artificial intelligence designs.

Reference: Differential mechanisms underlie trace and delay conditioning in Drosophila by Dhruv Grover, Jen-Yung Chen, Jiayun Xie, Jinfang Li, Jean-Pierre Changeux and Ralph J. Greenspan, 16 February 2022, Nature.DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-04433-6

The coauthors of the study include Dhruv Grover, Jen-Yung Chen, Jiayun Xie, Jinfang Li, Jean-Pierre Changeux and Ralph Greenspan (all affiliated with the UC San Diego Kavli Institute for Brain and Mind, and J.-P. Changeux also a member of the Collge de France).

Supporters of the research include the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (FA9550-14-1-0211 and FA9550-19-1-0280); the Mathers Foundation (20154167); National Science Foundation (1212778); the European Unions Horizon 2020 Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (grant agreement 945539, Human Brain Project SGA3); and a Kavli Institute for Brain and Mind International Faculty award.

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Flies in Virtual Reality Arena Prove They're Smarter Than We Thought - SciTechDaily

There are some promising virtual reality games on the way this year. They could include some real hits. Check out our list of releases for all the upcoming virtual reality games, virtual reality apps, and virtual reality movies.

As you must know, in Among Us, you slip into the roles of crew members who have to get a broken spaceship back on track. That wouldnt be a problem if there werent traitors among the crew. They want to sabotage the job and take care of the rest of the team from behind. They win by finding and catching the impostors or preparing the spacecraft to leave despite all obstacles.

Schell Games are developing the virtual reality port (I Expect You To Die 1 & 2 Until You Fall). It will be a standalone version of the game in 3D and from the first persons perspective.

Cities: VR is a VR port of the popular city-building simulation Cities: Skylines, developed by virtual reality studio Fast Travel Games (Apex Construct, The Curious Tale of the Stolen Pets, Wraith: The Oblivion Afterlife).

The virtual reality game optimized for Meta Quest 2 will offer a significantly smaller building area (2 x 2 km) than in the original game and comes without DLC or mod support. But it shines with a more impressive city experience.

With Little Cities, another city planning simulation will appear in 2022, developed from the ground up for VR and, unlike Cities: VR, will also launch for the first Meta Quest.

Do you know and love Job Simulator and Vacation Simulator? Then we have good news for you: Cosmonious High, another game from the US studio Owlchemy Labs, will be released in 2022.

You take on the role of a new student attending the alien high school of the same name. The school is struggling with all sorts of technical glitches, and its up to you to find the cause. Youll encounter strange alien characters and gradually unlock superpowers that will help you fix the catastrophic flaws.

Cosmonaut high is a giant interactive virtual reality playground that Owlchemy Labs created to date. You can use new gestures and emojis to interact with the characters and, thanks to your superpowers, work fire and ice with your hands. The studios colorful graphic style and raunchy humor are back.

The year is 6042. You find yourself on the distant planet Ginkgo and in the steel shells of rusting, disused robots. To save the god of machines, you board the locomotive Motherlode and embark on an epic train journey through wild landscapes, pursued by motorized hordes gone mad, the so-called Gazzlers.

The rail shooter mixes frantic action, rogue-like elements, and a cooperative mode for up to four players: inside for an explosive mix. After each kill, you will receive points to invest in new explosive weapons and upgrades. Thats also very necessary because each gazzler has individual abilities to beat you. With monster trucks, hippy vans, tricycles, bulldozers, tanks, and party buses, they roll through the desert and aggressively attack you.

Gazzlers will be available in Early Access on Steam in 2022. However, according to the current schedule, the finished virtual reality game wont arrive until 23 February for the Quest platform and Playstation VR.

With Resident Evil 4, Meta created a nice VR version of the classic game of the same name. Will GTA: San Andreas 2022 achieve a similar success? The VR port was announced and should be in development by 2021 for many years to come. Lets hope it doesnt crash as the Definitive Edition remasters.

Hitman 3 VR (test), released for Playstation VR in 2021, failed to live up to its potential. The flaw is the old VR headset tracking system and the lack of support for VR controllers. The PC VR version should address these shortcomings and take the hitman experience to the next level.

The virtual reality adaptation can be played from the first-person perspective from start to finish and offers all the locations from the trilogy. IO Interactive also promises new maps, game modes, and more for 2022.

Whats interesting, you can find a lot of Hitman slots in UK non gamstop casinos. Thats how popular the franchise.

With Horizon Worlds, Meta wants to make the metaverse the foundation and compete with social virtual reality platforms such as Rec Room and VRChat. Users can design their rooms and worlds on it.

The project was announced in autumn 2019. Horizon Worlds has been open to North American users since late 2021. No word on when European Metaverse travelers will be able to join. In any case, we expect it to start in 2022 finally.

Schell Games (I Expect You To Die 1 & 2 Until You Fall) brings a cooking simulation of a different kind. Accuracy rather than speed is what counts here. You have all the time you want to prepare historically attested dishes from various eras and cultures for the spirits of the ancient Greeks, Chinese, and Mayans. It has a relaxing effect and teaches you a thing or two about the traditional art of cooking.

By the way, local UK casinos, which help to grow the local economy, provide a lot of sweet, pastry, and culinary games.

Moss is, to this day, one of the best virtual reality games and has sold more than a million times. With good reason: Driving the little wandering mouse Quill through a beautiful diorama landscape, solving puzzles with her, and defeating enemies is a lot of fun and creates an emotional relationship between player and protagonist.

The second book continues the adventure to perfection. The studio promises more complex puzzles, new game mechanics, and a broader scope.

With Stride and Against, virtual reality studio Joy Way made an impressive contribution. However, its not unreasonable to expect Outlier to be just as good. In this rogue-like shooter, you choose between various combat skills and weapons and explore procedurally generated worlds. The combination of power-ups and modifiers ensures that every game feels different.

Outlier will be available in Early Access on Steam in Q1 2022. The regular PC-VR release is currently scheduled for winter 2022. A quest version is also planned.

The Last Clockwinder offers a fascinating new game concept that can only be implemented in virtual reality. You wake up in an ancient and mysterious machine built into the hollow trunk of a colossal tree. Your job is to make the complex clockwork mechanism work again. Too bad you cant do it alone.

The tide turns when you find a pair of magic gloves to wearclone power. You perform a move or action, and a mechanical alter ego emerges to mimic you in a continuous loop. If you cleverly connect your clones in series, you can build entire factories and complex devices. Mechanical assistants support you in tasks such as cultivation and harvesting and are the key to repairing the machine.

Ultimechs is the latest game from virtual reality hitmaker Resolution Games, responsible for titles such as Demeo and Blaston and targets the latter competitive gamers. Here you play professional athletes who glide around in highly developed Mechs and have to shoot iron balls at the goal in virtual stadiums. You can use rocket-propelled fists. According to Resolution Games, you need speed, precision, and technology to win.

The sequel to the arcade flight simulation is supposed to be more significant, better, and more extensive than the original. The studio promises five unique aircraft, including an aerobatic plane, a rocket-powered glider, a jet, and a helicopter.

The virtual reality game is said to offer more significant, more animated islands, more accurate physics, several hundred hand-crafted missions, and a dogfight mode for the first time. Plus, you can now fly at night, at dusk, and in the rain.

In this game, we slip into the role of Asher Neumann, who, with the help of a chattering wristwatch, must travel through time to prevent the destruction of human civilization. We meet Nikola Tesla, find ourselves on the moon, decipher ancient symbols, and beat the drum in front of thousands of spectators at the famous Woodstock Festival.

The title is based on a combination of escape room puzzles and action set pieces. However, Asher also needs to connect elements from different eras in innovative ways to advance the story.

Zenith is an MMORPG inspired by Japanese role-playing games. The stylized fantasy world is designed by hand; it ranges from massive forests to paradisiacal coastlines and the futuristic city of Zenith.

Zenith offers maximum freedom of movement. So you can climb any object at hand, be it skyscrapers or mountains. With a gliding system, you can float freely through the air to reach distant map areas, attack enemies, or enjoy the view.

The combat system is movement-based and uses intuitive mechanics such as throwing, blocking, and dodging instead of pressing buttons. Social aspects were also crucial to the team. Zenith offers many group content, including epic world bosses, events, and dungeons.

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The Best Virtual Reality Games to Look Forward to in 2022 - GameSpace.com

In Virtual Reality News

February 22, 2022 Avantis Systems Ltd., a provider of classroom-focused technology products and services, has been awarded a contract by the Government of Malta for the supply, delivery and commissioning of virtual reality (VR) headsets. The contract, which is worth just under EUR 300,000 and includes a five-year service level agreement, will see Avantis provide VR headsets and related software (including training) to schools for educational purposes.

Avantis specializes in producing simple classroom technology and educational content tailored to educational institutions. The company offers its ClassVR platform, which includes everything needed to deliver engaging virtual reality lessons within schools. According to the company, ClassVR brings affordable, virtual reality lessons and experiences to students of all ages and comes complete with hardware, software, curriculum-linked activities and lesson plans, equipping teachers with everything they need to introduce VR technology straight into the classroom.

Teachers are able to control which resources are available to pupils at the click of a button, in order to ensure focused learning for students. The companys ClassVR solution also comes complete with a portable VR storage case to keep headsets charged and safe when they are not in use. Classroom Sets include eight all-in-one VR headsets, a storage and charging case, curriculum aligned VR lesson plans and access to the ClassVR Portal for VR content and classroom controls.

According to the contract award documentation, Avantis was the only company to bid on the contract. The contract award notice did not specify exactly how many virtual reality devices were to be delivered. The exact value of the award stood at EUR 298 820.00.

Based in the UK, Avantis also has operations in Malta, where it provides technical support services to its educational customer base. For more information on Avantis and its virtual reality solutions for education, please visit the companys website.

Image credit: Avantis Systems Ltd.

About the author

Sam Sprigg

Sam is the Founder and Managing Editor of Auganix. With a background in research and report writing, he covers news articles on both the AR and VR industries. He also has an interest in human augmentation technology as a whole, and does not just limit his learning specifically to the visual experience side of things.

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Avantis Systems awarded 300K contract to deliver Virtual Reality headsets and software to schools in Malta - Auganix

ZURICH & TEL AVIV, Israel & FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--VirtaMed, a world leader in medical simulation training, and Memic Innovative Surgery Ltd. (Memic), a medical device company dedicated to transforming surgery with its proprietary surgical robotic technology, today announced a partnership to develop a new virtual reality simulator program to support surgeon skills training for the Hominis Surgical System. Hominis is the first-ever FDA-authorized surgical robot that features miniature humanoid-shaped arms, with shoulder, elbow, and wrist joints that provide human level dexterity and 360-degree articulation, and is indicated for use in single site, natural orifice laparoscopic-assisted transvaginal benign gynecological procedures including benign hysterectomy. Memic anticipates that the simulator program will be ready for real-world use by the end of 2022.

Before entering the operating room, it is essential for surgeons performing any procedure including transvaginal robotic surgeries to be fully confident in their abilities. Training programs including simulation offer significant benefits in terms of progressing competency and confidence level and refining the necessary skills to perform a procedure. They also help ensure that surgeons have a comprehensive understanding of how the tools and technologies they plan to use work, said Michael Conditt, PhD, senior vice president, strategic marketing and clinical development at Memic. We are pleased to partner with VirtaMed, whose 15 years of experience in providing training solutions for minimally invasive transvaginal surgeries will be invaluable as we work to integrate proficiency-based simulation across the skills development pathway for surgeons using our Hominis System.

The Hominis System is designed to replicate the motions and capabilities of a surgeons arms. Multiple instruments can be introduced to the body through a single portal and the 360-degree articulation enables obstacle avoidance as well as optimal access point and working angles. Hominis was granted de novo marketing authorization from the FDA in February 2021.

Under the terms of the partnership, the companies will develop an abstract training program that enables surgeons to train on use of the Hominis System in performing transvaginal gynecological procedures on consoles via virtual reality with kinematic feedback. The goal with the new simulation program is to provide a standardized, quantifiable training that supports an efficient learning experience for surgeons by providing proficiency-based training that will measure and mirror all aspects of real-world surgery. The program will be implemented as part of the ongoing Memic Skills Development Pathway, which offers surgeons customized, holistic and comprehensive training and education to acquire the technical skills needed to perform successful surgery with Hominis through programs including product demonstrations, peer-to-peer workshops, skills drills training, off-site wet lab experience, case observations, webinars and lectures.

The comprehensive Skills Development Pathway for Hominis is impressive and shows Memics significant commitment to professional education and represents our shared vision of offering off-site training and education for surgeons, in addition to real-world experience in the operating room, to improve surgical technique and patient outcomes. We are excited to apply our technological expertise for the first time to robotics and be able to offer Hominis users procedural simulation in gynecology and potentially beyond in the years ahead, said Stefan Tuchschmid, PhD, co-CEO and founder at VirtaMed.

About VirtaMed

VirtaMed believes medical education is powerfully delivered through data-driven simulation solutions. Since 2007, we have developed leading solutions for training outside the operating room because we believe healthcare professionals should never have to perform a procedure for the first time on a patient. VirtaMeds simulators provide the most realistic and cost-effective training available for surgeons including gynecologists. For more information, visit: https://www.virtamed.com.

About Memic

Memic, founded in 2013 and based in Tel Aviv, Israel with a wholly owned subsidiary based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, is a medical device company dedicated to transforming surgery with its proprietary surgical robotic technology. For more information, visit: https://memicmed.com/.

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VirtaMed and Memic Announce Partnership for Development of New Robotics Virtual Reality Training Simulator - Business Wire

AR/VR deployments have pickedup momentum with diverse industries started adopting immersive technologies

AR/VR deployments have pickedup momentum with diverse industries started adopting immersive technologies

BengaluruIndia has been witnessing large scale deployments of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) across business verticals in the recent past and especially after the pandemic, according toTataElxsi, aTataGroup design and technology services firm that focuses on automotive, media, communications, healthcare, and transportation domains.

Aditya S. Chikodi, GM and Head Design and Innovation Group atTataElxsi, said: We are now seeing increased deployments of this technology by EdTech, Manufacturing, Healthcare, Retail, Media & Entertainment sectors and other verticals. Pandemic has only accelerated its adoption. E-learning, Travel and Hospitality will be joining the AR & VR bandwagon soon.

According to Mr. Chikodi,in the manufacturing sector, more greenfield plants are being set up, which requires a large workforce to operate connected and advanced machinery. AR/VR based training and simulation solutions are thus being explored to bridge the skill gap of the available semi-skilled workforce. In addition to training, these technologies are also being deployed for maintenance, repair and operations, worker safety and training, engineering & design modelling.

Also, immersive technologies (technologies that extend reality or create new realities by leveraging the 360 space) were helping the EdTech sector improve learning outcomes, increase overall engagement and interactivity, he said.

It provides personalised learning experiences for new-age learners by making learning both fun as well as inclusive. These technologies improve knowledge retention through experimentation and learning, he pointed out.

With help of AR/VR deployment, the Media & Entertainment sector was able to provide real-time information from sporting arenas to Interactive Ads to Immersive music shows, thereby immensely enhancing the viewing experience in the country, he added.

Eventually, the AR & VR outcomes are about remote collaborations, to improve productivity, enhance customer experiences and get products faster to the market,he explained.

TataElxsihas deployed AR/VR technologies across industries including manufacturing, automotive, healthcare and EdTech to support their product development lifecycle, training activities or marketing functions.

For instance, in healthcare, the firm had recently applied VR technology in the field of cognitive behaviour therapy to overcome the fear of heights. It had also deployed large scale innovation for medical device development in the field of neo-natal care and renal care.

In the field of transportation,TataElxsiapplied these technologies in designing efficient operability of the cabins using human factors engineering. It also defined the colour, material and finish in the early stages of design that would otherwise require a full-scale 1:1 mock-up to be developed, thereby saving time and cost substantially, the company said.

Similarly, for a textile company,TataElxsideveloped the worlds first interactive augmented reality-based smart textile solution to engage kids in immersive storytelling using AR. By scanning specified markers on the rug or duvet using a tablet/smartphone, children can view characters coming to life in AR, Mr. Chikodi said.

Interestingly, AR & VR as basic technology, has been in existence since the early 1990s, but their application was limited to the Defence and heavy spending sectors due to the high cost of software and hardware tools associated with it. Then, the gaming sector started using some bit of AR & VR in the last over a decade.

The global Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality market is expected to reach $571.42 billion by 2025 from $11.35 billion in 2017. The sector has been growing at a CAGR of 63.3% from 2018 to 2025. India is expected to play a very significant role in immersive technologies including metaverse, according to an industry report.

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Pandemic accelerated adoption of Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality in India: Tata Elxsi - The Hindu

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When you think of a vivid personal memory, you dont merely recall the bare facts of what happened you remember additional details like the emotions you felt, perhaps where you were standing when things unfolded, scents and sounds in the air.Peggy St. Jacques

Memories play such a key component in shaping who we are, saidPeggy St. Jacques, a psychology researcher in the University of AlbertasFaculty of Science.

Autobiographical memories, also known as real-world memories from ones past, are formed in a complex fashion, which is what makes them so challenging to study. In addition to knowing an event itself, these memories include components like visual perspective and spatial context. To be fully understood, they need to be examined in an immersive environment.

Memories are studied through functional neuroimaging such as fMRI scans, but this technology has offered limited insight into real-world memories because it doesnt allow a persons brain to be placed in that same immersive environment. St. Jacquess research is changing that.

Using extended reality technologies like 360-degree 3D video cameras and MRI-compatible binocular headsets allows individuals whose brains are being scanned to essentially be plunged into the real world, said St. Jacques, one of 118 exceptional early-career researchers across the U.S. and Canada who were namedSloan Research Fellows this week.

Although we know a lot about how the brain remembers real-world memories, understanding how the brain supports how we initially form real-world memories has been elusive, said St. Jacques, who also holds theCanada Research Chairin Cognitive Neuroscience of Memory and is a member of theNeuroscience and Mental Health Instituteat the U of A.

As she explained, participants in St. JacquessMemory for Events Labcan don virtual reality headsets while within an MRI scanner so that when the scan is being taken, theyre experiencing an immersive, 360-degree 3D video of the event.

While participants are doing that, theyre forming memories for those experiences, she said.

Once they exit the MRI scanner, participants can be questioned about what they recall from the experience, providing valuable insight into whats going on in the brain during the complex process of real-world memory formation.

We are understanding for the first time how the brain forms real-world memories. Weve never been able to do that before.

A thorough understanding of how these real-world memories are formed and how the brain supports them is critical in understanding disorders that affect our memories.

Tackling this big question of how the brain creates real-world memories has the potential to not only radically change how we understand memory, but it could lead to new insights in impairments and treatments of Alzheimers disease and PTSD.

The Sloan Research Fellowships are two-year, $75,000 awards given out each year by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to recognize distinguished performance by researchers considered to be the next generation of leaders in their fields. Fifty-one previous fellows have gone on to win a Nobel Prize.

| By Adrianna MacPherson

Adrianna is a reporter with the University of Albertas Folioonline magazine. The University of Alberta is a Troy Media Editorial Content Provider Partner.

The opinions expressed by our columnists and contributors are theirs alone and do not inherently or expressly reflect the views of our publication.

Troy MediaTroy Media is an editorial content provider to media outlets and its own hosted community news outlets across Canada.

Alzheimers, Innovation, Neuroscience, PTSD, Virtual reality

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LONDON, Feb. 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --Emperia, the leading virtual reality retail technology developer for the premium fashion and art sectors, announced today a new SaaS solution, Artemis, that provides luxury fashion brands with full control overproduct placement, in their virtualstores. Brands canupdate collections and refresh the space according to seasonal themes, in a matter of 30 minutes, with no technological know-how required.

Emperia is preparing brands for a strong presence in the metaverse with virtual reality 3Dstores thatcommunicatethe brand narrativethrough interactive, immersive virtualexperiences. Creating a unique virtual experience that captures the essence of the brand and tellsits brand storyis vital to luxury fashionretailers'e-commerce strategy.Giving designers full control over visual merchandising enables them to keep their virtualstoreupdated with the latest products,whilebetter aligning to their physical locations, allowing them to maintain a strong omnichannel approach.

Emperia's virtual experiences integrate directly into the brand's existing e-commerce solutions, which allows for direct checkout and inventory management.

"The past 12 months have been crucial in our space, with brands starting to switch from a one-of virtual promotional experiences state-of-mind into a notion of creating permanent online, flagship stores, which requires a different look and feel and user experience," says Olga Dogadkina, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer at Emperia. "With the realization that clients will be using these spaces in the long term, and the need to constantly change/update the virtual store, the same way they would change their physical space, Emperia has created of a platform that enables full customization of both product display as well decor, allowing brands full creative control; a new era in immersive virtual retail experience design."

Using Emperia's data analytics, marketers canoptimize product placement,based on user interactions, determine which products are most popular, analyze traffic, and track user activity to increase engagement, customer loyaltyand ultimately sales. Data demonstrates that users spend an average of 14 minutes in Emperia's virtual experiences, compared to the average online session duration of static e-commerce websites, which is estimatedattwo minutes.

About Emperia

Emperia leverages virtual reality technology for the premium fashion and art sectors,providing a realistic virtual experience to consumers, one that communicates a brand narrative that is tailored for the unique environment of the virtual world. Virtual stores can be extended into the metaverse, further- providing brands and their customers with branding cohesion and a seamless transition, from physical to virtual.Emperia'sselected clients includeleading brands such as Dior,Burberry, Harrods, Christie's, and Getty Images.

London-based, Emperia is the winner of the Plug and Play Brand & Retail Start-up Award and is a British Fashion Council Patron.

For more information, visitemperiavr.com.

SOURCE Emperia

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Emperia Prepares Luxury Fashion Labels For the Metaverse with Its New Virtual Store Management SaaS Solution- Artemis - PRNewswire