Monthly Archives: August 2022

A new interactive augmented reality experience has arrived in Melbournes CBD, supporting city traders by offering visitors more reasons to stay longer and see more.

Image: Patricia Piccini artwork

Creativity and technology combine to see world-class artworks adorn Melbournes arts precinct with the launch ofAR. Trail a collaboration between Fed Square, Koorie Heritage Trust, ACMI and NGV that has created the citys largest, free augmented reality (AR) art trail.

The cutting-edge art experience features 22 digital works with new commissions by celebrated Australian artists Reko Rennie, Ron Mueck and Patricia Piccinini, alongside a star-studded line-up of international artists including KAWS, Olafur Eliasson, Cao Fei, Koo Jeong A, Nina Chanel Abney and David Shrigley.

Art lovers can download the app for free on their smartphone, and discover a menu of virtual artworks, ranging from small sculptures to architectural-sized moving images.

Marking the first timeAR.Trail has been in Australia, the experience is developed in partnership with renowned London-based digital art organisation Acute Art known for delivering a string of highly successful augmented reality exhibitions in Singapore, New York, London, Tokyo and more.

This initiative has been supported through the Melbourne City Revitalisation Fund a partnership with the City of Melbourne and is part of a $9.8 million suite of creative events and experiences which continue to attract visitors to Melbournes CBD.

AR. Trail runs from 22 August to 30 September at Fed Square. Visitors can download the free Acute Art app via the Apple Store and Google Play or find out more at fedsquare.com.

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Melbourne's largest ever augmented reality art trail - Creative Victoria

To mark the expansion of Metas bland virtual reality platform, Horizon Worlds, into France and Spain, Mark Zuckerberg recently shared a selfie. The graphic, featuring the boyish CEO in front of a low-res model of the Eiffel tower, quickly struck a nerve, sparking sneers, jeers and sighs from quippy social media users. And honestly, can you blame them?

If the image offended you and personally, Id find that reasonable given Metas influence over our virtual past and present then perhaps you can find solace in this: Mark Zuckerberg hears you. He sees you. And no, he more or less says, the metaverse wont look that wack. At least, not forever.

Mark Zuckerbergs Horizon Worlds avatar, looking just awful. Image Credits: Facebook

Major updates to Horizon and avatar graphics coming soon. Ill share more at Connect, the CEO said on Instagram on Friday, referring to Metas upcoming developer conference. Also, I know the photo I posted earlier this week was pretty basic it was taken very quickly to celebrate a launch, the executive added, showing signs of humanity. The misstep echoed something wholly relatable: the act of posting a late-night selfie, only to regret it in the morning.

The Meta boss response included another avatar and an ancient-looking cafe, with fine details that evoke a bit more Pixar and a little less e-card. Zuckerberg went on to reassure his followers that Metas graphics and avatars are capable of much more even on headsets and Horizon is improving very quickly.

Indeed, for all of our sakes, I sure hope hes right.

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Mark Zuckerberg says the metaverse wont be as cringey as his cursed selfie - TechCrunch

Virtual reality has plenty to offer those gamers looking for a truly immersive experience. However, one issue can force many players to stop in their tracks and return to the real world: motion sickness. The researchers behind HyperJump think they might have found a solution, though.

At Siggraph 2022 a tech conference in Canada celebrating some of the latest developments in VR I had the opportunity to try out HyperJump for myself, and I can comfortably say Id love for this movement system to come to my Oculus Quest 2 as soon as possible.

If you want to move around a VR world, you typically have one of three methods from which to choose. The first is to literally walk around in the real space that youre in. This method is the most immersive, it doesn't require a controller, and provided theres very little latency it's the least unsettling. However, a clear downside is that you require a lot of physical space, or you'll only be able to play a game that's set in a very restricted play area.

As a result of this, most games also rely on one of the other two methods: teleportation or smooth movement. As you can probably decipher from the names, teleportation movement sees you hop around the space in a staccato manner, while smooth movement has you use the control sticks to move around fluidly like a lot of other video games.

Teleportation is my preferred option, since even after a year with VR, smooth movement can force me to quit a game in seconds. However, smooth movement is generally more immersive, and its far less easy to become disoriented and lost than it is with teleportation.

HyperJump looks to blend the best of teleportation and smooth movement, creating a new form of VR motion thats better than the sum of its parts.

Motion sickness is typically caused by competing signals arriving from the eyes and inner ear to your brain. Lets say youre reading in a moving car. Your eyes will be focused on the stationery book and other fixed points around you, indicating to your brain that youre not moving. Meanwhile, the fluid in your inner ear is being jostled around, telling your brain that youre in motion. Your brain doesnt know which organ to believe, with the end result that you'll start to feel nauseous.

With VR, it's the reverse of the example above that's happening; your eyes perceive that youre moving, while your ears believe youre standing still. The result is the same, though: the competing information makes you want to barf.

To help get around this, HyperJump forces players to tilt their bodies in the direction they want to travel. Lean forwards to go ahead; lean back to reverse; couch to sink to the ground; or go on your tiptoes to fly. If you want to change the direction in which youre heading, you have to physically turn your body. This makes your brain think that youre in motion, but without the need to have lots of physical space in which to move around.

HyperJumps second trick is to automatically switch from smooth movement to teleportation when players reach speeds that induce motion sickness. This helps maintain your momentum while also keeping you from feeling ill.

Lastly, to combat the disorientation that can come with teleportation, HyperJump shows you the path youre currently traveling along, playing a faint beat in the background that matches with your jumps, so you know when the next one is coming.

When I first stepped into the HyperJump booth, I was more than a little worried about what I was getting myself into. In the past, VR movement has made me feel super ill, and the jet lag I was suffering from having traveled to Canada from the UK the day prior wasnt helping. However, I quickly learned my fears were unfounded; I completed each of the tests flight paths over the virtual streets of Vancouver, and even spent some time thereafter adventuring freely without feeling sick at all.

When the tester switched me back to typical VR movement, I found myself flying around far more slowly and within 30 seconds, I was asking to finish the test.

HyperJumps settings are still being trialed and fine-tuned; but, hopefully, it wont be long before its ready to be adopted by the best VR games. Its easily one of the best forms of VR movement Ive used, and while it might not work for every game, there are some such as Lone Echo 2 that would definitely benefit from its inclusion.

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HyperJump wants to cure the motion sickness caused by your Oculus Quest 2 - TechRadar

Virtual reality game publisher Vertigo Games announced new features for first-person shooter After the Fall and two of its upcoming games during Gamescom event week.

Multiplayer shooter After the Fall will be launching a new season of content starting next month on Sept. 15. The "Reclamation Season" will be free for all players and adds new weapons, modes, several maps, and quality of life features. The game's last major update in April had brought many changes, fixes, and hardware optimizations.

After the Fall launched for Oculus Quest 2, SteamVR, and PlayStation VR late last year, and Vertigo Games revealed it has over 55,000 monthly active users. The publisher said the game, one of the best Quest 2 games, is now supported on Pico Neo headsets and can be played at Gamescom.

Vertigo Games also announced that VR puzzle platformer PathCraft will now be coming exclusively to Meta Quest 2, though no release window has been announced. PathCraft will feature over 80 puzzles, but players will be able to make their own levels with a level editor. The game will also take advantage of the headset's hand-tracking 2.0 feature at launch.

The final news from the publisher is that Hellsweeper VR will receive a new trailer later this week on Aug. 25. The trailer for the roguelike first-person VR game will show off the game's movement and combat systems. The game will feature fast movement, magical abilities, and co-op with a friend. Hellsweeper VR is scheduled to launch sometime in Q4 2022.

The Meta Quest 2 offers increased power, resolution, and flexibility over the original virtual headset. It is a complete, all-in-one headset that does not need to be tethered to a PC or smartphone in order to work.

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After the Fall VR gets new season next month, PathCraft coming to Oculus Quest 2 - Android Central

Imagine going to a restaurant and instead of asking the waiter what a certain dish like Pok means (I googled it too; it is a famous Hawaiian raw fish salad), you can see on your table what the dish looks like and then take the decision if you want to order it or not.

The virtual reality(VR) and augmented reality(AR) industries are today worth more than 100 billion dollars and have revolutionized several industries. Fromhealthcare sector tothe social media world, it has shown its presenceeverywhere.

The restaurant and hotel business, for example, is very lucrative and has a future thatamalgamates with VR and AR. Several restaurant owners have started using VR and AR to engage with their customers and give them an experience to remember.

Let's take some examples, but before that, watch this video:

This video is from a New York-based Magnolia Bakery that has changedthe experience for their customers for ordering a cake.They have deployed an AR technology that has enabled the bakery to present the cakes listed on their menuvirtually. The visualisation is so real that it is difficult to differentiate between a real cake and the virtual one. Hence, customers can 'feel' every cake on the menu and order their perfect choice.

Magnolia was one of the first restaurants to do so. Today, however, there are several new restaurants coming up using VR/AR not only in their menu but to change the experience of dining altogether.

Many restaurants in India, today, use QR codes which when scannedtakes youdirectly to the restaurant's digital menu. (also an application of AR).

How is it useful?Using VR and AR has several benefits for the restaurant's owners apart from making a comprehensive experience for the customers. It helps in:

Overall, if the technology becomes more available and affordable, we are not far away from having a full 360-degree experience of exquisite dining which canevoke all our senses.

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Your dining experience is changing. Thank restaurants using augmented and virtual reality - DailyO

With all due respect to the Van Gogh Immersive Experience playing out in various cities throughout the country, it's time for Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera to shine.

"Mexican Geniuses" - A Frida & Diego Immersive Experience is an original exhibition created by Fever and Brain Hunter to portray the life and work of two legendary Mexican artists.

The exhibit is a personalized experience that places the minds of Kahlo and Rivera at your fingertips. You are taken into their world, their dreams and how they grew as people and artists. In the exhibition, you will see many replicas of Kahlos and Rivera's works of art through the years.

You first enter the exhibit through a replica of Riveras and Kahlo's Blue House in Coyoacan, Mexico and are able to explore Rivera's studio. The huge digital fresco depicted on the screen shows everyone the large scale of his artwork in comparison to Kahlos. Rivera had a collection of "Judas Sculptures. The tradition of "Burning the Judas" on Holy Saturday was introduced during Mexico's colonial period.

Walking into Kahlo's space you will see that all of her art is to scale. One work, "The Wounded Table is a masterpiece that went missing in 1955 and is still unrecovered to this day. Her infamous piece, "The Two Fridas" was acclaimed much attention during the exhibit. Her space places you in an emotional rollercoaster where you ride with her to the apex of her artistic vision while being reminded of the plunge ahead with the leather corset and wheelchair nearby. She used both items towards the last decade of her life as her health worsened.

In the kitchen, you can experience the interactive tables, photographs of the couple and paintings of Kahlo that give the room its warmth and love. You will also see the menu for their wedding and Kahlo's recipe for Mole Poblano that was actually from Rivera's second wife, Lupe Marin.

Once out of the kitchen, you walk into the immersive gallery. The immersive gallery is made of 20 projectors and more than 300 images that combined the original artworks of both artists and photographs that were from more than 100 collections. Hearing the rendition of Kahlo's voice, fused with her artwork struck an emotional chord of pride with some of the visitors.

Children are encouraged to come and partake in the exhibition. There is a section called mural room where there is a life-size replica of the fresco, "Dream of a Sunday afternoon in Alameda Central Park." Anyone can grab a marker color of their choice and channel their inner Frida or Diego on the canvas. The characters in the fresco are based on real people or icons from Mexican culture, such as Catrina from the Dia de Los Muertos.

When you think you have seen it all, let's now visit Kahlo and Rivera in the afterlife. Wait. The Afterlife?

When you step into the VR room, you can embark on a journey into the afterlife. This narrative experience was created by 3D modeling artists and VR experts to celebrate the reuniting of the two artists to celebrate Dia de los Muertos and relive their past life.

The Frida and Diego Immersive Experience truly takes you on an emotional, spiritual and cultural journey into the lives of these world-renowned artists. Make time to come down to the DMV and check out the exhibition. The exhibition hours are Tuesday through Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and will end its run in December.

Visit link:

Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera make their Virtual Reality debut in the United States - AL DIA News

Things are moving fast in the metaverse, and in the wider world of Web3 as a whole. Depending on who you ask, this futuristic, blockchain-based space is either the next big thing for marketing and for almost everything else or an overhyped fad. Heres what you need to know from this past week:

The Chinese tech giant Tencent has stopped selling NFTs in response to regulation concerns from the Chinese government, according to Reuters. Current NFT holders will still be allowed to keep and display their tokens, or they can put in a request for a refund.

The term NFT itself has become slightly taboo and rarely used throughout the broader Chinese corporate world, due at least in part to its direct ties with cryptocurrency, which is illegal in China.

A new technological age is dawning. / Adobe Stock

Last month, the United States Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced that it would seek to prevent Meta and its chief executive Mark Zuckerberg from acquiring the company Within, maker of the popular VR fitness app Supernatural. The FTC claimed on its website that Meta, already a key player at each level of the virtual reality sector, is planning to expand [its] virtual reality empire with this attempt to illegally acquire a dedicated fitness app that proves the value of virtual reality to users. The FTCs Bureau of Competition deputy director John Newman said that Meta is trying to buy its way to the top in its planned acquisition of Within.

On Monday, Forbes reported that the legal battle between Meta and the FTC has been scheduled for this December. Meta has reportedly agreed to delay the finalization of iots acquisition deal until January 1, 2023, or until the district judge presiding over the case makes a ruling whichever happens first.

Get the best of The Drum by choosing from a series of great email briefings, whether thats daily news, weekly recaps or deep dives into media or creativity.

Federal Reserve issues guidelines for crypto banks hoping to access national banking system

The Federal Reserve the United States central banking system released new guidelines earlier this week that suggest that American banks may soon be able to deal both in crypto and in traditional currency. The 49-page Guidelines for Evaluating Account and Services Requests states that institutions with novel charters, such as cryptocurrency custody banks, and their trade associations may soon be granted access to master accounts, which enable access to the Federal Reserve.

In June, the crypto bank Custodia sued the Federal Reserve for failing to process Custodias master account application for 19 months. Kraken is another crypto bank that's applied for a master account with the Fed. The publication of the new guidelines appear to be aimed, in part, at streamlining the process of approving applications for master accounts to crypto banks like Custodia and Kraken. The new guidelines also emphasize that any American bank looking to become involved with crypto will need to receive approval from the Fed beforehand.

Mark Zuckerberg just cant seem to strike the right chord with the rest of the Web3 community. It seems like nearly every time the Meta chief executive tries to advertise something new about his companys vision for the metaverse, it ends up backfiring. Even his decision to change the companys name to Meta back in October of last year made many Web3 professionals cringe.

Earlier this week, he posted what appears to be a selfie of his Horizon Worlds avatar standing in front of a virtual Eiffel Tower and La Sagrada Familia to advertise the launch of the platform in France and Spain. Twitter, predictably, has not been kind. People made fun of Zucks avatars blank expression and Horizon Worlds as a whole, which still includes legless avatars. Paul Tassi had this to say in Forbes: This is just embarrassing, and yet Zuckerberg seems entirely immune to the embarrassment, or really just does not understand how bad this looks, both literally, the graphics are garbage and its bizarre no one has legs after five years of this, but also for him and his company and his grand vision of the metaverse, which he seems to understand less than all of his competition. This is not going to go well for him or Meta if he continues down this path.

Invisalign has made its metaverse debut with a new campaign in Roblox. Launched on August 12, the brands virtual, gamified experience was built into Livetopia, a hugely popular game on Roblox that has been visited more than 2.3bn times, according to its website. The so-called Invisalign Hub inside Livetopia features a virtual dentist office and branded games. Visitors can also, of course, check out some virtual recreations of Invisalign aligners. The brand has partnered with TikTok star Lana Rae to promote its new Roblox campaign, following another partnership with Charli Damelio currently the second-most popular creator on TikTok back in 2020.

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This Week in the Metaverse: Tencent ditches NFTs, FTC prepares to challenge Meta's 'virtual reality empire' - The Drum