Video conferencing tool Zoom is undoubtedly the breakout app of the coronavirus pandemic, which has curtailed travel and face-to-face meetings.
But some tech firms are already looking beyond video conferencing. Their solution for the socially distant world? Collaboration tools that use virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR).
Both technologies saw a surge in interest during the pandemic, especially for virtual collaboration and gaming, analysts say.
"Confined to their homes, people had more time to use or invest in VR headsets," says Mr George Jijiashvili, a senior analyst at market research firm Omdia.
The launch of the high-profile VR game Half-Life: Alyx in March has been a shot in the arm for VR gaming, says Mr Yexi Liao, an analyst at market research firm IDC.
He estimates the game has sold almost a million copies since its launch, making it the fastest-selling VR game to date.
Mr Liao is also seeing more attention being paid towards remote education and training, which suits AR and VR.
Echoing this, Mr Rajesh Chakravarthy, academic director at home-grown game design school Mages Institute of Excellence, says: "Long-term social distancing measures could scale up AR and VR adoption and use, ranging from training to gaming to business."
The increased interest in the technology as a result of the pandemic will lead to "real innovation over the coming months", he says.
VR creates a virtual environment using headsets that block out a user's surroundings, while AR superimposes digital content over the real world, like the virtual creatures in the Pokemon Go mobile game. They are also referred to as immersive technology, with a projected market value of US$209.2 billion (S$291 billion) by 2022, according to The Infocomm Media Development Authority.
Two technology firms, in particular, are the standard bearers of this VR and AR boom in virtual collaboration.
American start-up Spatial says the usage of its holographic collaboration platform, which uses AR and VR to mimic a real-world meeting, has gone up by 1,000 per cent since it was made free in May.
The start-up, which touts early customers such as toymaker Mattel and BNP Paribas bank, raised an additional US$14 million in funding in January to bring its total to US$22 million.
Dubbed Zoom on steroids by some pundits, it creates a 3D avatar for each user from a selfie photo. Each avatar can interact with other avatars and virtual objects in a shared virtual workspace.
Users don VR headsets, which block out the real world, during their meetings. Spatial also works with Web browsers on computers and mobile devices, though the experience will be less immersive.
Last month, Taiwanese firm HTC announced several VR applications, dubbed Vive XR Suite. It is a cloud-based subscription service with VR-powered tools for remote collaboration, large-scale online conferences and virtual exhibitions. It works with computers and mobile devices, though a VR headset is recommended.
The service is expected to launch in China in the third quarter of the year before expanding to other countries later in the year.
Several local immersive tech firms have also waded into the VR and AR fray to tap the new opportunities arising from the pandemic.
SFX Corporation's virtual collaboration system can be used to conduct virtual meetings. PHOTO: SFX CORPORATION
Software developer SFX Corporation last year envisioned a virtual collaboration system, dubbed VCS, that lets users in an organisation interact remotely using VR and AR.
However, prompted by the pandemic, the company has expanded its idea to a cloud-based system that would work across various organisations.
Chief executive officer Ng Teow Khoon says: "We have been seeing a strong growth in interest in VR and AR for the past two months and we believe that VCS can be a potential new source of revenue." A beta version of VCS will be released to select clients next month.
Mr Ng says the system has been allowing his team - each equipped with a computer and a VR headset - to conduct meetings and even engage in social interactions such as virtual chess games.
Home-grown creative tech agency Trinax uses AR to spice up events, such as an AR photo booth.In April, it created an AR-powered property technology platform with a digital marketing firm in China's real estate industry, which offers interactive virtual showrooms and 3D scale models to property developers.
Trinax uses augmented reality to enhance the virtual viewing experience for prospective property owners. PHOTO: TRINAX
By scanning a QR code on a smartphone, users can experience the showroom remotely. Using AR, digital overlays that provide information about the room or unit will pop up on their screens in real time as users pan their phones.
Trinax's executive director Chong Hengkai says its AR-powered virtual gallery "erases any limitations of traditional marketing in the form of paper materials and provides convenience as customers do not need to walk around the show flat to review the property".
Hiverlab's RealityCast uses augmented reality to spice up presentations with embedded 3-D objects. PHOTO: HIVERLAB
Media tech firm Hiverlab, which offers immersive tech solutions for training and data visualisation, is tapping AR for its latest product, RealityCast.
A smartphone-based AR broadcasting solution, it lets users create "engaging presentations with 3D special effects" without requiring a professional studio.
All they need is a smartphone with the RealityCast app (launched last month for Android devices) and access to Hiverlab's cloud-based creator platform, which stores the 3D assets and models used in the AR-powered presentation.
A smartphone acts as a camera to record or stream the presentation. Moving the phone around an embedded 3D model enables viewers to see the model from various angles.
"It is a way for users to make their presentations more fun in virtual events and get their audience out of 'Zoom fatigue'," says Mr Jeremiah Goh, a digital marketing specialist at Hiverlab.
He says the early response from businesses invited to try RealityCast has been great, with the manufacturing and semiconductor industries showing the most interest because it can project complex systems and equipment in 3D.
However, while the pandemic is a boon for VR and AR, it is also presenting challenges.
Mr Bryan Ma, vice-president for devices research at market research firm IDC, says: "The pandemic theoretically should have been a perfect time for VR to take off. It is a technology meant to take the place of in-person interactions after all."
But he says the limitations and costs of the technology - VR headsets are expensive and relatively bulky - are holding the industry back. A VR headset can cost from several hundred dollars to over a thousand dollars.
Mr Jijiashvili says the industry is hampered by the limited number of VR headsets - 19 million by the end of the year, though he predicts this figure to grow to 56 million by 2024. "It is not sensible to replace a physical event with a VR event, simply because there aren't enough VR headsets in people's hands," he says.
Mr Liao notes that the pandemic has disrupted the supply chain by closing factories in China, leading to a shortage in VR and AR headsets that will persist for most of this year. As a result, he expects the VR and AR industry in Asia Pacific to grow by 27.7 per cent year on year, down from an earlier forecast of 64.6 per cent.
For some local immersive tech firms, the pandemic has directly impacted their business model.
Mr Roy Koo, co-founder of VR events firm Ignite VR, says 80 per cent of his firm's revenue comes from setting up VR showcases at conferences and roadshows, which have been cancelled due to the pandemic.
His firm has since accelerated its plans to dive into VR software development, which is not as dependent on events. Several new services have also been launched to cater to a socially distant world. An example is a VR remote party service that provides a custom virtual environment as well as the required VR equipment for up to 10 users to gather and interact virtually.
Another local VR firm that relies on now-cancelled events and workshops is Immersively. Founder Lionel Chok says the start-up is trying to find its footing, though he has seen more inquiries about virtual tours from creative agencies.
He reveals that given the general lack of access to VR headsets, his team is working on a 3D virtual events platform that does not require a headset. Instead, a user's avatar is controlled using a mouse and keyboard like in a first-person game.
View post:
Time for virtual reality and augmented reality to shine - The Straits Times
- UNL program using virtual reality to enhance research - KOLN - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- 3D augmented reality with regular glasses | Stanford News - Stanford University News - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- LG Display's Research Results on OLEDoS for VR Selected as Distinguished Paper at SID Display Week 2024 - PR Newswire - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Full-colour 3D holographic augmented-reality displays with metasurface waveguides - Nature.com - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- The Future of Onboarding: Inside Serviceplan's VR-Based Employee Integration | LBBOnline - Little Black Book - LBBonline - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Virtual reality space experience returns to Silver Street Studios - Houston Chronicle - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Rain Technology to Unveil New Anamorphic-XR Optical Engine at Display Week 2024 - Display Daily - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Virtual reality used as a tool for brain health at assisted living center - Eyewitness News 3 - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Virtual Reality in Gaming Market to Reach US$75 Billion by 2028 - Analytics Insight - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Disney+ to release VR Marvel series exclusively for Apple Vision Pro - CyberNews.com - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Startup aimed at VR entertainment in cars files for insolvency - PhoneArena - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- After Decades of Promise, the Virtual Reality Era Has Finally Arrived - Kiplinger's Personal Finance - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Hahnville senior signs with virtual reality gaming company - St. Charles Herald Guide - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Sandbox VR Forges Franchise Partnership with Apparel Group to Pioneer Virtual Reality in the Middle East - Business Wire - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Best VR games in 2024 - TechRadar - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Researchers rely on Virtual Reality as a complementary therapy for eating disorders - MIXED Reality News - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Beyond therapy: Virtual reality shows promise in fighting depression - Medical Xpress - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Apparel Group And Sandbox VR Announce Partnership - Retail & Leisure International - Retail & Leisure International - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Batman returns to VR - theSun - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Virtual Reality Shows Promise in Treating Depression - Neuroscience News - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Augmented And Virtual Reality in Manufacturing Market Size, Share And Growth Analysis For 2024-2033 - EIN News - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Sandbox VR Announces U.S. Franchise Initiative and International Deal - Franchise Times - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- MINI Mixed Reality Experience: Driving into the Future. - BMW Press - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Virtual reality project will allow users to witness October 7 first hand - The Jewish Chronicle - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Spin Rhythm XD getting PlayStation and VR ports this summer - Niche Gamer - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Students at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology use virtual reality headsets in class - Islander News.com - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- SFU SIAT researcher uses virtual reality to help teen mental health - Simon Fraser University News - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- The Navy Brings Training to the Fleet With VR - ATD - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Manchester Airport launches gaming area with virtual reality escape room Business Traveller - Business Traveller - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Can virtual reality help ease the end of life? - Universit de Montral - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Fans still waiting for a virtual reality view of the Buffalo Bills' new ... - Buffalo News - November 28th, 2023 [November 28th, 2023]
- Immerse yourself in new, augmented worlds - University of Miami: News@theU - November 28th, 2023 [November 28th, 2023]
- Who are the leading innovators in vehicle digital twins for the ... - just-auto.com - November 28th, 2023 [November 28th, 2023]
- How Virtual and Augmented Reality Are Redefining Construction - TimesTech - November 28th, 2023 [November 28th, 2023]
- Virtualware Appoints VRARA's John A Cunningham to Advisory Board - XR Today - November 28th, 2023 [November 28th, 2023]
- University Project Aims to Dissolve Borders Between Virtual and ... - XR Today - November 28th, 2023 [November 28th, 2023]
- Are real cadavers better than virtual ones? - Slate - November 28th, 2023 [November 28th, 2023]
- Samsung Glasses could be the name of a new pair of Samsung ... - TechRadar - November 28th, 2023 [November 28th, 2023]
- The Best Augmented Reality Accessories for AR Immersion - XR Today - November 28th, 2023 [November 28th, 2023]
- The best VR apps for 2022 | Digital Trends - February 18th, 2023 [February 18th, 2023]
- What is virtual reality? - TechTarget - February 18th, 2023 [February 18th, 2023]
- Forget the metaverse, Sony's PlayStation VR2 will make you a virtual reality believer again - British GQ - February 18th, 2023 [February 18th, 2023]
- Time to play! New virtual reality gaming coming to Northern Virginia - WUSA9.com - January 31st, 2023 [January 31st, 2023]
- Virtual reality training content launched for footwear and leather sector - The Hindu - January 31st, 2023 [January 31st, 2023]
- Texas A&M researchers are using multisensory virtual reality to help NASA astronauts - KAGSTV.com - January 31st, 2023 [January 31st, 2023]
- Hollywoods Virtual Reality Guru and American Millionaire Expanded His Soccer Portfolio to Europe With a Deal Worth $940 Million - EssentiallySports - January 8th, 2023 [January 8th, 2023]
- TikTok owner ByteDance takes first step into virtual reality with ... - December 26th, 2022 [December 26th, 2022]
- Virtual Reality inspires students to think about long-term careers - Turn to 10 - December 21st, 2022 [December 21st, 2022]
- Virtual Reality Arcade with Best VR Game Experiences - Main Event - December 12th, 2022 [December 12th, 2022]
- Virtual Reality - reddit - November 16th, 2022 [November 16th, 2022]
- The Future Of Virtual Reality (VR) - Forbes - November 16th, 2022 [November 16th, 2022]
- Virtual Reality (VR) For Professional Workflows | NVIDIA - October 28th, 2022 [October 28th, 2022]
- Virtual reality in fiction - Wikipedia - October 28th, 2022 [October 28th, 2022]
- Meta will release a new consumer-grade VR headset next year - TechCrunch - October 28th, 2022 [October 28th, 2022]
- Virtual Reality [VR] Market Size & Share | Forecast Report, 2029 - October 25th, 2022 [October 25th, 2022]
- Virtual Reality in the Healthcare Industry - VISUALISE - October 25th, 2022 [October 25th, 2022]
- Virtual Reality vs. Augmented Reality vs. Mixed Reality - Intel - October 25th, 2022 [October 25th, 2022]
- Applications Of Virtual Reality - Virtual Reality Society - October 25th, 2022 [October 25th, 2022]
- The Global Augmented Reality & Virtual Reality In Manufacturing Market size is expected to reach $27.9 billion by 2028, rising at a market growth... - October 25th, 2022 [October 25th, 2022]
- We Met in Virtual Reality Explores the Potential of the Metaverse - Seven Days - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- What If the Metaverse Is Better Without Virtual Reality? - WIRED - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- XRHealth and HTC Introduce The First Distraction Therapy Virtual Reality Platform to Improve Patient Experience During Painful or Anxiety Provoking... - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- Department of Corrections Introduces Virtual Reality Technology to Augment Programming for Incarcerated Parents and Their Children - Pennsylvania... - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- Arden Bendler Browning conquers virtual reality, Luve More LC + Thinkers Makers Society, and opportunity - theartblog.org - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- How Virtual or Augmented Reality Can Help Your Packaging Line - Packaging Digest - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- A marriage of virtual reality and physical therapy: Immergo Labs emerges from its UCSC roots - Lookout Santa Cruz - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- Senior living residents explore the world through virtual reality - Rocky Mountain PBS - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- Orthopedic Residency Program and PrecisionOS Team up For Exclusive 3-Year Collaboration: Virtual Reality Development and Curriculum Integration - PR... - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- 6 Insightful Construction XR Cases to Read in 2022 - XR Today - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- Video footage emerges from an MMA event that put virtual reality users into the thick of the fighting action - Yahoo News - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- Carmack: Theres a bunch that Im grumpy about in virtual reality - Ars Technica - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- The Peripheral Co-Creator on the Shows Line Between Reality & Virtual Reality - TV Insider - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- Clarkson's Dr. Dana Barry Gave a Presentation at International Conference in Italy - Clarkson University News - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- Apple VR glove with finger- and hand-tracking patent hints at companion accessories for the "Reality Pro" headset - Notebookcheck.net - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- Virtual reality spectacle of 2010 sockeye run returns to Shuswap Salmon Arm Observer - Salmon Arm Observer - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- The virtual reality push brings together Microsoft, Meta and the art of war - Stuff - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- What Is Virtual Reality All About? - Oculus VR - September 20th, 2022 [September 20th, 2022]
- What Is Virtual Reality? | Tech & Learning - September 20th, 2022 [September 20th, 2022]
- 10 Advantages And Disadvantages Of Virtual Reality (2022) - September 20th, 2022 [September 20th, 2022]
- Insights on the Tactile Virtual Reality Global Market Research Report to 2027 - Growing Advancements in Virtual Reality Products & Rising... - September 20th, 2022 [September 20th, 2022]