AR/VR

The era of augmented and virtual realities (AR/VR) is upon us now. Even before the pandemic, there has been an increased demand for AR/VR applications in the workplace to benefit businesses. A 2019 PwC report predicted that nearly 23.5 million jobs worldwide will be using AR and VR by 2030 for training and work meetings. Now, COVID-19 has driven a record number of workers to go remote and the technology has truly gone mainstream. According to a report by ABI Research, the VR market is forecasted to grow at a 45.7% compound annual rate, surpassing $24.5 billion in revenue by 2024.

If you have been keeping up with the tech world, you might have heard of the Metaverse, the concept of countless connected virtual realities that users can access through AR/VR. In this article, SparkAmplify will take a closer look at this emerging tech: its history, how different companies are developing the universe, and its potential future.

With tech titans such as Facebook announcing plans to create their own augmented reality universe, the concept of a ‘metaverse’ has never been more popular. Nvidia’s CEO, Jensen Huang, has been especially vocal about the concept, and took the stage at the 2021 Computex Conference to discuss its future. 

Facebook's decision to introduce ads to the VR game was met with criticism, as the founder of the platform, Palmer Luckey, had stated upon Oculus’s acquisition by Facebook that no ads would be run on its consoles: “We are not going to […] flash ads at you, or do anything invasive”.

Singapore is without a doubt a hotspot for startups. According to a Business Times article, the small island nation has “over 3,000 startups, nine unicorns, and over 400 accelerators, incubators and VC firms”. There are plenty of resources and case studies to take inspiration from, guiding you towards building your start-up in Singapore. After all, especially if you’re entering the tech industry, wouldn’t you want to be in Asia’s Silicon Valley - a term mentioned by TechCrunch?

With AR/VR adoption on the rapid rise, as observed through our trending topic analysis, it is fair to say that more innovative uses of the technology have risen as well. Companies are finding ways and means of using this technology to improve existing processes - to make them better. Or even just creating another platform for user experiences. Below are more companies that are continuing to bring the benefits of AR/VR technology to the general populace. 

AR smartglasses have long been discussed and teased at, with one-fifth of the topics identified by SparkAmplify’s AR/VR trending topic analysis model addressing AR/VR smart glasses, but few concrete and successful results have emerged and prevailed. Since Google Glass was released almost a decade ago, tech companies have had ample time to head back to the drawing board and continue the research and development process for the industry’s next best AR smartglasses. 

TikTok has released its first augmented reality filter that can utilize the iPhone 12 Pro’s LIDAR sensor for an enhanced confetti effect that realistically settles on people or objects in your room. Here are some notes on best posting practices to keep in mind. According to TechCrunch, a number of unnamed countries will not get the effect.

Due to the ongoing pandemic, Microsoft is closing down its Minecraft Earth mobile game in June. Minecraft Earth was designed around free movement and collaborative play – two things that have become near impossible in the current global situation. Minecraft Earth originally launched for mobile devices in the fall of 2019. Among other tweaks, the update does away with real-money transactions and drastically reduces the time it will take for players to craft and build things within the game.

VR and AR are transforming the ways in which businesses interact with their clients, potential customers, and even their employees. According to SparkAmplify’s ARVR trending topic analysis, we have observed a sharp increase in wearable technology, including ones from Apple, Samsung and Lenovo. There have also been more corporations utilising AR and VR in their operations - from exhibitions to digital applications.

Microsoft’s plans for Mesh include incorporating larger screens, meeting rooms with eye-level cameras and spatial audio. These will help facilitate face-to-face meetings with life-size colleagues who are working remotely. While Mesh appears to require a whole host of new hardware, a Microsoft spokesperson states that it will be an extension of existing Teams capabilities.

The future of utilising EMG in wearable hardware is extremely vast. Theoretically, while the user is typing, the device will be able to track nerve signals sent to the brain, thus allowing the user to type on a virtual keyboard and even automatically correct common typing errors.

As principal in Deloitte’s Health Care practice Jennifer Radin best puts it, “if you consider the future is healthcare being delivered anywhere the individual is, there are so many use cases for VR and AR technology.” Here are four ways in which VR has been adopted by the healthcare industry that have been useful and will continue to be post-pandemic.

The combination of VR and entertainment attractions is not exactly a new thing in our society, with Headrock VR in Singapore providing a VR theme park to the public, and Sandbox VR in several locations worldwide giving a more intimate play VR experience with your friends. What the pandemic has brought on though, is more experimentation in how VR can be further used to entertain us all, despite being a confined medium. 

Harvard Business School Online recently surveyed 1,500 people, most of whom felt that working remotely was actually beneficial to their careers. Another survey of 1,800 conducted by The Straits Times in Singapore also had similar findings, with 8 out of 10 supporting work-from-home practices. It seems like the pandemic has brought about a larger number of workers in favour of adopting this new way of working as the ‘norm’.

Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technology has been used in innovative ways during this time. While ARVR have existed pre-pandemic, their use became ever so important in contributing to the ‘new normal’. Here are two instances in the past year that ARVR has been creatively employed to transform experiences.‍

Recently, rumours have been circulating online thanks to UploadVR’s scoop that Sony has plans to release a new VR headset for their Playstation 5 console, featuring several groundbreaking enhancements that have been generating excitement among the gaming and VR community. 

Hot Hardware reported this June that the Microsoft HoloLens headsets could be used in the US Army as soon as fall 2021. A Microsoft engineer called the development process “eye-opening”, and Microsoft states that they have “acquired nearly 80,000 hours of feedback from soldiers”. Climate testing has also been carried out. On top of this, CEO Nadella retaliated after the employees’ open letter mentioned below, defending the company’s decision to work with the Army on this.

This June, a patent has been obtained by Apple indicating “an adjustable opacity system” for a new head device - fixing worries about unclear image projection in AR glasses. However, AppleInsider pointed out that a patent does not necessarily guarantee a specific product launch since patent applications are filed as part of the research and development process.

Qualcomm joins tech industry leaders Apple, Facebook, and Samsung in the development of AR smartglasses as a new challenger. In February 2021, the smartphone chip manufacturer announced its own design for an AR smartglasses: Qualcomm XR1 AR Smart Viewer Reference Design. In a video released by the company, the product responds to hand and arm gestures, tracks head movement, and allows users to interact with virtual 3D objects and images around the room. The AR glasses also project digital content onto multiple large virtual screens by connecting the smartglasses with an attached device. 

Ever since Apple and Facebook have announced their plans for augmented reality glasses, other tech giants like Samsung have been eager to jump in on the action. With each company racing to release the best AR gadgets, tech enthusiasts can expect many options.

What are the top virtual reality companies operating out of Taiwan? With HTC accounting for about 13% of the current VR headset market, it’s only natural that an ecosystem of XR companies and startups would bloom in Taiwan.

Virtual reality applications in education, automotive, healthcare, and aerospace & defence are proving to be just as significant to giants like Oculus and HTC when it comes to investing in the market. And it seems hardware sales are increasingly dependent on the success of VR software. By 2022, it’s predicted that the software market will be worth a whopping $6.4 billion – more than double its current size. Just who are the software producers ballooning this burgeoning market?

The 2020s looks to continue making what was once thought of as the highest of high tech more accessible than ever. Of course, the startups emerging across the globe are working diligently toward this ambition, not least of all virtual production toolmaker Glassbox Technologies.

Israel-based Wearable Devices transformed the virtual reality experience with its wrist-worn device Mudra Inspire. The company was also the winner of Pitch Force Silicon Valley@TechCode held in Sunnyvale in July of 2019.

Dutch VR company MedKitVR creates VR applications for use in hospitals by patients and staff. The company works to ease the implementation of VR in hospitals.

Escape Rooms: In VR? Virtual Room has digital transformed entertainment with a brand new immersive VR collaborative game experience.

Extending the success from last year, the Holland Startup Lounge at InnoVEX 2019 presented once again an amazing delegation with14 startups and incubators, covering a variety of topics from IoT, Blockchain,Touch Technology to 5G.

This year, 467 startups from 25 countries and regions are participating in the 3-day event, with focus in 7 major industries: AI, Biotech, Blockchain, IoT Application, Smart Machinery, Sports Tech, and Startup Ecosystem. The event presents vibrant startup scenes including exhibitions, forums, pitch contests and more. Here are some interesting highlights from our first day at InnoVEX.