Software/Apps

Facebook optimiert Handtracking

Facebook präsentiert den ersten Algorithmus, der in der Lage ist, Handverformungen durch selbstkontaktierende und selbstverschließende Handgesten zu verfolgen, sowohl für eine als auch für zwei Hände.

Ein Kernproblem beim Handtracking ist die präzise Verfolgung der Handbewegung bei signifikantem Kontakt und Okklusion mit anderen Oberflächen. Technisch gesehen stellt sich diese Herausforderung bei der präzisen Verfolgung zweier verformbarer Oberflächen, die sich dynamisch berühren. Dank des neuen Algorithmus ist es möglich, zwei Handinteraktionen und einige der schwierigsten möglichen Konfigurationen einer menschlichen Hand zu verfolgen. Während eines Versuchs führte eine Versuchsperson ihre Hände zusammen, beugte die Mittelfinger, drehte die Hände um diesen Kontaktbereich, verschränkte die übrigen Finger und wackelte anschließend mit den Mittelfingern.

Quelle:

Bildquelle: Facebook Reality Labs Research

Facebook Reality Labs Research

14. Januar 2021 0 comment

Knowledge Software/Apps

Green Hell VR – Intensiver als jemals zuvor, erscheint 2021

Mit dem Dschungel-Survival-Game „Green Hell“ ist Entwickler Creepy Jar ein wirklich solides Werk gelungen. Besonders aber die viele Liebe, die das Team seit dem Release in das Projekt steckt, kommen bei den Spielern gut an. Green Hell ist offiziell im September 2019 erschienen, seitdem gibt es regelmäßige Erweiterungen und Verbesserungen. Auch weitere Plattformen hat das Spiel erobert, zuletzt ist es auch für Nintendo Switch erschienen.

Nun gibt es eine weitere wirklich spannende Ankündigung. Creepy Jar will dem Amazonas-Trip nun auch eine VR-Version verpassen. Dafür hat man sich mit dem VR-Studio Incuvo zusammengetan. Mit deren Erfahrung soll Green Hell auf einen neuen und „unglaublichen“ Grad an Immersion angehoben werden. Incuvo hat sich bereits durch die VR-Titel wie Layers of Fear die Oculus Quest Version von Blair Witch einen Namen gemacht.

Die Veröffentlichung von Green Hell VR soll vorerst im 3. Quartal 2021 für PC-VR erfolgen, später ist auch eine Oculus Quest Version geplant. Eine erste Produktionsphase sei bereits abgeschlossen und man arbeite bereits an der Alpha-Version, welche bereits einige Monate vor der Veröffentlichung des Spiels verfügbar sein soll. Es scheint also tatsächlich auch als eigenständiges Spiel zu erscheinen und nicht „nur“ als zusätzlichen VR-Modus für das bestehende Green Hell. Damit wird man auch wieder die Community mit einbeziehen, ein Vorgehen, welches sich seit der ersten Early Access-Version des original Green Hell bezahlt gemacht hat.

Über Green Hell

Wer noch nicht die Bekanntschaft mit Green Hell gemacht hat (es lohnt sich!), es handelt sich dabei um ein Survival-Spiel, welches in der Wildnis der Amazonas-Region angesiedelt ist. Es gibt eine intensive Story zu erleben und etliche Gefahren zu meistern. Im Dschungel gestrandet, ohne Nahrung und ohne Ausrüstung, muss man sich wie Robinson Crusoe gegen die gefährliche Umgebung zur Wehr setzen und sich seinen Platz darin erarbeiten. Dabei sind wilde und giftige Tiere nicht die einzige Gefahr, so gibt es mörderische Einheimische, auch die eigene Psyche kann zu einem Problem werden. Um erfolgreich zu sein, muss der Spieler Überlebenstechniken erlernen, Schutzräume bauen, Werkzeuge und Waffen herstellen, um Tiere zu jagen und Nahrung zu beschaffen. Hunger, Durst, Müdigkeit, Tropenkrankheiten und einer Verschlechterung der psychischen Gesundheit gilt es zu überstehen.

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Green Hell VR – Intensiver als jemals zuvor, erscheint 2021

29. Dezember 2020 0 comment

Knowledge Software/Apps

Remote Collab App Glue Improves Avatars, Speech-to-Text & More in 2.0 Update

Everyday modern technology makes it easier and easier to work remotely, a factor keenly felt in 2020. There are a number of virtual reality (VR) apps which can help in this process, one of the best known being Glue. Today, the company has announced its next major update, adding expressive avatars, speech-to-text capabilities and more.

When it comes to immersive remote collaboration an important part to get right is that sense of presence, feeling like your still working with your team even when miles apart. And avatars have a vital role to play in that process. It’s why Glue has introduced expressive avatars, created in partnership with UK-based facial animation specialist Rapport. The avatars are now AI-powered, helping closely mimic people’s behaviour and features. Plus there’s a new built-in avatar configurator with the option to customise facial features, hair, clothing and colour combinations.

Then there’s the new speech-to-text option, instantly typing what users are saying, aiding inclusion. A new whiteboard makes idea creation easier plus it can be used by non-VR colleagues. And a camera that can zoom and shoot in the resolution users require.

“Available to all our users today, this is our most significant release so far,” said Jussi Havu, CEO, Glue Collaboration in a statement. “Alongside a new operating system with speech-to-text capabilities, we’re introducing
our ground-breaking new avatars. Everything adds up to our most immersive VR meetings yet, providing a space for remote workers to effectively collaborate even when they’re thousands of miles apart.”

“We let our users choose their own appearance, as Glue is a place where everyone can be themselves,” said Sami Syrjä, Head of Design, Glue. “We have deliberately chosen to use expressive, animated avatars rather than lifelike virtual representations of ourselves. This prevents ‘uncanny
valley’, the eerie sensation people experience if a digital representation imperfectly resembles human behaviour.”

Finally, if you’re a regular Glue user who’s after a new workspace, Glue has introduced Mont Matiz. A relaxing, hill-top location, it can be used from small team meetings all the way up to large events.

Enterprise-focused, Glue supports a range of VR headsets including Oculus Quest with various licensing packages available after a free demo.

Quelle:

Remote Collab App Glue Improves Avatars, Speech-to-Text & More in 2.0 Update

17. Dezember 2020 0 comment

Knowledge Software/Apps

Oculus Quest’s YouTube App Gets Hand Tracking

Google’s YouTube app for Oculus Quest now supports controller-free hand tracking.

That means you can browse & watch YouTube’s huge collection of regular and immersive videos with just the headset, no controllers required.

This was already possible via the Oculus Browser, but the native app provides a cleaner experience with better performance.

YouTube VR first launched on Samsung Gear VR, which accessed an earlier version of the Oculus Store, back in early 2018. It got Oculus Go support in late 2018 and was an Oculus Quest launch app in 2019.

The app allows users to view all of YouTube’s standard 2D content, but the main focus is on immersive 360° videos- a big focus for YouTube in recent years.

Because it’s difficult to type in VR, the app provides a voice search function using Google’s best-in-class speech recognition technology, the same used in Google Home smart speakers. Users can view their own subscriptions, history, and playlists including their YouTube Music playlists.

YouTube’s continued support of the Oculus VR platform is in stark contrast to its parent company Google, which shut down its own mobile VR platform recently after ending viewer sales in late 2019. Last week it also announced it was shutting down its online library of user-made 3D assets, Poly.

YouTube VR frequently appears near the top of the Oculus Store’s Most Popular list, likely thanks to having the largest collection of immersive videos of any platform.

Quelle:

Oculus Quest’s YouTube App Gets Hand Tracking

15. Dezember 2020 0 comment

Knowledge Software/Apps

Bye Poly: Google stellt Datenbank für 3D-Objekte ein – Augmented Reality-Ambitionen werden zurückgefahren

Der große Google-Friedhof füllt sich weiter: Diesmal zieht man einem sehr interessanten Projekt den Stecker, von dem die meisten Nutzer vermutlich noch nie gehört haben, das aber ein großes Potenzial gehabt hätte: Poly. Auf der Plattform kann jeder Nutzer 3D-Objekte hochladen, präsentieren, mit anderen Nutzern teilen und auch per API abrufen. Doch auch damit ist es nun vorbei und in wenigen Monaten wird der Stecker gezogen.

Google hatte einmal sehr große Ambitionen in den Bereichen der Virtual Reality und Augmented Reality, doch bis auf ganze wenige Ausnahmen gibt es bisher keine erfolgreichen Produkte – bei der Konkurrenz sieht das (ebenfalls bis auf ganz wenige Ausnahmen) nicht besser aus. Der Virtual Reality hat man schon vor langer Zeit den Stecker gezogen und auch die Augmented Reality-Projekte werden immer weiter zurückgefahren. Das einzige erfolgreiche Projekt sind die neuen Streetview-Features in Google Maps.

Und nun trifft es eine Plattform, die eigentlich sehr zentral platziert werden und eine riesige Datenbank an 3D-Modellen aufbauen sollte. Das hat offenbar nur sehr eingeschränkt funktioniert, denn Google zieht dem Projekt Poly nach drei Jahren den Stecker. Gestartet ist die Plattform im November 2017 und bot bereits eine gut gefüllte Datenbank, die aber nach der ersten Ankündigung praktisch nicht mehr erwähnt wurde. Hier unser damaliger Artikel.

Am 30. Juni 2021 ist nun Schluss mit Poly. Der Upload neuer Modelle ist nur noch bis zum 30. April 2021 möglich, ab diesem Zeitpunkt sollte man dann auch langsam über den Export aller hochgeladenen Daten nachdenken, der wie üblich über Google Takeout möglich ist.

Your assets will be available at poly.google.com until June 30, 2021. You can download your entire library at takeout.google.com, or you can download individual assets by viewing each asset’s page. After June 30, poly.google.com and associated APIs will no longer be accessible. You will not be able to upload new 3D models on poly.google.com after April 30, 2021.
We want to thank you for joining us on this journey. We appreciate you trusting us to host your assets and provide a space where they can shine. The amazing work that our users have uploaded to Poly every day has surprised, humbled, and delighted us, and we have you to thank.

Aus meiner Sicht werden nicht viele Nutzer der Plattform hinterherweinen, aber dennoch ist es natürlich sehr schade, dass hier wieder einmal eine Anlaufstelle und möglicherweise großartige Datenbank verloren geht.

Google zeigt einmal mehr, dass man dem Unternehmen nicht vertrauen kann und solche Daten tunlichst auf anderen Plattformen hosten sollte.

Quelle:

Bye Poly: Google stellt Datenbank für 3D-Objekte ein – Augmented Reality-Ambitionen werden zurückgefahren

10. Dezember 2020 0 comment

Knowledge Software/Apps

Arvizio announces new updates to its XR Platform for the creation and support of Augmented Reality digital twins

Arvizio, a provider of augmented and mixed reality (AR/MR) solutions for real time collaboration and visualization, has recently announced new capabilities for the creation and advanced support of augmented reality digital twins to help enterprise companies accelerate their digital transformation strategies. Arvizio states that AR digital twins can help frontline workers navigate and monitor the industrial world to conduct assisted maintenance operations, review complex machinery, and plan industrial plants and facilities.

The company’s AR digital twins are aimed at improving planning, inspections, maintenance, and product development by giving customers the ability to visualize and interpret AR data both on-site and remotely. The Arvizio XR Platform enables visualization of digital twins at table-top scale or life size and supports remote 3D collaboration across a range of XR devices including HoloLens 2, Magic Leap, iPhone, iPad and Android phones and tablets.

Users can import a variety of 3D BIM, CAD, LiDAR and photogrammetry assets and take advantage of the integration of Arvizio’s XR platform with Autodesk cloud services, including BIM 360 and Fusion 360. These 3D models or reality captures serve as a digital canvas for instrumentation of the digital twin with augmented reality data. A graphical user interface tool allows users to associate IoT data, documents, images and workflow items with objects in the model. Models and scans can then be aligned on-site to overlay real-world objects with AR data. Arvizio’s XR Platform interfaces to cloud or on premise IoT data hubs offering the ability to integrate and associate live IoT data with objects in 3D models to create an operational digital twin.

“The 2020 pandemic is creating an acceleration of enterprise adoption of Industry 4.0 initiatives and, they [enterprises] are seeking innovative technologies to address and enhance their productivity and ROI,” said Jonathan Reeves, CEO at Arvizio. “Our customers can seamlessly incorporate AR and digital twins, further enhanced by infrastructure improvements such as 5G and private 5G deployments, to improve efficiency and ensure that processes are better serviced, analyzed and maintained in real-time.”

Arvizio’s XR platform for digital twins delivers key feature updates including:

Arvizio’s advanced hybrid rendering for visualization of large-scale models and point clouds;
XR Connect collaboration services with “see what I see” video for remote inspection and expert assistance;
IoT data integration and custom integration services to assist customers with digital twin and augmented reality migrations;
Expanded device support now including Oculus Quest, iPhone 12 Pro and iPad Pro with LiDAR.

The new capabilities will be entering Beta in December with general availability planned for January 2021. Customers interested in participating in Beta testing can contact Arvizio at info@arvizizo.io. For more information on Arvizio’s XR Platform please visit the company’s website.

Quelle:

Foto: Arvizio

Arvizio announces new updates to its XR Platform for the creation and support of Augmented Reality digital twins

10. Dezember 2020 0 comment

Knowledge Software/Apps

Bublar Group acquires 3D moviemaking platform and enters into agreement with global avatar networking app

Bublar Group has announced that it has acquired Plotagon Production AB and its technology, which allows for the creation and sharing of 3D animated films in just a few minutes, according to the company.

Plotagon will now become a wholly owned company within the Bublar Group and will be part of the Group’s ‘Play’ segment, together with the game studio Virtual Brains, which has two mobile real-world augmented reality games in production: the MMORPG Otherworld Heroes; and Hello Kitty AR: Kawaii World, based on the Japanese pop culture icon Hello Kitty.

Plotagon’s platform and app allows anyone to create and share their own 3D animated movies on their phone or PC. The company recently entered an agreement with South Korean online company Naver Z, which operates the avatar platform ZEPETO and has over 180 million registered users around the world. ZEPETO is a social network app where users can create avatar content, play games and socialize with other users virtually.

Together, the companies will develop and launch an application based on Plotagon´s technology and ZEPETO´s content. According to Bublar, a commercial launch of the service will take place in 2021.

“We are making an exciting acquisition where Plotagon’s proven technology has the opportunity to meet the diverse, international user groups of ZEPETO. We look forward to working with Plotagon and the innovative team. With our expertise in virtual and augmented reality, 3D animation and mobile games we will be able to contribute to this collaboration,” said Magnus Granqvist, co-founder of Bublar and Managing Director for its game division.

ZEPETO has close collaborations in the k-pop genre, the popular Korean music industry. In September, the company launched a virtual fan-sign event with k-pop band Blackpink and American artist Selena Gomez creating an animated dance video based on 3D avatars via ZEPETO.

Filip Grufman, CEO of Plotagon Production commented: “We are very excited to be part of the global growth in user-generated content. We are convinced that our team and technology can be used for several of Bublar’s customers and collaboration portfolio of strong global brands”.

Bublar Group stated that it has made the acquisition of Plotagon Production primarily to “gain access to a solid and proven technology platform”. Since its inception in 2014, Plotagon has developed its platform and movie-maker application, which is currently available on the App Store and Google Play, as well as on desktop PC. According to the company, its main markets are the US and India, and there are approximately 300-350 thousand individual monthly active users creating films on the platform and sharing them externally, as well as around 1,000 corporate and educational customers.

For more information on Plotagon Production, please visit the company’s website. For more information on Bublar Group, please click here.

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Bublar Group acquires 3D moviemaking platform and enters into agreement with global avatar networking app

Foto: Bublar Group

8. Dezember 2020 0 comment

#talkmittorsten Knowledge Software/Apps

#talkmittorsten – 013 -VR/AR Trainings erstellen, verwalten und weltweit skalieren ohne Programmierung

VR / AR Trainings waren in der Vergangenheit oft kostspielig. Der richtig große „Schmerz“ und Zusatzkosten wurden meistens erst nach Entwicklung der Inhalte sichtbar. Mit 3spin DREAM gibt es nun eine Cloud-Plattform, die es Organisationen und Agenturen ermöglicht, einfach Trainings selbst zu erstellen, zu verwalten und zu verteilen. Mit Funktionen wie Nutzerverwaltung, LMS-Anbindung, Multi-User-Training über das Internet und Erfolgsauswertung für die Lernenden.

#talkmittorsten – 013 -VR/AR Trainings erstellen, verwalten und weltweit skalieren ohne Programmierung

360degree #immersion #immersivelearning #spatialcomputing #learning #lernvontorsten #corporatelearning #transfer #torstenfell #talkmittorsten #VR #AR #Enterprise #VirtualReality #AugmentedReality #Training #Cloud #Authoring #3spin #dream

Quelle:

Torsten Fell, Institute of Immersive Learning

2. Dezember 2020 0 comment

Knowledge Software/Apps

Realize Medical releases remote collaboration feature for its ‘Elucis’ VR platform for 3D content creation and sharing

Realize Medical, Inc. has announced the release of its new integrated remote networked collaboration feature in its medical virtual reality (VR) platform, ‘Elucis’. Users in healthcare and education can now meet with their peers in the Elucis collaborative VR environment, which offers a secure solution for communicating 3D content in a time where options for physical interactions are more restricted due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

With Elucis, users are able to connect in a shared virtual environment that allows for the full simultaneous creation and editing of 3D models from medical images. Internal remote collaborations are facilitated with a single click by storing a project database on a network drive or institutionally approved cloud storage drive of choice. Elucis also allows for projects to be exported, enabling users to collaborate externally and share work securely.

Realize Medical added that in order to maximize security of information, the telemetry that facilitates remote interactions on the platform never contains image or 3D structure data and voice communication is always encrypted. As a result, personal health information and image data are maintained entirely within the custody of users at all times.

“It’s widely recognized that exceptional healthcare is facilitated by a collaborative approach and the pandemic has forced us to get creative about how we communicate and share content with one another,” said Justin Sutherland, CEO and Co-Founder of Realize Medical. “Creating 3D models of patient anatomy in Elucis has the potential to enhance patient care but only if that high-quality content can be safely and easily shared with the entire surgical planning team in a meaningful way. With VR collaborative environments, the possibilities are vast. The medium really is the message.”

According to Realize Medical, one example of the collaborative benefits of its platform is from The Ottawa Hospital where physician users of Elucis connect with each other to create and collaborate in a shared virtual environment, as well as create sessions with Realize Medical experts in order to be taught its features in a live learning session.

Commenting on the benefits of Elucis and how the platform can help to combat the disruption that education systems have witnessed during the time of COVID-19, Sonya Deveau, Director of Sales and Business Development at Realize Medical, said: “Research shows we retain more information and can better apply what we have learned after participating in virtual reality exercises.” She added, “We’re excited to see how remote collaboration in Elucis will further enhance education and student engagement.”

For more information on Realize Medical and its virtual reality collaboration solutions, please visit the company’s website.

Quelle:

Realize Medical releases remote collaboration feature for its ‘Elucis’ VR platform for 3D content creation and sharing

27. November 2020 0 comment

Knowledge Software/Apps

‘Bigscreen’ Expands Platform for Creators with New Green Screen Environment

Bigscreen, the social screen-sharing app for VR, is striding into new territory with its new green screen environment, which aims to let creators repurpose their avatars for anything from Zoom chats to YouTube videos.

The platform has a number of theater environments that are great for chatting, viewing videos and playing games; since there’s no user-generated environments, it can’t really be used for much else though.

Now you’ll be able to replace your background with anything you like, opening Bigscreen’s possibilities beyond its use as a video-viewing social app.

Using Bigscreen’s Green Screen

Virtual environments make everything easier from a setup standpoint: you won’t need a physical green screen, web cam, or adequate lighting—that’s all taken care of in-software.

Firstly, the new green screen environment can only practically be used on PC VR headsets. This is because Bigscreen’s third-person ‘Selfie Stick’ and ‘Streamer Cam’ capture tools are only available for SteamVR-compatible headsets and Quest 2 via Link. The original Quest is said to receive the Selfie Stick tool in the future.

Bigscreen supports Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Valve Index, all Windows VR headsets, Oculus Quest and Oculus Go. Find out how to download it for free here.

In addition to the obvious requirement of a SteamVR headset and VR-ready PC, you will also need a third-party capture tool like OBS, which is a free desktop recording tool with native chroma key software built in. There’s a quick tutorial from Elgato on how to use the chroma key function on OBS if you need help setting it up.

Make sure to have the latest update installed on Bigscreen, and go to the ‘Green Screen’ options under the ‘My Room’ tab, which is in the ‘Environments’ section. Set up either a selfie stick or streamer cam and start recording. And there you have it: your avatar superimposed on any background you like.

Quelle:

‘Bigscreen’ Expands Platform for Creators with New Green Screen Environment

23. November 2020 0 comment