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Cities

New Cities: VR Gameplay Shows Expansive Map On Quest 2

The city builder battle continues, with Cities: VR showcasing new gameplay across an expansive and complex city map on Quest 2.

This latest video from Fast Travel Games gives us some fly-over footage of a “detailed” and expansive city on a map called Northpoint. Indeed, the city does look impressively large and significantly complex.

While we’ve voiced some concerns about the visual quality on display in another recent Cities: VR video, it’s undeniable that the scale and size of the city shown in this new gameplay is impressive, especially running on Quest 2.

Both Jamie and I have been playing around with the other VR city builder, Little Cities, this week (and you can hear more of our thoughts in this week’s episode of The VR Gamescast). While Little Cities is quite satisfying to play and stunning to look at, it also feels a tad limited in terms of design potential and definitely smaller in scale when it comes to city size and management capabilities.

It’s looking increasingly likely that both these games will offer competent, but different, versions of a VR city builder game, then. Based on the footage above, Cities: VR may be the less visually-refined of the two, but definitely looks set to focus more heavily on management and complex city design.

ndeed, this is the sentiment echoed by Fast Travel Games staff on the Reddit thread for the trailer. Particularly in relation to graphics, Fast Travel Games said that optimizing for recording footage natively on Quest comes with massive challenges that have affected the gameplay footage. When you’re not recording, the game apparently “looks great inside the Quest 2 headset.”

You can hear more of our thoughts on Little Cities vs Cities VR on this week’s episode of The VR Gamescast, or read Jamie’s Little Cities preview here.

Cities: VR launches on April 28, exclusively for Quest 2 for $29.99.

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New Cities: VR Gameplay Shows Expansive Map On Quest 2

11. April 2022 0 comment

Metaverse

6 Japanese Cities Are Just The Start Of STYLY’s Real-World Metaverse

Psychic VR Lab’s cloud-based XR platform STYLY has supported both virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) for some time now. Today, the Japanese company has revealed that its next major update for the platform, its first tangible step into metaverse that bridges both the real and virtual. Due to arrive in 2022, the new feature will allow STYLY creators to integrate mixed reality (MR) content into urban spaces.

Once live the feature will allow STYLY to import 3D mapping data of cities which artists can then utilise for all sorts of virtual applications, such as placing artworks on the side of buildings or giant information points floating mid-air. The MR content will only be viewable by actually visiting the location, either using the STYLY app on a smartphone or by using compatible smartglasses like the Nreal Light.

Open-source data will be integrated into STYLY Studio, the main production tool for STYLY users. Providing accurate building data for simple drag and drop placement of virtual content there’s also the possibility for adding information on human and traffic flow, great for pedestrians wandering around a city. At the moment six Japanese cities are supported (Tokyo, Sapporo, Nagoya, Osaka, Kyoto and Fukuoka) with plans to add more from around the world in the future.

“We see the metaverse as ‘a new world that can now be perceived through technology-enhanced perception’,” said Masahiro Yamaguchi, CEO of Psychic VR Lab in a statement. “The world we perceive is subjective, based on our perceptions and experiences. I believe that the essence of the metaverse is that by expanding this perception through technology, we can perceive a world that was previously unrecognizable. Whether in the real space of a city or in a VR space, we would like to call the metaverse that originates from the human-centred real self the real metaverse.”

“STYLY is a service with the tagline ‘Free your inner world’, which means to free the subjective world (your inner world) by expanding perception through technology,” Yamaguchi continues. “In the future, we would like to evolve and develop STYLY as an operating system for the real metaverse, a metaverse that starts from the real human-centred self.”

Psychic VR Lab isn’t the only company looking to build a “real-world metaverse”. The biggest player in this space is probably Niantic Labs which launched its Lightship Augmented Reality Developer Kit (ARDK) alongside a $20 million USD creators fund in November.

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6 Japanese Cities Are Just the Start of STYLY’s Real-World Metaverse

6. Januar 2022 0 comment

Examples

How Smart Cities Can Use Augmented Reality Technology

Augmented reality technology can enhance the quality of life in smart cities by improving government services and citizen welfare.

In the quest to improve the quality of life in urban spaces, local city councils, urban planners, and developers are exploring cutting-edge digital solutions that can potentially power smart cities. Augmented reality technology, the Internet of Things, and artificial intelligence are some of the most promising solutions out there.

Smart cities leverage a network of interconnected objects and machines, which use big data and digital solutions to enhance the quality of government services and citizen welfare.

Now, the question is: where does AR fit into all of this?

AR works by overlaying digital information in real-world environments. Unlike virtual reality, it doesn’t require bulky equipment like headsets. All you need is a smartphone, which most people already have.

AR can provide constant feedback within smart cities, allowing everyone to make informed decisions in their day-to-day life. In short, it can make urban spaces more people-centered. It can improve urban mobility, public safety, public health, tourism, and asset management.

What Is the Role of Augmented Reality Technology in Smart Cities?

Access to real-time data can improve mobility and public safety in smart cities. Urban areas are often difficult to navigate—even for their residents. Pairing AR with navigation apps can change that. Just by pointing your smartphone’s camera around you, you’ll have directions to any destination.

If AR head-up displays like Audi’s Q4 E-Tron become more enhanced and widespread in the future, motorists can navigate the streets efficiently using AR. The car can overlay AR graphics on the windshield, showing navigation information that can assist the driver. Imagine its impact on emergency services. Everyone from firefighters and police to disaster first responders will be able to find the best routes to reach emergencies faster.

Having easy access to data can be great for public health and wellness too. For instance, AR can help residents find amenities such as parks, recreational facilities, and outdoor activities with ease.

AR can also provide information about the objects around you. Whether it’s buildings, landmarks, or public transportation, you can get the information you need without having to search it on Google. Say, you want to know a restaurant’s business hours. An AR app can potentially supply and overlay that information on your smartphone.

In the future, AR might be able to provide real-time translations of street names and signs to make cities more tourist-friendly.

Furthermore, AR makes asset and resource management easier for the authorities. Using AR devices, such as head-up displays, smart goggles, and other hands-free devices, it would be easier for municipal workers to manage and monitor city assets. They can gather data safely and efficiently.

Why Do We Need Augmented Reality Technology in Smart Cities?

A growing number of people flock to urban spaces every year in search of better job prospects and education. Hence, there is an ever-increasing need to improve urban mobility, public health, safety, and asset management.

As mentioned, new smart technologies can help improve citizen welfare and increase efficiencies in all aspects of urban living. They also make it easier for local government authorities to oversee the resources in their growing urban communities.

Just to be clear: AR isn’t the sole solution to many problems in urban environments. However, when it is used alongside other cutting-edge solutions, like IoT and artificial intelligence, it can potentially make a significant difference in the lives of urban dwellers.

Building Smart Cities With Augmented Reality Technology

Although augmented reality technology is very promising, it comes with its fair share of technical challenges. Specifically, AR requires massive quantities of data—and fast. Synchronizing the real-world environment with the movement of the user requires heavy graphical rendering processes. Thus, it needs stringent network requirements, such as low latency, high bandwidth, and high reliability.

This is why 5G is highly anticipated. Many believe that it can unlock the full potential of immersive technologies. As 5G rolls out around the world, these AR solutions are closer to becoming a reality.

The United States, South Korea, and China are a few of the countries at the forefront of 5G deployments. Since the COVID-19 crisis has caused delays in 5G deployments, all we can do is wait for further developments.

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How Smart Cities Can Use Augmented Reality Technology

24. September 2021 0 comment