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From the National Theatre to Raindance - the Virtual Perceptions Newsletter

October 15, 2018

Virtual Perceptions Newsletter

Hello everyone! Two experiences stood out for me the last few weeks. Firstly, the National Theatre has started using smart caption glasses, so those who are hearing impaired can watch plays a la subtitles on Netflix. This widens the number of people who can enjoy London's productions, and is expected to roll out through the rest of the UK through 2019. The other was Raindance, where numerous world and UK-firsts happened with immersive films. I cannot possibly summarise it all, but you can read my write-up here. Oh, and there was something called Oculus Quest, which you may have heard about. Hope you have a good one,Tom

Ffiske

Editor, Virtual Perceptions

 

 

The National Theatre has launched smart caption glasses for the hearing impaired, displaying subtitles during productions. Accenture, Epson's Moverio BT-350 glasses, and Action on Hearing Loss UK assisted with the project.

The glasses display a transcript of the production, live updated as the performance goes on. The technology senses at what point the play is at, then flash the relevant subtitles on the lens.

On October 5, I attended the Raindance Gallery of Immersive Stories reception. There were multiple events around the curated display, though this one revolved around celebrating its creators. I remember the last Raindance where it was in a single, underground room - this year it covered a much larger area in Southwark. Like last year, I was very excited to see another round of great VR and 360° films.

33 productions were in full show, all covering areas from animation to documentaries. Here are the ones nominated for Raindance. Of these, here are my thoughts on the ones I saw that night.IoT and AR - How they can work togetherAR provides an overlay of digital information for the real world. The technology can take information, such as inspection records, and display it on the relevant object for additional insights. This is why the technology can potentially revolutionise manufacturing and engineering, aiding workers with their progress. In theory, adding the Internet of Things (IoT) into the mix improves the experience.