I am back baby! (copy 21)

Virtual Perceptions Newsletter

Hello everyone! 

It's been a busy month of trips, from seeing Huawei's vision of VR's future to visiting the VRgineers crew in Prague. What struck me as the most interesting development is Facebook looking into brain interface technology, likely for its AR glasses. While in the early stages, it gives the giant a lot of power to read people's minds; something which should be regulated as soon as possible.AR glasses are set to be the next major technology fight in the 2020s. Yet the most frictionless control method without hands would be using the mind itself. In today's debate about data privacy and companies, where will the discussion go next?As always, I am always up for a chat; please email if you have any questions! Best,Tom FfiskeEditor, Virtual Perceptions-

Corporate training in VR – Does it have a future?

It is common knowledge that virtual reality (VR) has been used in a variety of other well-known sectors and fields, such as the military, healthcare and education, in some cases even before it came to gaming. Another major area is corporate training in VR.Jobs that are conducted in hazardous environments or require high precision and skill, such as that of an engineer or a surgeon, benefit immensely from this technology, which grants a realistic but safe space to train and practice without getting in harm’s way. The same is true of corporate training as well, which can sometimes happen within hazardous and dangerous environments or require very high levels of precision and skill.The VR training market was predicted to grow to $6.3 billion (£4.7) by 2022. Its potential doesn’t stop there. VR presents a cure to challenges that businesses face today. What follows are a few of the ways in which VR is changing corporate training.-

Huawei demonstrates 5G and Cloud VR, with some caveats

Huawei is making strides demonstrating their 5G capabilities around the UK. From launching trucks to pushing social media, the Chinese corporation wants to position itself as the de facto leader. As part of the campaign, the company attended the Goodwood Festival of Speed to show how 5G impacts multiple areas – including Cloud VR.

Huawei invited Virtual Perceptions to try out their Cloud VR capabilities at their 5G truck, near the racecourse of the event. While the future of 5G and VR is bright, the experience has major caveats that ultimately hamper the demonstration. The biggest issue? No 5G at the site that day.- 

VRgineers: An in-depth look at their XTAL headset

VRgineers invited Virtual Perceptions to their office in Prague, to try out some VR experiences that they provide the tech for, as well as their top of the line XTAL headset. The company also presented their views of the future and their plans for further innovation.

The trip was insightful, as the company granted us a look into their present and future projects.- 

  Facebook’s brain-reading interface must be regulated as soon as possible 

Facebook’s experiment with a brain-reading interface was inevitable. As the company continues to develop their AR glasses, the input method is one of the most important qualities as it must be as accessible and straightforward as possible. No-one wants to fiddle with buttons or external controllers; the most frictionless way to swipe through an AR lens is through the mind itself. The final stage for a completely seamless experience is not using any fingers at all.

However, that would mean Facebook would be reading the mind itself. This is dangerous without proper regulation. Following Cambridge Analytica, Facebook has shown that they treat data as an asset, and the company can exploit it for more value. Facebook already has enough information to understand every human on its network, deeper than the people themselves. If Facebook also had access to the brain, then the complexity and richness of the data available could be dangerous for one company to handle.

This is critical to explore now. Regulators are notoriously slow to react to upcoming developments, so they should be acting now before Facebook makes significant steps in the technology. Also, AR glasses are set to become the next global hardware trend; with billions of people affected by poor eyesight, Facebook (and Apple) are primed to dominate a market with their products. The time to act is now.  

New rules must be implemented to protect the rights of users who own their data.- 

Seven million standalone VR headsets to be shipped in 2019

Around seven million standalone VR headsets will be shipped in 2019, according to CCS Insights. The company scopes that it will be the leading type of device to be sold this year, with a further 13 million to be shipped in 2020.

By the time it hits 2023, CCS Insight predicts that 43 million standalone VR headsets will be shipped globally.

Leo Gebbie, senior analyst for VR and AR at CCS Insight, notes, “We believe the time is right for standalone devices such as the Oculus Go and Oculus Quest to take the market by storm. With no need for a secondary device such as a PC, smartphone or games console, standalone VR is making the technology more accessible than ever. We’re absolutely convinced the market is picking up momentum”.