AR/VR

2020 Trends in XR Technology Education

Published

6 months ago

September 1, 2020

XR technology is disruptive and it’s been a disruptive year. “Disruptive” isn’t the keyword for this article, but has definitely been a buzzword in 2020.

Here, we’ll be exploring how all of this disruption has potentially led to lasting and positive change in education.

The Road In

To start, it is important to point out that XR technology in education isn’t a new concept. We’re all thinking about remote and distance learning a lot more than we might have been this time last year, and the topic has a lot to thank coronavirus for – but not everything.

The Immersive Learning Research Network, an organization dedicated to promoting expanded education opportunities through responsible XR technology, has been around for at least six years.

Their most recent annual conference took place in VR in late June and speakers addressed a number of the promises and problems facing XR in education in this unique situation.

VR in Primary and Secondary Education

VR in primary and secondary education more-or-less has a pin in it these days, depending on where you are. Location-based VR experiences (experiences offered at installations rather than as experiences that can be downloaded and used anywhere) were on the rise at locations like museums and art installations last year.

See Also: 4 Inventive Examples of Virtual Reality in Education

Unfortunately, with many public institutions closing down due to coronavirus, many of these experiences have gone with them. Even where the locations have reopened, few are interested in the shared headsets that many of these experiences require.

That’s not to say that VR is entirely gone from primary and secondary education. As long as many teachers are relearning how to teach with new technology, some schools are embracing the opportunity by introducing VR.

Computing giant Lenovo recently released an update to their VR Classroom package. The update includes the fruits of partnerships with more conventional remote learning applications, and is designed to be easy to use for educators without XR experience.

XR technology manufacturers, including Lenovo, have prioritized making headsets out of easy-to-clean materials and removable covers.

Accessibility Options

It’s true, most children don’t have access to their own VR headsets and most schools can’t buy a whole fleet of them. As a result, many VR education solutions include interfaces that can be accessed through a standard web browser.

Still, the issue of accessibility for VR solutions in education is one of the reasons that AR solutions are usually seen as more viable.

VR in Post-Secondary Education

VR is more common in post-secondary education, including as part of advanced degrees or specialist training.

FundamentalVR, an XR technology platform for training healthcare professionals, has added two new accreditations in 2020. While they pride themselves on their haptics-based content, they recently released a version that runs on less-specialist equipment to make it available to a larger number of students.

AR in Education

While VR is usually seen as more exciting, there are a number of reasons that AR is more promising for most education use cases.

For one thing, AR applications run on more accessible devices, including mobile phones. AR also tends to be more user-friendly, which comes in handy when parents are also educators. XR education companies like DEVAR reported increased sales when quarantines first kept children home from school.

See Also: 7 Ways Augmented Reality Is Changing Education Industry in the UK: The Future of Learning Is Now

Similar to VR, AR experiences were already being used in education – including location-based experiences at institutions like museums. Now, the goals of most educational AR experiences are to bring educational content to students where they are.

XR for Professional Development

Of course, XR technology in education isn’t just for “students.” Groups like Taqtile address the growing “skills gap” resulting from older generations leaving the workforce and younger employees entering.

These newer employees have less work experience, but have more technical acumen. Exponential technologies like extended reality are the best way to bridge the gap. This is particularly the case with “soft skills” – skills that you can’t learn from a textbook.

XR Technology Is Not Going Anywhere

It’s impossible to talk about XR technology trends in 2020 without mentioning covid. However, all of these trends were already under way – and are likely to continue when the world returns to normal.

Source: https://arpost.co/2020/09/01/2020-trends-in-xr-technology-education/

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AR/VR

The VR Game Launch Roundup: A Race to the Top

Published

1 day ago

February 26, 2021

Republished by Plato

Normally VRFocus’ Friday roundup of videogames to come doesn’t include today, but with slim pickings next week it was necessary to take some artistic licence. Even so, here are five virtual reality (VR) titles set to launch in the coming days.

BoomBox – Cyberspline Games Inc

Ok, so BoomBox is the first of two titles that are actually launching today. A rhythm-action experience by Cyberspline Games Inc hitting Steam Early Access, grab those digital drum sticks across 16 songs plus there are a further 100 pre-cleared songs for users to create their own maps using the editor.

Supported platforms: Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Windows Mixed Reality & Valve Index
Launch date: 26th February

Arden’s Wake – Penrose Studios

An animated short from Penrose Studios, Arden’s Wake features Alicia Vikander (Tomb Raider, Ex Machina) and Richard Armitage (The Hobbit) as the voice cast. Already an award winner picking up the Lion for Best VR at the Venice Film Festival, Arden’s Wake is the story of a young woman who embarks on a dangerous journey in a post-apocalyptic world.

Supported platforms: Oculus Rift, HTC Vive & Valve Index
Launch date: 26th February

Z-Race – XOCUS

For adrenaline fans who love to hurtle around futuristic tracks really fast, XOCUS’ upcoming Z-Race looks to be all that and more. Another Early Access title, Z-Race features 10 anti-gravity racers and 12 tracks across four terrains and an asynchronous global multiplayer mode.

Supported platforms: Oculus Rift, HTC Vive & Valve Index
Launch date: 2nd March

Stargaze – Played With Fire

A relaxing puzzle title set among the stars, Stargaze originally launched via Steam for PC VR headsets and now it’s Oculus Store’s turn. Inspired by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s early 20th-Century novella The Little Prince, Stargaze is an interstellar journey where you play an astronomer observing life on other planets, each one a puzzle to solve using your telescope.

Supported platforms: Oculus Rift (Oculus Store)
Launch date: 4th March

The Climb 2 – Crytek

Time for the big VR title of the week, Crytek’s The Climb 2. Originally slated for a 2020 launch on Oculus Quest 2, this sequel will have you clambering up mountains and the side of buildings in no time. Alongside new maps are new features likes dynamic objects such as ropes and ladders that react to your weight.

Supported platforms: Oculus Quest
Launch date: 4th March

Source: https://www.vrfocus.com/2021/02/the-vr-game-launch-roundup-a-race-to-the-top/

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Connections and inspirations between science fiction, tech, and games

Published

1 day ago

February 26, 2021

Republished by Plato

Dean Takahashi, Ramez Naam, and Tim Chang talk about the connections and inspirations between science fiction, tech, and games.Read More Source: https://venturebeat.com/2021/02/26/drawing-the-connections-and-inspirations-between-science-fiction-tech-and-games/

AR/VR

How Do Consumers Feel About AR Shopping?

Published

1 day ago

February 26, 2021

Republished by Plato

AR continues to prove itself as a shopping tool. It can help consumers visualize products on “faces and spaces,” to make better-informed decisions. This is amplified during a pandemic when it can bring back some of the product essence and dimension that’s lost in retail lockdowns.

On the “sell side,” AR likewise resonates with brands and retailers. On one level, it appeals to their creative sensibilities — erstwhile stuck in 2D media — to demonstrate products in their full 3D glory. On a more practical level, they’re seeing real results from AR-based campaigns.

All of this continues to be validated in case studies and figures we track from AR-forward eCommerce leaders like Shopify. In fact, we recently rounded up several AR shopping performance metrics in a Data Dive article like this one. These proof points continue to roll out.

To continue that narrative, another angle to the story needs to be told. Beyond performance metrics in the aggregate, how do consumers actually feel about AR shopping? Are they asking for it? Are they comfortable with it? Answers to these questions can help to extrapolate demand.

Temperature Reading

Jumping right into the data, we’ve rounded up several data points that indicate consumers’ sentiments towards AR shopping for this week’s Data Dive. Here they are in no particular order.

– Accenture reports that 50 percent of consumers have better brand recall through immersive ads, and 47 percent say they feel more connected to products.

– Nielsen reports that 51 percent of consumers are willing to use AR for shopping, scoring higher than other emerging shopping technologies such as retail self-checkout (44 percent).

– Hubspot reports that 75 percent of shoppers expect AR experiences from retailers.

– Snapchat reported a 2.4x lift in consumer interest for shoppable AR lenses during Q3 2020.

– A Harris Poll survey on behalf of Threekit reports that 60 percent of U.S. adult respondents who shop online are more likely to buy products shown in 3D or AR.

– A GetApp survey reports that 65 percent of consumers surveyed are comfortable using AR as a shopping tool.

– According to consumer research firm, Gfk, 68 percent of consumers are familiar with AR shopping and 25 percent plan to use it in the next year. This scored higher than other emerging shopping tools such as smart speakers (23 percent) and subscription services (21 percent).

– In a survey from IoT software company Arm, 58 percent of consumers say they’re extremely or very likely to buy AR devices designed for everyday use such as shopping. The figure shoots up to 79 percent for respondents aged 16–24.

– According to Parks Associates, consumers familiar with AR prefer it for price comparison overlays ( 48 percent) and product reviews ( 39 percent).

– Lastly, consumer survey data from our research arm, ARtillery Intelligence indicate year-over-year growth in both current and aspirational use for mobile AR shopping (click charts to expand).

Exposure Effect

The data points above have a range of sample sizes, survey wording and focal points. But there’s a directional trend towards comfort and demand for AR shopping. That includes “faces & specs” visualization as well as visual search to contextualize products with one’s smartphone.

Acclimation to AR shopping will also accelerate as Snapchat continues to cultivate rear-facing camera lenses. This shifting use case could bring Gen-Z shoppers with it — offering a broader canvas for a wider range of products, beyond sunglasses, lipstick. and other selfie fodder.

Lastly, to circle back to an earlier point, the value that AR adds to e-commerce is evident in normal times. But it takes on new meaning during Covid-era retail lockdowns when the value of visualizing products remotely is amplified. It brings some dimension back to shopping.

That dynamic is clear, but it’s unclear what will happen next. Will the tools discovered during this period create permanent habits through a “ mere exposure effect?” If so, it could bode well for AR’s sustained use in a post-Covid world, and its continued rise as a shopping utility.

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