News & Views #xR

Varjo has improved the specs for their already impressive headsets, and added a number of appealing features. But what may be most surprising is that they have reduced the price, by half, for both of their professional HMDs, the VR3 and the XR3.

Bose has shuttered their AR Division, releasing staff and cutting off developers. Their AR glasses, called Frames, are still available, but without AR capabilities.

OVR Technology has announced the release of its Architecture of Scent® platform for virtual reality, which combines hardware, software, and scentware to replicate complex sensory experiences in digital worlds. The Architecture of Scent offers a safe, effective way to add scent into VR. In doing so, it provides a way for VR content developers to construct more realistic immersive experiences for greater impact and improved outcomes, in healthcare, education, training, human connection, or other areas.

On April 21, 2020, the Silicon Valley chapter of VRARA sponsored a fireside chat with chapter president Dirk Schart and IEA CEO Ben Delaney. they talked for an hour about smartglasses and the recent IEA report, Smartglasses Roadmap – the 20's. Here is a video of the event.

Smartglasses replace smart phones and smart watches by 2030 on way to $34B revenue. Breakthrough report from ImmersivEdge Advisors describes the technologies and companies that will dominate the market, predicts when key capabilities will emerge, offers critical guidance for buyers, sellers and investors.

Plessey, an embedded technologies developer of microLED technology for augmented and mixed reality (AR/MR) display applications, announces new venture with Facebook.

It shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone who has been watching, that Magic Leap is reported to be considering a sale. Looking back we can now see that their aggressive pace of investment just didn’t match what the technology needed to do for its users.

Compound Photonics US and Plessey Semiconductors announced that they have produced the first fully addressable microLED display modules from their new GaN-on-Silicon microLED process. These are intended for AR/MR applications.

Interfaces for xR are among the most challenging issues in the field. People have been trying to figure out the best way to work in virtual worlds since the 90’s, and the variations number at least into the hundreds. Frankly, most of those attempts have not been very successful. Why is this such a tough problem?

Imagination Technologies has announced that it has a new multi-year license agreement under which Apple has access to a wider range of Imagination’s intellectual property.

North, makers of Focals smart glasses, today announced that its next generation of smart glasses, Focals 2.0, will begin shipping in 2020 North has further miniaturized its technology by 40%; making Focals 2.0 lighter, sleeker and featuring a dramatically sharper 10x improved retinal display.

At the IAAPA show for theme parks & family entertainment centers, all the proven leisure attractions are doing fine. After 5 years of entertainment VR, the results are in — and bimodal. It seems IAAPA hasn’t yet reached Peak VR.