With the Immerse Global Summit 2023 Orlando underway, the immersive sector has rallied for another round of discussions, panel talks, and other surprises.
This week has seen its fair share of tricks and treats ahead of the Halloween season, where companies like Warpin Reality, HTC VIVE, Google, Shopify, and Apple, among others, have offered a powerhouse of insights to XR Today on their latest innovations.
Here are the top stories from this week’s news stories. If you want to stay in the know on all things virtual, augmented, mixed, and extended reality, please don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to our regular updates at https://www.xrtoday.com/sign-up/.
Google’s Project Iris Receives New Smart Glass Feature, Reports Say
First off, Google’s Project Iris has reportedly resurfaced in a snippet of coding in one of the company’s beta releases. The elusive head-mounted display (HMD) has been brought back into headlines after recent struggles with funding and a turbulent tech industry last year. This has led Google to slash jobs across its operations in recent months.
However, the latest spotting has found that the Mountain View-based firm’s Google Glass Enterprise 2 successor is set to receive greater Google Assistant integrations. This comes after coding revealed users could activate the Assistant using a Google-compatible device.
Additional updates include pitches from potential Project Iris developers have included Samsung Electronics, and the initiative plans to release in 2025. Devices such as Samsung earbuds could also potentially control the Assistant’s operations.
Shopify, Apple Roll Out iOS 17 Object Capture for AR Shopping
Toronto, Canada-based eCommerce giant Shopify has integrated Apple’s iOS 17 Object Capture capabilities into its platform, allowing vendors to create digital 3D assets instantly. People using the latest iPhone Pro devices equipped with a LiDAR scanner can populate their online stores with the assets, allowing shoppers to view them at a 1:1 scale and test them in physical spaces.
According to Russ Maschmeyer, Product Lead, AR/VR, Shopify, the new features would allow customers to shop with greater confidence, leading to higher conversion rates for businesses. The tool will also empower companies by democratising access to AR scanning technologies capable of building next-level shopping experiences for online sales across entire catalogues in just minutes.
IGS 2023: Meta Quest for Business takes Center Stage
At the Immerse Global Summit (IGS) 2023, executives from Meta Platforms unveiled their latest solution—Meta Quest for Business—in a keynote speech from Dan Nieves, Global Executive of Engagement, Reality Labs, Meta.
In his speech, he explained how metaverse technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) were “reshaping how we experience the physical and digital worlds.” He added that currently, many businesses were already using immersive solutions to “create new opportunities that benefit our society.”
Such tools included numerous XR enterprise use cases across industry verticals like healthcare, education, and remote collaboration. Even industries linked to upskilling and training, remote maintenance and operations (M&O), and rehabilitation have provided optimal results when integrated into company workflows.
XR an ‘Invaluable’ Tool for Healthcare Training, HTC VIVE Survey Finds
In a recent HTC VIVE study, the company found that XR technologies had become invaluable tools for training healthcare staff across key competencies and skills. Using immersive training modules and other innovative educational methodologies, new and potential medical professionals received unparalleled instruction for learning complex procedures and building relationships with patients.
The findings showed that nine out of ten respondents said that XR had boosted their educational plans, allowing them to perform better on the job. Also, 84 percent of the 400 participants from across the US said they either liked or loved training with XR technologies. Many firms revealed how XR tools removed bottlenecks in learning and development (L&D) compared with traditional techniques.
VR an ‘Empathetic’ Tool for First Aid Training, Warpin VP Says
XR Today recently interviewed executives from Swedish XR firm Warpin Reality and the Swedish Red Cross. Executives from the company and organisation shared their top insights on how immersive training significantly improved engagement, reaction times, and learner retention rates.
Both Warpin and the Swedish Red Cross also plan to democratise First Aid training programmes to prepare workplaces for tackling emergency situations. Using the new trainer, the VR training module helps to prepare students to learn via muscle memory, preparedness to handle emotionally intensive scenarios, and step-by-step procedures for treating people in crisis situations.
