XR News – 06.05.2021
Here you will find a short overview of the most important news around VR and AR every two weeks.
XR News – 06.05.2021
Here you will find a short overview of the most important news around VR and AR every two weeks.
HTC wants to present new VR glasses
HTC’s ViveCon 2021 will take place on May 11 and 12. According to all indications, HTC will present two new VR glasses here. These are probably the high-end PC VR device HTC Vive Pro 2 and the stand-alone VR glasses Vive Focus 3 Business Edition with a fast XR2 chip.
According to HTC, the two devices are primarily aimed at businesses and will reportedly cost between 842 and 1,474 Euros. The Taiwanese company deliberately focuses on remote work, VR training, VR in the healthcare sector or 3D visualization with the VivCon. There is also a focus on disseminating VR to a diverse audience. HTC is advertising ViveCon 2021 with “remote is the new normal”. The event will start on May 11 at 6 p.m. Registrations are still possible online.
Research: Walking while sitting
Changing the perspective in virtual reality is no problem. However moving around in a virtual environment with a realistic feeling is quite difficult. Most recently, the University of Hamburg succeeded with a converted treadmill: the VR Strider. Now, Japanese scientists led by Yusuke Matsuda from the University of Technology have followed suit and developed a revolutionary system. Vibrations are supposed to create a running sensation while sitting. This is achieved with special hardware. Footrests give users the feeling that they are really walking in virtual space. People with mobility problems could also benefit from the invention, as it allows them to experience the feeling of walking for themselves. Full details of the study can be read here.
Test run: Police uses VR glasses
Hundreds of cyclists are killed in road traffic every year. That’s why the police in North Rhine-Westphalia is now testing virtual reality glasses. The glasses are used to prevent traffic accidents. In order to understand how dangerous situations occur, the users can take on different perspectives of those involved in the accident: the truck driver and the cyclist. This is achieved with two 360-degree films, which are not interactive. The North Rhine-Westphalia Ministry of the Interior has purchased ten pairs of VR glasses for the project. The films are now being shown to road users aged 12 and over. Additional films are to be produced. If the pilot project is successful, the VR glasses are to be used throughout the state at the end of 2021 to ensure greater attentiveness in road traffic.
