Google to produce augmented reality-based microscope for cancer diagnoses in DoD project

Google Cloud is working with the US Department of Defense (DoD) to deliver an augmented reality (AR) microscope for cancer diagnoses.

The project, for the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), more widely involves prototyping an AI-enabled digital pathology solution at select DoD facilities.

The company cited research from the Veterans Affairs Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness and Safety which found up to 5% of outpatient diagnoses were conducted in error. The...

4 September 2020 | Healthcare

Why VR providers are pinning their hopes on profiting from ‘Zoom fatigue’

What is the latest marketing strategy for virtual reality software providers? If the Covid-19 pandemic will cause the new normal to become the normal full stop, Zoom and their ilk are not going to cut it long-term.

Meet AfterNow. The California-based startup, which describes itself grandly as 'building the future of human computing with augmented reality and artificial intelligence', is looking to help users against 'Zoom fatigue.'

The company has launched its new...

29 July 2020 | Advertising

‘Bright future’ for AR and VR in 2021 and beyond, says Strategy Analytics

The short-term outlook for virtual (VR) and augmented reality (AR) may be a struggle, according to Strategy Analytics, but if organisations can ride out this wave then the future looks bright.

The findings appear in the analyst firm's latest report, 'Short and Long-Term Impacts of Covid-19 on the AR and VR Market.' Among the report's key takeaways are:

XR hardware revenues will overtake $28 billion annually in 2025Total XR shipments - combined VR and dedicated AR headsets -...

14 July 2020 | Applications

VR motion sickness survey reinforces gender gap

In spite of virtual reality's benefits and hype, one of its primary inhibitors remains the threat of motion sickness. A new survey finds it still plays a prominent role - with women more at risk than men.

The survey, put together by VR Heaven and which polled almost 300 respondents, found that more than half (57.8%) said they experienced motion sickness in VR at some time. 13.7% of those polled said they experienced it frequently, compared with 19.1% for sometimes and 24.9% for...

6 July 2020 | Ecosystems

Carnegie Mellon research aims to combine touch with useability in VR: A winning approach?

Virtual reality (VR) is able to create stunning immersive visual experiences - yet they remain an alternative dimension, with the user experience somewhat obtrusive. Research into haptics - the area of interaction between virtual and physical forms - is ongoing. Yet new research from Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) has aimed to unlock the challenge of simulating touch in VR.

The device uses multiple strings attached to the hand and fingers to simulate the feel of obstacles and...

7 May 2020 | Devices

AR and VR headsets to see short-term Covid-19 decline – but IDC notes positive long-term outlook

IDC has forecast a decrease in augmented (AR) and virtual reality (VR) device shipments in the first half of 2020 due to supply chain disruptions caused by the recent Covid-19 outbreak – but says the long-term landscape is strong.

According to IDC, a decline of 10.5% is expected on a year-over-year basis in the first quarter, followed by a 24.1% decrease in the second quarter. However, a bounce back is expected in the second half of 2020, considering gradual production increase...

24 March 2020 | AR

AR market value to exceed $100bn by 2024 – through emerging interaction methods for smart glasses

The value of the augmented reality (AR) market is set to break $100 billion by 2024, according to ABI Research, as emerging interaction methods for AR smart glasses maximise and optimise user experience.

The analyst firm’s latest report, ‘User Interface and User Experience in AR Technology’, states that more intuitive and user-friendly interaction would enhance UX and drive growth of the AR smart glasses market in the coming years.

Eleftheria Kouri,...

2 March 2020 | AR

Survey: VR headset sales on Steam sees biggest ever jump in January

According to the January 2020 data released from Valve’s Steam Survey, VR headset growth on Steam has taken its largest leap yet, with 1.31% of the population having headsets that were connected to their computers.

With a year-over-year increase of 43%, this beats out the earlier record that was set in January 2019 when monthly-connected headsets jumped to reach 0.91% for the very first time. As per the estimations made by the researchers, the number of monthly-connected...

17 February 2020 | Gaming

Oxford VR secures $12.5 million investment to help VR for mental health mission

UK-based Oxford VR has announced $12.5 million (£9.63m) in a series A funding round led by Optum Ventures and supported by Luminous Ventures. Existing investors which include Oxford Sciences Innovation, Oxford University Innovation and GT Healthcare Capital Partners also participated in this investment round.

According to Oxford VR, the funding will help the firm to boost US expansion of its evidence-based and scalable automated VR therapy solutions for behavioural health...

13 February 2020 | Healthcare

UCI School of Medicine studying psychological effects of AR medical simulation training

The UCI School of Medicine has collaborated with Chenega Healthcare Services and MedCognition to examine the psychological effects of AR medical simulation training.

The study, titled, Assessment of the Psychological and Physiological Effects of Augmented Reality, has been provided with a $1.2 million fund by the Medical Technology Enterprise Consortium.

The two-year study, which began in December, focuses on whether pre-existing psychological traits or past stress...

14 January 2020 | Applications