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

Magic Leap appoints former Microsoft exec Johnson as CEO

Magic Leap has appointed Microsoft executive Peggy Johnson as its new chief executive officer, replacing Rony Abovitz.

Johnson was previously executive vice president of business development at Microsoft. In an interview with the New York Times (NYT), she said the time was right amid the Covid-19 pandemic to explore the promise of spatial technology, comparing it with the early bubble of cellular technology and cloud computing.

"It just feels to me that it's at that same...

8 July 2020 | AR

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

Facebook says farewell to the Oculus Go and goes all-in on 6DOF products

Facebook has announced it is discontinuing the Oculus Go, its least expensive VR headset, to go all-in on Quest as part of the 'next chapter' of virtual reality.

An update on the Oculus blog spoke of a 'fond farewell' to Go, which will end sales this year, though the devices have been out of stock for some time. The primary reason for its demise, according to the blog, is user demand for more sophisticateed 6DOF (six degrees of freedom) products.

"Just past the one-year...

24 June 2020 | Developers

AR visualisations can help in spinal treatments, research suggests

A new study has suggested how augmented reality (AR) can be applicable for spinal treatments.

The study, published in the Global Spine Journal (no opt-in required), explored 42 spinal procedures, with AR implemented using operating microscope head-up displays (HUDs), and concluded all tests were successful.

The tests used AR to provide preoperative image data to automatically segment the vertebra, with each being assigned a unique colour, and aided in various procedures,...

10 June 2020 | AR

As Varjo and MeetinVR team up, can VR provide the human touch videoconferencing lacks?

Virtual and extended reality headset manufacturer Varjo has announced a partnership with MeetinVR, providers of virtual enterprise collaboration software, to help deliver more realistic experiences.

MeetinVR will release a dedicated version of their application which supports all Varjo's headsets, from the VR-2, to VR-2 Pro and the XR-1 Developer Edition, as part of the partnership. New buyers of any Varjo headset will receive MeetinVR free for six months for up to five...

28 May 2020 | Applications

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

Magic Leap announces layoffs as company realigns focus on enterprise and hardware

Virtual and augmented reality (AR) may well signal the future of online collaboration with the 'new normal' promised by the Covid-19 pandemic - but it may have come a little too late for Magic Leap.

The AR hardware firm has announced major layoffs and a move towards the enterprise ahd hardware markets, with some reports suggesting that up to half of the company's workforce is to go.

In a blog post, Magic Leap CEO Rony Abovitz outlined the 'painful process' of...

24 April 2020 | AR