Machine learning and augmented reality provider Phiar has announced a seed funding round of $3 million to develop a computer vision and deep learning navigation app for smartphones, to be launched in app stores in mid-2019. Unlike traditional GPS apps, the Phiar app displays the driver’s real-world surroundings augmented with an easy to follow painted path.

The seed round, co-led by the Venture Reality Fund and Norwest...

The virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) markets are undergoing something of a tumultuous time – but while the near-term outlook sees a dip, long-term growth can be found.

With only a few weeks left to go in the year, analyst firm CCS Insight has predicted that eight million VR and AR headsets and glasses will be sold in 2018. This represents a step down from the 10 million devices sold in 2017; yet the company...

Travelocity, an online travel agency, is launching its first augmented reality (AR) experience.

The agency is putting together an offering that will allow users to take a snap of travel photos and videos with the brand’s spokesperson, The Roaming Gnome, whose icon appears on-demand in 3D anywhere around the globe thanks to a new AR camera feature available in the Travelocity mobile app.

BAE Systems has recently made an investment as part of its commitment to innovate and deliver the best systems and products to tackle evolving threats and deliver the most effective solutions to customers. The British firm will be investing £20 million in AR and AI that will be used in warships to optimise their combat ability.

The investment will see innovations that will aid naval personnel to enhance their decision...

Huawei’s interest in augmented reality (AR) is evident with capability included in recent smartphones. Yet the Chinese manufacturer is looking to go a step further and release AR glasses, according to reports.

According to CNBC, who spoke with Richard Yu, CEO of Huawei’s consumer group, the company is...

Augmented reality (AR) offers a new platform to help physicians better visualise complex medical data, particularly before and during medical procedures. A new self-contained AR device aims to provide an immersive AR experience in which surgeons can interactively explore data in three dimensions.

Jihye Jang, a PhD Candidate at the Cardiac Magnetic Resonance (MR) Centre at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centre, and colleagues assessed...

HTC is making its enterprise-flavoured Vive Focus virtual reality (VR) set available in Western markets, promising a variety of new applications in the process.

The launch ‘reinforces Vive’s increased commitment to bringing best-in-class design and software expertise – paired with the world’s best VR hardware – to businesses of all sizes’, in the company’s words.

Walmart shoppers can now use augmented reality (AR) thanks to the launch of a new tool for iOS – as the company says it wanted to do ‘so much more’ with its current mobile app barcode scanner.

The retailer has given a shot to augmented reality and has launched a new AR scanning tool in its iPhone application which will help customers with product comparisons. This AR scanner can be panned across store shelves,...

The FDA has cleared OpenSight Augmented Reality System, making it the first AR medical solution for Microsoft HoloLens receiving 510(k) clearance for use in pre-operative surgical planning.

OpenSight renders 2D, 3D and 4D images of patients interactively, while accurately overlaying them directly on the patient’s body. The solution, in combination with the patented virtual tool technology and an integrated targeting...

Today, the terms augmented reality, virtual reality and mixed reality are used in industry very interchangeably, and there is a very thin line separating all three technologies. When we look at XR, we’re really considering it as the “umbrella technology” that these other technologies come under. Each technology holds its own promise individually for new, beneficial use cases, but they can also be coordinated to work together in new applications,...

Virtual reality film provider Jaunt has announced it is moving away from the space, saying its future lies in augmented (AR) and extended reality (XR).

“Today, we announced that Jaunt will be focusing efforts on further developing technologies that allow for the scaled creation of AR content,” the company wrote

A technology partnership has recently been announced between Deutsche Telekom and Niantic Inc., creator of leading AR games Pokémon GO and Ingress PRIME. This partnership will bring Niantic’s Real World platform for AR gaming to Deutsche Telekom’s MobiledgeX Edge servers and 5G network.

Niantic’s Real World Platform combines the physical and digital worlds via advanced functionalities like...

Finnish tech startup Varjo has announced a $31 million Series B investment to introduce the world’s first human-eye resolution virtual reality and mixed reality (VR/XR) product, which is aimed at industrial use.

The product holds the potential to transform complex and design-driven industries, such as architecture, engineering and construction, simulation and training, engineering and construction, aerospace, and industrial design.

The Helsinki-based firm now has a total of $46 million in accumulated...

Enterprises are enhancing their business operations with the help of AR and VR technologies, claims a report, titled “Augmented and Virtual Reality in Operations: A guide for investment”, published by the Capgemini Research Institute.

More than 700 executives in the automotive, manufacturing and utilities sectors having knowledge of AR/VR initiatives in their organisations were surveyed for the preparation of this...

Mozilla has launched Firefox Reality, a mixed reality (MR) browser compatible with Viveport, Oculus and Daydream, to be designed from the ground up for standalone virtual and augmented reality.

Features of the browser include voice-activated search, built-in private browsing, and resize capabilities. Users can also move between 2D and 3D, as well as activate a movie-speicifc mode. The browser also feature Mozilla's new Quantum engine for smooth and fast performance.

The browser is designed not only for...

There are high hopes for the potential of VR, AR and mixed reality applications, with a stream of organisations from startups to more established names announcing plans for the technology. Indeed, the UK Government announced investment of up to £33 million in the space as part of its Industrial Strategy earlier this year.

Requirements for ultra-low latency and reliable, high-speed data connections mean that the full potential of these applications has yet to be realised.

Fortunately, 5G is set to...

The Virtual Reality Industry Forum (VRIF) has announced that it will be exhibiting its latest VR innovations at the IBC2018 event in Amsterdam. At the VRIF Future Zone booth, visitors will be able to witness all the cutting-edge interactive demos from companies such as Qualcomm, Nokia/Fraunhofer HHI, and Imeve.

Demonstrations by the abovementioned companies include Imeve’s high-quality live streaming VR360 solution,...

Immersive computing solutions provider, Sixense Enterprises, and Sisu, a developer of intuitive robot systems, have announced the former’s STEM technology will be deployed in the latter’s VUDU system for industrial robot programming.

The advanced motion tracking technology from Sixense has enabled Sisu to launch its most intuitive system yet, that helped in mitigating programming time from days or hours to just...

Virtual (VR) and augmented reality (AR) experiences are being used to attract customers by retailers – as new case studies have shown.

One Toronto-based business, The Slanted Door Art Gallery, Café, and Lounge, has become a part of the new frontier in eCommerce. This trendy café has introduced an interactive 360° virtual tour for its visitors who can actually study and purchase pieces of art via their...

Digi-Capital, an augmented and virtual reality consulting firm, has announced the launch of a new analytics platform which will serve as a dashboard for startups, corporates and venture capitalists (VCs).

The platform aims to provide encyclopaedic information in AR/VR/XR, with more than 500,000 data points across hardware, software, platforms, products/services, business models, categories and countries. It also covers leading AR/VR/XR startups, founders, corporates, VCs, valuations, deal flows and...