Warp drives, transporters and food replicators: All are astounding technological leaps that exist only in the fictional world of Star Trek. Hope as we may for such a bright future, we're nowhere near making them a reality. But there is one Star Trek technology that you can experience even today, at least in a sharply limited form.The Enterprise's holodeck — a virtual environment where crew members could roam freely and interact as if in the real world — is the dream uniting both video game fans and virtual reality (VR) developers. Enabling its users to experience another world with all senses and without goggles, it exemplifies what the ultimate VR experience could be. The problem? Though virtual reality is finally affordable enough for mainstream consumers, we're light-years from that point.Holodecks for everybody?A version of the holodeck first appeared as the "recreation room" in 1974 in the "Star Trek: The Animated Series" episode "The Practical Joker." It wasn't until … [Read more...] about Making the holodeck a virtual reality
Virtual reality
VRHealth works with Oculus to bring you at-home exercises using virtual reality
Virtual reality medical company VRHealth said Wednesday it's working with Oculus to deliver its new health and wellness services on the Oculus Go. Using the headset and VRHealth's apps, people can do physical and cognitive exercises at home using VR. The company announced the collaboration at Oculus Connect in San Jose.VRHealth's wellness apps, which can be purchased on the company's site, guide users through things like neck exercises and memory exercises. VRHealth collects data about a person's performance, such as their reaction time and how smooth their motions are. Users can go to their portal on VRHealth's site to see their progress and how well they performed compared to others in their age group. VRHealth's platform is already being used at more than 30 hospitals and medical centers across the US with the Oculus Rift. Each of the company's nearly 15 apps features game-like scenarios or relaxing footage, such as a virtual journey to famous places around the world … [Read more...] about VRHealth works with Oculus to bring you at-home exercises using virtual reality
How to train a robot with virtual reality (no coding required)
Austin based Sisu, which makes control systems for robots, has teamed up with Los Gatos based Sixsense, which makes immersive computing solutions for enterprise, on an intuitive way to program industrial robots. Packaged under Sisu's VUDU System for industrial robot programming, the technique employs motion tracking and a handheld controller to direct an industrial robotic arm in order to teach it tasks. Featured stories New 2018 iPhone, iPhone XS, iPhone X Plus, iPhone 9: Rumors, leaks, launch date, and everything we know so far iPhones, iPads, MacBooks: What new hardware will Apple unveil? iPhone hope and dread: In its game of phones, what beloved features will Apple kill off next? iPhone XS: One thumb up, one thumb down Apple's iPhone Upgrade Program: The ultimate guide to everything you need to know It's the latest example of a technology convergence between AR/VR and robotics, one that's helping reduce longstanding barriers to entry for industrial robots and may help … [Read more...] about How to train a robot with virtual reality (no coding required)
Train a robot with Virtual Reality (no coding required)
Austin based Sisu, which makes control systems for robots, has teamed up with Los Gatos based Sixsense, which makes immersive computing solutions for enterprise, on an intuitive way to program industrial robots. Packaged under Sisu's VUDU System for industrial robot programming, the technique employs motion tracking and a handheld controller to direct an industrial robotic arm in order to teach it tasks.It's the latest example of a technology convergence between AR/VR and robotics, one that's helping reduce longstanding barriers to entry for industrial robots and may help hasten automation adoption among small- and mid-sized manufacturers.Programming by demonstration (PbD) has been employed in a number of collaborative robots in recent years. But the process is clunky, requiring an end-user to physically move a robotic arm through the steps of task.Also: Augmented and virtual reality mean business: Everything you need to knowThus far, PbD hasn't been well-suited to fine manipulation. … [Read more...] about Train a robot with Virtual Reality (no coding required)
Virtual reality shipments crater in Q2, but IDC says don’t worry
In other words, the VR revolution will have to wait...again.IDC said it views the second quarter data as a "temporary setback" due to new products such as Oculus Go and HTC Vive Pro. What's the problem? Year-ago figures were inflated due to screenless viewers from Alcatel, Samsung and Alcatel that were bundled with new smartphones. The screenless viewer category fell from 1 million headsets in the second quarter a year ago to 409,000 this year. Augmented and virtual reality mean business: Everything you need to know The news isn't much better for tethered VR headsets, which were down 37.3 percent in the second quarter compared to a year ago. Oculus and Sony couldn't maintain momentum from price cuts a year ago. HTC did ship close to 111,000 headsets in the second quarter with Oculus at 102,000 and Sony at 93,000. On the bright side, standalone VR headsets surged 417.7 percent in the second quarter due to Oculus Go and Xiaomi Mi VR. Meanwhile, commercial pilots are picking up, … [Read more...] about Virtual reality shipments crater in Q2, but IDC says don’t worry