Microsoft Research Has Two Types Of Touch For VR Haptics
NormalTouch’ and ‘TextureTouch’ are in early stages, but could make tactility in VR more believable. Virtual reality is one of the most immersive technologies available today. That is until the illusion shatters when you instinctively reach out to touch something and are met with a one-size-fits-all haptic response or no feedback at all. Microsoft Research […]
VR Industry Hasn’t Bothered To Do Safety Research
Episode two of this season’s Black Mirror, ‘Playtest’, sparked the question by many including Tyler Wilde, Executive Editor at PC Gamer, to ask the question, “Is there a line where virtual reality becomes dangerous, and will we stop when we find it?” I don’t want to be a party pooper, but it appears the VR […]
The Reality Of AR/VR Competition
Virtual, augmented and mixed reality have a competition problem. But while most AR/VR companies will tell you how much better they are than their nearest direct competitor, they’re picking the wrong fight. The main event isn’t between Oculus, HTC, Sony, Samsung and Google for VR, or Microsoft, Magic Leap, Meta and ODG for AR (including […]
THE FUTURE IS NOW I Am Batman: Sony’s PlayStation VR Brings Virtual Reality To A Thrilling New Level
With the release of Sony’s new headset, everyday consumers can now experience virtual reality—and the surreal thrill of becoming the Dark Knight himself. I’m Bruce Wayne, standing in front of a grand piano. I reach my hand out, press a few keys, and suddenly the floor starts to move. I descend onto a platform, look […]
Why VR Is the Next Step for Walking Simulator Games
Amid the dazzling, spectacle-driven PlayStation VR launch this month, a collection of developers have already harnessed the power of virtual reality to do more than freak you out or put you in the Batsuit. They’re doing something different: trying to tell intimate and human stories. For gaming, this is on-trend; over the past five years, […]
Artificial Intelligence SystemTracks Great White Sharks By Looking At Their Fins
Have you heard about how finprinting is the latest thing in biometrics? No, we didn’t misspell fingerprinting: researchers at the University of Bristol in the U.K. have come up with a way to track sharks over long distances by automating the identification of their fins. The technique uses artificial intelligence to analyze shark dorsal fins, […]
U.K. Wants A Government Team To Monitor AI, Robotics Development
A recent report published by the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee in the United Kingdom reveals that the government needs to rethink its strategy regarding the adoption of artificial intelligence and robotics. It’s reportedly not prepared to handle the legal, ethical, and social implications intelligent machines will bring to society. And while we’re […]
What Leading AI, Machine Learning And Robotics Scientists Say About The Future
Every year there is a new hot topic in tech. Today, it’s all about artificial intelligence, machine learning, virtual reality and autonomous vehicles. The difference between now and the past is that everything is becoming interconnected at a faster rate. We are entering an extremely critical time in history where society will change dramatically – […]
HTC launches Viveport VR Store With Apps For Games, Music, Art, Education And More
HTC Friday morning announced the global launch of Viveport, a virtual reality app store for the HTC Vive, after months of beta testing. The VR store first opened in China in April, and since then teams in the Seattle area, San Francisco, Seattle, Taipei, Beijing and London having been working to get it ready for […]
Rockband VR Is A Completely Different Kind Of Guitar Game
When Oculus first teased Rockband for virtual reality, it sounded like kind of a stupid idea. A guitar game? In 2016? In virtual reality? How passe. It was hard to imagine how the series’ iconic stream of colored notes would translate to VR, and I immediately dismissed the idea. It turns out I was right […]