News
Digital fashion designers sought for UK’s first degree in virtual couture
The popularity of digital skins and in-game outfits isn't where you'd think to find the next big thing in fashion, but with billions of dollars spent on digital clothing there is no denying it's big business. Like all good fashion it will need trained designers, and the UK's first degree program in virtual clothes design opened at the University for the Creative Arts in Farnham.
Augmented Reality In Emergency Management: Enhancing Situational Awareness For Rescue Missions
Advances in Augmented Reality for use by first responders seems to have a new article published every few days but the main focus areas are consistent. Check out this article that discusses them along with some of the larger players in each focus area.
Conferences
Hyperfair
Hosting hundreds of simultaneous users within one virtual world is not uncommon on social VR platforms (see VRChat), but when you need to throw an event having a company with a stable platform makes a difference. We're on the lookout to see what the stats are comparing it to other platforms, and when we find that we'll be sure share.
Gear
Cybershoes
After two successful Kickstarters (initial shoes and Oculus support) it's confirmed that these shoes let you burn more calories and avoid motion sickness within Virtual Reality. Paired with a swivel chair (or their Arcade Edition gaming station) and it changes the experience for every game. More gaming support is coming, but the list of supported games is already pretty lengthy.
People To Watch
3Lateral
If you've seen any of the jaw dropping demos from Unreal lately you may not know the character rigging work was done by 3Lateral. Over the years the studio has become known as the go to studio for rigging complex and expressive characters for real time animation.
Inspiration
What Photographers can do with Augmented Reality | AR/VR Journey
Every industry has to innovate to survive, and professional photography has had competition for decades from smartphones. We liked this article because it shares practical things photographers can do today that can improve their business and provide more value for their clients by embracing Augmented Reality.
Commentary
If you're a fan of history (or have read the Foundation series) then you'll know that history moves in slow waves based on small changes made by individuals. So when looking at the news it's always an interesting exercise to think through what that could mean in the context of what comes next. What would the world be like with fashion designers using VR as their sketchbook and proving ground? What will access to enhanced imaging mean for search and rescue teams during an emergency? What will weddings look like when the photographer shows up with lidar-enhanced cameras?
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Other Realities