iMyth

Author: Chris

  • Google Project Soli

    Now here is some tech that has real potential. This article from Road to VR, “Google’s Project Soli,” has some real potential. By harnessing radar in the 21st centuray, researchers are capturing very small hand gestures.

    While this technology has some super dramatic implications with virtual VR UI I’m surprised no one has taken this idea and pushed it someplace else. Why have they not explored facial recognition. From what it sounds, if the specs being claimed are true, then something like lip sync and facial recognition seems immanent. However, maybe the sounds waves coming from our mouths may mess with the radar. I don’t know.

     

  • Cyberith Virtualizer

    Here is a company called Cyberith, who is developing a product which will enable, walking and otherwise full mobility within a VR environment.

    Admitedly, this is a neat concept. However, I can’t visualize the application beyond a military trainer for single level simulations. This may be a cool concept to launch initial ideas with. However, I don’t believe it will have long term, Immersive Theme-world potential.

     

  • The Seven Deadly Sins of the Metaverse

    For some reason this article posted on UploadVR has been haunting me, The Seven Deadly Sins of the Metaverse.

    Upon first reading I somewhat passed it off. However, while running this morning, a thought hit me and took. Maybe, I better revisit this article and post it to my blog.

    Indeed it is somewhat relevant as it identifies the mistakes the last internet boom created in the early part of the 21st century. The more I thought about it, the more I realized these problems would also affect the development of the IMyTH experience.

    According to the article, “We can define a metaverse in a number of different ways. At a minimum, a metaverse must allow users to experience and perform actions with others in shared virtual spaces.” Thus, The IMyth experience will ultimately be dependent on users interacting with each other and performing actions within this so called metaverse. I don’t think there are solutions for them currently. However, I would like to re-post these problems so we can be aware of them and start generated experiences which are not.

    1. A METAVERSE MUST KEEP PACE WITH TECHNOLOGY IF IT INTENDS TO REMAIN RELEVANT. USERS AND DEVELOPERS DEPEND ON THE PLATFORM ITSELF FOR THEIR TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION. ADDITIONALLY, THE MORE COMPLEX AND INTEGRATED A PLATFORM GETS, THE SLOWER ITS INNOVATION BECOMES.
    2. A RAPIDLY EVOLVING SOFTWARE AND HARDWARE ECOSYSTEM IS EXTREMELY UNFAVORABLE TO THE DEVELOPMENT AND OPERATION OF A METAVERSE.
    3. USERS (AND THEREFORE, DEVELOPERS) WANT A GENERAL-PURPOSE MACHINE OF UNLIMITED SCOPE. IT IS A CHALLENGE THAT A METAVERSE PLATFORM ENGINE CANNOT MEET.
    4. THE REAL CHALLENGE ISN’T TECHNICAL. IF IT WAS, SOMEONE WOULD HAVE SOLVED IT BY NOW, OR WE WOULD HAVE FIXED SOMEONE ELSE’S BROKEN IMPLEMENTATION.
    5. COMPETITION DIVIDES THE EXPERIENCE. CONTENT WILL BE STRANDED AND USERS WILL BE FRAGMENTED, BOTH OF WHICH DIMINISH THE OVERALL EXPERIENCE.
    6. IT IS VERY RISKY TO CREATE A METAVERSE.
    7. A METAVERSE CONTINUES TO BE A SOLUTION THAT IS LOOKING FOR A PROBLEM TO SOLVE.

    While these issue may directly apply to the concept of metaverse, I think they can easily be extracted to massive immerse theme-worlds. Thank you Chet Faliszek for your observations.

  • Google Attempting VR World Domination

    A couple of articles today track the behavior of Google.

    It would seem the media giant is assembling a team to create its own suite of VR tools. This is no doubt an attempt to achieve VR domination. Who can blame them. The wave is crashing hard. The big boys are getting out their big guns to claim big territories in the new frontier.

    Adudio will play a huge role in the achievement of immersive theme-worlds and google want s to be the pack leader by setting its own VR audio standards.

    Google also seems to be designing its own VR engine. This is a no-brainer. It has been clearly evident for quite a while the mechanics for immersive theme-wolds will be more demanding and more varied than thos supplied by modern game engines. MOst game engine will provide a launch pad for a broader, more diversified VR engine.

    They are also building a VR camera from scratch.  I’m not to sure I understand the motivation for this one. There are already many players in this field. What could google gain by building a specialized and dedicated camera? As technology continues to roll out we’ll have to see how things are inter-related.

  • Possible Alternative to Hand Tracking

    The parade of new VR/Immersive technology keeps on rolling.

    Here is the newest solution for generating a hand avatar for an experience created by Manus Machina.

    This seems like an alternative and competitor for technologies such as Leap. Leap uses optical tracking but devices such as this use actuators to track the hands position and rotation.

    At the end of the day the best solution will be where the user does not have to keep his hands raised in front of him in order to operate the GUI. Gloves and optical tracking tech are cool but folks get tired after about a minute of raising their hands beyond hanging. Remind you that computers and even video games allow the user to rest their arms or wrists against some stationary surface. – Something to think about.

  • So Far So Good For The Void

    Although information has been rare, it can be found.

    Here is a review of The Void and things seems to be working for this fledgling startup.

    VRScout at the Void

  • Facial MOCAP for VR

    The developments just keep flowing!

    Although I knew this barrier would eventually need to be breached, it’s happening much sooner than I had imagined. I had even given up hope that that such technology was readily available. But now that action was in vain.

    Hoa LI, an assistant professor at USC has come up with a way to track facial motion in real time while wearing the HMD. Click this link for the article. By using a camera mounted on a boom in front of the HMD, nose and mouth positions can be tracked in real time. With the addition of sensors in the HMD itself, Eyes and upper facial motion can be tracked as well.

    Keep it coming!

  • Physical Immersion

    I have a couple of article to share today that relate to the physical immersion potential of VR.

    The first article is the first “documented” experience of The Void. I have been suspect of the claims The Void has been making concerning its abilities to do what it is claiming to do. However, according to the experience in this article, it would seem The Void is on the correct path. I’m am just surprised how out of left field this technology is coming. However, given enough will and enough money, anything is possible. Go Team – Go!

    The next article, on the contrary comes as no surprise. This is a report of what they are doing at a lab at NYIT headed by CG godling Ken Perlin. The Holodeck lab is exploring the possibilities of physical immersion within the virtual environment while still maintaining a physical presence. I look for very big things to come out of this lab. I am very excited to hear about procedural pioneer Ken Perlin heading this endeavor. I look for the solutions or at least directions fro generating Grammar Based Themeworlds to come from this lab.

    Being an optomist, I am always impressed with the results of an overwhelming intention and some time an money. Miracles can happen. However, when I hear about the giants of the industry working on the same problems, I can’t help but be biased towards their solutions.

  • Zach Aikman and Procedurally Created Environments

    Here is a quick GDC 15 Vault article concerning Zach Aikman and procedurally created level building and more specifically procedural dungeons created for for his game Galak – Z

    Procedurally Generated Space Dungeons

     

  • Evermore Park

    After having done a bit more research on the topic, I have discovered the Void is an extension of a much larger concept called “Evermore.” The project description is written up in this page for Theme Park University.

    Evermore does have a Facebook page and I would encourage anyone interested to check it out.

    Needless to say this is all very encouraging since it confirms the rantings of this blog in a very commercial direction.