Category: Virtual Reality

As I scroll through cooking videos online, I come across a Cajun blackened shrimp recipe that looks absolutely mouthwatering. The presenter describes it so vividly: juicy, plump, smoky, with a burst of spices. Although I haven’t tasted the dish, I can almost imagine its rich flavor. But what if we could recreate that exact experience from the digital world directly in our mouths? Thanks to a new breakthrough, we’re one step closer to making that a reality.

A device smaller than a postage stamp is capable of mimicking primary tastes like salty, sweet, sour, bitter, and savory (or umami), opening the door to experiencing food digitally. This reusable gadget mixes chemicals that represent these fundamental tastes and then delivers them to the tongue in gel form. Developed by researchers at Ohio State University, the system features a gum-like strip connected to a liquid reservoir. It works by releasing taste components in a gel, which then interacts with the user’s taste buds. The device is wireless and includes a sensor that helps regulate the precise chemical blend.

Continue reading… “Revolutionizing Taste: The Digital Device Bringing Flavor to Virtual Reality”

Virtual reality is on the cusp of a transformative moment, and FuninVR is leading the charge with two innovative machines that promise to bring immersive experiences closer to mainstream consumers. With over 6,000 installations worldwide, the company is poised to dramatically expand the accessibility of high-quality virtual reality experiences.

At the heart of FuninVR’s 2025 catalogue are two standout products: the single-seat VR DropTower and the twin-seat VR Skyship. These machines represent a quantum leap in virtual reality technology, combining cutting-edge motion simulation with unprecedented affordability and compact design.

Continue reading… “The Future is Virtual: FuninVR’s Groundbreaking VR Simulators Set to Revolutionize Entertainment”

When envisioning augmented or mixed reality, bulky visors may come to mind, but Mono, a revolutionary mixed reality device concept, takes a different approach. Breaking away from traditional headsets, Mono integrates mixed reality into a design reminiscent of a toy magnifying glass, opening up a captivating world of discovery for children. This innovative device overlays virtual creatures, insects, and animals onto real-world objects, allowing kids to experience nature’s wonders in their actual scale and environment.

Unlike conventional virtual experiences that may isolate users in a digital realm, Mono bridges the gap between the physical and digital worlds. The device resembles a magnifying glass, featuring a camera on one side and a screen on the other. Users can bring the screen close to their eyes, similar to using a real magnifying glass, offering an immersive encounter with virtual creatures.

Continue reading… “Mono: A Kid-Friendly Mixed Reality Device Unleashing Nature’s Wonders”

In the dynamic realm of gaming, the future has arrived. With tireless efforts, virtual reality (VR) and neurotechnology companies are uniting science and imagination to create gaming experiences beyond our wildest dreams. Gone are the days of unwieldy and impractical VR headsets; today’s focus is on delivering the utmost in graphics and intuitive controls for an immersive gaming adventure.

To attain this goal, VR tech enterprises are joining forces with neuroscience experts to enhance both the technology and user interaction. At the forefront of their aspirations lies mind-controlled gaming, where brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) empower players to manipulate the game solely with their thoughts. This concept has intrigued researchers for years, recognizing it as the most “naturalistic” way to engage in gaming.

Continue reading… “The Future of Gaming: Mind-Controlled VR and the Evolution of Immersive Experiences”

Virtuix, a pioneer in the VR treadmill space, is back with a new offering for consumers—the Virtuix Omni One. After a decade-long journey, the company aims to bring an all-in-one VR treadmill system to the masses. The Omni One promises to provide an immersive experience by allowing users to run in any direction while exploring virtual worlds.

The original Virtuix Omni treadmill concept took shape in 2013, well before the widespread availability of consumer VR headsets. The idea was simple—to create a treadmill that would sync with VR headsets, enabling users to move freely in the virtual environment. However, turning this vision into reality proved challenging due to the treadmill’s size, weight, and cost, making it more suitable for out-of-home VR attractions than consumer use.

Continue reading… “Virtuix Unveils All-in-One VR Treadmill, Omni One, for Consumers”

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) is taking its training to the next level with the introduction of deeply immersive virtual reality (VR) and extended reality (XR) simulations. Developed in collaboration with the Home Team Science and Technology Agency (HTX) and the National University of Singapore (NUS), the multi-sensory training suits engage four of the five human senses to provide trainees with a realistic and intense experience.

In these cutting-edge simulations, trainees wear VR headsets that transport them to virtual environments, complete with visual and auditory cues. However, the realism doesn’t end there. The suits are equipped with heating elements to replicate the heat from flames and a scent-emitting tube that releases smells associated with different scenarios, such as the smell of burning cars. A replicated spreader cutter with magnets simulates the resistance of cutting through real materials like car metal, providing trainees with tangible feedback during the exercise.

Continue reading… “SCDF Introduces Immersive VR and XR Training for Enhanced Emergency Response”

Mercedes-Benz is joining the metaverse. Or at least its assembly facilities are.

By Rebecca Bellan

The automaker is one of Nvidia’s latest customers to use Omniverse Enterprise, a software platform used to build and operate metaverse applications. Nvidia said Tuesday ahead of the official kickoff of CES 2023 that Mercedes will use Omniverse to design, plan and optimize its factories. Specifically, Mercedes is preparing to manufacture its new electric vehicle platform at its plant in Rastatt, Germany.

Using Omniverse, the automaker is able to build a digital twin of the factory and simulate new production processes without disrupting existing vehicle production. Nvidia says having a virtual workflow will let Mercedes quickly react to supply chain disruptions and reconfigure the assembly line as needed.

Danny Shapiro, Nvidia’s VP of automotive, told TechCrunch that Mercedes has already been working with Nvidia to test out autonomous vehicle technology in simulation.

“Now what they’re talking about is using our Omniverse technology, bringing that down to the production level, and creating a digital twin of the entire factory,” said Shapiro. “So modeling all the vehicles going through the assembly, all the robots, all the factory workers, and being able to design and plan the production and the assembly plant before it is actually live. And so this is helping them streamline, moving over from an existing A class production into a new generation vehicle.”

A complete factory simulation could help automakers assess potential bottlenecks, create more ergonomic working conditions or determine where a robot might fail to complete a task before the facility actually starts production. Shapiro said Mercedes plans to scale this strategy to its factories globally in the future.

Continue reading… “Mercedes to use Nvidia’s digital twin tech to modernize its factories”

ByDisha Chopra

Diver X, a Japanese VR startup that pitched HalfDrive VR Headsets earlier this year, has launched a new Kickstarter campaign for a pair of Diver X VR haptic gloves that contain flexing and compressing membranes to mimic touch sensations. 

The HalfDrive Kickstarter fame saw the light in January as the campaign secured enough cash to be fully funded. However, the Diver X team decided against it and returned the funds as the device that clearly took inspiration from Sword Art Online failed the scalability test. 

Now, the company is back with another Kickstarter campaign with ContactGlove, a pair of Diver X VR haptic gloves that tracks fingers and positions with SteamVR and offers input emulation via buttons. 

Continue reading… “Diver X, the Startup Behind HalfDrive Headsets, Launches VR Haptic Gloves”

By Emily Henderson, B.Sc.

Researchers have used virtual reality games, eye tracking and machine learning to show that differences in eye movements can be used to detect ADHD, potentially providing a tool for more precise diagnosis of attention deficits. Their approach could also be used as the basis for an ADHD therapy, and with some modifications, to assess other conditions, such as autism.

ADHD is a common attention disorder that affects around six percent of the world’s children. Despite decades of searching for objective markers, ADHD diagnosis is still based on questionnaires, interviews and subjective observation. The results can be ambiguous, and standard behavioral tests don’t reveal how children manage everyday situations. Recently, a team consisting of researchers from Aalto University, the University of Helsinki, and Åbo Akademi University developed a virtual reality game called EPELI that can be used to assess ADHD symptoms in children by simulating situations from everyday life.

Now, the team tracked the eye movements of children in a virtual reality game and used machine learning to look for differences in children with ADHD. The new study involved 37 children diagnosed with ADHD and 36 children in a control group. The children played EPELI and a second game, Shoot the Target, in which the player is instructed to locate objects in the environment and “shoot” them by looking at them.

Continue reading… “Virtual reality games, eye tracking and machine learning can be used to detect ADHD”

ST Engineering Antycip drives Renault with a VR solution for its teams in India, South Korea and Brazil.

ST Engineering Antycip has partnered with Renault Group to design and integrate a powerful virtual reality suite for one of the world’s largest automotive manufacturers.

Building on the companies’ previous collaborations in the VR world, and after a competitive tender process, ST Engineering Antycip was selected by Renault to develop a collaborative, 4K, powerwall-based solution which could be installed at Renault’s facilities in South Korea, India and Brazil.

“Renault France contacted ST Engineering Antycip as they are a historical client of ours in the automotive industry,” explained Johan Besnainou, ST Engineering Antycip’s regional director for France and Spain, recalling the genesis of the project. “We got involved in the request for a quotation and won the tender thanks to our VR expertise, experience of working to budgets and track record of delivering high-performance AV equipment, as well as our international network of strong local partners, including in South Korea, India and Brazil.”

The trio of installations, in Busan (South Korea), Chennai (India) and São José dos Pinhais (Brazil), utilize three identical systems comprising one powerwall, one high-end 5×2.5-meter screen and one plinth-mounted Christie 4K10-HS laser projector(opens in new tab). A PC cluster, monitor, desk, cabling, 5.1 audio system and wireless presentation hardware (Barco ClickShare) complete the solution, which was entirely sourced, designed and implemented by ST Engineering Antycip.

Continue reading… “This Virtual Reality Suite Enables Carmakers in Three Cities to Collaborate”

How would you like to have a job interview conducted in virtual reality by a computer?

By Elizabeth Hotson

Going for a job interview is the stuff of nightmares for many people, while for others it is a chance to shine.

Either way you are typically still interviewed by other human beings, either after walking into a scary office with one or more bosses sitting behind a desk, or via an equally nerve-wracking Zoom call.

Yet thanks to advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual reality (VR) technology, you may soon be interviewed for that job you really want… by a computer.

Earlier this year students at Sandwell College in West Bromwich put on VR headsets to do some mock interviews.

Their avatars – cartoon-like, 3D representations of themselves – were put through their paces by another talking avatar representing the AI software system.

Continue reading… “Your next job interview could take place in virtual reality”

A glimpse into “Real-time immersive latent space.”

By Katie Wickens

A while ago I spotted someone working on real time AI image generation in VR and I had to bring it to your attention because frankly, I cannot express how majestic it is to watch AI-modulated AR shifting the world before us into glorious, emergent dreamscapes. 

Applying AI to augmented or virtual reality isn’t a novel concept, but there have been certain limitations in applying it—computing power being one of the major barriers to its practical usage. Stable Diffusion image generation software, however, is a boiled-down algorithm for use on consumer-level hardware and has been released on a Creative ML OpenRAIL-M licence. That means not only can developers use the tech to create and launch programs without renting huge amounts of server silicon, but they’re also free to profit from their creations.

I was awoken in the middle of the night to conceptualize this projectScottie Fox – Stable Diffusion VR dev

ScottieFoxTTV(opens in new tab) is one creator who’s been showing off their work with the algorithm in VR on twitter. “I was awoken in the middle of the night to conceptualize this project,” he says. As a creator myself, I understand that the Muses enjoy striking at ungodly hours.

What they brought to him was an amalgamation of Stable Diffusion VR and TouchDesigner app-building engine, the results of which he refers to as “Real-time immersive latent space.” That might sound like some hippie nonsense to some, but latent space is a concept fascinating the world right about now. 

Continue reading… “Stable Diffusion VR is a startling vision of the future of gaming”