Inside Metaverse

For July 03, 2023

Hey Insiders,

Today we bring you the latest on the AR monocle that can communicate with ChatGPT, an analysis of loss generated by Roblox Corporation, NASA utilizing VR and AR, and more.

Let us know which areas you would like us to cover next.

Happy reading!

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Brilliant Labs has secured over $3M in funding for its AR Monocle, combining augmented reality and artificial intelligence into a small, lightweight lens. Investors include Brendan Iribe, co-founder of Oculus, and Adam Cheyer, co-inventor of Apple's Siri.

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The AR Monocle, priced at $349, can be clipped onto any eyeglass frame and weighs only 15 grams.
Users can create applications that interact with generative AI, such as ChatGPT.
Stanford students have developed an app that uses GPT-4 to generate text suggestions on Monocle's display.
The Monocle features multiple processors, including an FPGA accelerator chip, and currently relies on a smartphone for feed but aims to connect directly to the cloud for running apps.

What the numbers say: In 2022, the Roblox Corporation, a U.S.-based video game development company founded in 2006, experienced a consolidated net loss of more than $930M. This represents a significant increase compared to the previous year's net loss of $503M.

The U.S. space agency NASA is utilizing VR at its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to enhance the analysis of complex data related to Mars. By bringing footage from the Curiosity Mars rover into VR, NASA allows scientists to experience the Martian terrain more immersively, facilitating the determination of distances and sizes of geological features.

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NASA has been at the forefront of VR technology since the 1980s and continues to leverage it for astronaut training and exploration of Mars.
The Human Centered Design Group at JPL, in collaboration with the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), developed software that combines 3D visualization and AI to explore relationships and patterns in data.
Virtualitics Inc., co-founded by JPL's Scott Davidoff, Ciro Donalek, and George Djorgovski, offers software that integrates AI and 3D visualization, enabling users to analyze data more efficiently and identify patterns.
Virtualitics' software is compatible with various VR headsets and is currently applied in the banking, retail, and medical research sectors.

UMENA Events is organizing MetaGate — International Metaverse Summit, a three-day hybrid summit in Istanbul, focused on exploring the metaverse's potential for businesses. The event will take place both in person and virtually in a custom 3D metaverse venue, allowing attendees to create avatars and interact with speakers, sponsors, and exhibitors.

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MetaGate will feature sessions, keynotes, and panels to explore metaverse trends, strategy development, and implementation for businesses.
The summit expects to have 800+ physical delegates, 2,500+ virtual attendees, 30+ industry speakers, and 20+ content-rich sessions.
Various industries, including E-commerce, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Finance, and Tourism, will explore the opportunities presented by metaverse technologies.
A startup pitch competition will be held, giving entrepreneurs a chance to showcase their metaverse innovations and potentially form partnerships.

WiMi Hologram Cloud Inc. announces the development of an ultra-thin interactive panel holographic display system based on the steering backlight unit (S-BLU) and holographic video processor. WiMi's ultra-thin panel holographic display system solves the limitations of conventional holographic display technology, such as narrow viewing angles and bulky optical components, by using S-BLU and a holographic digital image processor.

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The system utilizes an 8K UHD hologram achieved through dedicated holographic digital image processing on a single-chip FPGA processor, enabling high-quality holographic images in real time.
It employs eye-tracking sensors to update the 3D image based on the viewer's eye position, creating an immersive experience with optimal viewing angles.
WiMi's holographic display system has applications across various sectors, including advertising and promotion, entertainment, education and training, retail and sales, and medical and scientific visualization.
The ultra-thin and ultra-high-definition display of the system makes it more flexible, eye-catching, and suitable for creating interactive and engaging experiences.

Sony's mobile motion capture technology, Mocopi, is now available for pre-order in the U.S., providing a low-cost alternative for VRChat body tracking. Mocopi is a lightweight solution for full-body tracking in virtual reality, enabling users to animate their avatars in VRChat and Cluster.

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The mobile system is compatible with Meta's Quest platform, including Quest 2, Quest 3, Quest Pro, and PC VR systems.
Sony's Mocopi is priced at $449, offering six trackers and a charging case, with a cost per tracker of $74.83.
It eliminates the need for Base Stations for Quest users, reducing the overall cost of a complete VR tracking system.
Pre-orders are estimated to be delivered as early as July 14, 2023, allowing users to utilize Mocopi within a few weeks.
In addition to VRChat, Mocopi can serve as a motion-capture system for Unity and Unreal Engine or be used to record avatar videos from a smartphone.

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The R&A and Golf 5 have partnered to bring the VR Open at Royal Liverpool to the Metaverse on July 15, 2023.
Apple considered a finger-worn controller for the Vision Pro.
China is resisting Mark Zuckerberg's bid to sell Quest headsets after Meta CEO's criticisms.
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