VR & AR: Will your wrist become the future controller?
Meta’s R&D is leading the way in the immersive technology space. At Meta Connect 2022, the US company presented the current state of development in the XR field, including the new Quest Pro VR glasses.
Meta is also working on a potential input device of the future, particularly for VR and AR. The EMG wristband intercepts motor brain signals at the wrist and turns them into computer commands using artificial intelligence.
“By combining machine learning and neuroscience, this future interface will work for different people while accounting for their differences in physiologies, sizes, and more through a process known as ‘co-adaptive learning’”, Meta writes.
With each gesture, the algorithm adapts to the individual person’s interpretation. The longer the system is trained on an individual, the less the hands and fingers need to move for input.
In addition to the wristband, Meta shared news at Connect 2022 about its own AR glasses research, AR-assisted navigation for people with visual impairments, 3D scanning using machine learning and inverse rendering, and the next level of photorealistic codec avatars for virtual reality.
Read more here: Meta Connect 2022: Horizon and Avatars – All News at a Glance
Metaverse: German companies still skeptical
A study by the University of the Federal Armed Forces in Munich showed that less than nine percent of the 151 managers surveyed are familiar with the Metaverse. The digital association Bitkom has now also published a study on the Metaverse and surveyed 604 companies with more than 20 employees.
The results show a wait-and-see attitude toward the not yet clearly defined subject. 26 percent are generally interested in the metaverse, 29 percent are critical or dismissive, and 21 percent are not yet confident enough to make an assessment.
Read more about the Metaverse and what it means for businesses in our Metaverse Guide.
More than half, however, are convinced that the metaverse will change the Internet in the long term and will also offer new areas of business. Yet 42 percent of those surveyed believe it is only a short-term hype.
Of those who believe the metaverse will have an effect, 49 percent think XR technologies will enable more efficient collaboration within companies. 37 percent see entirely new products and services on the digital horizon. 22 percent expect access to new target groups, and 21 percent hope for new opportunities to interact with customers.
According to Bitkom CEO Bernhard Rohleder, the success of the metaverse idea still depends on many factors, some of which are unpredictable: “The metaverse is based on a large number of comparatively young technologies, such as blockchain and virtual reality. Some people in the tech scene are expecting a real revolution on the Internet. Whether this will come true is currently completely open.”
Nevertheless, one in two companies plan to invest in the metaverse or related areas within the next five years.
Read all the figures in the Bitkom study: Beim Metaverse ist die deutsche Wirtschaft gespalten
PlayStation VR 2: Price and release date
Sony will soon release its second VR headset, the PlayStation VR 2. A lot has changed technically in the six years since the first generation. One of the most important changes is tracking without external cameras. In addition, the controllers feature eye tracking and haptic feedback.
After months of speculation, Sony has now officially announced the price and release date. The PlayStation VR 2 will be available from February 22, 2023, for $549.99.
The delivery includes the new Sense controllers and stereo headphones in addition to the VR headset. A charging station for the controllers costs an additional $49.99.
More information about the PSVR 2: PlayStation VR2 launches in February at $549.99
