Alex Pryor

360 Video Terminology & Formats Explained

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360 video is growing rapidly alongside virtual reality and the expansion of video content platforms such as Youtube, Vimeo, and Facebook. If you’re not a videographer of any sorts you may find the variety of terminology used in these growing forms of video content overwhelming, and this makes it very difficult to assess potential vendors when planning a 360 video project. I am writing this blog to provide a reference tool when researching or discussing the immersive video and it’s potential. Below is a list of terminology I’ll be covering, you can skip ahead to areas of interest if you would like. 360 Video VR 180 Monoscopic Stereoscopic Foveated Streaming Video Hotspots   360 Video 360 videos can be best visualized by imagining a sphere with a rotating camera in the very center. As you view 360 content you are able to rotate the camera in order to view the area of the video you are most interested in. This can be accomplished through a click and drag system on your computer, touch and drag or gyroscope on your mobile device, or the movement of your head in a VR device. It is also typically filmed at the average human height, in order to replicate the idea of standing in a specific spot. This is a powerful tool that allows your viewers to truly experience what it’s like to be observing something as if they were there. The main downfall of this medium is the fact that the playback device has to play the entire video sphere at once. When assessing 360 video its very important to understand that due to the nature of viewing a fraction of the content at a time, the resolution of the content should be substantially higher than standard media in order to achieve the same results. Most modern devices are unable to render 360 videos in a high enough resolution to match our high definition standards without using special systems, known either as foveated streaming or video hotspots, which will be discussed later in this blog. VR 180 VR 180 is a video style very similar to 360 videos, however, it only covers half of a sphere, opposed to the full 360 views of a 360 video. There are two main benefits to this. First of all the content can be viewed in higher resolution, since the device would only need to render an area half the size of a 360 video. Secondly, it can be easier to direct the attention of the viewer, by centering the subject of the video directly in front of their view, without the ability to look around elsewhere too much. Stereoscopic The term stereoscopic may seem overwhelming at first, but the concept is something many of us can relate to because of the movie theatres. When we see a movie we have the option between watching it in 3D and the standard 2D. Stereoscopic video is the 3D option, and the movie theatre utilizes very similar technology as stereoscopic 360 videos and VR 180. The basic concept of viewing stereoscopic imagery is to see the same scene from two very slightly different perspectives, just like our eyes see the world. Our eyes are slightly spaced apart and when we focus on an object, our eyes slant inwards until they can both focus on the object we are looking at, this is known as convergence. This is also why we go cross-eyed when looking at an object too close to our face. Whether a video is filmed or CGI, the same concept applies to create a stereoscopic video, the scene is recorded from two perspectives and then delivered to each of our eyes separately. At the movies, the footage of each eye has a polarized filter, which works together with the 3D glasses to see it in 3D. With virtual reality, each set of footage goes through each lens of the headset, allowing us to see in 3D. Viewing this content in 3D is only possible with a 3D TV, a 3D cinema screen or a virtual reality headset, this is why VR headsets are an amazing opportunity to create immersive experiences with a sense of depth, closely replicating the real world. The easiest way to identify a stereoscopic video is when there are two very similar images, either one on top of another or side by side. Each of these images represents the perspective from one eye. Monoscopic This term is used to differentiate the 3D content from 2D, mainly when discussing the options for VR content. It is essentially standard media that we view on most of our regular devices, whether that be a television, computer screen or mobile device. Foveated Streaming Also known as tiled rendering, foveated streaming overcomes the weaknesses in modern processors to allow video content to be viewed in higher resolutions. This is accomplished by separating the high-resolution video into pieces, with a low-resolution video behind it. All of the videos are synchronized and the viewer’s perspective is tracked. When the viewer looks in a different direction, the panels of high-resolution videos are activated and will display as soon as they are ready. The low-resolution video is displayed so that the viewer does not see a blank space when looking somewhere new. This requires special software to accomplish so you lose the capability of adding additional functionality in your custom VR apps when you choose this option. Video Hotspots Video Hotspots use a 360 photo as a background, with small areas of video playing. This is a perspective trick and is used as another alternative to achieve higher resolution visuals. When done properly there is no seam between the photo and video and can seem as if the entire image is a video. The limitation of this method is that the movement in the scene must be contained in a few small areas, and objects can’t move around the camera. This option can be easily integrated into your 360 video application or 360 Video Terminology & Formats Explained

5 Benefits of Using 360 Video For Your Next Trade Show Exhibit

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360 video applications have a wide variety of uses, and there are new uses being discovered as the technology matures. Trade show exhibits are one of the biggest opportunities for this technology to really shine, as it allows brands to create an immersive experience, which can both be used over again and be expanded upon in the future. 1) Cost From a product showcasing perspective, it allows you to avoid bringing large products or high volumes of products to your exhibit, by filming product demos at your existing facilities where the products are already physically present. This also allows you to either save space at your exhibit or to service more guests at once. It can also allow your best talent and executives to welcome your guests to their world, and provide their knowledge, without having to be present at every tradeshow.  A series of pre-recorded videos can be filmed in their office or place of business, and within a VR application, the viewer can choose which topic they’d like to learn more about. 360 video is also typically more cost effective than creating CGI based virtual reality experiences, due to the fact that your products and processes can be filmed, without the need to 3D model, animate and create functionality to match your product. It accurately represents the real world and is very effective when dexterous interaction is not necessary. 2)Brand Immersion A 360 video can be created to feature your existing showrooms in VR, giving you full control of the brand experience. The viewer will be immersed in a space which your team has designed, and solely viewing your content. The interface throughout the entire experience can be branded to your business, and your existing content can also be featured within a 360 VR application. This allows you to get more from your existing product videos and infographics. Through a combination of visuals and audio, the multi-sensory experience will ensure it’s ingrained in your guest’s memory long after the exhibit is over. They’ll be talking about your immersive experience to friends and colleagues for a long time, which will have a residual effect to help to establish your brand. 3) Software Integration 360 video is amazing on its own, but it also has the added benefit of being capable of integrating with software to make a full virtual reality experience. This integration allows for much more user engagement, for things such as choosing products and subjects, clicking hotspots to trigger other forms of multimedia. These experiences can also provide valuable analytics. Some interesting analytics that can be pulled from the data include the length of viewing, areas of interest and user path. Surveys can also be used within the application, in order to collect feedback while the user is fully engaged. It can even be used as a gateway to move into the next section of content. A rating of the experience can be included, to assess the effectiveness of the experience, and email lists can also be generated. 4) Attract Crowds A VR exhibit will attract the interest of passersby and also generate buzz around the exhibit. When people speak about what they have seen after browsing the show, they’ll be sure to mention where they seen a VR experience to other attendees and vendors, whether they already experienced it, or if they’re planning to. This will attract a crowd, which will then, in turn, generate additional interest, as it’s human nature for people to wonder what all the buzz is about when they see a crowded booth. 5) Cutting Edge When you’re at an industry trade show, it always helps to establish your organization by being on the cutting edge of technology. Having a stereoscopic 360 video application will show that you’re ahead of the curve, and looking for new technology throughout your entire business. These experiences are created through a combination of the newest camera systems, virtual reality hardware and software development technology, bringing these together into one amazing experience. 360 video applications check many of the boxes when planning trade show exhibit material. It is effective in a variety of uses, and can be quite cost-effective in contrast with other options. It will make your company stand out, and ensure your brand gets the recognition it deserves.

6 Ways To Use 360 Video Applications At Trade Shows

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360 video applications are essentially virtual reality applications with 360 videos integrated as the main visual medium. They have the benefit of being capable of adding any sort of functionality to your application, including featuring additional content, user decisions, analytics tracking, survey delivery and much more. In this article, I’ll be discussing the main uses for 360 video applications from my experience speaking with our customers interested in trade show content.   Brand Feature A brand feature will cover the core of your business, explaining what really makes your business unique and why you do what you do. It can utilize many of your existing assets by featuring a variety of your previously developed marketing content such as videos, photo galleries, infographics and more. This is a great opportunity to truly craft your tradeshow delivery into the perfect presentation and turn it into something repeatable and guaranteed to deliver the message perfectly every time. This is in contrast to having your tradeshow representatives deliver the message with room for error.  In the example below Samsung featured a 360 snowboard experience to showcase their release of the Gear VR Launch.   Meet The Professionals Your most skilled employees and executives don’t have time to attend every industry trade show. It would be great if they could be on-hand to speak directly to your potential customers. The best alternative to that is to record the most common topics your skilled team members would discuss with potential clients, in their own workspace, as a stereoscopic 360 video. A VR application additionally allows the viewer to choose the topics they’re interested in learning about most from your team members, as they can choose from a list of professions and subjects within that profession.   Day in the Life Of When you’re interested in sharing more of your company culture, a 360 video following the day in the life of one of your employees can give a clear idea of what the inner life of your company really looks like and it immerses them in your company culture. It can be a day which they are doing a variety of work and can include visits to various departments. This is typically narrated by the employee, either through a voiceover or a recording while they’re on set.   Product Showcase 360 video is a great way to demonstrate large products such as machinery or showcase many small products in some type of arrangement such as an existing showroom. In a virtual reality application, it will allow an increased level of interactivity, such as choosing to see a demonstration of which features the viewer is most interested in or viewing additional content related to a product. This will teach your guests more about their favourite products. Process Showcase Similar to a product showcase, a process showcase will allow the viewer to explore the specialized processes your company has developed, to showcase your advanced methods of attaining your high-quality results. This can include the equipment you’re using, the specialized skills your labour team is utilizing, and the facility where it all happens. Company Tour A facility tour is a more general digital tour of your company. It can include content from all the above-mentioned uses. This gives the viewer the freedom to choose which aspect of your business they’re most interested in exploring. This is extremely useful in more general trade shows, as the target market of the event could mean people visiting from many different professions. This is extremely beneficial to provide specific information without needing your tradeshow representatives to know about a wide variety of topics involving your business. As you can see, there are many uses for 360 video applications at trade shows, and the great part about it is that they can all be consolidated into one application if desired. This allows you to build an application in pieces and consolidate it into one larger experience over time. This way your efforts have continuous benefits and your trade show exhibits will be improved permanently.

Augmented & Virtual Reality and Thier Impact on Museums

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Augmented reality and virtual reality seem like they have been around for a long time, but the truth is they are barely in their infancy. Our version of virtual and augmented reality is akin to the pixelated and awkward gaming of the Atari age. In the future, augmented reality will be a simple an accepted fact of life. You won’t go out without augmented reality. Whatever the technology happens to land on as far as a viewing device; whether that be glasses, contact lenses, a heads-up display or a neural implant, augmented reality will be reality. As you can probably see, there will be millions of different uses for that kind of technology. Everywhere you go, everything you look at and everything you touch will dispense additional information. Drug information may no longer be included on labels, a bite of food that you spear on a fork could tell you how many calories you are consuming with that bite and early warning signs could alert you as to a potential traffic slowdown or an alley that could be dangerous to walk down. But all that is in the future. However, that doesn’t mean that organizations aren’t making use of augmented reality now and one of those organizations is the New York Museum of modern Art. The Jackson Pollock gallery on the fifth floor has become a gallery of art that is completely invisible without some sort of augmented reality interface. For most people, that means downloading the museum app on their smart phone and holding it up like a viewer. There is everything from additional information about paintings to complete remixes or changes to Pollock’s paintings. It is pretty amazing what this group of artists has been able to do and what is most incredible is that it can be changed in a moment’s notice and has no effect on the paintings themselves whatsoever. This is the kind of thing that will become more and more common. Museums is definitely the place where this starts, but eventually people are going to be raising up their smart phones inside of restaurants, stores and other retail locations in order to see what extras are being offered through the world of augmented reality. Of course, holding up your smart phone limit your vision and is a clunky way to see the world. That’s why you can expect development of interface devices that allow complete field of vision with the addition of augmented reality at the flip of a switch. But museums and other places of entertainment are definitely going to be where it starts. Museums can impart a great deal of information through augmented reality without creating a cluttered space or spending money on additional plaques or signage. Augmented reality and museums is going to be linked in directly with the Internet. When you walk into the Jackson Pollock gallery, you will eventually be able to turn on your augmented reality and look up various links to official websites or a Wikipedia page that will give you information on that particular artist. Although everything is pretty much focused on virtual reality right now because of the entertainment potential in the $to come with it, augmented reality is simply the reality of the future. In perhaps a decade or two, people will simply not be able to imagine life without augmented reality. It will inform us every time we look at something. It will feed us additional information whenever we desire and however much information we desire. It will enhance our entertainment, allow us to make better choices on the food that we eat in the products that we buy and it will bring a great deal of accountability to businesses – as well as a whole new government law enforcement program about information included with augmented reality. But if you want to experience augmented reality now, then museums are definitely one of the first places you’ll notice it. However, it does leave one rather large loophole that people are already starting to take advantage of. Just as you can download the Museum of Modern Art app and see the augmented reality that they have authorized, you can also download other applications that users have created and see augmented reality in places like the New York Museum of modern Art and see a completely different set of augmented reality. Paintings may be defaced, exhibits may be torn pornographic; anything is possible. The thing is, there may not be very much that the museum can do to prevent people from creating and distributing applications with different sorts of augmented reality about their exhibits. In fact, unless there is some sort of standardized augmented reality technology created; the forging of augmented reality apps that mimic official and authorized ones will become big business in the future.

Fully Immersive Spatial Audio and Why It Matters In VR

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Fully Immersive Spatial Audio has the potential to change the face of the VR industry as we know it. It’s not a new technology by any means, and it’s been around for at least 100 years prior to this moment – but it’s never quite been applied to the development of Virtual Reality quite like now, and we’re seeing great leaps and bounds in technology and the way people are immersed in their virtual worlds. Virtual Reality becomes pretty useless to the user when it isn’t an immersive experience, and the burden falls on the developers of VR hardware and software to ensure that the experience is as close to real-life as possible. It has to make you feel like you’re right in the middle of what you’re looking at – and it’s not enough to be looking at a scene through VR glasses when you want the full experience. True immersion for Virtual Reality involves being able to engage all of the senses at once – sight, smell, taste, touch and sound; though we know that taste and smell aren’t nearly as necessary for VR to work as the rest.  Could we go as far as to say that the senses required for VR immersion is sight, touch and sound? How do you judge whether or not something is real? In the first Matrix movie, Morpheus asks Neo if what he can smell, taste or touch is real – and then goes on to show him that the construct of “real” he had known was just about fooling these human senses with computerization. While we haven’t blacked out the sun yet like in the heavily Dystopian tone of the Matrix movies, the movie got the idea of Virtual Reality pretty spot on. If you’re going to fool anyone into thinking it’s real, fool the senses. To believe that you’re truly immersed in your virtual reality experience, sound and how you experience it is one of the most important parts of the whole VR thrill. Reacting to Sound Sound activates a primal reaction within the brain, and sound is often the very first way we react to something; for example, while you’re playing a first person shooter, you’ll be paying the most attention to the sound to find the position of the opposing player – on the other hand, while immersed in a VR movie, your mind will pay the most attention to the sound to associate both the sound and the visual aspects with each other. To put it in its most simple terms, the brain asks itself three questions: What am I seeing? What am I hearing? Do these two things match up? The first two questions should be answered by the VR experience already – and if one of the first two questions aren’t immersive enough to the user then the brain’s answer to the third (more important) question that tells your brain how immersed it is (or not) will be a simple no. We already have the visual aspects of virtual reality developed to a much more advanced degree than some years ago: Virtual Reality goggles are becoming cheaper and easier to access; projects like Google Cardboard have even made experimentation with VR easier. But when it comes to developing the sound aspects that fit with the visuals, fully immersive spatial audio could be the answer to finally providing the perfect VR experience. Why Regular Audio Isn’t Enough If you want a practical example of why regular audio isn’t enough for real VR immersion, then you’re going to need to do a little experiment. You can use even the cheapest headphones for this. There are many songs that illustrate the concept of stereo practically so that you can hear why it matters: Many classics by the Grateful Dead or Led Zeppelin use effects that seem to “bounce” between one headphone to another. This effect is the stereo effect – and it sounds pretty damn cool, especially through the right quality headphones. But that’s not all it is: It’s also something very important to your brain. Audio tells you where things are. If you were to close your eyes and listen, your brain relies on the position of sound to form a clearer picture – and the same applies to VR, when your visual input is being replaced with a picture seen on a VR screen. In order for your brain to be truly immersed in the VR experience, your brain needs to be able to relate to 3-dimensional sound – sound that tells you more about the environment you’re in, which is (in this case) a virtual one. If the audio is off, your brain will notice that something is “wrong” and it just won’t sound right. When It “Doesn’t Sound Right” When things around you don’t sound quite “right” to your brain like we’ve just explained above, your brain automatically assumes that there’s something wrong with the entire environment – and the whole VR setup starts to disappear for your brain, much like the glitch in the Matrix when the cat appears twice. “It means they’ve changed something.” Your brain knows something is wrong when the audio doesn’t match, when it doesn’t truly immerse you in what you’re seeing – but when your brain trusts the two inputs fully, then it tends to trust the entire concept of immersion more. You can fool your brain into experiencing a fuller virtual reality world – but only if you use sound immersion right. What the Hell is Fully Immersive Spatial Audio? Fully Immersive Spatial Audio isn’t a “new” technology by any means; it’s something sound engineers have known about for decades – but we’re seeing more and more reason to use this technology within VR because it offers a far more “full-bodied” sound experience that gets us a little closer to experience real virtual reality. Fully immersive spatial audio makes use of several different techniques in order to round off the sound experience, turning it into Fully Immersive Spatial Audio and Why It Matters In VR

How Hotels and Resorts are Adopting Virtual and Augmented Reality

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Once upon a time, virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) were only used for video games or seen in movies (think Tony Stark and all of his cool gadgets in Iron Man). But today, thanks to all of the advents in technology, the use of AR and VR is no longer something you see only in sci-fi thrillers or something that you use for entertainment. No today, AR and VR are becoming much more commonplace, and this technology is being used in a variety of useful applications across a variety of industries. The hotel and hospitality industry is just one field that is making use of augmented and virtual reality, and its popularity is really exploding! In fact, AR and VR have become powerful marketing tools for hotels and resorts around the globe. These technologies are really changing the way people are travelling, and it’s definitely for the better. How are hotels and resorts utilizing augmented and virtual reality and how are these technologies helping both entrepreneurs and travellers alike? Read on to discover the exciting technologically advanced future or travel! What is Augmented and Virtual Reality? Before we jump in and explore how hotels and resorts are using augmented and virtual reality, it’s first important to understand exactly what these technologies are. Both AR and VR create experiences that fully immerse users into different environments or allow them to experience things in a whole new way, but these two technologies do differ. Loosely defined, virtual reality means near-reality (virtual meaning near and reality meaning the here and now; what you are actually experiencing.). Virtual reality immerses users into an interactive computer-generated environment. It incorporates a variety of senses, primarily sight and sound, to create a life-like experience. In other words, you feel as if you have been transported to another location even though you never physically left your current location. Augmented reality, on the other hand, involves adding to the reality that you already see; it doesn’t replace your reality, but rather enhances it. AR has the ability to bring elements of the digital world into the real world (again, think Tony Stark in Iron Man). So, now that you have a basic understanding of what virtual and augmented reality, let’s examine how hotels and resorts are utilizing these technologies. Providing an Experience Before Booking How many times have you reserved a hotel, only to find, much to your dismay, that it was not at all what you were expecting. Sure, pictures can help you get a vague idea of what to expect, but they really can’t give you a clear idea. With virtual reality, you can get a real idea of where you’re going to be travelling before you make a reservation. You can slip on a headset and be transported to a resort or hotel and actually walk through the lobby, see the guest rooms, and check out all of the amenities. VR is not only beneficial for travellers’, it is also beneficial to hotels and resorts; particularly lesser-known properties or those that are located in remote areas, as it allows them to give people the opportunity to see what they have to offer. Establishing a Competitive Edge The hotel and hospitality industry is extremely competitive. Travellers’ have so many options when it comes to where they can stay. And with hotel and resort database sites, like Booking.com and Travelicity.com, the competition has become even steeper. With so much competition, it can be hard for hotels and resorts to set themselves apart from the crowd. Photos and marketing content can only do so much. But augmented and virtual reality can really help hotels and resorts establish a competitive edge. It allows them to distinguish themselves and showcase their unique selling points. In other words, it gives them the chance to show prospective travellers the chance to explore the gardens, visit the restaurants, and lounge by the pool that resort A has to offer, thus allowing the resort to stand out in the crowd and attract more people. Making Booking Easier Another way that hotels and resorts are adopting advanced technologies to simplify the booking process for their guests. For example, most hotels and resorts offer different types of accommodations; standard rooms, suites, handicap accessible rooms, and so forth. By using augmented and virtual reality, guests can actually see what different accommodations offer to determine what will best meet their needs. When potential visitors have the opportunity to really experience different accommodations, the process of making reservations becomes a lot easier for them. Ensuring Guest Satisfaction Hotels and resorts are also using AR and VR as a way to improve guest satisfaction. When people have the chance to see what they are going to get before they arrive, it’s much more likely that they are going to have a more pleasant experience, and when they have a more pleasant experience, guests are much more satisfied. When guest satisfaction improves, so does the reputation of a hotel or resort, which translates to much greater success. Augmented Environments A lot of properties are using AR as a way to make the environment of their hotel or resort more enjoyable for their guests. For instance, some hotels are using AR to allow guests to use their smartphones to see them alongside images of their favourite celebrities or cartoon characters.  Other hotels are using AR as a means for showcasing products or entertainment options the hotel/resort features. Summing It Up Augmented reality and virtual reality are already proving to be invaluable tools for hotels and resorts around the globe. These technologies are a truly effective way to develop a competitive edge, allow guests to see what properties have to offer, improve the booking process, and ensure guest satisfaction. Given the incredibly positive effects that augmented reality and virtual reality have had for hotels and resorts, it is exciting to think of how these technologies will further be adopted by hotels and resorts, and how AR and VR will enhance marketing How Hotels and Resorts are Adopting Virtual and Augmented Reality

Top Advantages Of 360 Interactive VR-Ready Video For Web

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360-degree videos just around the corner from being a mainstream medium for a number of different sectors including education, social media, and entertainment. Each year since 2015, the number of active VR users have more than doubled than the active VR users of their corresponding previous year. Why is it the right time to accept this paradigm shift and get into 360 Interactive VR-Videos? Here are some of the top benefits that would definitely convince you. It is the rising media revolution Not only are VR-Ready 360-degree videos becoming a mainstream medium, but it is also proving itself to be a revolutionary marketing tool. History has shown that the people who aren’t able to cope with the technologies of the future are left out and disconnected from the mainstream world. May it be your personal use or your business, becoming a part of a growings platform will get you unlimited benefits and we have seen how rapidly the 360-degree VR-Ready video platform is growing. It’s the most exciting content presentation medium today Another reason why this is the best time to get into 360-degree VR-ready videos is that this is the most exciting platform to present any content today. Several million individuals are active on some form of virtual reality headset today and since it is a relatively new platform, there simply isn’t enough content there. Not only that, but a number of content categories are completely left unattended due to lack of VR content providers. Getting into VR-Ready video content production at this stage could unlock the way to an almost-untapped market. The abundance of loyal customers and viewers As discussed earlier, there is a shortage of VR content providers, becoming one today will guaranty you a growth and popularity that you could never have achieved in such small time intervals with the current medium. (traditional videos) This isn’t the only advantage of adopting VR content, another huge advantage of producing 360-degree and VR videos is that your customers and viewers will be very loyal to you. Why? Are active VR users today very loyal? The answer is simple, VR users today already have a lack of quality content providers. When you provide quality content in a genre where there is no competition, your viewers will only have you to follow. By the time the competition arrives in your genre, your viewers will be so fond of you that they will never bother looking up for someone else. A worthwhile investment This may seem like a figure of speech, but it is true, 360-videos are on the rise and are a great investment opportunity today. A sudden fall in traditional media including TV and radios has been seen in the recent years and AR and VR have played huge roles in it. If our word is not enough to convince you, why not look at some of the biggest technology giants who have adopted this change and are generating unprecedented revenues? Consider YouTube, one of the most successful video streaming website. Even a website like YouTube has realized that the traditional videos will soon be out of the highlights and VR videos will take over. This is why YouTube has started investing in VR content production and is maturing its module of VR-video streaming. Another clear example is Sony, the most successful gaming console manufacturer in the world. Sony has invested huge amounts in its Virtual Reality headset and is encouraging game developers to develop games for its VR flagship, the Sony PSVR. The bottom line is that VR-ready 360 content is here to stay as an exciting medium that allows users to generate high-quality content that is fully immersive and can bring the user into an environment in a much more realistic way that offers a unique viewing experience.  We will continue to see more and more market adoption in this space as content providers and users alike look to benefit from the technology.

11 Ways 360° Video Can Enhance Your Training System

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There is a wide variety of ways to deliver training these days. The options are almost endless between interactive software, training videos, old-fashioned study books, coaching, mentoring, and many others. We are going to discuss a new type of training that you may not have heard about before, 360° degree video training. These training videos add to the value of training videos, creating a more immersive training experience and improving retention of information, while catering to many learning styles. They integrate with current training platforms and can be used by various devices. These are just a few of the benefits, and we are going to cover the top 11 reasons 360° video training can enhance your training process. Immersive/Engaging – 360° degree video immerses the trainee into their area of work and teach them about their surroundings. Particularly with a virtual reality headset, it allows you to stand face-to-face with your trainer or coach virtually. Cross-Device – These videos can be viewed in a virtual reality headset to increase the immersive experience. The same video can be used across a mobile device, tablet or desktop. Additionally, the platform it is administered on can also be used across these devices, so you can provide information and test all in one place. Cost Reduction – Training is one of the most expensive costs to any business, and 360° video can reduce those costs. It can reduce the time skilled employees are training new employees, reduce the amount of training sessions you have to plan, and cut down on the amount of travel to those sessions. Caters to a variety of learning styles – This type of learning allows for many types of learners to get the most out of the training. 360° video provides immersive video and potential for directional audio. Directional audio allows for specific sounds to be heard at higher volumes when you are facing in the direction it’s coming from. The transcript of the video can also be used for learners who prefer to read or have any hearing impairment. Interaction – When paired with a multimedia platform, the trainee can put what they’ve learned to use immediately, by making decisions. This can either be through a test or additional video to show the outcome of making potential decisions. Scalable/Flexible – Through an online platform the training can be deployed across the country or the world very quickly. Standardized processes can be taught by highly skilled employees, and then integrated with the on-site training. In comparison to 3D virtual reality experiences, it offers a more cost-effective to have as the standard method of training throughout an organization. This comes at the expense of the full immersive of full virtual reality experiences. Accessible – 360° video provides a more immersive experience to remote employees. You won’t have to send out your skilled employees to train them as often, and you can do one set of training for locations outside the close vicinity of where the training was developed. Your employees can also access the training wherever they may be, through a desktop or mobile device. Secure – The platform the training is hosted on can be fully secured through network security, password protection, encryption and hosting protection. This ensures your trade-secrets are kept secret. Easily Integrated – The 360° video can be integrated with all types of multimedia and web pages. This allows for flexibility on the layout to ensure it works best for your unique business and industry. Insight – Through the platform it’s administered, detailed analytics tracking can be set up so that you can keep track of progress, interactions and optimize the training further. Workplace culture – The potential for viewing a video, while feeling as if you’re face to face with the trainer gives you more of a sense of workplace culture than traditional video. It almost feels as if you are in the workplace, you can see everything going on around you, and you can observe the body languages of all those in that workplace. You may observe how they speak to each other, and better get to know what might be expected of you. The 360° video  isn’t meant to cover the entire training process, it’s meant to integrate with your current plan and improve the effectiveness of your direct training through thorough preparation. This is an opportunity to reduce costs, improve employee engagement and scale higher quality training throughout your organization. The value really comes when it is integrated with a training platform which utilizes testing of the trainee right after they have been immersed in information.

Is The Future Of Education through Gamification?

gamified learning

Today we are seeing kids in classrooms with personal devices that are responsible for managing course loads, all of their homework, and of course the ever important personal life of social media and general communications. Those devices are also heavily used for gaming primarily as a form of entertainment. What if we were able to get that type of time commitment from kids on a daily basis to do homework or grow skills? Or maybe have fun but also be developing critical thinking habits or team building? The great thing is educators are already using gamification but now it’s available in Virtual Reality. As a planet we spend over 3 billion hours a week playing video and computer games. That is nearly 25 minutes for each human being on the planet today. I can personally remember a time when it was a big deal to have a PC in your home and the amazing devices we have available today were strictly ideas in Star Wars and in Sci-Fi shows. The world as we know it is changing so fast in regards to technology it seems nearly impossible for us to keep up with all of it especially in the world of gaming and Virtual Reality. The technology that we saw on TV is now available for our kids to learn and have fun while they do it. Understanding gamification and its effectiveness beyond anecdotal evidence and hype is evidently a pertinent practical issue as well as, increasingly, a scholarly pursuit. Regardless of the increasing amount of both industry chatter and scholarly articles, there still is a dearth of coherent understanding whether gamification works and under which circumstances. To address this gap, we reviewed empirical studies on gamification. We focused on investigations and studies that were carried out by Huotari & Hamari 2012; Zhang 2008 what were the implemented affordances (independent variables), psychological and behavioural outcomes (dependent variables), what was gamified, as well as the methods and results of these studies. The current empirical research on gamification largely supports the popular view that, indeed, gamification does produce positive effects, but many caveats exist. Most frequently, the studies bring forth three categories of caveats: the context of gamification, qualities of the users using the system and possible novelty effects. We encourage educators to review these findings as it is the future of education. Earlier this year some amazing educational immersive experiences became available like the Apollo 11 Launch, Titans of Space, and Mars is a real Place. Could you fathom as a young person the ability to sit in your classroom and SEE MARS up close and personal without ever leaving your seat or the planet?! Well you can with VR Vision! We aim to bring some of these experiences in to schools so children can have a more visual and engaged learning experience. It also shakes up the general day to day school and classroom environment and gives them the ability to be a part of a foreign world they may never see so closely otherwise! We have a list of titles that are designed and developed around team building, critical thinking and problem solving. We have content for artists to be uber creative with or just draw smiley faces with if they wish. The beautiful thing about Virtual Reality technology and Education is people can learn and see things in person they may not ever be able to see and have a ton of fun while doing it! There is Virtual Reality experiences and content that has been developed to train the world’s doctors. Lets bring it to our kids as well.            

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