Metaverse Content Grows Alongside VR Capabilities
Emerging Tech Roundup — August 5
The Quantious team’s top picks for timely trending news in the tech world.
This week in tech: MTV incorporates the metaverse into the VMAs, DRESSX partners with Meta, Neal Stephenson creates a metaverse for creators, VR users recreate Kmart in the metaverse, AR glasses bring inclusivity to the deaf community, two surgeons perform surgery from different countries with VR and Samson Sky’s flying car receives FAA approval.
MTV VMAs Are Embracing the Metaverse with a New Award
(Mashable, July 26)
MTV is including a new award category in its annual awards show, dubbed “Best Metaverse Performance.” Over the past year, multiple artists have performed in the metaverse and with the progression of the growing space, virtual performances will likely continue. Nominees for the 2022 award show include Ariana Grande, BLACKPINK, BTS, Charli XCX, Justin Bieber, and Twenty One Pilots.
Digital Fashion House DRESSX Partners with Meta
(Decrypt, July 27)
DRESSX has partnered with Meta to sell its digital clothing in the avatar store. The clothing will be sold “off-chain”, meaning the clothing cannot be moved off Meta’s platforms. However, some DRESSX supporters are unhappy with the partnership as it does not support a decentralized space, a core value of the metaverse.
Metaverse Visionary Neal Stephenson Is Building a Blockchain to Uplift Creators
(Cointelegraph, July 27)
Neal Stephenson is partnering with the Bitcoin Foundation’s co-founder, Peter Vessenes, to create a metaverse platform for creators. If creators use the tools within the ‘Lamina1’ project to build their games, they receive tokens for their work. Stephenson also mentioned plans of real estate opportunities within the project, and a carbon negative mission.
Kmart Is Recreated in VR — and It’s Attracting Thousands of Nostalgia-fueled Fans
(Fortune, July 29)
Discord users discovered a detailed, to-scale, entirely-digital Kmart store, created by users in VR. The VR store is very realistic, has a PA system, scannable items, and even role-playing employees. Users can hear background music in the store, check themselves out, and even walk out into the parking lot when finished.
New AR Glasses Allow Deaf People to ‘see’ Conversations by Turning Audio into Subtitles
(Euronews, July 29)
Dan Scarfe is working with AR glasses manufacturer Nreal to help deaf people find more inclusion in conversations. The technology will pull the audio and convert it into subtitles on a phone, then project it visually through the glasses for deaf people to read and respond to in conversation. The XRAI Glass technology is currently in beta testing, and its creators hope to offer it for sale to the public this coming fall.
Conjoined Twins Separated with the Help of Virtual Reality
(BBC, August 1)
Two surgeons — one in Brazil, one in London–worked together in VR to complete what was deemed one of the most complicated surgeries to date. The surgeons shared a VR space in which they could work out a plan of action before operating on the children in real life. The surgery lasted 27 hours and was a success, with follow-up plans for the two conjoined twins to head into rehabilitation.
Flying Car ‘Switchblade’ with Foldable Wings and a Retractable Tail Gets FAA Approval
(Interesting Engineering, August 2)
Samson Sky has developed a flying car that is “ready for market launch,” at the recent approval of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The “Switchblade” can drive and fly, and is estimated to start selling at $150,000. Samson Sky is taking reservations for purchase, with a queue totaling over 1,600 people already.
