Tech Is Building the Future and Giving Us a New Look at the Past
Emerging Tech Roundup — February 12
The Quantious team’s top picks for timely trending news in the tech world.
This week in tech: The Royal Shakespeare Company uses VR to put on a show, Engadget lists their favorite movies and VR from Sundance 2021, Doordash adds robotic meal preppers, AR/VR experiences give us a glimpse at Harriet Tubman’s journey on the Underground Railroad, Apple’s Dan Riccio shifts focus to AR/VR, Microsoft toys with AI to better interpret emotions in video calls, and VR is used to train specialized employees.
Royal Shakespeare Company to Stage Virtual Reality Show
(BBC, February 8)
The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is set to stage a live online performance using virtual reality technology. The performance, titled Dream and based on William Shakespeare’s play A Midsummer Night’s Dream, had been scheduled to be staged in the spring. The production is performed with seven actors in a specially created motion capture space created at The Guildhall in Portsmouth. It will take place in a virtual forest, with motion sensors on the actors allowing them to interact with their surroundings and the audience at home. The RSC detailed how the show uses the latest gaming and theatre technology, and an interactive score that responds to the actors’ movements during the show. Through their tablet, mobile or the show’s website, audiences will be able to directly influence the live performance from wherever they are in the world.
Our Favorite Films and VR Experiences at Sundance 2021
(Engadget, February 6)
Unlike most other film events, Sundance also invested heavily in virtual reality, giving anyone with a VR headset the ability to chat with other attendees in virtual space. Some of the most notable movies and experiences encountered at the show were Tinker, which showed what it’s like to have a loved one who struggles with Alzheimer’s, We’re All Going to the World’s Fair, which sets itself up like a horror film, and lastly 4 Feet High VR, which is primarily a coming of age story about a young girl who struggles with identity and belonging.
DoorDash Adds Startup Chowbotics for Meal Preparation
(The Wall Street Journal, February 8)
DoorDash said it is acquiring robotics startup Chowbotics, and signaling increased interest in automating food production as the demand for food delivery soars amid the pandemic. Chowbotics’ technology can whip up salads and poke bowls (among other things), and DoorDash is exploring how to deploy it across restaurants. Ideas include using the technology to help restaurants expand their menu, such as enabling a pizzeria to offer salads or to allow a salad bar to try out new locations, such as a kiosk at an airport. “We’re working on solutions to help merchants grow in an ever-challenging and changing landscape, and with Chowbotics we hope to enhance that level of support,” DoorDash said in a blog post announcing the acquisition. While automating food production could save restaurants time and cost, it’s unclear how amenable potential diners are to these technologies.
New AR/VR Experiences on Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway Bring Powerful Stories to Life
(MyEasternShoreMD, February 10)
The Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway has been updated with new augmented reality and virtual reality experiences that bring to life the powerful stories connected to four of the sites. With the free audio guide, you can embark on this dramatic tour along the Byway on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. The new AR/VR experiences include Bucktown Road, Stanley Institute, the Bayly House, and the Leverton House. In addition to recounting Harriet Tubman’s remarkable life story, the Byway reveals the story of slavery and the pursuit of freedom on the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay. It weaves through a rare landscape, virtually unaltered for more than a century.
Apple’s Dan Riccio Shifts From Hardware Chief to AR, VR Headsets
(Bloomberg, February 8)
Mike Rockwell, the Vice President of Apple, is now welcoming Dan Riccio onboard to help him oversee AR/VR initiatives. Riccio comes from overseeing the electrical engineering, product design and project management for the iPhone and most of Apple’s other major products, and is now entering his new role in AR/VR. As Apple works through developmental challenges while producing its first headset, a high-end VR-focused device with some AR capabilities, internal employees at Apple are confident that with Riccio on board, the extra focus will help make the launch a success.
Microsoft Research Studies How AI Could Be Used to Help Read Expressions Within Meetings
(Windows Central, February 11)
A Microsoft research project studied the use of AffectiveSpotlight (AI) to read people’s non-verbal communications during virtual meetings. Not only are people smaller in video feeds than in real life, but oftentimes there are several people on the grid at once. Although people are good at reading non-verbal communication, it’s the subtle and not-so-subtle facial expressions that are difficult to interpret. That type of communication tends to suffer on video calls. Therefore, Microsoft is looking to enhance virtual communication with positive results from its study, which uses a neural network to classify virtual expressions.
Virtual Reality Is Helping This Transformer-Maker Train Employees For Heavy Lifting
(Forbes, February 5)
This week Hyundai and Alabama Industrial Development Training (AIDT), announced the launch of a statewide initiative that used Hyundai Power Transformers training needs as the catalyst, and built a VR-based crane inspection and operation instructional program. The plant’s bridge cranes, which can lift up to 400 tons, are specialized pieces of equipment that require extensive training to service and operate. With highly-experienced baby boomer employees nearing retirement, the company wanted a better way to train new employees for those critical crane operations. The program launched this week is intended to help manufacturers across Alabama see the potential of VR training for transformers.
