LPVR-DUO Featured at Unity for Industry Japan Conference

Unity for Industry Conference – XRは次のステージへ

LPVR-DUO has been featured at the Unity for Industry online conference in Japan. TOYOTA project manager Koichi Kayano introduced LPVR-DUO with Varjo XR-1 and ART Smarttrack 3 for in-car augmented reality (see the slide above).

Besides explaining the fundamental functional principle of LPVR-DUO inside a moving vehicle – using a fusion of HMD IMU data, vehicle-fixed inertial measurements and outside-in optical tracking information – Mr. Kayano presented videos of content for a potential end-user application:

Based on a heads-up display-like visualization, TOYOTA’s implementation shows navigation and speed information to the driver. The images below show two driving situations with a virtual dashboard augmentation overlay.

AR Head-Mounted Display vs. Heads-Up Display

This use-case leads us to a discussions of the differences between an HMD-based visualization solution and a heads-up display (HUD) that is e.g. fixed stationary to the top of a car’s console. While putting on a head mounted display does require a minor additional effort by the driver, there are several advantages of using a wearable device in this scenario.

Content can be displayed at any location in the car, from projecting content onto the dashboard, the middle console, the side windows etc. A heads-up display works only in one specific spot.

As the HMD shows information separately to the left and right eye of the driver, we can display three-dimensional images. This allows for accurate placement of objects in 3D space. The correct positioning within the field of view of the driver is essential for safety relevant data. In case of a hazardous situation detected by a car’s sensor array the driver will know exactly where the danger is occurring from.

These are just two of many aspects that set HMD-based augmented reality apart from a heads-up display. The fact that large corporations like TOYOTA are starting to investigate this specific topic shows that the application of augmented reality in the car will be an important feature for the future of mobility.

NOTE: Image contents courtesy of TOYOTA Motor Corporation.

Meet Xikaku

We are proud to present our new partner company Xikaku. Xikaku is a US company located in Los Angeles, focusing on the development of technology related to the field of augmented reality (AR). Visit their website here.

Our VR Headset In The News

Our booth caught TIA's eye.

Our booth caught TIA’s eye.

Tech in Asia Tokyo 2016 is over but we still get great responses from the fair. It was such an amazing day, thank you once more! Moreover TIA reported on us again, this time in their round-up of interesting booths. It was our new Virtual Reality headset that caught their eye because it made our booth “more attractive and interactive”. Indeed, many visitors were eager to get their hands on it.

If you would like to know more about how we use sensor fusion for VR headset tracking, watch our demo video over here. This is a just a preview, we will give you more updates in the next couple of weeks. In the meantime, read the round-up coverage on the Tech in Asia blog over here.

Tech in Asia Wrap-up

Our booth at TIA was pretty popular.

Our booth at TIA was pretty popular with lots of gadgets to explore.

Last week we set up our booth at the Tech in Asia Tokyo 2016 startup fair. During two days, Japanese and international founders, developers, marketing experts, investors, recruiters and many more roamed the two big halls at Shibuya Gardens Bellesalle. It was a great experience for us to get in touch with potential investors and network with industry experts.

At our booth we highlighted some of our technologies such as our new line of sensors. Besides providing a hands-on experience with our Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs), we showcased our virtual reality headset and wireless controller. These use our sensor fusion technology to combine data from IMUs and a camera-based positioning system to obtain precise, reliable positioning and tracking for a room-scale VR system.

Our booth was pretty popular and throughout the day many curious visitors came to try out the wireless sensor function by themselves. They could hold our new LPMS-B2 Bluetooth sensor in their hands, turn it around and see its tracking in real time on a flatscreen.

See you again next year!

We gave a short presentation at TIA about sensor fusion and our new AR system.

We gave a short presentation at TIA about sensor fusion and our new AR system.

booth-with-customer-2

booth-with-customer

 

LP-RESEARCH at Slush Asia

Our booth at Slush Asia was pretty popular. CTO Yap is explaining to visitors.

Our booth at Slush Asia was pretty popular. CTO Yap is explaining the sensors to visitors.

With Tech in Asia being held this week, it is never too late to let you know that we also attended Slush Asia at Tokyo’s Makuhari Messe in May 2016. Two days of networking, catching up with old friends and meeting new folks to hear about their exciting projects. At our booth we presented our new generation of sensors to many very interested visitors.

Attendants could also get a glimpse of our two new projects currently in the making that involve VR and AR: One is a high-definition hardware and software development kit for Augmented Reality; the other is an a IMU/optical tracking system development kit for both Virtual and Augmented Reality applications. Stay tuned for more!