September is here, and new devices are around the corner. Not only is Meta’s Connect event coming up quickly, but Apple and Microsoft are also working towards establishing XR productivity tools.
In the wake of MR headsets and software coming soon, Google and Samsung quickly reacted – internally – in a bid to create a competing device with an apparent lack of direction.
Moreover, as these leading technology firms are developing a range of hardware, the same XR firms are also working to establish accommodating use cases with partners.
Latvia to Host NATO 5G Test Bed for Military XR
This week, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation’s (NATO) Allied Command Transformation inked a deal with Latvia to host member-states for a novel 5G test bed for military-grade emerging technologies, including XR solutions.
The Latvian Ministry of Defence signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with NATO’s Allied Command outlining that the military group would use Latvia as a testing ground for state defence technologies.
Both entities will experiment with the new immersive defence platform at the Ādaži military base in October to determine how the military alliance will procure, develop, and roll out its technological initiative using 5G.
NATO’s latest military test bed will also launch Europe’s first-ever emerging tech platform for the defence alliance following its successful founding in 2020, and the initiative may also allow Latvia to reach its cybersecurity and tech requirements as outlined in its Cybersecurity Strategy 2023 – 2026.
NATO is also planning to transform digitally by 2030, providing the military bloc with multi-domain missions and greater interoperability across its operations. It aims to boost its situational awareness and decide on strategic measures using data-driven consultations.
The military aims to benefit from using 5G to develop its ‘military metaverse’ of emerging technologies, with the testbed networks reducing latency, boosting wireless connectivity, and increasing collaboration for staff.
Google and Adobe Bring AR Experiences to Retail
Rock Paper Reality (RPR) collaborated with Google and Adobe this week to enhance cross-platform AR retail experiences. The collaborating firms are working to promote commercial XR opportunities for in-person businesses, starting with Paper Tree – an origami shop in San Fransico.
RPR is leveraging Google’s Geospatial Creator and Adobe Aero to secure the location-based AR customer experience. Google is also providing its ARCore platform – which powers Geospatial Creator – and its Photorealistic 3D Tiles from Google Maps Platform to assist with the project.
Patrick Johnson, CEO and Founder of Rock Paper Reality, remarked:
The potential for any brand to tell stories beyond their traditional storefront or page, elevating how their audiences discover and engage with their products in the digital realm is huge. With immersive spaces and headset use on the rise, it has never been more vital to have an omnichannel 3D strategy in place, particularly powerful with the younger generation where 3D worlds are the norm.
Linda Mihara, Manager and part-owner of Paper Tree, noted that the AR shopping experience presents “an unprecedented way to view origami.”
Mihara explained:
It gets the viewer up close, where they can see incredible detail. The 3D animation of the Peace Sphere literally brings the Origami to life, enhancing its design
Shoppers can access the AR content using a QR code, giving the organizing firms a chance to showcase the potential of retail-based XR services to consumers and potential clients.
Stevan Silva, Senior Product Manager, Google AR, noted that Geospatial Creator allows brands and creators to “easily design location-based augmented experiences.”
Silva also remarked how it was “incredible” to see Paper Tree’s locational transform via its use of AR and the tools from RPR, Google, and Adobe, explaining how AR-retail use cases like Paper Tree’s opens “new possibilities for their business to connect with people of all ages, share their crafts and express their creativity.”
Apple Vision Pro Nears Reality
The Apple Vision Pro price point shocked audiences during its debut. However, Apple might be working on a solution via cheaper microdisplays.
This week, reports emerged claiming that Apple was “testing advanced displays” from the companies, with the future for “possible inclusion in future models” of the Vision Pro headset.
According to sources, a non-Pro iteration of the Vision device, codenamed N109, could become the cheaper alternative to Apple’s $3,500 enterprise-grade headset.
According to global media, the headset is in the early stages of development and is set for release in early 2024.
Moreover, according to insiders, Apple’s upcoming MR headset is creating “great fear” internally for Google and Samsung, two firms collaborating to design a competing XR headset.
According to those close to Google and Samsung, Apple’s Vision Pro showcase contributed to the firms partnering to start R&D on Project: Moohan – a prototype Android-powered XR headset.
However, the firms faced hurdles in creating the potential product. The insiders noted how the partnership led to Samsung taking over product feature design decisions, creating a standstill in development.
An insider also added it’s easy for the firms “to end up in a situation where nobody is driving.”
Moreover, earlier in the month, Samsung delayed its upcoming headset. Initially, Samsung planned to start production of its forthcoming immersive device at the start of 2024. However, Samsung had to postpone its production plans by 3 – 6 months.
An official close to the situation noted at the time:
I understand that the decision was made considering the specifications of Apple’s mixed reality (MR) headset ‘Vision Pro’, a competitor.
On the other hand, Apple released insider developer comments regarding its Lab locations – hubs for promoting iOS development and learning in preparation for the Vision Pro entering the market next year.
In its released statements, Apple highlighted how Michael Simmons, the CEO of Flexibits, experienced working in a Vision Pro Lab for the first time.
Simmons explained that the “proving ground” was “fantastical. It felt like I was part of the app.”
Simmons explained:
A bordered screen can be limiting. Sure, you can scroll, or have multiple monitors, but generally speaking, you’re limited to the edges. Experiencing spatial computing not only validated the designs we’d been thinking about — it helped us start thinking not just about left to right or up and down, but beyond borders at all.
