Blogs

How Virtual and Augmented reality will impact the aviation industry

How Virtual and Augmented reality will impact the aviation industry

in VR

September 5, 2018

Aviation has become a normal part of life for most, with air travel being as accessible as ever. In the past decades commercial aviation has gotten cheaper and easier through the advancement of technology and engineering. Training, entertainment and navigation have all benefited from the advancement of technology, with the advent of VR and AR technology, this is no different. Augmented and virtual reality could drastically change the aviation sector and has already made a big impact.

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VR Business Opportunities

VR Business Opportunities

in VR

August 29, 2018

In the past we’ve spoken about how VR can have application in various businesses from architecture, education, games, healthcare etc. In this blog we’ll explore various other different businesses and how VR can change those businesses. Architecture Architecture has long used 3D visualisations to design and visualise architectural designs. Used within VR, architectural visualisations can communicate designs to potential clients by immersing themselves within the architecture itself. Pocket Sized Hands has previously worked on Driving Vision, Driving Vision is a VR visualization tool that allows Architects and City Planners to present design options through an immersive and communicative experience.

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Top 3 Educational Subjects that will Benefit from VR

Top 3 Educational Subjects that will Benefit from VR

in VR

August 23, 2018

Education in games is serious business and with VR newly on the horizon, we list our top three subjects that will truly benefit from taking advantage or the latest Virtual Reality technology. LANGUAGE It is well reported that the best way to learn a new language is by immersing yourself in it. But often we don’t have the luxuries of being able to visit different countries for a long period of time to get the benefits of immersive learning.

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Architecture and VR

Architecture and VR

in VR

August 10, 2018

When people think of architecture and architects they think of individuals hunched over massive canvases and blueprints, sketching out designs using graphite pencils and rulers. Much like everything in our daily lives, technology has made the architecture process streamlined and more efficient. Now architects use software such as Googles Sketchup and Autodesk’s Revit allowing for architects to create 3D visualisations and realisations that allow customers and clients the ability to view fully realised and accurately scaled architectural designs.

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AR in Education

AR in Education

in AR

We’ve spoken previously about the benefits VR could have in education , but what about augmented reality? We live in a world where young people around the globe are playing augmented reality games such as Pokémon Go and communicating via Snapchat . Many young people have smartphones and it seems obvious that utilising this technology would help to educate. What if we used this technology for more serious applications?

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Pocket Sized Hands Favourite VR Games

Pocket Sized Hands Favourite VR Games

in VR

Here at Pocket Sized Hands we love VR games. Whatever genre, platform or art style, if it’s on VR, we’ll play it. That’s why we thought we’d share with you our favourite ever VR games, with each member of Pocket Sized Hands choosing their go to VR game. Beat Saber - Gary (@zecbmo) “It’s amazing fun!” - Gary Beat Saber is a VR rhythm game in which players have two sabers in which to slash different cubes that represent the beats of a song.

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Using VR & AR in retail

Using VR & AR in retail

in VR

Creating a unique shopping experience for customers is a sure way to get more people intrigued and interested in your product, it’s no secret that many brands are leveraging the use of VR and AR to help do this. From car sales with the likes of Volkswagen and Jaguar, to home furnishings as we’ve mentioned in the past with Ikea, to retail stores and clothing. AR Retail On the augmented reality front, we see brands like Amazon and making use of the technology.

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Location Based AR Experiences

Location Based AR Experiences

in AR

It’s been a while now since the launch of the popular location based AR game Pokémon Go and what was an explosion of people playing it and other similar games. The sheer number of people that the game motivated to get out and about playing it was quite amazing, with many people getting out and walking for the entire day just to level up. The idea of location based experiences is that a user will use a GPS device, in most cases a smartphone and by travelling to different real-life locations they can unlock different content and do various activities.

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Design Workflows in VR and AR

Design Workflows in VR and AR

in VR

VR and AR are already starting to have an impact in many design workflows, we talked in a previous blog about the use of VR and AR in product design here, today we’ll go more in depth in this area and other design use cases, discussing the advantages, and how you can get started using some of these tools on devices you may already have. Product Design Similarly to how 3D printing has transformed the manufacturing industry, VR and AR will rapidly improve and speed up the prototyping phase of product design when integrated into the workflow.

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Healthcare in VR and AR

Healthcare in VR and AR

in VR

The healthcare sector is utilizing technology more and more from X-Rays using cathode tubes in the 1800s to, the present day where robotics are being used in complex surgeries. We’ve written in the past about how AR and VR has a part to a play in our daily lives, healthcare is no different. Here are 5 different ways AR and VR have been used in the healthcare sector. Exposure Therapy Exposure therapy involves those living with anxieties or stressors facing their condition in a controlled manner without any danger to themselves.

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VR at the World Cup

VR at the World Cup

in VR

On the 14th of July the 2018 World Cup will begin when the hosts Russia will kick off against Saudi Arabia in Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow. The 2018 World Cup will be broadcasted to millions of people around the world through televisions, mobiles, computers and for the first time in the World Cups history, in Virtual Reality (VR). This will be the biggest sporting event ever to be presented within VR with the previous World Cup in 2014 reaching 3.

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Apple launches ARKit 2.0, But what is ARKit?

Apple launches ARKit 2.0, But what is ARKit?

in AR

Yesterday at WWDC – Apple’s yearly developers conference - the latest iteration of ARKit was announced, following suit of Google’s ARCore update early last month. It was at last year’s WWDC that we got a first look at ARKit and over the past year, there has been a lot of improvements and additional features to the platform. What is ARKit? The ARKit is an augmented reality SDK for IOS devices from Apple.

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Reality Recap: Highlights from Google, Facebook and Microsoft's Tech Conferences

Reality Recap: Highlights from Google, Facebook and Microsoft's Tech Conferences

in AR

Google I/O - AR Core Improvements The big announcement that we are excited about is the Cloud Anchor Capability. Now we can share digital/augmented workspaces with others. Essentially this paves the way for shared AR experiences. You can tag items in your surroundings sharing these tags with friends and thanks to this new ability you will be able to redecorate your home together, explore an augmented museum together or even play tic-tac-toe.

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Locomotion in Virtual Reality

Locomotion in Virtual Reality

in VR

Often when someone tries a VR setup that has positional tracking such as the Oculus Rift or the HTC Vive for the first time, they are blown away once they realise that their movements in real life translate into the virtual world. Being able to physically walk about in a VR experience gives the user a much greater sense of presence and makes them feel more like they are actually in the virtual world.

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The Top 3 Benefits of Wearable AR

The Top 3 Benefits of Wearable AR

in VR

With an ever-expanding catalogue of AR devices in production it is easy to get lost in a world of new Augmented technology. The market boils down to a few main types Augmented Reality of devices right now: Wearables, Mobile AR and Projection AR. Market trends show that 2018 could be an impact year for Wearable AR Technology and it’s hard not to be excited about it. Microsoft’s HoloLens was definitely one of 2017’s standout Wearable devices and is still impressing today.

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What VR and AR can do for the manufacturing industry!

What VR and AR can do for the manufacturing industry!

in VR

The manufacturing industry is ever-changing with advancements in technology, this is no exception with new Augmented Reality(AR) and Virtual Reality(VR) technologies. Using these to assist with current processes paves the way for enormous potential gains in productivity, cost reduction, risk reduction, and improved output. Applications of VR and AR in Manufacturing Similarly oil and gas industry , to the Manufacturing is one of the main industries driving VR and AR industry forward.

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5 Ways AR and VR are going to Change the Oil and Gas Industry

5 Ways AR and VR are going to Change the Oil and Gas Industry

in VR

In 2017 Oil and Gas provided 76% of the UK’s primary energy and 60% of that came from indigenous sources. BP and Shell have reported revenues of $240.2 Billion and $305.1 Billion , respectively, keeping oil and gas as one of the UK’s biggest industries. Being a huge and relatively old industry, oil and gas corporations are prime for disruption from new technologies. AR and VR have already seen application in other sectors and there are a number of ways that they could revolutionise oil and gas.

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How to market using AR and VR

How to market using AR and VR

in VR

Marketing is one of the most important aspects of a business. A good marketing campaign can make your product a roaring success and a bad one can make your business live on in infamy. The technology of today has also changed how we as consumers engage with marketing content with the circulation of viral media, hashtags and the like. Recently, there has been a surge in the use of AR and VR as marketing tools as the new technology allows you to engage the customer in new and immersive ways.

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GDC 2018: AR and VR Highlights

GDC 2018: AR and VR Highlights

in AR

With the Pocket Sized Hands team just back from GDC. Where we managed to get our hands on some of the latest new developments in VR and AR along with here an array of new reveals. Here are a few of the most exciting VR and AR reveals and what they spell for the future of the medium. Oculus Go The biggest VR takeaway from GDC 2018 has been the hands on with Oculus’ new standalone headset, the Oculus Go.

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How to cut the carbon footprint of your business by using VR and AR

How to cut the carbon footprint of your business by using VR and AR

in AR

In today’s world, corporate social responsibility is far from being a set of meaningless buzzwords and many businesses have adopted a more environmentally concious stance towards their practices. Despite this, UK industry, services and transport are predicted to account for 213 metric tonnes of CO2 in 2018, which is 62% of the overall emissions for the UK . Overall CO2 emissions are set to fall steadily but what if you could reduce your firm’s carbon footprint even further and faster?

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How to boost your sales with AR and VR

How to boost your sales with AR and VR

in AR

In our last blog we talked about preparing your business for the growing AR and VR markets whose value is projected to be a massive combined $94 Billion by 2023 . Now we’re going to focus on how AR and VR technology can help to boost your company’s sales. Virtual and augmented reality fit neatly into any sales strategies that your business already has, here are a few examples.

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Get your business ready for the $60 Billion AR market

Get your business ready for the $60 Billion AR market

in AR

The markets and revenue for augmented reality and virtual reality have been growing steadily since 2016 . By 2023 the market is expected to grow to a massive $60 Billion for AR alone and VR comes in at a respectable $34 Billion. This is due to AR and VR technologies being applied in industries other than entertainment such as the medical, military and commercial sectors. AR has grown by a larger degree by virtue of it’s install base, most new smartphones come equipped with augmented reality functionality and last year a massive 1.

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Google launches ARCore 1.0, but what is ARCore?

Google launches ARCore 1.0, but what is ARCore?

in AR

February 28, 2018

The Mobile World Congress this year had a number of cool announcements including the new Samsung S9 and S9+, Huawei unveiled their 5G chip allowing for even faster mobile internet but the most exciting reveal, or launch in fact, was Google's launching ARCore 1.0. What is it? The ARCore is a brand new augmented reality SDK for Android from Google. It provides developers the tools to create augmented reality apps and publish them to the Google Play store.

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Your guide to VR, AR and MR

Your guide to VR, AR and MR

in VR

February 21, 2018

With a lot of new technology being launched every year it can be hard to stay on top of all of it. Virtual reality (VR), Augmented reality (AR) and Mixed reality (MR) been the most prevalent of the new devices and applications. Here’s your guide to what each technology is and what it can do. Virtual Reality (VR) Brought into the mainstream by companies like Oculus, HTC and Samsung, virtual reality involves the user being completely immersed, with the use of a headset and sophisticated control mechanisms, into a new digital reality.

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AR and VR in Scotland

AR and VR in Scotland

in VR

February 14, 2018

The entire world is currently wrestling with Augmented and Virtual Reality, trying to find out every possible use for the new technology. In this respect, Scotland has already made great strides. Dundee and other cities serve as hubs for developers and other talent whom are already creating the applications and experiences that you’ll soon be witnessing in your day to day life. Here are a few areas where you’ll soon find VR and AR in Scotland.

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