Engineers build the world. But at what cost to the world?<a href="https://massless.dev" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Massless&nbsp;</a>offers a framework to accelerate innovation and decelerate climate change at the same time. We don&#39;t all need to hide in a cave. Quite the opposite. We need to be leveraging every technology available to change our approach to product design, reconfigure our global manufacturing supply chains, and engage the power of consumer choice and education to change the culture of commerce.Engineers have tremendous leverage in our race to curb the most disastrous impacts of climate change. Obviously, a young engineer can go work for a solar company, or a battery startup, or design the next generation of carbon capture. What is less obvious is that engineers can have a tremendous impact on climate by re-imagining how anything is built. E=mc2. Mass is energy. Energy is mass. We need to be applying the principles of sustainability to every design. The planet cannot wait.The <a href="https://massless.dev" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">massless mission</a> is to reduce global energy usage by 25% by the year 2050, leveraging the power of distributed digital manufacturing. This is a mammoth target, and it will require deep changes to our entire global manufacturing ecosystem, but it is possible. We selected this target based on modeling done in a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301421517306997" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">2018 research paper published in Energy Policy</a>, where the authors show different scenarios for how digital manufacturing can impact global energy usage. In the different scenarios, they model the impact to be between 5-27% by 2050. <a href="https://massless.dev" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">massless</a> is the mission to achieve the top end of that range. To do that, we need to change the culture.In this article, I am going to outline the four massless principles that every engineer can begin to apply immediately to any and every project that they are currently working on. 1. Massless.&nbsp;Thanks to Moore&#39;s Law, compute power is cheap, abundant and energy-efficient. Bill Gross calls this &quot;bits over atoms&quot;. If you don&#39;t need to make a physical object, don&#39;t. Leverage the power of advanced simulation and augmented reality to work out the kinks before you build. polySpectra has created a free tool, <a href="https://ar.polyspectra.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">polySpectra AR</a>, that allows anyone to instantly view their CAD files in augmented reality, in their own workspace on their own phone or tablet, without needing to download any app or install any special software. Our hope is that designers and engineers will use this tool for their &quot;looks like&quot; prototypes, which would have otherwise ended up in a landfill.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjQ4NjU0MzA2MTkyLWFyLWJyYWNrZXQtb24tZGVzazEyMDBfNjMwLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 412px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Massless prototyping, courtesy https://ar.polyspectra.com 2. Less mass.&nbsp;30% of US energy is used to move people and stuff around. According to the US Department of Energy, reducing the weight of a car by 10% can save roughly 7% on fuel. Engineers need to be leveraging new advancements in topology optimization, lightweighting and advanced materials to create the lightest weight component that will successfully meet the design criteria. To help engineers with lightweighting, we recently created <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJGujqEB8Pw" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">a tutorial on lightweighting for resin printing</a>, which includes a free nTopology notebook for any engineer to apply to their project.<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wJGujqEB8Pw?&wmode=opaque&rel=0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0"></iframe> 3. Less waste.&nbsp;polySpectra&#39;s DLP-based additive manufacturing process uses about <a href="https://medium.com/polyspectra-wavefront/why-3d-printing-is-a-critical-part-of-the-battle-against-climate-change-726e493a3f58" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">50x less energy than an injection molding press</a>. Additive manufacturing is capable of printing the precise mass, in the precise geometry, and in the precise quantity needed - with little to no waste. Most consumers are unaware of the carbon footprint of the products that they buy, these wasteful externalities are not visible or rationally priced. Today, it is too cheap for companies to create tons of trash. We have become addicted to the &quot;infinite shelf space&quot; of online retail. But the planet is not infinite. What if the product didn&#39;t exist until it was ordered? And then only the number of units that were ordered were produced? Consumers can still experience abundance, choice, prosperity - and we can do it without wrecking the planet.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjQ4NjU1MDk1MTI4LXJlc2luLXByaW50LXdpZGUtc21hbGxlci5wbmciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 543px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">4. Less movement.&nbsp;I&#39;ll say it again: 30% of US energy is used to move people and stuff around. Digital manufacturing can have a tremendous energy impact by providing a lower carbon footprint alternative to traditional manufacturing. It can have a huge energy impact by enabling the next generation of light-weight transportation vehicles. But the really massive impact comes from &quot;bits over atoms&quot; - instead of sending components halfway around the world 4 times before the product is fully assembled (hint: your smartphone is made this way), we will send files over the internet, to be digitally manufactured regionally or even locally. Even if we could just shift our manufacturing ecosystem to have products manufactured on the same continent as their end-user, we could massively cut the energy intensity of our built world.<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/y3qfeoqErtY?&feature=emb_title&wmode=opaque&rel=0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0"></iframe> To achieve the <a href="https://massless.dev" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">massless mission</a>, we will need every tool in the toolbox: augmented reality, design for additive manufacturing, topology optimization, education, customer co-creation, metamaterials, virtual inventories, advanced automation...the possibilities are endless. We will also need as many innovators as possible. We sincerely hope that you will join us on this mission. We certainly can&#39;t do it alone. As engineers - you have much more power than you might imagine. You are building the world. Are you going to build it with intention? Could you bring the massless mindset into your workflow today?Go massless today =&gt; <a href="https://massless.dev" id="isPasted" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://massless.dev</a>

1. massless 2. less mass 3. less waste 4. less movement

Engineers have tremendous leverage in humanity's race to curb the most disastrous impacts of climate change. Massless offers a framework to accelerate innovation and decelerate climate change at the same time.

Engineering with a Massless Mindset

David Shapira and Kordian Caplazi have three things in common: they are young, have an ETH degree in their pockets and knew before they graduated that they wanted to become self-employed. With the founding of Rimon Technologies in August 2020, they have fulfilled their dream of starting their own company The start-up is so successful that four more members joined the team last year.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjQ1NDM5MzI5ODI3LWltYWdlLmltYWdlZm9ybWF0LmZ1bGx3aWR0aC44MDgwNTU0NDMuanBnIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">What Lukas Roder, David Shapira and Kordian Caplazi like about their daily work is that they can help shape the future of augmented reality with their ideas.. (Image: Annick Ramp / ETH Zurich)&nbsp;Rimon develops virtual user manuals for industrial companies to support technicians and frontline workers frontline workers when commissioning new equipment or repairing it. Instead of working their way through a tedious paper-based handbook, users wear augmented reality glasses that guide them step by step through complex instructions, providing them with the information they need exactly when and where they need it.Augmented reality should not be confused with virtual reality, which involves becoming completely immersed in a virtual world. AR glasses, in contrast, provide a clear view of the real environment and overlay it with digital elements. In the case of augmented user manuals, the glasses project explanatory videos, interactive text fields or even 3D machine models into the field of view.<h2>Out of the lab and into the field</h2>“Our customers often only understand exactly what we do when we put AR glasses on them,” says Shapira, laughing. The “Coffee Case”, a step-by-step guide to preparing coffee with a barista machine, is a fitting choice for a demonstration. The 29-year-old originally developed this user manual as a semester project back in early 2019.<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/flZFF6wkEfY?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.wevolver.com" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" style="width: 768px; height: 435px;"></iframe>The “Coffee Case” has proven as a good choice for sales pitch demonstrations. Everyday work for the young entrepreneurs involves designing similar AR user manuals for specific machines belonging to their business clients. (Video: Rimon Technologies)&nbsp;Shapira first became acquainted with AR technology and its possible applications in an elective lecture during his mechanical engineering studies. “I was fascinated by how AR glasses could present information in a different way,” he says. Caplazi, who also attended the lecture, adds: “Because it’s a young technology, there was a lot of space for new ideas.” It soon became clear to both of them that they wanted to take a closer look at AR in their Master’s theses.Shapira came to his project through a happy coincidence, having got into conversation with the technical director of the locking systems company Dormakaba, who was visiting the mechanical engineering laboratories at ETH. The Master student talked about the possible AR applications he saw for the industrial company. Dormakaba was convinced, and Shapira set about demonstrating in a practical study the potential of the new technology in Dormakaba’s operations.<h2>Emergency Covid solution proves successful</h2>For his study, Shapira designed a virtual instruction manual that guides users through the assembly of a security door system for commercial buildings. “The door system was a good case study because it was being installed only rarely at the time,” he explains. Training service technicians to do this work is correspondingly time-consuming. The plan was to compare the difference in the technicians’ performance following conventional training and instruction via AR glasses.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1645439693218-image-1.imageformat.slideshow.1966286893.jpg" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Lukas Roder demonstrates how the virtual instruction manual works. The AR glasses project the image directly onto the retina. (Image: Annick Ramp / ETH Zurich)But as with so much other practical work, Covid threw a spanner in the works here too, and Shapira was unable to perform the planned study with industry employees during lockdown. The emergency solution was to use mechanical engineering students. With no prior knowledge of the security door system or how to use the 3D glasses, all of the students completed the assembly process with no mistakes. “I never expected that,” says Shapira.At the same time, his fellow student Caplazi was focusing his Master’s thesis on the way in which hand and eye movements can be used to predict subsequent actions of AR users. This would make it possible to warn them of dangerous situations in good time. Shapira and Caplazi exchanged ideas and experiences and continued to experiment industriously in their free time, both becoming increasingly convinced that AR instructions were an area with a great deal of potential. In August 2020, their start-up was founded.<h2>A diverse customer base</h2>Today, a team of six works on further developing the AR user manuals – two team members focus exclusively on programming, while a designer takes care of the visual aspects. The aim is to design a program interface that guides users through the process as intuitively as possible. “Unlike social media apps, there aren’t any best-practice examples for AR instructions as yet,” says Caplazi.The start-up’s customer base is diverse, incorporating companies from heating technology, energy technology and even kitchen companies, from international corporations to small SMEs. Rimon works closely with industry representatives on a project basis to find the appropriate application for each company. “We’ve seen in practice that companies often have similar needs,” says Roder.<blockquote>&nbsp;"We have enough scientific knowledge. Now it’s a matter of finding useful applications.” - <cite>Lukas Roder, young entrepreneur</cite>&nbsp; &nbsp;</blockquote>The food technology graduate, who brings experience from a previous start-up, is active primarily in sales. Like probably many others, he first considered going on to complete a doctorate after graduating, says the 28-year-old. In the field of augmented reality, however, it quickly became clear to Roder that: “We have enough scientific knowledge. Now it’s a matter of finding useful applications.”AR instructions bring particular added value to contracts from abroad and training, both made more difficult by the pandemic. If a machine breaks down at a customer’s premises abroad, the company can send AR glasses instead of a technician, thereby not only offering a faster service but also cutting costs. Training can now be provided regardless of location, or for one employee at a time.<h2>Rapid developments in technology</h2>The start-up is currently working on a project with a heating technology company, in which the use of AR glasses as a training tool offers even greater potential. The switch to renewable energies and heating systems means that the company will have to retrain large parts of its workforce in a short time. “Seventy percent of the service technicians have been trained to work with fossil-fuel heating systems,” explains Caplazi. AR instructions help the company keep pace with technological change.Rimon faces tough competition – tech giants such as Microsoft are also working on AR instructions for various uses. “Right now, the whole industry is trying to find out which AR applications work,” says Roder. As a result, the ETH start-up is currently concentrating on solutions for the mechanical engineering industry, where the two company founders already have plenty of expertise. Next, the young entrepreneurs plan to launch a self-service platform that will enable companies to create AR instructions themselves.

Clicking on a button is intuitive but requires accuracy. (Image: Annick Ramp / ETH Zurich)

No sooner had David Shapira and Kordian Caplazi finished their studies than they set about creating a start-​up. Rimon develops virtual user manuals for industrial companies, enabling users to quickly and intuitively learn how to operate complex machines with the aid of AR glasses.

ETH graduates reinvent the user manual

Accessibility is an undeniably important subject, yet one which is all-too often overlooked in the development of new technologies. Despite the march of progress, the majority of legally blind individuals rely on a simple white cane for navigation — something researchers Manuel Zahn and Armaghan Ahmad Khan are looking to change.The pair, working in the Center for Digital Technology and Management at the Technical University of Munich and in partnership with FRAMOS GmbH, have developed a system which combines a depth-sensing 3D camera with a wearable haptic feedback sleeve — providing, they say, navigation and obstacle avoidance capabilities entirely hands-free, and at a fidelity and range which far exceeds a cane.<h1>Computer vision for the blind</h1>The fully-wearable system proposed by Zahn and Khan is built around an Intel RealSense D415 depth-sensing camera, housed in a 3D-printed pair of glasses worn over the user’s eyes. This is linked to a single-board computer, an AAEON Up Board, which handles processing the data from the camera, and a battery pack for portability.The RealSense Camera is designed around an active infrared stereo imaging system, projecting beams of invisible infrared light and measuring the depth of its surroundings. Compared with a system based on visible light cameras, it has one major advantage: It can operate in absolute darkness, allowing its user to navigate without difficulty.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1644261002540-blind2.jpg" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Two images: the left image shows an Intel RealSense depth-sensing camera mounted in a 3D printed pair of glasses, in place of the lenses; the right image shows a person wearing the camera system.">An off-the-shelf depth-sensing camera combined with a 3D printed frame acts as the input to a hands-free navigation system for the blind. Determining the depth of the wearer’s surroundings is only part of the system’s function, however: That information has to be communicated to the user in some way. Eschewing spoken or otherwise audible feedback, as likely to take away from the user’s ability to easily hear their surroundings, the researchers developed a wearable haptic feedback sleeve made from 25 vibration motors sewn onto fabric and linked to an Adafruit Feather 32U4 microcontroller development board.With this, the system is complete: A depth-sensing camera which can map the wearer’s surroundings onto the 25-“pixel” haptic feedback system, providing a physical response when obstacles are near.<h1>Novel navigation</h1>Exactly what feedback is provided depends on where the user is navigating, the pair explain. For indoor navigation, the system provides vibration of nearby obstacles and walls — the location of the vibration mapped to the direction of the obstacle and the intensity mapped to its proximity. This way, a user can navigate with only the wearable system.An outdoor mode switches from a standalone navigation device to an accessory, designed for use with the traditional cane: The obstacle detection range is extended to beyond two meters (around six and a half feet), providing information about obstacles and other objects outside the range of a traditional cane.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1644261012136-blind3.jpg" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="A picture of a custom-built haptic feedback sleeve, comprised of a grid of 25 vibration motors sewn onto fabric. Wires are seen leading to a control box and a battery pack.">Designed to keep the user's hands free, this haptic feedback sleeve proved easy to use. To prove the concept, the pair set up a navigation route which included walkways, doors, and various obstacles — and which had to be traversed in absolute darkness. Impressively, after a period of familiarization with the vibration feedback system, the five volunteers were able to complete the obstacle course perfectly on their very first try.In subsequent attempts, the time taken to traverse the course reduced — showing increasing familiarity with and trust in the system: “Overall the averages for the runs decreased from 320 seconds in the first run to 148 seconds in the third run, two weeks later,” the researchers note — while admitting that one participant did become disoriented for a short period in their last run with the system.The results encourage, with Zahn and Khan pointing to the system’s low cost and lightweight nature as making it of interest for future development — as too is the fact it does not interfere with the wearer’s hearing and leaves both hands free, either for using a traditional navigation aid like cane or for any other task.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1644261019783-blind4.jpg" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="A picture of a narrow hall with a grid of colored boxes overlaid; an image to the right shows how each color maps to a strength of vibration on the haptic feedback sleeve.">Varying strength and positional haptic feedback turn obstacles into a feeling on the wearer's arm. “Further developments could include the implementation of an object recognition, based on the RGB [visible light] image of the camera,” the pair add. “This would allow the system to artificially generate bordered paths, solving the problem of orientation in a large open space.”The only sticking point: Intel, the manufacturer of the camera platform used for the prototype, <a href="https://www.crn.com/news/components-peripherals/why-pat-gelsinger-decided-to-wind-down-intel-s-realsense-unit-exclusive" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">recently confirmed</a> it was to discontinue its RealSense platform — though, at the time of writing, it continued to provide the RealSense D415 for sale.Zahn and Khan's paper is available <a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/2201.04453" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">on Cornell's arXiv.org preprint server</a>.<h1>References</h1>Manuel Zahn, Armaghan Ahmad Khan: <cite>Obstacle avoidance for blind people using a 3D camera and a haptic feedback sleeve</cite>. DOI <a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/2201.04453" target="_blank">arXiv:2201.04453</a> [cs.HC].Dylan Martin, CRN: Why Pat Gelsinger Decided to Wind Down Intel's RealSense Unit: Exclusive.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.crn.com/news/components-peripherals/why-pat-gelsinger-decided-to-wind-down-intel-s-realsense-unit-exclusive" id="isPasted" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.crn.com/news/components-peripherals/why-pat-gelsinger-decided-to-wind-down-intel-s-realsense-unit-exclusive</a>

Using a depth-sensing camera, this wearable navigation platform can alert its wearer to obstacles via haptic feedback.

Built around a custom-made haptic feedback sleeve and an Intel RealSense camera in a 3D-printed glasses housing, this navigation system lets its user find their way even in absolute darkness.

A wearable navigation system, featuring a 3D camera, offers a hands-free navigation solution for the blind

This article was discussed in our <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.wevolver.com/profile/the.next.byte&source=gmail&ust=1645483330039000&usg=AOvVaw3G1InVzNPFrh6EQN0Bd-pi" href="https://www.wevolver.com/profile/the.next.byte" id="isPasted" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Next Byte podcast</a>.&nbsp;<iframe height="200px" width="100%" frameborder="no" scrolling="no" seamless="" src="https://player.simplecast.com/5141d285-e7f7-4062-83fb-4e9e29407a6d?dark=false" class="fr-draggable" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true"></iframe>The full article will continue below.<hr>This article was first published on <a href="https://news.mit.edu/2022/invisible-labels-identify-track-objects-0128" id="isPasted" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">MIT News</a>.<hr>If you download music online, you can get accompanying information embedded into the digital file that might tell you the name of the song, its genre, the featured artists on a given track, the composer, and the producer. Similarly, if you download a digital photo, you can obtain information that may include the time, date, and location at which the picture was taken. That led Mustafa Doga Dogan to wonder whether engineers could do something similar for physical objects. “That way,” he mused, “we could inform ourselves faster and more reliably while walking around in a store or museum or library.”The idea, at first, was a bit abstract for Dogan, a 4th-year PhD student in the MIT Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. But his thinking solidified in the latter part of 2020 when he heard about a new smartphone model with a camera that utilizes the infrared (IR) range of the electromagnetic spectrum that the naked eye can’t perceive. IR light, moreover, has a unique ability to see through certain materials that are opaque to visible light. It occurred to Dogan that this feature, in particular, could be useful.The concept he has since come up with — while working with colleagues at MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab (CSAIL) and a research scientist at Facebook — is called <a href="https://groups.csail.mit.edu/hcie/files/research-projects/infraredtags/2022-CHI-InfraredTags-paper.pdf" target="_blank">InfraredTags</a>. In place of the standard barcodes affixed to products, which may be removed or detached or become otherwise unreadable over time, these tags are unobtrusive (due to the fact that they are invisible) and far more durable, given that they’re embedded within the interior of objects fabricated on standard 3D printers.<a target="_blank"></a><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Tjs1zH7IMxE?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.wevolver.com" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" style="width: 767px; height: 430px;" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true"></iframe>Last year, Dogan spent a couple of months trying to find a suitable variety of plastic that IR light can pass through. It would have to come in the form of a filament spool specifically designed for 3D printers. After an extensive search, he came across customized plastic filaments made by a small German company that seemed promising. He then used a spectrophotometer at an MIT materials science lab to analyze a sample, where he discovered that it was opaque to visible light but transparent or translucent to IR light — just the properties he was seeking.The next step was to experiment with techniques for making tags on a printer. One option was to produce the code by carving out tiny air gaps — proxies for zeroes and ones — in a layer of plastic. Another option, assuming an available printer could handle it, would be to use two kinds of plastic, one that transmits IR light and the other — upon which the code is inscribed — that is opaque. The dual material approach is preferable, when possible, because it can provide a clearer contrast and thus could be more easily read with an IR camera.The tags themselves could consist of familiar barcodes, which present information in a linear, one-dimensional format. Two-dimensional options — such as square QR codes (commonly used, for instance, on return labels) and so-called ArUco (fiducial) markers — can potentially pack more information into the same area. The MIT team has developed a software “user interface” that specifies exactly what the tag should look like and where it should appear within a particular object. Multiple tags could be placed throughout the same object, in fact, making it easy to access information in the event that views from certain angles are obstructed.“InfraredTags is a really clever, useful, and accessible approach to embedding information into objects,” comments Fraser Anderson, a senior principal research scientist at the Autodesk Technology Center in Toronto, Ontario. “I can easily imagine a future where you can point a standard camera at any object and it would give you information about that object — where it was manufactured, the materials used, or repair instructions — and you wouldn't even have to search for a barcode.”Dogan and his collaborators have created several prototypes along these lines, including mugs with bar codes engraved inside the container walls, beneath a 1-millimeter plastic shell, which can be read by IR cameras. They’ve also fabricated a Wi-Fi router prototype with invisible tags that reveal the network name or password, depending on the perspective it’s viewed from. They’ve made a cheap video game controller, shaped like a wheel, that is completely passive, with no electronic components at all. It just has a barcode (ArUco marker) inside. A player simply turns the wheel, clockwise or counterclockwise, and an inexpensive ($20) IR camera can then determine its orientation in space.In the future, if tags like these become widespread, people could use their cellphones to turn lights on and off, control the volume of a speaker, or regulate the temperature on a thermostat. Dogan and his colleagues are looking into the possibility of adding IR cameras to augmented reality headsets. He imagines walking around a supermarket, someday, wearing such headsets and instantly getting information about the products around him — how many calories are in an individual serving, and what are some recipes for preparing it?Kaan Akşit, an associate professor of computer science at University College London, sees great potential for this technology. “The labeling and tagging industry is a vast part of our day-to-day lives,” Akşit says. “Everything we buy from grocery stores to pieces to be replaced in our devices (e.g., batteries, circuits, computers, car parts) must be identified and tracked correctly. Doga’s work addresses these issues by providing an invisible tagging system that is mostly protected against the sands of time.” And as futuristic notions like the metaverse become part of our reality, Akşit adds, “Doga’s tagging and labeling mechanism can help us bring a digital copy of items with us as we explore three-dimensional virtual environments.”The <a href="https://groups.csail.mit.edu/hcie/files/research-projects/infraredtags/2022-CHI-InfraredTags-paper.pdf" target="_blank">paper</a>, “InfraredTags: Embedding Invisible AR Markers and Barcodes into Objects Using Low-Cost Infrared-Based 3D Printing and Imaging Tools,” is being presented at the ACM CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, in New Orleans this spring, and will be published in the conference proceedings.Dogan’s coauthors on this paper are Ahmad Taka, Michael Lu, Yunyi Zhu, Akshat Kumar, and Stefanie Mueller of MIT CSAIL; and Aakar Gupta of Facebook Reality Labs in Redmond, Washington.<hr>Reprinted with permission of <a href="https://news.mit.edu/2022/invisible-labels-identify-track-objects-0128" id="isPasted" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">MIT News</a>"

MIT scientists built a user interface that facilitates the integration of common tags (QR codes or ArUco markers used for augmented reality) with the object geometry to make them 3D printable as InfraredTags. Credits: Photos courtesy of MIT CSAIL.

An MIT team develops 3D-printed tags to classify and store data on physical objects.

Invisible machine-readable labels that identify and track objects

These days, people stare at their screens ever more frequently – especially since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. Conferences, meetings and discussions with work colleagues all take place via video call. If the big tech companies have their way, such encounters will become an immersive experience in the so-called metaverse as early as next year, thanks to 3D glasses and specialised computer programs.The key to permitting a natural user experience in VR and AR applications is to create what are known as avatars, which are computer-generated, dynamic representations of people. The more realistic the avatars’ appearance and behaviour, the more likely it is that people will gain a sense of real social interaction.However, modelling a human being in detail and in motion is a task that continues to challenge the developers of these applications. Today’s graphics programs can already create photorealistic, static avatars. But to animate a smiling face, say, graphic designers have to manually edit almost every single image on the computer to correct nuances such as wrinkles and shadows.Researchers led by Otmar Hilliges, Professor of Computer Science at ETH Zurich, showed how to do this more easily at the <a href="https://openaccess.thecvf.com/content/ICCV2021/html/Chen_SNARF_Differentiable_Forward_Skinning_for_Animating_Non-Rigid_Neural_Implicit_Shapes_ICCV_2021_paper.html" target="_blank">International Conference on Computer Visioncall_made</a> in October 2021. Instead of modelling every last detail, they use intelligent algorithms that learn to automatically render animated avatars in every conceivable pose by observing 3D images of humans in just a few poses.<h2>Computer model can even handle handsprings</h2>Computer programs that use artificial intelligence to create lifelike virtual humans have existed only for a few years. These programs learn to realistically depict different body positions using 3D scans of a real person, which are recorded beforehand using a complex camera system.The AI algorithms process the scans by measuring countless points inside and outside the person’s body to define its contours as a mathematical function. In this way, the algorithms build a template shape of the person. To move the avatar to new poses, the algorithms learn to memorize the path from the moving pose back to the template.However, for extreme poses outside the known repertoire of movements, such algorithms do not have the knowledge and predict wrong paths, leading to clearly visible artifacts: the arms might be detached from the body or the joints located in the wrong place. This is why today’s models are trained on as many different poses as possible – which entails a huge effort for 3D scanning and requires enormous computing power.To date, AI avatars are hardly applicable, especially for interactive applications. “It’s impractical to capture the entire possible repertoire of movements,” says Xu Chen, a doctoral student and lead author of the study.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1643193965433-image.imageformat.twocolumn.248606704.gif" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1643193946604-image.imageformat.twocolumn.1792160336.gif" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Graphics: Xu Chen/ETH Zurich&nbsp;The new method Chen has developed takes the opposite approach: the model computes the path from the template to the moving poses. Since this means the calculations always have the same starting point, it lets the intelligent algorithms learn better how to generalise movements.Indeed, for the first time, it puts such a computer model in a position to easily represent new motion patterns as well. It can even produce acrobatic movements such as a somersault or a back bridge.<h2>Any number of new faces from just one image</h2>The new full-body avatars can’t yet be personalised; the representations are limited to the person scanned in the original 3D images. Chen and his colleagues would like to further develop their computer model so that it can create new identities at will.Marcel Bühler, another doctoral student in Hillige’s group, has already found a solution for personalising avatar faces and changing them as desired. Like Chen in his full-body models, Bühler used intelligent algorithms to create new animated faces from a combination of a 3D face model and a large collection of portrait photos.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1643194439353-ezgif-7-c725b9e1b0.gif" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Graphics: Marcel Bühler/ETH Zurich&nbsp;While previous computer programs already provided good animations of faces from the front, Bühler’s model can also realistically represent faces from the side as well as from above and below.<h2>A close look can unmask deepfakes</h2>Is there a danger that the new technology will soon allow even more realistic deepfake videos to circulate, for example to fake a speech by an important politician? “Deepfake videos are still far from perfect,” Bühler says. Most computer programs, he points out, achieve good results only for a particular setting. For example, the new face model can’t yet realistically represent details such as hair.“Anyone who looks closely will still find artifacts,” Bühler says. He thinks it is more important to keep the public informed and aware of the current state of affairs. Making the research on 3D rendering techniques, as well as their vulnerabilities, publicly available could help cybersecurity experts more easily detect deepfake videos on the web, he adds.For interactive virtual reality applications, the work of these ETH researchers represents enormous progress. It’s quite possible that tech companies like Facebook and Microsoft will implement the two doctoral students’ newly developed techniques in their avatars.<hr><h2 id="isPasted">Reference</h2>Chen X, Zheng Y, Black M, Hilliges O, Geiger A. <a href="https://openaccess.thecvf.com/content/ICCV2021/html/Chen_SNARF_Differentiable_Forward_Skinning_for_Animating_Non-Rigid_Neural_Implicit_Shapes_ICCV_2021_paper.html" target="_blank">SNARF: Differentiable Forward Skinning for Animating Non-Rigid Neural Implicit Shapescall_made</a>. International Conference on Computer Vision (ICCV), published online on October 11th, 2021.Bühler M, Meka A, Li G, Beeler T, Hilliges O. <a href="https://openaccess.thecvf.com/content/ICCV2021/html/Buhler_VariTex_Variational_Neural_Face_Textures_ICCV_2021_paper.html" target="_blank">VariTex: Variational Neural Face Texturescall_made</a>. International Conference on Computer Vision (ICCV), published online on October 11th, 2021.

The new AI-​based approach can create realistic virtual humans that perform never-​before-seen moves such as wild dancing. (Graphic: Xu Chen/ETH Zürich)

Soon, internet users will be able to meet each other in cyberspace as animated 3D avatars. Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed new algorithms for creating virtual humans much more easily.

One step closer to lifelike avatars

Have you ever wanted to explore outer-space? Now you can, without leaving Earth, thanks to powerful, open-source beta software VIRUP that builds – in real-time – a virtual universe based on the most detailed contemporary astrophysical and cosmological data.

Explore the universe with virtual reality

Together with Ansys, a developer of simulation software, we are creating <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/decarbonization-sustainability-and-innovations-in-transportation-and-mobility" target="_blank">a series of content</a> about the technologies that drive innovation. This article was written by engineer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wevolver.com/profile/nicolas.sarmiento.sierra" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Nicolas Sierra Sarmiento</a>&nbsp;with editing from Wevolver.&nbsp;<h1 dir="ltr" id="isPasted">Simulation Demands Intuitive 3D Visualizations</h1>Simulation technology made up of various software packages enable designers and engineers to build, test and analyze objects, systems and ideas. Simulation software has exponentially improved over the last decade, and there is now a growing need for supporting technologies to better leverage the potential of simulation. This article examines the use of emerging visualization technologies that will enable faster and more accurate simulation solutions. Additionally, it discusses the rise of cloud computing that will be necessary to deliver seamless interactive experiences.&nbsp;The rapid evolution of simulation technologies promotes innovation that elevates how people interact with the detailed models and data that simulation delivers. As innovation in the simulation sector experiences continual dramatic changes, mechanisms to support demanding technical requirements are also required to provide better and faster data processing, tracking, measuring, and mapping of environments.&nbsp;An answer to these challenges is Assistive Technologies (AT). ATs are innovations developed to support or enhance the performance and technical capabilities of the equipment used for the design, acceleration of data processing, and/or rendering of 3D and virtual environments. Because higher computational performance is necessary to complete these and other tasks, computing-based ATs are becoming essential to bring simulation technologies to more applications and devices without worrying about software and hardware limits. ATs include virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), as well as other emerging hardware such as 3D-enabled tablets.<div class="fr-img-space-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjI4MTQ3NDc2MzYyLXhyLWV4cG8taXBEaE9RNWd0RWstdW5zcGxhc2guanBnIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 788px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Figure 01: VR in use in research and design.</div><h2 dir="ltr" id="isPasted">Basics of Virtual Reality</h2>In principle, VR is a computer-generated digital setting experienced through sensory stimuli observed in 2D or 3D[1]. VR offers an interactive and multi-sensorial experience of a fictitious world in an enclosed environment where the user determines how the simulated world interacts. Users typically experience the simulated environments by putting on immersive <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/ferrari-innovating-and-winning-with-simulation-technology" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">head-mounted displays</a> (HMDs).&nbsp;The user sends information into the system, and the feedback returns to the user from the system with particular stimuli. Data is collected from the user, such as eye position, user location, hand movements, etc., and transmitted to the application to update geometry, user inputs, and other simulation features (Figure 02). The rendering transforms the computer format to a user format delivering visual, auditory, and haptic outputs.&nbsp;<div class="fr-img-space-wrap"><div class="fr-img-space-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjI4MTQ4NDk0MjAxLTEtMDEgZWRpdGVkLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Figure 02: A typical VR system [1]</div></div><h2 dir="ltr" id="isPasted">Basics of Augmented Reality</h2>In contrast to VR, where an environment is fictitious, AR is a set of technologies that helps see the real world differently. With the aid of computer-made images, a processor, and remote (cloud contained or downloaded directly through the internet) or local data sources, a device can augment the real world by superimposing virtual objects that can be seen or perceived in real-time[2]. AR can be created anytime, anywhere using either fixed (e.g., rooms) or movable systems (phones). Together with cloud computing, a real-time AR simulation can be experienced on low-compute environments and devices.<div class="fr-img-space-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjI4MTQ4NTY2MzI1LUFSLUNGRC1waG90by1hdC1OTVcyMDE3LTEwMjR4NjQwLnBuZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 788px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Figure 03: Using AR to present CFD results is especially effective when trying to communicate insights from simulations to a non-technical audience. Image credit: LEAP/Monash Motorsports.</div><h3 dir="ltr" id="isPasted">The next generation of VR/AR solutions</h3>Ansys has developed a physics-based and real-time solution called <a href="https://www.ansys.com/products/optics-vr/ansys-vrxperience-perceived-quality" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://www.ansys.com/products/optics-vr/ansys-vrxperience-perceived-quality" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">VRXPERIENCE Perceived Quality</a> for design evaluation by using VR technologies that allow interactive tracing and configuration of prototype features while aiming for significant accuracy. Prototypes can be significantly improved by having access to predictive and validating options that can help control the impacts of light, color, and material variation. This enables engineers and designers to make better decisions through virtual prototypes that impact product design optimization.&nbsp;The Ansys VRXPERIENCE allows users to take CAD formats and optimize models through light, color, and material libraries. Based on the physics of light, accurate rendering can be delivered due to the optical propagation capabilities that can be manipulated in 360° sets. This service enables scalable rendering completed with calculations designed to find the best options between accuracy and interactivity. HMD-based visualization can guide users to efficiently improve their designs through different simulations. As a result, productivity and prototype quality are considerably increased from the moment VR is used for prototyping.<h1 dir="ltr" id="isPasted">The Lume Pad tablet</h1>To date, most devices that are used to generate 3D images are based on stereoscopy. This technique creates images with the major depth on a flat screen but does not provide images of a vividness that can replicate what the human eye can see, which is one of the factors severely limiting the optical delivery of VR/AR services. Lightfield technology is one solution to this challenge. The technology collects the radiance of light rays coming from different directions. It provides elegant and intense visual experiences that take advantage of angular information obtained at different distances and positions in the scene[4].&nbsp;California-based company <a href="https://www.leiainc.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Leia</a> has built upon Lighfield’s characteristics and developed a patented technology called Diffractive Lightfield Backlighting (DLB™) that uses finely tuned nano-structures to project a dense Lightfield from a transparent, edge-lit substrate. The Lume Pad is Leia’s keystone product that is capable of sending variable amounts of light to contrasting directions, resulting in content that can be examined in high fidelity 3D without the use of glasses or eye-tracking.&nbsp;<div class="fr-img-space-wrap"><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1629880263984-lumepad-car-on.png" style="width: 788px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Figure 04: Leia’s Lume Pad.&nbsp;</div>With the DLB™, the tablet can use optimal resolutions (2D resolution 2560×1440) where about 16 images are sent to the display simultaneously (the resolution of each Lightfield view is 640x400). In addition to the DLB™ technology, Leia uses other software and hardware necessary to bring about the total performance of the Lume Pad. In particular: nanotechnology, manufacturing, video processing tools, and the development of its LF content. The Lume Pad is helping advance the way simulation can be experienced and potentially broadening the way simulation is delivered to different applications. One exciting example is the possibility for DLB to offer a much more interactive and intuitive way to view and understand the digital twins of smart buildings or public infrastructure, opening this critical tool to more users.<h2 dir="ltr" id="isPasted">Technological Convergence to deliver the future of simulation</h2>Graphic processing units (GPUs) perform in parallel to central processing units (CPUs) to enhance visualization in 2D surfaces[5]. They take CPU’s off-loaded functions with a high degree of parallelism, for example, running several mathematical functions or data points simultaneously. High-performance computing (HPC) or inclusive deep learning are technologies taking advantage of modern GPUs. But, traditional GPUs might not be enough to withstand the requirements of new simulation tools. Common restraint factors are equipment availability (including price), processor performance, data storage, growing digital collaborative work, and running times for data processing. For high-end 3D visualizations, other types of infrastructure are required.In the case of data processing, cloud-based GPUs offer a great solution to deal with high loads of information and stream visualizations back to remote devices in real-time. An example of cloud-based immersive streaming is NVIDIA’s CloudXR, which delivers graphics-intensive VR/AR experiences across radio signal or ethernet. Simulation focussed companies such as Ansys are integrating NVIDIA cloud services into some products.<div class="fr-img-space-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjI4NzUzMDM1NDQ3LXByb3Zpei12aXN1YWwtY2xvdWR4ci1zdGFjay11cGRhdGUucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 788px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Figure 05: NVIDIA CloudXR Architecture.</div>In the search to improve graphical processing, Ansys uses cloud-based GPU virtualization to accelerate their simulation and rendering. When run in a virtualized environment, <a href="https://developer.nvidia.com/nvidia-cloudxr-sdk" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">NVIDIA CloudXR</a> leverages NVIDIA RTX Virtual Workstation (RTX vWS) to stream fully accelerated immersive graphics to a remote device such as an HMD or the Lume Pad. By running their simulations remotely on powerful GPUs and streaming them with CloudXR and RTX vWS, Ansys users are able to visualize their designs and interact with them, without interrupting their simulation.&nbsp;<h1 dir="ltr">Conclusion</h1>As simulation for design, monitoring, testing, and more becomes more and more integrated into all industries, assistive technologies that enable us to engage more richly with simulation will continue to appear. With the aid of these technologies, simulation will continue to expand as a method of design, research, monitoring, and testing. &nbsp;<h2 dir="ltr">References</h2>1. &nbsp; &nbsp; Jerald J. The VR Book: Human-Centered Design for Virtual Reality. 1st ed. Özsu MT, Hart JC, editors. Morgan &amp; Claypool Publishers All; 2016. 636 p.&nbsp;2. &nbsp; &nbsp; Furth B, Carmigniani J, Hugues O, Fuchs P, Nannipieri O, Kalkofen D, et al. Handbook of Augmented Reality. Furth B, editor. Boca Raton, Florida: Springer New York Dordrecht Heidelberg London; 2011. 769 p.&nbsp;3. &nbsp; &nbsp; Ansys. VRXPERIENCE Perceived Quality. © 2020 ANSYS, Inc. All Rights Reserved.&nbsp;4. &nbsp; &nbsp; Mahmoudpour S, Schelkens P. On the performance of objective quality metrics for lightfields. Signal Process Image Commun [Internet]. 2021;93(January):116179. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.image.2021.1161795. &nbsp; &nbsp; Edition S, Parker M. Digital Signal Processing 101. Second Edi. Jonathan Simpson; 2017. 411 p.&nbsp;

The potential of simulation solutions will be unlocked by combining cloud-based services, VR/AR innovation, and Lightfield technology.

Optimizing Cloud and Visualization Technologies for Faster and More Accurate Simulation Solutions

Test like your life depends on itTest

Test

Test 20210722 article creation

Episode 01 - Hello GalaxyThis show's all about creating fun story elixirs using the Unreal Engine &amp; various motion capture tech. &nbsp;Gear Hard &amp; Soft&nbsp;- Unreal Engine 4.26 (Game engine for nearly everything) - Xsens MVN Link mocap suit (body motion capture) - Manus VR Prime II gloves ( hand motion capture) - iPhone 12 mini (facial motion capture)Learn more about the body motion capture technology behind this video. <a href="https://bit.ly/3eFv5X1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Visit the Xsens website</a>.&nbsp;

Cory Strassburger created an alter ego using Xsens, among other technologies. Blu debuts his wild intergalactic vlog & discovers the almighty al Engi, the catalyst to building his virtual Empire in the metaverse! 

Blu unleashed into the Metaverse using real-time motion capture extravaganza

The technology, developed by researchers from the University of Cambridge, the University of Oxford and University College London (UCL), is based on LiDAR (light detection and ranging), and uses LiDAR data to create ultra-high-definition holographic representations of road objects which are beamed directly to the driver’s eyes, instead of 2D windscreen projections used in most head-up displays.While the technology has not yet been tested in a car, early tests, based on data collected from a busy street in central London, showed that the holographic images appear in the driver’s field of view according to their actual position, creating an augmented reality. This could be particularly useful where objects such as road signs are hidden by large trees or trucks, for example, allowing the driver to ‘see through’ visual obstructions. The <a href="https://www.osapublishing.org/oe/fulltext.cfm?uri=oe-29-9-13681&id=450306" target="_blank">results</a> are reported in the journal Optics Express.<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pa7o2Gd4ITU?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" style="width: 786px; height: 442px;"></iframe>“Head-up displays are being incorporated into connected vehicles, and usually project information such as speed or fuel levels directly onto the windscreen in front of the driver, who must keep their eyes on the road,” said lead author <a href="http://www.eng.cam.ac.uk/profiles/js2459" target="_blank">Jana Skirnewskaja</a>, a PhD candidate from Cambridge’s Department of Engineering. “However, we wanted to go a step further by representing real objects as panoramic 3D projections.”Skirnewskaja and her colleagues based their system on LiDAR, a remote sensing method that works by sending out a laser pulse to measure the distance between the scanner and an object. LiDAR is commonly used in agriculture, archaeology and geography, but it is also being trialled in autonomous vehicles for obstacle detection.<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9kgweRItSFU?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" style="width: 787px; height: 466px;"></iframe>Using LiDAR, the researchers scanned Malet Street, a busy street on the UCL campus in central London. Co-author Phil Wilkes, a geographer who normally uses LiDAR to scan tropical forests, scanned the whole street using a technique called terrestrial laser scanning. Millions of pulses were sent out from multiple positions along Malet Street. The LiDAR data was then combined with point cloud data, building up a 3D model.“This way, we can stitch the scans together, building a whole scene, which doesn’t only capture trees, but cars, trucks, people, signs, and everything else you would see on a typical city street,” said Wilkes. “Although the data we captured was from a stationary platform, it’s similar to the sensors that will be in the next generation of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles.”When the 3D model of Malet St was completed, the researchers then transformed various objects on the street into holographic projections. The LiDAR data, in the form of point clouds, was processed by separation algorithms to identify and extract the target objects. Another algorithm was used to convert the target objects into computer-generated diffraction patterns. These data points were implemented into the optical setup to project 3D holographic objects into the driver’s field of view.<div class="fr-img-space-wrap"><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1621597362621-Projection+3_CENTRE.jpg" style="width: 788px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Image based on LiDAR data (left), converted to a hologram (right).&nbsp;The optical setup is capable of projecting multiple layers of holograms with the help of advanced algorithms. The holographic projection can appear at different sizes and is aligned with the position of the represented real object on the street. For example, a hidden street sign would appear as a holographic projection relative to its actual position behind the obstruction, acting as an alert mechanism.In future, the researchers hope to refine their system by personalising the layout of the head-up displays and have created an algorithm capable of projecting several layers of different objects. These layered holograms can be freely arranged in the driver’s vision space. For example, in the first layer, a traffic sign at a further distance can be projected at a smaller size. In the second layer, a warning sign at a closer distance can be displayed at a larger size.“This layering technique provides an augmented reality experience and alerts the driver in a natural way,” said Skirnewskaja. “Every individual may have different preferences for their display options. For instance, the driver’s vital health signs could be projected in a desired location of the head-up display.“Panoramic holographic projections could be a valuable addition to existing safety measures by showing road objects in real time. Holograms act to alert the driver but are not a distraction.”The researchers are now working to miniaturise the optical components used in their holographic setup so they can fit into a car. Once the setup is complete, vehicle tests on public roads in Cambridge will be carried out.Skirnewskaja is a PhD candidate at the <a href="https://www.ceps-cdt.org/" target="_blank">EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) in Connected Electronic and Photonic Systems</a>, a joint centre with the University of Cambridge and UCL. She also is a fellow of the Foundation of German Business (SDW).<hr>Reference: Jana Skirnewskaja et al. ‘<a href="https://www.osapublishing.org/oe/fulltext.cfm?uri=oe-29-9-13681&id=450306" target="_blank">LiDAR-Derived Digital Holograms for Automotive Head-Up Displays</a>.’ Optics Express (2021). DOI: 10.1364/oe.420740</div>

Image based on LiDAR data (left), converted to a hologram (right).

Researchers have developed the first LiDAR-based augmented reality head-up display for use in vehicles. Tests on a prototype version of the technology suggest that it could improve road safety by ‘seeing through’ objects to alert of potential hazards without distracting the driver.

3D holographic head-up display could improve road safety

Shopping is not as pleasant as it has been before the pandemic. Queuing up in front of the stores because only a limited amount of people is allowed inside, wearing a mask all the time and disinfecting hands at every store one enters are only a few of the measures taken into action in order to ensure public health, not to talk about distance regulations…The amount of online shoppers has grown tremendously in the past decades with the rise of the internet, famous online retailers and global trade distribution hubs. And with the pandemic raging there have barely been alternative options lately. One disadvantage of online shopping has always been that the huge amount of returns due to the lack of opportunity to try on the products. This is not only a huge point in customer satisfaction but also a tremendous burden for the environment.Some applications make it possible now to try on items virtually and thus enhance the online shopping and decision making experience for online shopping. Augmented reality is a key tool in this approach. We have accompanied a 3D professional in the transition from photogrammetry to 3D scanning for virtual data display. Let´s embark together on this journey!AR-sneakersThe sportswear and sneakers label Rockdeep offers fashionable apparel and shoes. The colorful designs add a unique trendy and athletic touch to every outfit, no matter if for sports or just casual everyday life. Rockdeep wants to enhance their customer´s online shopping experience by implementing Augmented Reality enabling 3D display and online try-on on their website via smartphone.Rockdeep hired the experienced 3D artist Logan Hamilton Davis to complete the job. Logan focuses on games, visualizations, and interactive media. He has worked on 3D models for Yahoo News, DC Comics, and various marketing and video game companies. Lately, he focused on photogrammetry cleanup and interactive product models.Having a tough time creating the 3D models by means of photogrammetry, Logan looked for faster and more efficient options to create nice 3D files for his customer Rockdeep.&nbsp;“I attempted to use photogrammetry to capture shoes for ROCKDEEP and had only slight success. The detail that I was able to capture with my setup would not provide the fidelity needed for customers on the ROCKDEEP store website. &nbsp;My photogrammetry scans created noisy 3D models with bumps where it should have been smooth and so the detail was useless for transferring to lower polygon models. It was also substantially time-intensive to take all the photos needed and process the images with the photogrammetry software. In my research on how to improve this, I came across Shining3d and their incredible scanners.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; -Logan Hamilton Davis, Professional 3D Artist&nbsp;3D scanning: a smooth and simple approach to clean, colorful and high-quality 3D models&nbsp;For the online AR display, Logan needs to create digital models of Rockdeep´s colorful sneakers. In order to create the working process as smooth and efficient as possible, he opted for the EinScan Pro HD with the Industrial Pack. Additionally, he used the Color Pack to be able to capture the colorful designs of the Rockdeep shoes.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1619099971644-1619099971644.png" alt="" width="616" height="462" class="fr-fic fr-dii">Image 1: The Rockdeep “Mother Africa” shoe needs to be displayed in AR on Rockdeep´s website<h3>1. Scanning the Shoe</h3><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1619099972447-1619099972447.png" alt="" width="616" height="346" srcset="https://www.einscan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/2.png 616w, https://www.einscan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/2-300x169.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 616px) 100vw, 616px" class="fr-fic fr-dii">Image 2: Logan´s scanning setup with the EinScan Pro HD, Color Pack, Industrial Pack and the “Mother Africa” shoe&nbsp;<h3>2. Software Processing</h3><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1619099971672-1619099971672.png" alt="" width="616" height="346" srcset="https://www.einscan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/3.png 616w, https://www.einscan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/3-300x169.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 616px) 100vw, 616px" class="fr-fic fr-dii">Image 3: the final scanning data of the shoe…&nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1619099971787-1619099971787.png" alt="" width="616" height="346" srcset="https://www.einscan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/4.png 616w, https://www.einscan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/4-300x169.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 616px) 100vw, 616px" class="fr-fic fr-dii">Image 4: …looks colorful and accurate&nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1619099971603-1619099971603.png" alt="" width="616" height="346" srcset="https://www.einscan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/5.png 616w, https://www.einscan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/5-300x169.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 616px) 100vw, 616px" class="fr-fic fr-dii">Image 5: …from every angle&nbsp;“I was very impressed by the capabilities of the Einscan Pro HD. The software guided me through the whole process and worked without any issues. I scanned the shoe by features and rotated it on the turntable to capture all areas of the shoe. The software stitched those separate scans together into a seamless whole.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; -Logan Hamilton Davis, Professional 3D Artist&nbsp;<h3>3. Processing of Scanning Data</h3><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1619099971148-1619099971148.png" alt="" width="616" height="346" srcset="https://www.einscan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/6.png 616w, https://www.einscan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/6-300x169.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 616px) 100vw, 616px" class="fr-fic fr-dii">Image 6: Thanks to the open output file formats of the EinScan Pro HD, the scanning data can be imported…<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1619099971694-1619099971694.png" alt="" width="616" height="346" srcset="https://www.einscan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/7.png 616w, https://www.einscan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/7-300x169.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 616px) 100vw, 616px" class="fr-fic fr-dii"> Image 7: …into a broad range of different data processing software. Logan used Blender to further work on his 3D scans. &nbsp;“The model will eventually be used on the ROCKDEEP website to allow customers to inspect all areas of the shoe. It will also be used to create a design customizer to enable people to choose materials for each individual part of the shoe and speed up design iteration.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; -Logan Hamilton Davis, Professional 3D Artist&nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1619099971340-1619099971339.png" alt="" width="616" height="347" srcset="https://www.einscan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/8.png 616w, https://www.einscan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/8-300x169.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 616px) 100vw, 616px" class="fr-fic fr-dii"> Image 8: Final 3D model created from the scan with the EinScan Pro HD &nbsp;“I was impressed by the range of applications (from art to industrial) and different scanning processes (fixed vs. freehand). The industrial and color packs added all the extra features I needed. The total price was within budget and significantly more approachable than other competitors. I was floored by the detail captured and the ease of use. It just works and works phenomenally.“&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; -Logan Hamilton Davis, Professional 3D Artist

3D scanning technology opens up manifold ways to enhance the online shopping experience

3D Scanning: A Smooth and Simple Approach to Clean, Colorful and High-quality 3D Models

AR Driven Try-on for Online Shopping Applications

After the introduction of digital tools in design and creative disciplines almost three decades ago, there has been an ongoing interest in connecting the physical and the digital worlds. Most of these hybridizations have been directly influenced by the industrial/engineering origins of some of these digital technologies. For instance, using CNC/Robotic arms as tools for fabricating digitally designed artifacts or seeking time/cost-efficient production methods are a few examples.&nbsp;Although there is a tremendous value in this "tool-oriented" perspective, there seems to be a missed opportunity to use these digital/physical platforms, not only as "tools"--for translating one platform to another, but to combine them into a synthesized mixed design/experience "medium"; a mixed medium where it benefits from both digital and physical to curate a new design process, artifact or experience.&nbsp;In one of their latest experimental research projects Mixed Robotic Interface (MRI Γ), researchers at the Robotically Augmented Design (RAD) Lab at the College of Architecture and Environmental Design (CAED) at Kent State University, explored potentials of robotics and augmented reality technologies as possible mediums for hybrid cyberphysical storytelling and atmosphere making. Using the natural power of robotics and AR as platforms that co-exist in both digital and physical environments, MRI Γ explores possibilities of creating/curating a hybridized experience arrangement, to narrate a story with actual and virtual actors and setups.&nbsp;Developed as part of the MRI Γ research investigation led by Ebrahim Poustinchi assistant professor of architecture and the founder/director of the RAD Lab, graduate students Bradly Bowman and Trever Swanson formed a performance setup for storytelling, using a combination of physical images/posters, AR content as the performance set/stage, and an industrial robotic arm as the performer.&nbsp;<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/447412833" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" style="width: 778px; height: 565px;"></iframe> The story—called “Child Robot!,” is based on a para-fictional scenario speculating on a future child room where the robot arm plays the role of the child, illustrating a futuristic/post-human ambiance. As a cyberphysical storytelling arrangement that simultaneously uses element from the actual and virtual to narrate, precision, and coordination between the digital and the physical is crucial. The setup is a product of a precise calibration of the physical robot arm—KR6 R900 Sixx KUKA robot, the physical and virtual room, and the virtually animated toys in the scene (child-robot room) coordinated in a responsive time-based manner. &nbsp;Using augmented reality procedures in conjunction with the physical setup, “Child Robot!” enables the users to experience a blend of reality, fantasy, actual and virtual through a custom-made software application, curated motion, and a physical scene.&nbsp;Powered using Unity 3D game engine, custom animation based robotic motion-control platform—Oriole, and image tracking techniques, “Child Robot!” facilitates its audience to experience the story—and its hybridized digital/physical content, from multiple points of view and perspectives. Liberating the experience from both completely immersive digital experience—VR experience, and a physical single perspective performance—regular physical experience, MRI blurs the boundaries between the audience, the performer, and the performance setup.&nbsp;To synchronize and coordinate the robot's movement and the digital game events in the AR platform, two sets of data have been used. A physical image-tracker works as an anchor for the digital—AR, content, and establishes a coordinate system for the scene's virtual overlay. This tracker enables the coordination between the robot's static position and the static framing of the digital setup. However, for the robot—from the physical world, to interact with the digital game objects, there is a need for realtime communication. Throughout the experience/performance, the robot continually sends its realtime position/orientation (TCP Plane data) to Unity 3D game engine. This information enables interaction between the game objects—toys, and the robot.To overlay the digital renderings—AR material, over the real/physical footage of the setup without overwriting the robot itself, RAD Lab researchers used greenscreen techniques to separate the robot from its physical context. Later in the process by using a custom-made “Child Robot!” AR application, and employing Chroma Key image processing techniques, the green background has been replaced with a coordinated digital content in realtime.&nbsp;While holding a device—e.g., cellphone, equipped with the custom-made “Child Robot!” AR application, the audience can walk through the MRI Γ setup, physically interact with the robot—the performer, and watch the playful interaction of the physical robot and the digital room.&nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1597308421054-003.jpg">The medium for experiencing the “Child-Robot! ”is a heterogeneous mixture of reality and its augmentation through the lens of a custom-made cell-phone app. The robot-arm as the performer/narrator of the story remains connected to the world of physicality while the digital window augments its surroundings.Although MRI Γ research—and “Child Robot!” as one of its examples, are at the early stages of experimentation and development, one of the main aims of this research is to move beyond immersion—both complete digital immersion (VR) or physical. It seeks a hybrid medium—a mixed interface, where the physicality of the sound, presence, and breeze of the robot’s motion, combines with the digitality of rendered animated content of AR to narrate one consistent story and create/curate one cohesive cyberphysical experience.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1597308435023-002.jpg">Robot arm interacting with virtual objects through synchronized digital/physical realtime animation.

Using Chroma Key image processing techniques in Unity 3D, the green screen is being replaced by the animated digital scene.

Using AR and robotics as Storytelling Mediums

Mixed Robotic Interface (MRI Gamma)

We all have to buy clothes eventually, but truth be told, not everyone likes having to try them on. So wouldn’t it be wonderful if we didn’t actually have to?That’s the customer-end of the promise made by virtual fitting rooms with augmented reality, popping up in more and more stores around the world (including the iconic Galeries Lafayette in Paris)From the retailer side, virtual fitting rooms have clear benefits. Obviously, their ease of use will attract more people in stores, and it will probably still be several years before their novelty factor starts to wear off.But on top of that, virtual fitting rooms can help stores lower their inventory, which is a genuine game-changer for the retail business. Brick and mortar stores no longer need to carry clothes in all sizes, colors and patterns; customers can simply “try on” the demo (virtually of course), customize their pick (say, Medium in Light Blue with contrasting trim) and place their order. They will then receive the merchandise at home. This can prove to be crucial for small independent shops or ones located in areas where square footage is at a very high premium.<h2>The future of retail fashion?</h2>Technologies like virtual fitting rooms could very much reinvent retail stores in the coming years, says IDC Retail Insights research director Ivano Ortis. “Stores will not disappear, instead they will become a place for brand/consumer experience and new technologies. Bringing online capabilities inside the store is a transformation in retail, and it is bringing better opportunities and driving sales,” he explained about the increasingly fragile industry<a href="https://www.creaform3d.com/blog/augmented-reality-virtual-fitting-room-for-retail-fashion/#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" target="_blank">[1]</a>. As online shopping becomes more and more prevalent, virtual fitting rooms could bring a value-added experience and bridge the two paradigms: visiting a store to find the wanted/needed item, then purchasing it from the store’s online platform and having it shipped.<h2>Augmented reality</h2>Virtual fitting rooms with augmented reality have been around for about 10 years, first starting with 2D technology. But how do the latest augmented reality virtual fitting rooms work? They superimpose the 3D model of a clothing item to the live video feed of the customer. The clothing item can even move with “wearers”, turn and twirl with them. Even if not perfect, the effect is pretty impressive for an up-to-the-minute virtual experience!<h2>3D body scanning possibilities</h2>While available software is currently advanced enough to understand and even “feel” the way a clothing item will fall on a given person’s body, the most realistic experience will always be a personalized one. 3D body scanning could become a strong partner in this industry, because it can create avatars that take virtual clothes shopping to a whole new level. Imagine virtually trying on clothes that fall on your body exactly. In this specific application, 3D body scan can bring an unparalleled level of realism and precision. While the organic shape of the human form may seem complex to digitize, the <a href="https://www.goscan3d.com/en/applications/human-body-scanning" target="_blank" title="Human Body Scanning">Go!SCAN 3D scanner</a> makes the task extremely quick, simple and completely non-invasive, creating a perfect 3D model of the customer. And with this, clothes that fit perfectly don’t even have to be tried on anymore… Not to mention avatars created with 3D scanning could further solve numerous sizing issues, as well as minimize merchandise returns.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1596625212686-Jeans.jpg">Source E&amp;T magazine. Image Credits: Kylii-motion, 1080.plus

We all have to buy clothes eventually, but truth be told, not everyone likes having to try them on. So wouldn’t it be wonderful if we didn’t actually have to?

Augmented Reality: Virtual Fitting Room For Retail Fashion

Normally, it takes pricey equipment and expertise to create an accurate 3D reconstruction of someone&#39;s face that&#39;s realistic and doesn&#39;t look creepy. Now, Carnegie Mellon University researchers have pulled off the feat using video recorded on an ordinary smartphone.Using a smartphone to shoot a continuous video of the front and sides of the face generates a dense cloud of data. A&nbsp;<a href="https://arxiv.org/pdf/2003.08583.pdf" rel="noopener" target="_blank">two-step process</a> developed by CMU&#39;s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ri.cmu.edu/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Robotics Institute</a> uses that data, with some help from deep learning algorithms, to build a digital reconstruction of the face. The team&#39;s experiments show that their method can achieve sub-millimeter accuracy, outperforming other camera-based processes.A digital face might be used to build an avatar for gaming or for virtual or augmented reality, and could be used in animation, biometric identification and even medical procedures. An accurate 3D rendering of the face might also be useful in building customized surgical masks or respirators.<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AH9-eEg7xmQ?&wmode=opaque" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" style="width: 789px; height: 444px;"></iframe>Normally, it takes pricey equipment and expertise to create an accurate 3D reconstruction of someone&rsquo;s face that&rsquo;s realistic and doesn&rsquo;t look creepy. Now, SCS researchers have pulled off the feat using video recorded on an ordinary smartphone.&nbsp;&quot;Building a 3D reconstruction of the face has been an open problem in computer vision and graphics because people are very sensitive to the look of facial features,&quot; said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ri.cmu.edu/ri-faculty/simon-lucey/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Simon Lucey</a>, an associate research professor in the Robotics Institute. &quot;Even slight anomalies in the reconstructions can make the end result look unrealistic.&quot;Laser scanners, structured light and multicamera studio setups can produce highly accurate scans of the face, but these specialized sensors are prohibitively expensive for most applications. CMU&#39;s method, however, requires only a smartphone.The method, which Lucey developed with master&#39;s students Shubham Agrawal and Anuj Pahuja, was presented in early March at the IEEE Winter Conference on Applications of Computer Vision (WACV) in Snowmass, Colorado. It begins with shooting 15-20 seconds of video. In this case, the researchers used an iPhone X in the slow-motion setting.&quot;The high frame rate of slow motion is one of the key things for our method because it generates a dense point cloud,&quot; Lucey said.The researchers then employ a commonly used technique called visual simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM). Visual SLAM triangulates points on a surface to calculate its shape, while at the same time using that information to determine the position of the camera. This creates an initial geometry of the face, but missing data leave gaps in the model.In the second step of this process, the researchers work to fill in those gaps, first by using deep learning algorithms. Deep learning is used in a limited way, however: it identifies the person&#39;s profile and landmarks such as ears, eyes and nose. Classical computer vision techniques are then used to fill in the gaps.&quot;Deep learning is a powerful tool that we use every day,&quot; Lucey said. &quot;But deep learning has a tendency to memorize solutions,&quot; which works against efforts to include distinguishing details of the face. &quot;If you use these algorithms just to find the landmarks, you can use classical methods to fill in the gaps much more easily.&quot;The method isn&#39;t necessarily quick; it took 30-40 minutes of processing time. But the entire process can be performed on a smartphone.In addition to face reconstructions, the CMU team&#39;s methods might also be employed to capture the geometry of almost any object, Lucey said. Digital reconstructions of those objects can then be incorporated into animations or perhaps transmitted across the internet to sites where the objects could be duplicated with 3D printers.

Carnegie Mellon method foregoes expensive scanners, camera setups, studios

Smartphone Videos Produce Highly Realistic 3D Face Reconstructions

Over the years we have seen analogue dashboards being replaced by digital dashboards, touch-screen infotainment systems being introduced and rear-seat entertainment displays becoming an add-on option for many models.Surface-integrated displays have become such an important part of the car interior that <a href="https://www.displaydaily.com/article/display-daily/automotive-is-becoming-a-driver-for-display-technology" target="_blank" title="automotive is becoming a driver for display technology">automotive is becoming a driver for display technology</a>. As challenging as it can be to implement new technologies in cars, it is exciting to witness the revolutionary change that is happening to the vehicle interior.Here are three display technologies under development that can have a big impact on the safety and comfort of passengers, and on creating a more personal interior in the future.<h3>3D displays</h3>Companies like Bosch and Jaguar Land Rover are working on 3D displays that can relay real time safety information. <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2019/08/12/bosch-is-working-on-glasses-free-3d-displays-for-in-car-use/" target="_blank" title="Bosh’s approach sees the instrument panel become a 3D display">Bosch&rsquo;s approach sees the instrument panel become a 3D display</a> that shows crucial and time sensitive warnings. These include collision warning, or warning for lane departure or blind spots.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1583823472073-122607-bosh3dautodisplay.jpg">Source: Bosch&nbsp;<a href="https://media.jaguarlandrover.com/news/2019/08/jaguar-land-rover-develops-immersive-3d-car-experience-head-display-research" target="_blank" title="Jaguar Land Rover">Jaguar Land Rover</a>, on the other hand, is bringing immersive 3D capability to next generation head-up displays that can also project safety alerts. The company is also carrying out research on how this innovative system can offer passengers 3D entertainment in future autonomous vehicles.&nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1583823501537-122745-jlr3dautodisplay.jpg">Source: Jaguar Land Rover&nbsp;<h3>AR head-up-displays</h3>Head-up displays (also known as HUDs) show information in line of sight of the driver, reducing dangerous distractions. Some of them project information onto the windshield while other project it on a separate screen.Introduced by General Motors in 1988, the first head-up display has been used to show speed and other basic readings from the dashboard. The technology has progressed a lot since then with HUDs becoming increasingly common in many new car models.Now, augmented reality (AR) systems are becoming the new version of head-up displays. They promise to make driving even more comfortable and safe. An AR head-up display makes the information appear as part of the driving situation itself, i.e. it overlays it on top of what you&#39;re actually seeing in the real world. For example the display can highlight the lane you need to be in and when you need to turn.A Swiss start-up called WayRay grabbed the media attention back in 2018 when it showed its aftermarket solution, called Navion. <a href="https://www.autoevolution.com/news/wayray-navion-the-augmented-reality-head-up-display-129028.html" target="_blank" title="WayRay has developed a holographic augmented reality display">WayRay has developed a holographic augmented reality display</a> that serves as a navigation system for cars. The device takes the maps currently used by GPS apps and overlays them on the real world environment making all the information relayed to the driver seem like part of the environment. With <a href="https://venturebeat.com/2018/09/18/porsche-leads-80-million-investment-in-wayray-to-bring-holographic-ar-displays-to-cars/" target="_blank" title="Porsche being one of the key investors">Porsche being one of the key investors</a>, we expect to hear more from WayRay in the future.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1583823533942-123231-wayrayarhead-updisplay.jpg">Source: WayRay&nbsp;Curved and shaped displaysIn 2018 I reported on <a href="https://www.flexenable.com/Blog/the-need-for-large-area-flexible-displays-in-automotive-interiors/" target="_blank">the trend for large area displays in automotive interiors</a>. Mechanical dashboards are replaced by digital ones, the centre console is turning into a big touch-screen and more screens are appearing elsewhere in the car providing information and passengers&rsquo; entertainment. This trend continues and could be seen at the <a href="https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/videos/the-dashboard-is-evolving-at-the-2019-frankfurt-motor-show/" target="_blank" title="Frankfurt Auto Show 2019">Frankfurt Auto Show 2019</a> too.Along with the increase of display size, there is <a href="https://www.flexenable.com/Blog/digital-side-view-mirrors-come-to-life/" target="_blank">a trend to replace the side-view mirrors with digital side-view mirrors</a>. This means that displays have to be integrated into the car interior and fit in well with other components, for example the A-pillar.Flat glass displays aren&rsquo;t seen as a sustainable solution to meet the evolving vehicle HMI requirements and new flexible display technologies are needed such as <a href="https://www.flexenable.com/technology/flexible-olcd/" target="_blank">Organic LCD</a> (OLCD). OLCD is a glass-free display technology that combines the benefits of auto-qualified LCD technology with the inherent flexibility of a high-performance organic-thin-film transistor (OTFT) backplane (which replaces the amorphous-silicon backplane used in glass displays). It enables conformable and shapeable displays that can be scaled to large area sizes in the same way glass LCD is scaled. Because of OLCD&rsquo;s high-brightness and long lifetime, OLCD is a viable technology to meet automotive display requirements. Moreover, OLCD provides a route to bezel-less and ultra-high contrast displays.<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KIzkzabSPU8?&wmode=opaque" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" style="width: 1110px; height: 621px;"></iframe> Recently, global plastic solutions provider Novares showed Nova Car #2 highlighting three example applications of surface-integrated displays in next generation vehicle interiors using OLCD. These included a central S-shaped touch system consisting of twin 12.1&rdquo; OLCDs, left and right side 4.68&rdquo; OLCD concave side-mirror replacement displays and a 4.68&rdquo; OLCD passenger HMI touch screen integrated with the rear door panel.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1583823607305-093007-novares-flexview-max-01.jpg">Source: Novares&nbsp;

vr/ar

Profiles