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Facebook Announces Zoom Partnership For Horizon Workrooms

September 14, 2021 From uploadvr

Facebook announced a collaboration with video conferencing application Zoom, integrating Zoom meetings natively into Facebook’s new remote work solution for VR, Horizon Workrooms.

The integration won’t arrive until next year but will allow you to “easily join Zoom Meetings and use Zoom Whiteboard all from within VR.”

Horizon Workrooms is Facebook’s remote work collaboration tool for Oculus Quest 2, allowing several users to join a virtual boardroom and speak to each other as if they are in a real room, with avatars, spatial audio, remote desktop, keyboard tracking and group whiteboard features.

While the focus is on users joining using virtual reality, Workrooms also contains functionality that allows a non-VR user to join the meeting through a regular video call. However, starting next year, Workrooms will also allow VR users in the virtual boardroom to join an existing Zoom meeting and collaborate using Zoom Whiteboard. You can take a look at the announcement, which was made at Zoom’s Zoomtopia keynote speech, in the video embedded above. The Horizon Workrooms segment begins around the 34 minute mark.

Zoom Whiteboard was also announced at Zoomtopia, just before the Facebook and Zoom collaboration. It is an upcoming tool for Zoom that allows users to collaborate on a virtual whiteboard together, taking notes, making drawings, placing post-it notes and more. With Horizon Workrooms integration, VR users will be able to use Horizon’s desk whiteboard or the large standing whiteboard to alter the Zoom Whiteboard.

Zoom product manager Jordan Thiel said that they “envision” being able to save and share Zoom Whiteboards as well, which would allow you to save the end product after the meeting and send it around to those who weren’t in attendance.

Will you use the Zoom integration with Horizon Workrooms once it’s available? Let us know in the comments below.

Horizon Workrooms to Introduce Zoom Meetings in 2022

September 14, 2021 From vrfocus

Several weeks ago Facebook launched its vision for work-based collaboration in virtual reality (VR), Horizon Workrooms. Designed to help colleagues connect remotely, this week it has been revealed that the highly popular video conferencing service Zoom will be integrated into Horizon Workrooms next year.

Horizon Workrooms is currently in open beta for Oculus Quest headsets, allowing anyone to test the new software. With the integration of Zoom, users will be able to join Zoom Meetings and use Zoom Whiteboard directly within VR, to create what could be a seamless experience between the two platforms.

With companies having to switch to remote working during the course of 2020, many have turned to video platforms such as Zoom to stay connected. This has helped Zoom’s popularity soar but has also meant a new term being coined in the process, “Zoom fatigue”. Whereby people find themselves in so many video meetings that it just becomes mentally draining, lacking the fluidity of being together in person. So it’s no surprise that Zoom aims to combat such an issue with initiatives like this with Facebook.

A sneak peek was shown at Zoomtopia this week, Zoom’s annual conference (taking place virtually, of course!). Inside Horizon Workrooms users will be able to dial into those video calls as they normally would, so they can sit around a virtual desk with others in VR whilst talking to even more over Zoom. And with Zoom Whiteboard on hand, brainstorming new ideas shouldn’t be too difficult either as everyone in the meeting can add their input.

Zoom and Facebook haven’t said when they plan to integrate this functionality into Horizon Workrooms during 2022 but the software has plenty of features to keep you busy. There’s the mixed-reality desk and keyboard tracking, which alongside Oculus Quest’s hand tracking means you can see your desk and keyboard to naturally type as you would outside of VR. There’s also remote desktop streaming, spatial audio, and the new Oculus Avatars for that immersive feel.

There are plenty of other ways to collaborate in VR with Horizon Workrooms joining the likes of Spatial, MeetinVR and Arthur to name a few. For continued updates in this field, keep reading VRFocus.

‘Quest Pro’ Face & Eye Tracking References Found In Oculus Firmware

September 13, 2021 From uploadvr

Reddit user Reggy04 dug into the Oculus Quest v32 firmware, finding strings referring to ‘Quest Pro’ as well as face and eye tracking.

We obtained the Quest v32 firmware file, decompiled it, and searched it with grep to confirm Reggy’s claims.

The Quest Pro reference appears to be from the Hand Tracking setup process:

QUEST PRO ESTIMATES YOUR HAND SIZE AND HOW THEY MOVE SO YOU USE YOUR HANDS INSTEAD OF CONTROLLERS IN VR.

Quest Pro was first teased by VP of Facebook Reality Labs Andrew Bosworth in a February Instagram Ask Me Anything session. In April, Bosworth said Quest Pro could “introduce new functionality to the headset”, but cautioned it would not ship this year.

Face & Eye Tracking

Calibration text for both face and eye tracking are present. While this doesn’t confirm Quest Pro will have these features, it does suggest Facebook is testing them in real device firmware.

In March, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg described face & eye tracking as his most wanted feature for future Oculus headsets.

The face tracking calibration asks you to smile, pull an angry face, frown, and then show a surprised expression.

FOLLOW THE TARGET WITH YOUR GAZE

EYE CALIBRATION FAILED

EYE MOVEMENT ESTIMATION COMPLETE

It’s unclear whether the system simply detects these four states or whether the exact lip shape is passed to apps, as with HTC’s Vive Pro Facial Tracker.

SMILE NATURALLY UNTIL THE CALIBRATION IS COMPLETE. YOU MAY NEED TO HOLD THIS POSE FOR A FEW SECONDS.

SHOW AN ANGRY EXPRESSION UNTIL THE CALIBRATION IS COMPLETE. YOU MAY NEED TO HOLD THIS POSE FOR A FEW SECONDS.

FROWN NATURALLY UNTIL THE CALIBRATION IS COMPLETE. YOU MAY NEED TO HOLD THIS POSE FOR A FEW SECONDS.

SHOW A SURPRISED EXPRESSION UNTIL THE CALIBRATION IS COMPLETE. YOU MAY NEED TO HOLD THIS POSE FOR A FEW SECONDS.

FAILED TO CALIBRATE THE EXPRESSION. RETRYING…

FACE MOVEMENT ESTIMATION COMPLETE

Reggy is not the first to discover eye tracking & face tracking – YouTuber Basti564 found similar references back in June.

Lens Depth Adjustment

Reggy also found a reference to a “depth button” for adjusting the longitudinal distance between the lenses and your eyes:

PRESS AND HOLD THE DEPTH BUTTON AND MOVE THE HEADSET CLOSER OR FURTHER AWAY FROM YOUR FACE. THE LENSES SHOULD BE CLOSE TO YOUR EYES, BUT NOT CAUSE

ADJUST LENS DEPTH

Lens depth adjustment, present in headsets like Valve Index, allow the wearer to balance the comfort of pressure with the wider field of view afforded by closer lenses.

A depth button already existed in the PC-based Rift S, but this firmware is for the Android-based Quest range.

‘Quest Pro’ Face & Eye Tracking References Found In Oculus Firmware

September 13, 2021 From uploadvr

Reddit user Reggy04 dug into the Oculus Quest v32 firmware, finding strings referring to ‘Quest Pro’ as well as face and eye tracking.

We obtained the Quest v32 firmware file, decompiled it, and searched it with grep to confirm Reggy’s claims.

The Quest Pro reference appears to be from the Hand Tracking setup process:

QUEST PRO ESTIMATES YOUR HAND SIZE AND HOW THEY MOVE SO YOU USE YOUR HANDS INSTEAD OF CONTROLLERS IN VR.

Face & Eye Tracking

In March, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg described face & eye tracking as his most wanted feature for future Oculus headsets.

Calibration text for both face and eye tracking are present in the Oculus firmware. While this doesn’t confirm Quest Pro will have these features, it does suggest Facebook is testing them on a real standalone headset, not just PC-based lab prototypes.

FOLLOW THE TARGET WITH YOUR GAZE

EYE CALIBRATION FAILED

EYE MOVEMENT ESTIMATION COMPLETE

The face tracking calibration asks you to smile, pull an angry face, frown, and then show a surprised expression.

It’s unclear whether the system simply detects these four states or whether the exact lip shape is passed to apps, as with HTC’s Vive Pro Facial Tracker.

SMILE NATURALLY UNTIL THE CALIBRATION IS COMPLETE. YOU MAY NEED TO HOLD THIS POSE FOR A FEW SECONDS.

SHOW AN ANGRY EXPRESSION UNTIL THE CALIBRATION IS COMPLETE. YOU MAY NEED TO HOLD THIS POSE FOR A FEW SECONDS.

FROWN NATURALLY UNTIL THE CALIBRATION IS COMPLETE. YOU MAY NEED TO HOLD THIS POSE FOR A FEW SECONDS.

SHOW A SURPRISED EXPRESSION UNTIL THE CALIBRATION IS COMPLETE. YOU MAY NEED TO HOLD THIS POSE FOR A FEW SECONDS.

FAILED TO CALIBRATE THE EXPRESSION. RETRYING…

FACE MOVEMENT ESTIMATION COMPLETE

Reggy is not the first to discover eye tracking & face tracking – YouTuber Basti564 found similar references back in June.

Lens Depth Adjustment

Reggy also found a reference to a “depth button” for adjusting the longitudinal distance between the lenses and your eyes:

PRESS AND HOLD THE DEPTH BUTTON AND MOVE THE HEADSET CLOSER OR FURTHER AWAY FROM YOUR FACE. THE LENSES SHOULD BE CLOSE TO YOUR EYES, BUT NOT CAUSE DISCOMFORT.

ADJUST LENS DEPTH

Lens depth adjustment, present in headsets like Valve Index, allow the wearer to balance the comfort of pressure with the wider field of view afforded by closer lenses.

A depth button already existed in the PC-based Rift S, but this firmware is for the Android-based Quest range.

Oculus Quest ‘Space Sense’ Feature Discovered, Provides Play Area Incursion Alert

September 13, 2021 From vrfocus

Before playing any virtual reality (VR) experience at home it’s always advisable to clear the area because once that headset is on you’ll quickly forget how you’re oriented in the room and where stuff is. What you can’t plan for is those moving variables, like kids running in or a curious cat suddenly appearing. Facebook aims to solve that issue with a feature unearthed in the most recent v32 software update, Space Sense.

German Twitter user Basti564 discovered in the firmware a video detailing how the feature works and reference to the ‘Space Sense’ name, which has previously been referred to as Guardian Intrusion Detection. As you can see, it’s all about notifying a VR player as to when a new obstruction comes into the play area. There’s also some text accompanying the video:

“See Your Real-World Surroundings in VR“

“Enable Space Sense to see outlines of people and things in your Room-scale boundary. Staying aware of what’s around you while in VR helps keep you and others safe.

“You can see outlines up to 9 feet away as long as it’s still within your boundary, and directly in front of your headset. You can turn this feature off anytime in Settings.”

Certainly beneficial for anyone playing in a busy home or area where footfall is more likely, the system is, of course, limited to the front tracking area which the cameras cover. So it won’t help if someone walks up behind you but at least you’re less likely to punch them in the face whilst VR boxing.

Now, the files Basti564 found were hidden so this is a feature currently still in the works. However, by the looks of the video and the accompanying text it certainly appears as if Facebook is gearing up for a release, in which case Space Sanse would be a big content addition to a future software update.

The last major enhancement to Oculus Quest’s Guardian system came just over a year ago, ‘Playspace Scan’ detecting objects like tables or chairs still within the boundary. Being able to detect active objects would be a first for any VR system, another boon for the standalone headset.

As further details arise regarding Oculus Quest’s next update, VRFocus will let you know.

Baobab Studios Nabs 9th Emmy Award Thanks To Baba Yaga

September 13, 2021 From uploadvr

Baba Yaga won an Emmy for Outstanding Interactive Media for a Daytime Program at the 48th Annual Emmy Awards, bringing Baobab Studios’ total Emmy awards wins to nine.

Baba Yaga also previously won two other Emmy awards — Outstanding Directing Team for Animated Program (Eric Darnell, director, and Mathias Chelebourg, co-director) and Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation for Character Design (Karl Athannossov).

“It was already such an honor and thrill for Baba Yaga to be awarded Emmys for both character design and direction,” said Baba Yaga director and writer Eric Darnell. “And now, to be honored with the award for best interactive is truly spectacular and a reflection of the team’s monumental efforts to give the audience the opportunity to be the hero of their own story.”

The immersive VR movie released in January exclusively for Oculus Quest after premiering at various film festivals in 2020, including the Venice Film Festival almost exactly a year ago. In our review at the time, we found it to be entertaining but slightly safe. It certainly wasn’t the ambitious step-up we were hoping to see from Baobab’s next offering:

This is a likable, sweet but ultimately safe adventure, highlighted by some great VR novelties but also equally limited by them. I want to see something from this studio that feels truly dynamic — like my presence has genuine impact in the stories it creates. Baobab remains one of VR’s most promising storytellers but, four years on from its debut, I feel like I’m still waiting for it to really hit its stride.

You can read our full review from last year here.

Baba Yaga is available now on Oculus Quest for $5.99.

Oculus Quest 2 ‘Space Sense’ Guardian Intrusion Feature Found In v32 Firmware

September 13, 2021 From uploadvr

Twitter user Basti564 has found updated graphics and settings options for the ‘Guardian Intrusion Detection’ interface, first found back in March, which is now referred to as ‘Space Sense.’

Basti564 posted a video on Twitter showing new graphics and an explainer video within the Quest running on v32. We’ve been able to get the graphics too. In Settings, under Device, we can see ‘Space Sense’ — a currently dormant feature, which shows an outline of people and objects that move in front of you while using a roomscale boundary.

Guardian Intrusion Detection got replaced with Space Sense in the v32 Oculus Quest update pic.twitter.com/2pNHrptX8P

— Bastian 😀 (@Basti564) September 11, 2021

The feature and the menus depicted above are not accessible natively to Quest users on v32. However, UploadVR was able to test the adb commands to bring up the menu on a Quest 2 and enable the feature. The menus seem to just be a placeholder for now — in our testing, the feature didn’t work even after it was enabled via hidden menu.

Here’s a transcription of the text from the dialog box:

Enable Space Sense to see outlines of people and things inside your Roomscale boundary. Staying aware of what’s around you while in VR helps keep you and others safe.

You can see outlines up to 9 feet away, as long as it’s still within your boundary and directly in front of your headset. You can turn this feature off at anytime in Settings.

Basti564 also posted a clear capture of the new explainer animation, which shows a Beat Saber player who is alerted by a ghost-like visual of someone entering their play area and walking across the player’s field of view. It also shows a user who is able to see visualizations of objects in their play area. The Quest can currently detect objects during guardian setup, but this feature looks to show a visualisation of them during regular use.

Evidence of this guardian intrusion feature was first found back in March by Basti564. At the time, it had graphics in the style of the older Quest UI and evidence suggested that it had been dormant in the Quest since v20.

While it’s still unclear whether the feature will release soon, the updated Space Sense name and the newer Quest 2-style animated instructional clips would indicate that the feature is perhaps still being actively worked on. If nothing else, the graphics look more polished than they previously did and the inclusion of a settings menu, where you can adjust the sensitivity of the feature, bodes well.

Would you use this guardian intrusion feature if it came to Quest? Let us know in the comments.

First Of Its Kind ‘Outer Space Camera’ Captures Astronaut Spacewalk For VR

September 12, 2021 From uploadvr

ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet and JAXA astronaut Akihiko Hoshide stepped outside the International Space Station today for a spacewalk unlike any other.

What is special about this one is that you will soon be able to join them as Felix & Paul Studios’ new Outer Space Camera captured a real spacewalk in an immersive 3D, 360-degree virtual reality format.

While Pesquet and Hoshide laid the groundwork for more additions to the solar arrays outside the ISS, an international team collaborated to capture some footage for new episodes of Felix & Paul Studios and TIME Studios EMMY Award-winning Space Explorers: The ISS Experience. The team had one shot to get it right, and time for just a single short simulated space walk inside the ISS ahead of the actual capture outside the station. Felix & Paul Studios co-founders Félix Lajeunesse and Paul Raphaël directed the filming from the Canadian Space Centre. The camera was mounted and powered by the Nanoracks’ Kaber MicroSatellite Deployer and maneuvered by The ROBO team at NASA and the Canadian Space Agency who were responsible for moving Canadarm2 to capture the shots. In parallel, TIME Studios documented the filming operations as part of a making-of documentary they are producing on Space Explorers: The ISS Experience. The entire spacewalk was planned to happen over seven orbits, during which the crew experienced seven sunrises.

Unfolded 360° still, produced from the 3D 360° VR source footage. View of the International Space Station, from a forward position, with a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft docked to Node2.

Outer Space Camera

The Outer Space Camera has already been capturing footage ahead of the spacewalk. With 16 sunrises that can be seen every 24 hours from the ISS (which travels at 17,100 miles per hour), this footage will be integrated into the series as well. The Outer Space Camera is made for a literal out-of-this-world environment.

Lajeunesse explains that the camera “is constantly exposed to extreme temperature variations.” External temperatures range from -250° F to +250° F. “No atmosphere means radiation…sun heat and deep space cold…microgravity [means] no dissipation of heat which is challenging when you are cramming together not one camera but multiple high res sensors, so we had to develop a heat dissipation system. We had to develop a way to manage light exposure and minimize flares.

The camera is a customized Z-Cam V1 Pro camera with nine 4K sensors. Nanoracks has specially hardened the camera to allow it to withstand harsh conditions such as solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation, charged particle (ionizing) radiation, plasma, surface charging and arcing, temperature extremes, thermal cycling, impacts from micrometeoroids and orbital debris (MMOD), and environment‐induced contamination from micrometeoroids and orbital debris (MMOD), and environment‐induced contamination. It also has custom lenses that can manage being directly exposed to the Sun.

In history, just about 230 astronauts have had the opportunity to do a spacewalk. Not even all astronauts that visit the ISS get the chance, but our chance to step into the actual footage is coming soon.

Lajeunesse says what was captured today “in the vacuum of space” will be integrated into the upcoming third and fourth episodes of Space Explorers: The ISS Experience, available in VR for Rift, Quest and Quest 2, and in mobile 360° on 5G-enabled tablets and smartphones through telecom partners including LGU+ (South Korea), KDDI (Japan), AIS (Taiwan), Orange (France) and Deutsche Telekom (Germany.) As well, the best of that imagery will also be integrated into THE INFINITE – a large-scale traveling interactive exhibit produced in partnership with PHI Studio, which will premiere in the US December 2021.

ProTubeVR Announces Haptic Module For VR Rifle Stock

September 12, 2021 From uploadvr

ProTubeVR announced a new haptic module this week, designed to be used with its MagTube Rifle frame, to provide more immersive VR shooter experiences using haptic feedback for recoil and other realistic gun effects.

The haptic module, dubbed the ForceTube Scout Haptic Module, is compatible with both Quest and PC VR platforms. The accessory “simulates the vibration of the firearm and the impact on your shoulder,” pitched as adding realistic recoil and haptic effects for shooters. It is said to ship with native support for titles like Sniper Elite VR, Onward, Pavlov, Contractors, Hot Dogs, Horseshoes and Hand Grenades and more.

The accessory is available for pre-order now as a standalone unit for a regular price of €249. However, this doesn’t include the rifle frame, which is needed to attach the haptic module and your controllers.

For the full kit, you can pre-order a bundle that includes the stock itself, the haptic module and two grips to mount your controllers onto the stock. The bundle can be configured to include the appropriate grips for almost any VR headset — there’s options for most PC VR headsets, PSVR Move controllers and all generations of Oculus Touch controllers, to name a few.

For the bundle that includes the stock, haptic module and Quest 2 controller grips, the total pre-order price comes to around €311, depending on options.

You can find out more and pre-order the ProTubeVR haptic module here. The expected ship date for pre-orders is “around 2 months from the day you place the order,” with shipments sent out on a first-come, first-served basis on order date.

Facebook’s Ray-Ban Smart Glasses Don’t Support AR, And That’s Okay

September 10, 2021 From vrscout

Capture photos and videos, listen to music, and take calls with the new Ray-Ban Stories smart glasses.

Yesterday, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg andLuxottica Chief Wearables Officer Rocco Basilico unveiled Ray-Ban Stories, a new line of stylish smart glasses that allow you to capture and share photos and videos on nearly every major social media platform, including Twitter, Snapchat, TikTok, and—of course—Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.

Not only that, but you can also make hands-free phone calls and listen to your favorite music thanks to a set of high-quality micro-speakers and built-in microphone. All-in-all, Ray-Ban Stories is an impressive piece of hardware that—while not an AR headset—represents a major step in the right direction for immersive technology.

Let’s dive into this exciting piece of hardware, shall we?

Features

Ray-Ban Stories allows you to capture photos as well as 30-second video clips thanks to a pair of built-in 5MP cameras. Using a combination of HDR and low light fusion, video stabilization, and denoising, Facebook and Ray-Ban promise high-quality images and video, enhanced even further by machine-learning technology. The glasses also feature a three-microphone audio array complete with a bass reflex system, offering crisp audio calls and more engaging video.

All of the aforementioned technology is powered by a Snapdragon® processor and controlled using a capacitive touchpad located on the temple—or arm—of the glasses. To help manage your content, Facebook has launched a new app called Facebook View. Available on iOS and Android, the companion experience allows you to import photos and videos from your glasses to your smartphone and edit your content before sharing it with friends and family on your preferred platforms.

Design

Facebook worked closely with Ray-Ban parent companyLuxottica to ensure the glasses featured the signature Ray-Ban look without compromising on technology. That being said, the results are pretty incredible. Excluding the two forward-facing cameras located near the end pieces of the glasses, there are little to no physical differences between Ray-Ban Stories and a regular pair of Ray-Bans. To charge the glasses, you simply place the device in the included charging case.

“We had to re-engineer components so that everything — that’s two cameras, a set of micro-speakers, a three-microphone audio array, an optimized Snapdragon® processor, a capacitive touchpad, a battery, and more — fit into the smallest possible space and the lightest possible frame. The form factor drove a lot of decisions, from speaker architecture to the camera selection,” states Facebook in an official release.

You can choose from three different models at launch, each featuring unique colors, finishes, and materials. The glasses themselves weigh five grams more than the original Ray-Ban Wayfarer glasses.

No AR. And that’s okay.

Ray-Ban Stories is not an AR headset, Facebook and Ray-Ban want to make that perfectly clear. That being said, the device represents a major step forward for wearable technology; a baby step, but a step nonetheless. Facebook has made its commitment to AR technology perfectly clear in the past. In September of 2019, the company announced that its Facebook Reality Lab is currently in development of its own AR headset.

Based on the adoption rates of existing AR/MR headsets, it makes sense Facebook would takes its time lauching its own AR device.The Microsoft HoloLens and Magic Leap One: Creator Edition—while impressive pieces of hardware—have yet to capture the attention of mainstream audiences. Most recently, Snapchat unveiled the latest version of its Snapchat Spectacles, AR smart glasses capable of generating AR visuals. The only problem is the device is only available to select influencers.

By prioritizing design over technology, Facebook improves its chance of attracting mainstream consumers who may be weary of wearables. While not an AR headset per sey, Ray-Ban Stories represents a major step forward for the technology.

Ray-Ban Stories are available now for $299. For more information visit here.

Feature Image Credit: Facebook