NEWS
► AIXR has announced the finalists for the 7th International VR Awards. For the second year in a row, Born is among the finalists. This year, they’re recognised in the ‘VR Education & Training Solution of the Year’ category with its VATA project. This category is awarded to companies or individuals who have demonstrated practical and innovative uses of VR in education and training. The VR Awards is an international industry awards ceremony celebrating outstanding achievements in Virtual Reality in association with AIXR. VR Awards 2023 has more than 70 judges judging the best VR Industry has to offer across 12 categories. Winners will be announced in November. View finalists here.
► ChatGPT’s rival. Stability AI has released a new Stable Chat with a ChatGPT-like interface, offering text-based conversations. However, the interface lacks a chat history feature and the capability to establish distinct chat sessions. This novel chat interface is powered by the recently released Stable Beluga model, a creation of Stability AI. Early observations from online commentators suggest that while the model can communicate in Russian, it tends to demonstrate proficiency in recognising Russian words rather than conveying coherent language structures. Read it here.
► A virtual AI village. A research team at Stanford and Google has created a virtual village for 25 AI agents to live in. These AI bots can plan parties, discuss elections, and select birthday gifts. The researchers said the study aimed to create AI capable of producing believable, human-like behaviour. Read it here.
► Texas researchers use VR technology to measure brain activity. Researchers at the University of Texas Austin have modified a commercial virtual reality (VR) headset, using it to measure brain activity and better understand how humans react to stressors and other outside factors. Read it here.
► Meta’s AI agents learn to move by copying toddlers. In a simulated environment, a disembodied skeletal arm powered by artificial intelligence lifted a small toy elephant and rotated it in its hand. It used a combination of 39 muscles acting through 29 joints to experiment with the object, exploring its properties as a toddler might. These simulated body parts were the latest showings from the MyoSuite platform, and were included in the MyoSuite 2.0 collection, which was released by Meta AI, working in collaboration with researchers at McGill University in Canada, Northeastern University in the United States, and the University of Twente in the Netherlands. The project applies machine learning to biomechanical control problems, with the aim of demonstrating human-level dexterity and agility. Read it here.
► Sony files patent for glove-shaped VR gaming controller. Sony may be developing a new controller designed to accompany its AR/VR games. The company has filed a patent application for a gaming glove that uses the hand and finger to dictate gameplay. The company is aiming to create a more immersive VR experience, where its user can simply forget they’re even using a controller. The fingers of the glove contain sensors, which will allow the user to move them within the game. Read it here.
► BMW’s mixed reality experience. BMW aims to educate the public about the role of mixed reality (MR) tech regarding the future of passenger economy and entertainment. But it isn’t a boring classroom environment or your average MR gaming experience using a handheld controller. Your controller is BMW’s all-new high-performance $86,000 M4 Competition Coupé - a real car on a real racetrack. You’ll put the pedal to the metal and speed around on a racetrack while wearing a mixed reality headset. The experience isn’t designed for ordinary streets. It was created for use on the company’s M test track. The software used for the project can adapt and recreate the locations in various cities around the world. Read it here.
DATA & STATISTICS
► Digital twin gets traction among banking & financial industries. Altair has released results from a global survey that reveals the widespread use of digital twin technology in the banking and financial industries. The global survey of more than 2,000 professionals across several industries and ten countries gauged digital twin technology adoption and assessed how organisations utilise it, its business benefits, and its impact on sustainability initiatives. According to the survey, banking, financial services, and insurance (BFSI) sector’s top three applications for digital twin technology are optimising business processes (54%), digitally monitoring real-time behaviour (51%), and predicting future behaviour using predictive analytics (51%). Read it here.
