One of the fastest-growing sectors in extended reality (XR) has inarguably become augmented reality (AR), which is used extensively among enterprises to conduct remote collaboration and inspections.

The AR industry has seen several crucial advancements in eye and hand tracking, gestures, deployment platforms, and greater interoperability for components and software, leading to huge developments for use cases and technological innovations.

As the Metaverse moves from ‘virtual’ reality to the next significant communications platform, combining spatial computing with the Internet, AR will become a key component of enterprise solutions.

For our XR Today round table, we are pleased to welcome:

• Hugo Swart, Vice-President and General Manager of XR and Metaverse of Qualcomm Technologies
• Jonathan Reeves, Chief Executive and Founder of Arvizio
• Dr Brad Quinton, Chief Executive and CTO of Singulos Research

Our esteemed panellists have discussed the role of their AR solutions in the greater XR market, ongoing trends shaping the industry, as well as their views on the future of the Metaverse.

XR Today: What sets your AR solution apart from the competition? What has your company considered when designing hardware and software solutions for devices?

Hugo Swart: Qualcomm has a unique role in enabling and supporting the entire ecosystem as a horizontal player, which sets us apart.

We deliver best-in-class system-on-a-chip (SoC) platforms that power over 50 XR devices and offer the software and perception algorithms needed to enable XR experiences. We also provide reference device hardware to allow our customers to go to market quickly and a lot of other ecosystem initiatives.

Hugo Swart, Vice-President and General Manager of XR

In terms of considerations when designing hardware, we work very closely with all of our partners to assess the end-user needs and build a platform that will meet and surpass those requirements.

On the software and developer ecosystem side, I would like to point to our Snapdragon Spaces XR Developer Platform born from Qualcomm’s commitment to helping enable and scale head-worn AR, especially at the dawn of the Metaverse.

We wanted to help reduce developer friction and provide a uniform set of AR features independent of device manufacturers or distribution methods.

Jonathan Reeves: Arvizio is an AR software provider with solutions that operate across a range of AR devices, including mobile devices and AR smart glasses.

We believe the market requires a cross-platform approach for software solutions that can operate with a variety of smart glasses and mobile devices. This avoids scenarios where the customer is locked into a single vendor for AR smart glasses.

Dr Brad Quinton: We deliberately designed the Perceptus Platform to support a diverse set of hardware platforms. From Android and iOS mobile phones and tablets to AR glasses, the Perceptus Platform can provide an understanding of objects in their 3D environment in a consistent framework for AR application developers.

Our key considerations were creating a scalable training process that allowed AR designers to quickly and easily define their objects of interest while also making sure our solution could run in real-time using only edge hardware, avoiding the need to transfer sensitive user data to the cloud.

XR Today: Which trends do you see taking shape in the AR sector, and which aspects of AR do you believe are more advanced and which are lagging?

Hugo Swart: A trend we see taking shape and would like to accelerate is the shift from smartphone AR to head-worn AR, which is the intent with Snapdragon Spaces.

The open ecosystem approach allows Snapdragon Spaces developers to build their head-worn AR experience once and have it scale to a range of devices and content distribution channels. Once Snapdragon Spaces becomes available to all developers, we think this will help spur a new trend and era of head-worn AR experiences spanning entertainment, gaming, education, training, health and beyond!

Jonathan Reeves: AR glasses typically fall into two key categories based on their ability to provide spatial mapping. Devices such as Microsoft’s HoloLens 2 and Magic Leap can scan a room and use advanced simultaneous localization and Mapping (SLAM) algorithms to anchor AR content in place with a degree of accuracy.

This can apply in scenarios such as when the wearer moves their head, the content remains anchored in a fixed position. Other AR smart glasses lack spatial mapping and may not provide the degree of accuracy required for enterprise use cases.

Jonathan Reeves, Founder and Chief Executive of Arvizio

To date, achieving accurate spatial mapping has relied on depth-sensing cameras to build a 3D mesh of the space, much like LiDAR sensors in the iPhone Pro and iPad Pro have demonstrated.

To reduce the cost and weight of AR smart glasses, vendors are actively working on SLAM-based tracking approaches using stereoscopic cameras to deliver accurate tracking at a reduced cost.

This is challenging to achieve across a broad range of lighting conditions, but will lead to a significant reduction in cost, size, and weight.

A second key requirement for widespread adoption is hand gesture recognition. Devices such as HoloLens 2 have set the bar for this type of mixed reality (MR) interaction, and low-cost devices entering the market will need to offer a similar level of hands-free operation.

Dr Brad Quinton: The trends we see taking place in the AR sector are that many of the underlying AR hardware challenges are rapidly being resolved with maturing optics, high-speed wireless connectivity and high-quality virtual object rendering.

Where we see AR lagging is in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to understand the context of the user’s AR experience, to provide high-value, contextually aware experiences and applications.

All modern mobile processors have high-performance neural accelerators, but for the most part, they have yet to be deployed in a meaningful way for AR because of the lack of appropriate tools, platforms and software.

XR Today: Why is interoperability a key component of tailoring your AR solutions for multiple purposes? How has your company accommodated versatility for your clients, both for deployment and continued support?

Hugo Swart: There are many facets to interoperability and our chips are designed to interoperate with multiple display types and technologies, for example.

Another interoperability angle is the support for OpenXR, as we want to make it as frictionless as possible for developers to create immersive experiences. Snapdragon Spaces is also designed, leveraging existing developer tools, to create 3D content like Unity and Epic game engines.

Jonathan Reeves: Arvizio software solutions for AR have been designed to work across a variety of AR devices, including AR smart glasses and mobile devices.

We currently support HoloLens 2, Magic Leap, and iOS and Android devices, and expect to add additional devices supported by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Spaces initiative in the coming months.

Regarding the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, remote collaboration has been a key driver in the use of AR and the crisis has made this necessary for business continuity.

Arvizio offers two solutions: the Immense 3D software solution and AR Instructor. Our Immerse 3D software allows multiple users to work with 3D models across locations for design reviews and stakeholder collaboration. Additionally, our AR Instructor offers step-by-step work instruction and remote expert “see-what-I-see” video sharing for additional guidance and work validation.

Dr Brad Quinton, Chief Executive and CTO of Singulos Research

Dr Brad Quinton: Interoperability is key for us because there is still no de-facto standard on AR hardware. We believe that it will be important to support a variety of hardware and operating systems in the near-to medium-term as users and application developers learn which hardware works best for them and their usage scenarios.

XR Today: What are your company’s thoughts on the Metaverse? When do you expect a solid foundation for the platform, and what would it look like?

Hugo Swart: We truly believe in the potential of the Metaverse and that Qualcomm is your ticket to it. Qualcomm has been investing in the underlying and core technologies to enable the Metaverse for over a decade, and we will continue to do so to help all our partners build and realize its full potential.

We are enabling our customers’ different Metaverse ecosystems and deploying our own with Snapdragon Spaces, so we believe the foundation is being built and something will come to fruition in the not-so-distant future.

Jonathan Reeves: We do not see a single Metaverse meeting the needs of all, but rather a set of Metaverse categories with several approaches being offered in each.

We believe four categories of Metaverse will emerge — Industrial, Business, Social, and Gaming — and in each category, there will be a variety of solutions and vendors, each vying for leadership. We believe this is a far more likely outcome than a single, dominant Metaverse platform.

Dr Brad Quinton: We believe that the Metaverse will be fundamentally personal and anchored in our own physical spaces. We see a continuity between AR and immersive VR, where users will select the minimum amount of immersion to achieve the task and experience they want, merging the value of the Metaverse with the comfort of physical reality.

Rather than having to pay the cost of immersion as an entry fee to the Metaverse, they will instead move through an AR-first Metaverse that transitions to immersive experiences when it makes sense.

We believe that mobile processors with advanced AI hardware coupled to 5G networks will be the platform for AR-first Metaverse in the next 1-3 years.

SmartConnect uses AWS Wavelength to help provide the capability to develop and scale digital solutions utilizing edge computing on 5G networks.

A  headless, composable, application programming interface (API)-driven platform, Appearition enables enterprises to design and implement AR, VR, and XR applications without having to develop the backend architecture. It is device-agnostic, supporting all headset-mounted devices, or mobile devices using Web AR.

The platform serves as a low code solution for the development of a variety of AR, VR, and XR applications across multiple industry verticals such as retail, education, connected workforce, tourism, and property development.

“5G networks, with their high bandwidth, speed, and low latency drive exciting new innovations and will be the catalysts of louder adoption of immersive technologies. Appearition is excited to leverage AWS Wavelength to help launch this exciting new solution that will enable enterprises and developers build digital solutions using edge technologies,” said Raji Sivakumar, Co-founder and Chief Operation Officer at Appearition.

Enterprises who are looking to create immersive experiences through AR, VR, or XR applications will now be able to do so faster, cost effectively, and at scale. SmartConnect allows Appearition users to take full advantage of the platform’s edge computing capabilities. This can significantly reduce the resource demand on headset hardware and enable enterprises to rapidly prototype AR/VR/XR concepts with the ability to launch software-as-a-service (SaaS)-based products quickly.

High intensity video and graphics processes that would typically require a considerable amount of CPU power from user devices can now be delegated to edge computing to do all the heavy lifting. This removes the limits that many AR/VR/XR applications face by being restricted to the minimal resources a headset can offer.

SmartConnect now allows applications to access more processing power and additional computational resources. This can help expand the capabilities of applications and remove any limits due to limited computing capabilities. It also improves and delivers consistent immersive experiences to end users, regardless of the type of devices.

Chinese startup Rokid has been through a few stages of transformation over its eight years of existence.  The Temasek-backed company started out as a smart speaker maker when the vertical was all the rage in China in mid-2015s, but it has in recent years put more focus on Augmented Reality.

This week, Rokid said it has secured a $160 million Series C round, lifting its total capital raised to $378 million.

Rokid has been exploring enterprise use cases, like enabling remote communication for field workers in the auto, oil and gas, and other traditional industries. Its X-Craft headset, for instance, is resistant to explosions, water and dust and comes with 5G and GPS capabilities.

During the COVID19 pandemic Rokid pitched smart glasses that could detect temperatures of up to 200 people within two minutes.

With a team of about 380 employees, Rokid said it will spend the new proceeds on research and development as well as global expansion, so developed markets could be expecting more of Rokid’s B2B offerings. Indeed, the firm just hired an energy industry veteran to head its sales in the APAC region.

The AREA sends our congratulations on this expansion.

Find out more about Rokid on the Rokid inc AREA member profile.

Yesterday, Pixee Medical announced that its Knee+ AR computer-assisted orthopedic solution will be commercially launched in the United States, providing a perfect fit for Ambulatory Surgical Centers (ASCs). Launched in Europe and Australia early in 2021, Pixee’s solution will be formally launched in the US at the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) Annual Meeting on March 22-26 in Chicago, where the company will meet with surgeons and finalize the organization of its distribution channel.

Additionally, Pixee Medical added that it will soon be adding new features to its Knee+ platform, with soft tissue balancing, kinematic alignment and data connectivity. It will also be expanding its portfolio with a mixed reality product for total shoulder arthroplasty and with an easy-to-use cup orientation and leg length controlling AR tool for total hip arthroplasty. Knee+ is also now compatible with surgical hoods.

Rods&Cones has been a growing consumer of Vuzix M400 smart glasses, which let staff in the operating room, ICU or other medical facility, including surgeons, instrumentalist nurses and other healthcare professionals, provide 4K broadcast quality imagery to others while interacting with patients and staff from a safe distance. To date, Rods&Cones is active in more than 600 hospitals across more than 30 countries and the company anticipates that 2022 will be the year when companies and medical providers start changing their models to prioritize remote technology at the heart of their operations.

Rods&Cones recently announced that its remote access service is compatible with the Pixee Knee+ augmented reality solution for total knee arthroplasty. The compatibility of the two solutions is expected to allow surgeons to use augmented reality during total knee arthroplasty surgeries, while also connecting remotely with other medical experts around the world.

“Firms like Pixee Medical and Rods&Cones are innovators within the healthcare sector and their solutions are facilitating communications and learning, reducing costs, and improving outcomes in operating rooms around the world with the help of Vuzix smart glasses,” said Paul Travers, President and Chief Executive Officer at Vuzix. We look forward to working with these and other providers to help transform the healthcare industry in 2022 and beyond.

Qualcomm Incorporated announced on March 21 2022 the launch of the Snapdragon Metaverse Fund, established to invest up to $100 million in developers and companies building unique, immersive XR experiences, as well as associated core augmented reality (AR) and related artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. The fund plans to deploy capital through a combination of venture investments in leading XR companies by Qualcomm Ventures and a grant program by Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. for developer ecosystem funding in XR experiences such as gaming, health and wellness, media, entertainment, education, and enterprise.

“We deliver the groundbreaking platform technology and experiences that will enable both the consumer and the enterprise to build and engage in the metaverse and allow the physical and digital worlds to be connected. Qualcomm is the ticket to the metaverse,” said Cristiano Amon, president and CEO of Qualcomm Incorporated. “Through the Snapdragon Metaverse Fund, we look forward to empowering developers and companies of all sizes as they push boundaries of what’s possible as we enter into this new generation of spatial computing.”

Qualcomm Technologies has been a key contributor in every major computing evolution and is a leader in core technologies such as 5G, AI and XR – all of which are critical to the metaverse. As we enter the new era of spatial computing, the Snapdragon Metaverse Fund will help enable and foster innovation across the entire ecosystem through venture investment and developer ecosystem grants for content projects.  In addition, recipients may have the opportunity to gain early access to cutting-edge XR platform technology, hardware kits, a global network of investors, and co-marketing and promotion opportunities.

Companies and developers who are interested to learn more can visit qualcomm.com/metaverse-fund. Applications for the Snapdragon Metaverse Fund will officially open in June.

About Qualcomm

Qualcomm is the world’s leading wireless technology innovator and the driving force behind the development, launch, and expansion of 5G. When we connected the phone to the internet, the mobile revolution was born. Today, our foundational technologies enable the mobile ecosystem and are found in every 3G, 4G and 5G smartphone. We bring the benefits of mobile to new industries, including automotive, the internet of things, and computing, and are leading the way to a world where everything and everyone can communicate and interact seamlessly.

Qualcomm Incorporated includes our licensing business, QTL, and the vast majority of our patent portfolio. Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, operates, along with its subsidiaries, substantially all of our engineering, research, and development functions, and substantially all of our products and services businesses, including our QCT semiconductor business.

“We are ecstatic to offer this leading PLM technology integration to our current and future customers,” said Scott Montgomerie, Co-founder and CEO. “Streamlining the creation of AR experiences from PLM systems is an integral part of the digital thread. With the connection between Teamcenter and WorkLink, that vision is now a reality. We launched WorkLink Create to give the world the fastest AR authoring and publishing experience possible. That experience is now seamlessly connected to the world’s most widely used PLM system, and this integration unlocks limitless use cases for our shared customers.”

From its founding, Scope AR has improved the way people work with technology that accelerates the sharing of specific knowledge. In 2010, Scope AR’s founders saw the power augmented reality had to make anyone an expert, regardless of how complex the task. To harness that power, they developed WorkLink, a platform that transforms the way enterprises manufacture, inspect, test and train their workforce through step-by-step 3D visual guidance. WorkLink enables higher workforce productivity with better training, less rework, and higher compliance.

WorkLink has been proven transformational in hundreds of use cases and industries, and makes it easy for leading organizations like Johnson & Johnson, Mitsubishi, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Honeywell and others to create and distribute powerful AR content in minutes across a wide array of devices. In addition to Siemens Digital Industries, Scope AR partners with technology leaders such as Microsoft, Google, Amazon, ServiceMax, Unity, NTT Data and more.

This order follows the successful completion of a proof-of-concept (POC) earlier last year in one warehouse and the initial deployment of Vuzix smart glasses in 40 warehouses several months ago. This follow-on order will support the further deployment of glasses to these 40 warehouses as well as initial deployment to additional locations.

“We are pleased to see a customer of this caliber, not only a retailer leader but also an innovative user of new technologies, continue to deploy and actively use Vuzix smart glasses, a proven productivity tool,” said Paul Travers, President and Chief Executive Officer at Vuzix.

“This Fortune 50 customer represents just one of many exciting opportunities within this vertical, and we look forward to working with them, as well as others, to expand both the depth and breadth of Vuzix Smart Glasses usage this year and beyond.”

London, UK – 22 February 2022 – RealWear, the world’s leading provider of assisted reality solutions for frontline industrial workers, today announced that Mercedes-Benz Otomotiv, based in Turkey, has selected and deployed RealWear’s rugged wearable devices across all of its 56 authorised service centres.

Prior to its countrywide enterprise wearable deployment, the process included hundreds of in-person trips, emails, shared photos and videos and over-the-phone collaboration with subject matter experts. With more than 240,000 customer vehicles on the road and the company’s commitment to high-quality service, the RealWear deployment immediately resulted in wide-ranging positive impact from cost savings, carbon footprint reduction to efficiency and worker empowerment.

For Mercedes-Benz, speed is everything, including a timely response and resolution to its customers. Any issues that could not be resolved required technical support staff to schedule and physically visit the dealership, costing the firm around an expected $100k and 500 tons of carbon emissions per year.

Since initially deploying the technology, Mercedes-Benz Otomotiv anticipates a 25% jump in ROI for on-part training scenarios and up to an expected 80% performance increase in customer service centre technical problem resolution where expertise from HQ is required. Certain other processes, such as problematic warranty cases and insurance claims have also become far more efficient using RealWear’s devices.

“Technologies such as RealWear and Microsoft Teams further increase the service quality and speed of Mercedes-Benz, thus positively affecting our customer satisfaction.” said Celal Tuna, Technical Support Supervisor at Mercedes-Benz Otomotiv.

You can read the full press release including the story of Mercedes Benz’s search for an enterprise wearable for its technicians which began in May 2020 on the RealWear website.

See RealWear’s AREA member profile

AR Instructor is a comprehensive software solution comprised of the following key elements:

AR Instructor Authoring App: a Windows-based application used to create guided work instruction.

The Authoring application offers users tools to easily create a set of digital procedures, each with step-by-step instructions, and insert associated documentation, videos, images, annotations, and 3D models where additional clarification may be helpful.

AR Instructor App: an application for HoloLens 2

The AR Instructor app allows technicians to utilize AR content and overlay structured step-by-step instructions, with integrated documentation, media, and 3D models, on the physical site to perform repair, maintenance, installation, and other operational activities. AR users can conduct live video calls with a remote expert for additional guidance or performance audit.

Support for other AR devices (mobile, lightweight glasses) is planned for Q2 this year.

Arvizio Remote Expert: Web-based tools used by remote experts to assist field workers.

The Remote Expert capability enables live see-what-I-see video calls including augmented reality annotations, shared images and screenshots for visual interaction with the on-site worker to offer additional guidance and/or audit the performance of operational tasks.

AR Instructor provides on-the-job guidance using previously prepared step-by-step augmented reality instructions. Visual prompts and AR overlays guide the user as they execute a given set of tasks. Each step of a guided workflow can be illustrated with video, documents, images, and 3D models superimposed on objects in the user’s field of view.

AR Instructor also offers real-time collaboration allowing field workers and remote experts to share information and receive critical guidance when required. Connecting with remote experts allows the expert to view, collaborate, and instruct the on-site employee using captured photographs, video and annotations through direct audio and video interaction. Specific procedures requiring expert assistance for work validation, or additional oversight, can be seamlessly incorporated in the workflow.

“AR Instructor is an efficient solution for organizations to utilize augmented reality in their operational and field maintenance activities. Using HoloLens 2, clear instructions, 3D content, media and remote expert support are in the worker’s field of view, enabling hands-free operation and significantly increased productivity”, said Jonathan Reeves, CEO of Arvizio. “In addition, senior employees are often not located where operations are performed. With AR Instructor’s remote expert capabilities, these experts can see exactly what engineers and field technicians see and collaborate with them reducing the time to resolution without costly travel.”

AR Instructor offers significant benefits to a variety of industries including manufacturing, datacenter, telecoms, aerospace, and energy. Integrated AR content as well as flexible user management enable organizations to vastly increase productivity, reduce operational costs, optimize their resources, improve competency and safety, and reduce training costs.

The AR Instructor app for HoloLens 2 is available in the Microsoft Store as part of the comprehensive AR Instructor solution. To watch a brief video overview of AR Instructor, please visit: Arvizio AR Instructor: Step-By-Step Instruction in AR

In addition to AR Instructor, the company’s Immerse 3D solution offers 3D model visualization and multi-user meetings and reviews with 3D BIM/CAD models, photogrammetry models and LiDAR point clouds across locations.

Motorola, Verizon Design 5G Wearable for XR Devices

Mobile phone pioneer Motorola recently announced it had teamed up with parent company Lenovo and US telecoms giant Verizon to reveal its latest 5G wearable device for XR technologies.

The neckband will provide ultra-low latency 5G connections for users of XR devices, using Verizon’s Ultra-Wideband 5G networks and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 mobile platform.

Cambridge, GigXR Launch XR HoloPatient Trainer

XR healthcare solutions provider GigXR has begun working with Cambridge University Health Partners and Britain’s National Healthcare Service to develop its HoloPatient trainer app.

The solution, aimed at training Cambridge University students and healthcare professionals, was developed to train the next generation of healthcare professionals and boost their learner retention rates and engagement, representatives from both teams told XR Today in an interview.

VR, Metaverse Insurance Claims Jump 31 Percent

News reports revealed that XR device users had filed a record 31 percent higher number of accident claims in 2021, compared to the previous year, Aviva told the Guardian in an interview.

The UK’s largest insurer told the publication that accidents such as breaking furniture, televisions, and punching ceilings were some of the most common claims, resulting in claims on average of £650.

Arvizio To Secure AR, Future of Industry 4.0, CEO Says

Ontario, Canada-based AR solutions firm Arvizio (AREA member) spoke to XR Today last week to discuss its latest updates on its augmented and mixed reality (AR/VR) products designed for Industry 4.0.

In an interview, Jonathan Reeves, CEO of Arvizio, explained how digital transformation across global markets, expedited by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, sparked accelerated deployments of products such as Arvizio Immerse 3D and Arvizio Instructor.

Accenture Invests in XR Training Firm Talespin

Talespin, a spatial computing firm based in Los Angeles, California, completed Series C fundraising totalling $20 million USD from key investors such as Accenture Ventures, Pearson Ventures, and others.

The news comes as Accenture invests heavily in the future of XR with a portfolio of projects such as women’s empowerment in India, virtual onboarding, and best practices with the XR Association.