As the virtual, augmented, mixed, and extended reality (VR/AR/MR/XR) industries continue to grow, the backbone of its success remains to build use cases. Varjo Technologies and its partners are leading the charge to develop novel immersive design, training, and collaboration approaches.
XR Today interviewed Patrick Wyatt, Chief Product Officer, Varjo, at a product demo on Wednesday in London, United Kingdom. Varjo showcased several XR use cases for the headsets across verticals at their offices.
We discussed Varjo’s latest demos in architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC), aerospace pilot training, healthcare instruction, and automotive design. The Finnish enterprise builds the world’s most advanced enterprise-focused headsets and solutions for professionals.
Demo Day with Varjo
Wyatt said that such use cases facilitated growth for the Helsinki-based firm’s primary segments of design and pilot training. These specific cases were some of the “most important factors” for the MR capabilities of the headset.
Wyatt explained further,
“We have the very best headsets [on the market] for high-quality virtual content. The resolution displays also feature a video passthrough, which facilitates a lot of growth for mixed-reality use cases”
Featured in pilot training scenarios, trainees could “use physical cockpits along with video passthrough. This allows them to see the actual controls they’re using to view surrounding virtual content,” he added.
Wyatt added: “This allows them to develop the right muscle memory to train with real-world content, rather than viewing VR content incorrectly”
These technologies were key to developing use cases across the XR industry, and Varjo approached such efforts in a “domain-centric way,” Wyatt added.
The Finnish company worked with industry verticals, partners, and software platforms to build use cases.
He continued,
“We integrate particularly with professional software [platforms] such as Autodesk VRED, FlightSim Tooling, and others. We want to make sure that we can showcase our headset in context with software that our customers are really using to build these use cases we’ve discussed”
Varjo-IDSI Partnership
The news comes after Varjo partnered with Immersive Display Solutions Inc (IDSI) to train workers on the latter’s simulation and training technologies.
Using Varjo’s XR-3 Focal Edition headsets, the partnership allows hyperrealistic training exercises in immersive environments for learners. Varjo’s immersive hardware and ISDI’s ChromaXR solution merge the real and digital worlds to train industry professionals across multiple scenarios.
IDSI is set-up and ready to demo ChromaXR at the 2023 Battlespace Simulations, Inc. MACE User Group in Fort Walton Beach Florida, 2-4 May. ChromaXR features the @varjodotcom XR-3 Focal Edition mixed reality headset. Demo is based on BSI’s ARMOR and MACE software designed for JTAC pic.twitter.com/rA06ga0LVX
— IDSI Atlanta (@IDSI_Atlanta) May 2, 2023
The Atlanta, Georgia-based firm’s ChromaXR also backs multimodal occlusion for video passthrough, depth, and marker occlusion. This creates a ‘green screen’ effect to parse virtual and real content for VR and MR devices.
IDSI and Varjo’s partnership facilitated Joint Fires Training for CAVE and spherical dome displays for learners to read maps, and exchange communications, George Forbes, Chief Executive, IDSI explained in a statement.
He added:
“Trainees can easily perform training activities such as reading maps, reading/writing, and exchanging tactical digital communications via simulated digitally aided close air support (DACAS) activities using the Android Team Awareness Kit (ATAK) which allows precision situational awareness, navigation, and data sharing”
Varjo-Twinmotion AEC Deal
Additionally, Varjo struck a further partnership with AEC firm Twinmotion to empower designers with its industry-leading visualisation capabilities and ease of use.
Visualize a space like never before. Today, we’re excited to announce leading real-time visualization tool @Twinmotion support for Varjo’s #VR and #XR headsets, marking a revolutionary milestone in architectural visualization.
Read more: https://t.co/a1PoLcAyO0 pic.twitter.com/znzJGahQGP
— Varjo (@varjodotcom) April 4, 2023
With the company’s Aero headset, Twinmotion users can leverage immersive 3D environments to interface with architectural renderings with precise accuracy.
High-fidelity headsets like the Varjo Aero provide stellar XR use cases for AEC designers. This has led to massively decreased costs and better knowledge of prototypes and blueprints.
Automotive Backs Varjo Reality Cloud
In a 2022 interview with Urho Konttori, Founder and CTO, Varjo, XR Today discussed the company’s Reality Cloud offering. Clients using Varjo headsets can stream immersive real-time 3D (RT3D) assets and environments.
At the time, electric automaker Rivian had leveraged the platform to prototype its cars on the Reality Cloud platform as an Early Access Partner.
The solution can stream high-spec assets on any PCVR application, leading to smoother graphical computing and streamlined visuals.
Other clients using the platform included Aston Martin, who tapped Autodesk VRED’s integration on the solution. Furthermore, users can also collaborate remotely to design prototypes in real-time and with low latency, low-bandwidth connections.
“This [allows our solution] to run on real computer networks and inside corporate networks that don’t always provide infinite bandwidth to everybody demanding it,” Konttori added.
For more information, kindly check out Varjo’s website.
