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More than 2 years ago, we initiated a focused effort to elevate our security and quality frameworks. Our objective wasn’t just to satisfy standards – it was to make security an integral part of our operations, from daily workflows to strategic decisions. Leading the initiative, Dmytro Stetsenko, Co-founder and CTO at Qualium Systems, stepped up to lead the audit internally, ensuring completion of formal ISO 9001 & 27001 auditor training and reinforcing our internal capabilities. In the months that followed, he partnered with compliance experts and process owners to enhance key operational workflows – from asset management and physical security to HR governance, risk management and business continuity. As Dmytro highlights: “The most significant transformation is in risk awareness. We didn’t just offer new controls, we fundamentally redefined how risks are identified, evaluated and addressed across a company.” Last month we successfully renewed both certifications, involving three-phase audits: an internal review, followed by evaluations from both our ISO 9001 auditor and a dedicated ISO/IEC 27001 audit team, with oversight from an accreditation officer to ensure additional scrutiny. Turning Security into Resilience: How We Built Stronger Quality and Security Frameworks As regulatory pressure intensifies across healthcare, finance and other data-sensitive industries, organizations are expected to demonstrate not only innovation but also measurable control over quality, security, and risk. This year we successfully reaffirmed its compliance with ISO 9001 and ISO/IEC 27001 standards, reinforcing our position as a trusted technology partner operating at the highest levels of operational excellence and information security. As Dmytro Stetsenko explains: “Regulatory pressure from frameworks like DORA and NIS2 continues to grow and compliance is becoming increasingly complex, demanding more resources. Our ISO 27001 certification in particular simplifies that landscape for our clients – reducing audit friction, accelerating approvals, and ensuring a consistently high standard of security.” Global frameworks such as DORA and NIS2 are reshaping expectations around cybersecurity, resilience, and governance. For companies operating in regulated environments, compliance is no longer optional – it is foundational. Qualium Systems ISO certifications provide a structured, internationally recognized framework that directly supports these evolving requirements: ISO/IEC 27001 ensures a mature Information Security Management System (ISMS), safeguarding data confidentiality, integrity, and availability ISO 9001 establishes a robust Quality Management System (QMS), focused on consistency, performance, and continuous improvement Together, these standards create a unified operating model where security and quality are embedded into every process, not treated as separate functions. Coded Harder, Built Better, Run Faster, Secured Stronger: What ISO Means for Everyday Quality and Security Rather than treating certification as a one-time milestone, Qualium Systems approaches ISO standards as a continuous discipline. The 2026 renewal reflects a deeper evolution of internal systems, including: ● Advanced risk management practices integrated across delivery, infrastructure, and operations ● Role-based access controls and data governance models aligned with modern security expectations ● Enhanced business continuity and resilience planning, ensuring stability under disruption ● Process optimization frameworks that improve delivery speed without compromising quality This systemic approach allows clients to operate with greater confidence, reducing audit friction, accelerating approvals, and ensuring readiness for increasingly complex regulatory environments. What It Means for our Clients For organizations in healthcare, fintech, and other compliance-driven sectors, working with a certified partner is no longer a preference — it is a requirement. Qualium Systems ISO 9001 and ISO/IEC 27001 certifications translate into tangible business value: ● Reduced compliance burden across regulatory frameworks ● Lower operational and cybersecurity risk exposure ● Predictable, high-quality delivery outcomes ● Faster alignment with enterprise procurement and audit requirements In practice, this means clients can focus on innovation and growth – while relying on a partner whose processes are already aligned with global best practices. What Comes Next: Beyond Compliance The 2026 certification milestone is not an endpoint, but part of a broader strategy to continuously elevate standards across delivery. As regulatory expectations continue to evolve, we are actively expanding our compliance framework to better support clients in highly regulated industries, particularly healthcare. This includes advancing our alignment with GDPR requirements and progressing toward HIPAA readiness, further strengthening our ability to manage sensitive data in complex regulatory environments. By combining deep technical expertise with certified operational frameworks, the company continues to bridge the gap between cutting-edge technology and enterprise-grade reliability. As Dmytro notes: “This certification reflects our long-term commitment to helping clients navigate the most demanding regulatory environments with confidence. While we continue to expand our compliance capabilities, advancing toward GDPR and HIPAA readiness for healthcare-focused solutions.”

The global extended reality market (including VR, AR and MR) is expected to reach $84.86 billion by 2029, growing at an estimated annual rate of 28%. But the bigger point isn’t just that the market is expanding, it’s that XR is already proving its value in the places marketers care about most: engagement, conversion, and customer confidence. In ecommerce, interacting with products via AR leads to a 94% higher conversion rate compared to products without AR. That makes sense: when people can better understand what they’re buying, they’re more likely to move forward and less likely to regret the purchase later.  XR also gives brands something that’s getting harder to win online: attention. VR campaigns generate about 46% higher engagement than traditional digital campaigns. People who interact with AR content spend around 2.7 times longer on product pages.  XR is now showing up in real results. That is why marketing is moving beyond static content toward immersive experiences. In the following sections, we will share how these technologies can be applied to marketing strategies and explore what the future of immersive experiences might look like. How XR is transforming modern marketing: 4 use cases that prove it works With XR, businesses can turn traditional campaigns into fully immersive experiences, where customers can explore products, interact with brands, and connect with content in memorable ways. Its value goes far beyond visual appeal, directly impacting the business growth and customer journey itself. And while this may not be immediately obvious, XR can also save significant resources, reducing the need for physical prototypes, showrooms, or large-scale events, making marketing more efficient. This is why more businesses are integrating immersive technologies into their marketing strategies, even despite certain challenges, such as development and VR hardware costs, as well as complex technology integration. Below, we highlight several successful use cases of immersive technologies in marketing. Virtual try-ons One of the most persistent barriers to online purchasing is uncertainty. Will these glasses suit my face shape? Will this sofa fit in my living room? Will this shade of lipstick actually complement my skin tone? These are questions that traditionally required a physical store visit. Virtual try-on eliminates that leap entirely. The technology behind this falls into a few distinct forms. The most accessible is smartphone-based AR. Customers point their phone at themselves or their surroundings, and the app overlays a true-to-scale digital product in real time. A striking example is the FindYourGlasses app developed by Qualium Systems. A step further are dedicated AR headsets and glasses, which immerse the customer in a mixed-reality environment where products can be explored in even greater depth and spatial accuracy.  These technologies help customers understand what they are buying before making a purchase, enabling them to make decisions based on accurate, personalized visualization rather than guesswork. Real-world example: IKEA Place AR App IKEA Place AR app lets shoppers visualize furniture in their own physical spaces before buying. Customers simply point their phone camera at a room, select a piece of furniture, and see it rendered in realistic scale within their actual environment. This removes the biggest friction point in furniture shopping: not knowing whether a sofa or shelf will actually fit or match the existing interior design. Results: After launch, the app was downloaded millions of times and became one of the most widely adopted retail AR experiences globally. IKEA reported increased customer engagement and reduced returns because customers could see how items fit before purchase. The company reported also that customers who use the IKEA Place app are 11% more likely to complete a purchase compared to those who do not use the app. Virtual showrooms & Tours Some purchases simply feel too significant to make without experiencing the space or context first. Traditionally, that meant showing up in person. Virtual showrooms and immersive tours remove that requirement. The technology here ranges from 360° web-based tours (viewable in any browser without additional hardware) to fully immersive VR experiences delivered through headsets. Visitors can walk through a branded space, interact with products, and access information on demand, without leaving their couch or office. Automotive brands use virtual showrooms to let buyers explore vehicle interiors, switch trims and colors, and get a feel for the cabin before visiting a dealership. Real estate platforms offer immersive property walkthroughs that let buyers shortlist homes remotely. Hotels and resorts use virtual tours to sell the experience upfront.  The value is especially pronounced in the machinery and heavy equipment sector, where physically demonstrating a product has always been costly: shipping industrial equipment to trade shows, organizing on-site demos, and flying prospects to manufacturing facilities all consume significant budgets. VR removes that overhead entirely: a potential buyer can step inside a virtual factory floor, operate a machine in a simulated environment, and evaluate complex equipment in full detail. Real-world example: Virtual showroom for MAKEEN Energy industrial equipment MAKEEN Energy, a global corporation delivering industrial gas solutions and heavy infrastructure equipment, built a true-to-scale virtual showroom. Using 3D models of their equipment in a virtual environment, they were able to pack their sprawling machinery into a portable VR headset and bring it to any trade fair.  Results: By no longer shipping heavy equipment around the world and reducing travel with virtual product demonstrations, MAKEEN Energy was able to cut logistics costs significantly. The virtual showroom also accelerated complex, multi-stakeholder sales by giving engineers, technicians, and purchase managers across different countries a shared, detailed view of the product. What began as a trade fair tool evolved into a company-wide asset for sales, training, and communications. For industrial businesses looking to adopt XR, Qualium Systems serves as a trusted technology partner, delivering VR and Web3D solutions that simplify the presentation of complex equipment, enhance product understanding, and support more effective digital engagement. Immersive brand storytelling XR gives brands the ability to place customers at the center of a narrative, transforming passive content consumption into a first-person experience that is far harder to forget. A VR film or AR…

Immersive XR Tech and Artificial Intelligence are advancing MedTech beyond cautious incremental change to an era where data-driven intelligence transforms healthcare. This is especially relevant in the operating room — the most complex and high-stakes environment, where precision, advanced skills, and accurate, real-time data are essential. Incremental Change in Healthcare is No Longer an Option Even in a reality transformed by digital medicine, many operating rooms still feel stuck in an analog past, and while everything outside the OR has moved ahead, transformation has been slow and piecemeal inside it. This lag is more pronounced in complex, demanding surgeries, but immersive technologies convert flat, two-dimensional MRI and CT scans into interactive 3D visualizations. Surgeons now have clearer spatial insight as they work, which reduces the risk of unexpected complications and supports better overall results. Yet, healthcare overall has changed only gradually, although progress has been made over the course of decades. Measures such as reducing fraud, rolling out EMR, and updating clinical guidelines have had limited success in controlling costs and closing quality gaps. For example, the U.S. continues to spend more than other similarly developed countries. Everything calls for a fundamental rethinking of how healthcare is structured and delivered. Can our healthcare systems handle 313M+ surgeries a year? Over 313 million surgeries will likely be performed every year by 2030, putting significant pressure on healthcare systems. Longer waiting times, higher rates of complications, and operating rooms stretched to capacity are all on the rise as a result. Against this backdrop, immersive XR and artificial intelligence are rapidly becoming vital partners in the OR. They turn instinct-driven judgement into visual data-informed planning, reducing uncertainty and supporting confident decision-making. The immediate advantages are clear enough: shorter time spent in the operating room include reduced operating-room time and lower radiation exposure for patients, surgeons, and OR staff. Just as critical, though less visible, are the long-term outcomes. Decreased complication rates and a lower likelihood of revision surgeries are likely to have an even greater impact on the future of the field. These issues have catalyzed the rise of startups in surgical intelligence, whose platforms automate parts of the planning process, support documentation, and employ synthetic imaging to reduce time spent in imaging suites. Synthetic imaging, for clarity, refers to digitally generated images, often created from existing medical scans, that enrich diagnostic and interpretive insights. The latest breakthroughs in XR and AI Processing volumetric data with multimodal generative AI, which divides volumes into sequences of patches or slices, now enables real-time interpretation and assistance directly within VR environments. Similarly, VR-augmented differentiable simulations are proving effective for team-based surgical planning, especially for complex cardiac and neurosurgical cases. They integrate optimized trajectory planners with segmented anatomy and immersive navigation interfaces. Organ and whole-body segmentation, now automated and fast, enables multidisciplinary teams to review patient cases together in XR, using familiar platforms such as 3D Slicer. Meanwhile, DICOM-to-XR visualization workflows built on surgical training platforms like Unity and UE5 have become core building blocks to a wave of MedTech startups that proliferated in 2023–2024, with further integrations across the industry. The future of surgery is here The integration of volumetric rendering and AI-enhanced imaging has equipped surgeons with enhanced visualization, helping them navigate the intersection of surgery and human anatomy in 2023. Such progress led to a marked shift in surgical navigation and planning, becoming vital for meeting the pressing demands currently facing healthcare systems. 1) Surgical VR: Volumetric Digital Twins Recent clinical applications of VR platforms convert MRI/CT DICOM stacks into interactive 3D reconstructions of the patient’s body. Surgeons can explore these models in detail, navigate them as if inside the anatomy itself, and then project them as AR overlays into the operative field to preserve spatial context during incision. Volumetric digital twins function as dynamic, clinically vetted, and true-to-size models, unlike static images. They guide trajectory planning, map procedural risks, and enable remote team rehearsals. According to institutions using these tools, the results include clearer surgical approaches, reduced uncertainty around critical vasculature, and greater confidence among both surgeons and patients. These tools serve multidisciplinary physician teams, not only individual users. Everyone involved can review the same digital twin before and during surgery, working in tight synchronization without the risk of mistakes, especially in complex surgeries such as spinal, cranial, or cardiovascular cases. These pipelines also generate high-fidelity, standardized datasets that support subsequent AI integration, as they mature. Automated segmentation, predictive risk scoring, and differentiable trajectory optimizers can now be layered on top, transforming visual intuition into quantifiable guidance and enabling teams to leave less to chance, delivering safer and less invasive care. The VR platform we built for Vizitech USA serves as a strong example within the parallel and broader domain of healthcare education. VMed-Pro is a virtual-reality training platform built to the standards of the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians; the scenarios mirror real-world protocols, ensuring that training translates directly to clinical practice. Beyond procedural skills, VMed-Pro also reinforces core medical concepts; learners can review anatomy and physiology within the context of a virtual patient, connecting textbook knowledge to hands-on clinical judgment. 2) Surgical AR: Intra-operative decision making Augmented reality for surgical navigation combines real-time image registration, AI segmentation, ergonomically designed head-worn glasses, and headsets to convert preoperative DICOM stacks into interactive holographic anatomy, giving surgeons X-ray visualization without diverting gaze from the field – a true Surgical Copilot right in the OR. AI-driven segmentation and computer-vision pipelines generate metric-accurate volumetric models and annotated overlays that support trajectory planning, instrument guidance, and intraoperative decision support. Robust spatial registration and tracking (marker-based or depth-sensor aided) align holograms with patient anatomy to submillimetre accuracy, enabling precise tool guidance and reduced reliance on fluoroscopy. Lightweight AR hardware, featuring hand-tracking and voice control, preserves surgeon ergonomics and minimizes distractions. Cloud and on-premises inference options balance latency and computational power to enable real-time assistance. Significant industry investment and agile startups have driven integration with PACS, navigation systems, and multi-user XR sessions, enhancing preoperative rehearsal and team…

Estimation of IT projects based on VR, XR, MR, or AI requires both a deep technical understanding of advanced technologies and the ability to predict future market tendencies, potential risks, and opportunities. In this document, we aim to thoroughly examine estimation methodologies that allow for the most accurate prediction of project results in such innovative fields as VR/MR/AR and AI by describing unique approaches and strategies developed by Qualium Systems. We strive to cover existing estimation techniques used at our company and delve into the strategies and approaches that ensure high efficiency and accuracy of the estimation process. While focusing on different estimation types, we analyze the choice of methods and alternative approaches available. Due attention is paid to risk assessment being the key element of a successful IT project implementation, especially in such innovative fields as VR/MR/AR and AI. Moreover, the last chapter covers the demo of a project of ours, the Chemistry education app. We will show how the given approaches practically affect the final project estimation. Read

Breaking Down Spatial Anchors in AR/MR Augmented Reality (AR) and Mixed Reality (MR) depend on accurate understanding of the physical environment to create realistic experiences, and they hit this target with the concept of spatial anchors. These anchors act like markers, either geometric or based on features, that help virtual objects stay in the same spot in the real world — even when users move around. Sounds simple, but the way spatial anchors are implemented varies a lot depending on the platform; for example, Apple’s ARKit, Google’s ARCore, and Microsoft’s Azure Spatial Anchors (ASA) all approach them differently. If you want to know how these anchors are used in practical scenarios or what challenges developers often face when working with them, this article dives into these insights too. What Are Spatial Anchors and Why They Matter A spatial anchor is like a marker in the real world, tied to a specific point or group of features. Once you create one, it allows for some important capabilities: Persistence. Virtual objects stay exactly where you placed them in the real-world, even if you close and restart the app. Multi-user synchronization. Multiple devices can share the same anchor, so everyone sees virtual objects aligned to the same physical space. Cross-session continuity. You can leave a space and come back later, and all the virtual elements will still be in the right place. In AR/MR, your device builds a point cloud or feature map by using the camera and built-in sensors like the IMU (inertial measurement unit). Spatial anchors are then tied to those features, and without them, virtual objects can drift or float around as you move, shattering the sense of immersion. Technical Mechanics of Spatial Anchors At a high level, creating and using spatial anchors involves a series of steps: Feature Detection & Mapping To start, the device needs to understand its surroundings: it scans the environment to identify stable visual features (e.g., corners, edges). Over time, these features are triangulated, forming a sparse map or mesh of the space. This feature map is what the system relies on to anchor virtual objects. Anchor Creation Next, anchors are placed at specific 3D locations in the environment in two possible ways: Hit-testing. The system casts a virtual ray from a camera to a user-tapped point, then drops an anchor on the detected surface. Manual placement. Sometimes, developers need precise control, so they manually specify the exact location of an anchor using known coordinates, like ensuring it perfectly fits on the floor or another predefined plane. Persistence & Serialization Anchors aren’t temporary — they can persist, and here’s how systems make that possible: Locally stored anchors. Frameworks save the anchor’s data, like feature descriptors and transforms, in a package called a “world map” or “anchor payload”. Cloud-based anchors. Cloud services like Azure Spatial Anchors (ASA) upload this anchor data to a remote server to let the same anchor be accessed across multiple devices. Synchronization & Restoration When you’re reopening the app or accessing the anchor on a different device, the system uses the saved data to restore the anchor’s location. It compares stored feature descriptors to what the camera sees in real time, and if there’s a good enough match, the system confidently snaps the anchor into position, and your virtual content shows up right where it’s supposed to. However, using spatial anchors isn’t perfect, like using any other technology, and there are some tricky issues to figure out: Low latency. Matching saved data to real-time visuals has to be quick; otherwise, the user experience feels clunky. Robustness in feature-scarce environments. Blank walls or textureless areas don’t give the system much to work with and make tracking tougher. Scale drift. Little errors in the system’s tracking add up over time to big discrepancies. When everything falls into place and the challenges are handled well, spatial anchors make augmented and virtual reality experiences feel seamless and truly real. ARKit’s Spatial Anchors (Apple) Apple’s ARKit, rolled out with iOS 11, brought powerful features to developers working on AR apps, and one of them is spatial anchoring, which allows virtual objects to stay fixed in the real world as if they belong there. To do this, ARKit provides two main APIs that developers rely on to achieve anchor-based persistence. ARAnchor & ARPlaneAnchor The simplest kind of anchor in ARKit is the ARAnchor, which represents a single 3D point in the real-world environment and acts as a kind of “pin” in space that ARKit can track. Building on this, ARPlaneAnchor identifies flat surfaces like tables, floors, and walls, allowing developers to tie virtual objects to these surfaces. ARWorldMap ARWorldMap makes ARKit robust for persistence and acts as a snapshot of the environment being tracked by ARKit. It captures the current session, including all detected anchors and their surrounding feature points, into a compact file. There are a few constraints developers need to keep in mind: World maps are iOS-only, which means they cannot be shared directly with Android. There must be enough overlapping features between the saved environment and the current physical space, and textured structures are especially valuable for this, as they help ARKit identify key points for alignment. Large world maps, especially those with many anchors or detailed environments, can be slow to serialize and deserialize, causing higher application latency when loading or saving. ARKit anchors are ideal for single-user persistence, but sharing AR experiences across multiple devices poses additional issues, and developers often employ custom server logic (uploading ARWorldMap data to a backend), enabling users to download and use the same map. However, this approach comes with caveats: it requires extra development work and doesn’t offer native support for sharing across platforms like iOS and Android. ARCore’s Spatial Anchors (Google) Google’s ARCore is a solid toolkit for building AR apps, and one of its best features is how it handles spatial anchors: Anchors & Hit-Testing ARCore offers two ways to create anchors. You can use Session.createAnchor(Pose) if you already know the anchor’s position, or…

Understanding XR in Industry 4.0 Industry 4.0 marks a turning point in making industry systems smarter and more interconnected: it integrates digital and physical technologies like IoT, automation, and AI, into them. And you’ve probably heard about Extended Reality (XR), the umbrella for Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, and Mixed Reality. It isn’t an add-on. XR is one of the primary technologies making the industry system change possible. XR has made a huge splash in Industry 4.0, and recent research shows how impactful it has become. For example, a 2023 study by Gattullo et al. points out that AR and VR are becoming a must-have in industrial settings. It makes sense — they improve productivity and enhance human-machine interactions (Gattullo et al., 2023). Meanwhile, research by Azuma et al. (2024) focuses on how XR makes workspaces safer and training more effective in industrial environments. One thing is clear: the integration of XR into Industry 4.0 closes the gap between what we imagine in digital simulations and what actually happens in the real world. Companies use XR to work smarter — it tightens up workflows, streamlines training, and improves safety measures. The uniqueness of XR is in its immersive nature. It allows teams to make better decisions, monitor operations with pinpoint accuracy, and effectively collaborate, even if team members are on opposite sides of the planet. XR Applications in Key Industrial Sectors Manufacturing and Production One of the most significant uses of XR in Industry 4.0 is in manufacturing, where it enhances design, production, and quality control processes. Engineers now utilize digital twins, virtual prototypes, and AR-assisted assembly lines, to catch possible defects before production even starts. Research by Mourtzis et al. (2024) shows how effective digital twin models powered by XR are in smart factories: for example, studies reveal that adopting XR-driven digital twins saves design cycle times by up to 40% and greatly speeds up product development. Besides, real-time monitoring with these tools has decreased system downtimes by 25% (Mourtzis et al., 2024). Training and Workforce Development The use of XR in employee training has changed how industrial workers acquire knowledge and grow skills. Hands-on XR-based simulations allow them to practice in realistic settings without any of the risks tied to operating heavy machinery, whereas traditional training methods usually involve lengthy hours, high expenses, and the need to set aside physical equipment, disrupting operations. A study published on ResearchGate titled ‘Immersive Virtual Reality Training in Industrial Settings: Effects on Memory Retention and Learning Outcomes’ offers interesting insights on XR’s use in workforce training. It was carried out by Jan Kubr, Alena Lochmannova, and Petr Horejsi, researchers from the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen, Czech Republic, specializing in industrial engineering and public health. The study focused on fire suppression training to show how different levels of immersion in VR affect training for industrial safety procedures. The findings were astounding. People trained in VR remembered 45% more information compared to those who went through traditional training. VR also led to a 35% jump in task accuracy and cut real-world errors by 50%. On top of that, companies using VR in their training programs noticed that new employees reached full productivity 25% faster. The study uncovered a key insight: while high-immersion VR training improves short-term memory retention and operational efficiency, excessive immersion — for example, using both audio navigation and visual cues at the same time — can overwhelm learners and hurt their ability to absorb information. These results showed how important it is to find the right balance when creating VR training programs to ensure they’re truly effective. XR-based simulations let industrial workers safely engage in realistic and hands-on scenarios without the hazards or costs of operating heavy machinery, changing the way they acquire new skills. Way better than sluggish, costly, and time-consuming traditional training methods that require physical equipment and significant downtime. Maintenance and Remote Assistance XR is also transforming equipment maintenance and troubleshooting. In place of physical manuals, technicians using AR-powered smart glasses can view real-time schematics, follow guided diagnostics, and connect with remote experts, reducing downtime. Recent research by Javier Gonzalez-Argote highlights how significantly AR-assisted maintenance has grown in the automotive industry. The study finds that AR, mostly mediated via portable devices, is widely used in maintenance, evaluation, diagnosis, repair, and inspection processes, improving work performance, productivity, and efficiency. AR-based guidance in product assembly and disassembly has also been found to boost task performance by up to 30%, substantially improving accuracy and lowering human errors. These advancements are streamlining industrial maintenance workflows, reducing downtime and increasing operational efficiency across the board (González-Argote et al., 2024). Industrial IMMERSIVE 2025: Advancing XR in Industry 4.0 At the Industrial IMMERSIVE Week 2025, top industry leaders came together to discuss the latest breakthroughs in XR technology for industrial use. One of the main topics of discussion was XR’s growing impact on workplace safety and immersive training environments. During the event, Kevin O’Donovan, a prominent technology evangelist and co-chair of the Industrial Metaverse & Digital Twin committee at VRARA, interviewed Annie Eaton, a trailblazing XR developer and CEO of Futurus. She shared exciting details about a groundbreaking safety training initiative, saying: “We have created a solution called XR Industrial, which has a collection of safety-themed lessons in VR … anything from hazards identification, like slips, trips, and falls, to pedestrian safety and interaction with mobile work equipment like forklifts or even autonomous vehicles in a manufacturing site.” By letting workers practice handling high-risk scenarios in a risk-free virtual setting, this initiative shows how XR makes workplaces safer. No wonder more companies are beginning to see the value in using such simulations to improve safety across operations and avoid accidents. Rethinking how manufacturing, training, and maintenance are done, extended reality is rapidly becoming necessary for Industry 4.0. The combination of rising academic study and practical experiences, like those shared during Industrial IMMERSIVE 2025, highlights how really strong this technology is. XR will always play a big role in optimizing efficiency, protecting workers, and…

You probably don’t think much about medical scan data. But they’re everywhere. If you’ve got an X-ray or an MRI, your images were almost certainly processed by DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine), the globally accepted standard for storing and sharing medical imaging data like X-rays, MRIs, and CT scans between hospitals, clinics, and research institutions since the late 80s and early 90s. But there’s a problem: while medical technology has made incredible leaps in the last 30 years, DICOM hasn’t kept up. What is DICOM anyway? DICOM still operates in ways that feel more suited to a 1990s environment of local networks and limited computing power. Despite updates, the system doesn’t meet the demands of cloud computing, AI-driven diagnostics, and real-time collaboration. It lacks cloud-native support and rigid file structures, and shows inconsistencies between different manufacturers. If your doctor still hands you a CD with your scan on it in 2025 (!), DICOM is a big part of that story. The DICOM Legacy How DICOM Came to Be When DICOM was developed in the 1980s, the focus was on solving some big problems in medical imaging, and honestly, it did the job brilliantly for its time. The initial idea was to create a universal language for different hardware and software platforms to communicate with each other, sort of like building a shared language for technology. They also had to make sure it was compatible with older devices already in use. At that time, the most practical option was to rely on local networks since cloud-based solutions simply didn’t exist yet. These decisions helped DICOM become the go-to standard, but they also locked it into an outdated framework that’s now tough to update. Why It’s Hard to Change DICOM Medical standards don’t evolve as fast as consumer technology like phones or computers. Changing something like DICOM doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a slow and complicated process muddled by layers of regulatory approvals and opinions from a tangled web or organizations and stakeholders. What’s more, hospitals have decades of patient data tied to these systems, and making big changes that may break compatibility isn’t easy. And to top it all off, device manufacturers have different ways of interpreting and implementing DICOM, so it’s nearly impossible to enforce consistency. The Trouble With Staying Backwards Compatible DICOM’s focus on working perfectly with old systems was smart at the time, but it’s created some long-term problems. Technological advancements have moved on with AI, cloud storage, and tools for real-time diagnostics. They have shown immediately how limited DICOM can be in catching up with these innovations. Also, vendor-specific implementations have created quirks that make devices less compatible with one another than they should be. And don’t even get started on trying to link DICOM with modern healthcare systems like electronic records or telemedicine platforms. It would be like trying to plug a 1980s gadget into a smart technology ecosystem — not impossible, but far from seamless. Why Your CT Scanner and MRI Machine Aren’t Speaking the Same Language Interoperability in medical imaging sounds great in theory — everything just works, no matter the device or manufacturer — however, in practice, things got messy. Some issues sound abstract, but for doctors and hospitals, they mean delays, misinterpretations, and extra burden. So, why don’t devices always play nice? The Problem With “Standards” That Aren’t Very Standard You’d think having a universal standard like DICOM would ensure easy interoperability because everybody follows the same rules. Not exactly. Device manufacturers implement it differently, and this leads to: Private tags. These are proprietary pieces of data that only specific software can understand. If your software doesn’t understand them, you’re out of luck. Missing or vague fields. Some devices leave out crucial metadata or define it differently. File structure issues. Small differences in how data is formatted sometimes make files unreadable. The idea of a universal standard is nice, but the way it’s applied leaves a lot to be desired. Metadata and Tag Interpretation Issues DICOM images contain extensive metadata to describe details like how the patient was positioned during the scan or how the images fit together. But when this metadata isn’t standardized, you end up with metadata and tag interpretation issues. For example, inconsistencies in slice spacing or image order can throw off 3D reconstructions, leaving scans misaligned. As a result, when doctors try to compare scans over time or across different systems, they often have to deal with mismatched or incomplete data. These inconsistencies make what should be straightforward tasks unnecessarily complicated and create challenges for accurate diagnoses and proper patient care. File Structure and Storage Inconsistencies The way images are stored varies so much between devices that it often causes problems. Some scanners save each image slice separately. Others put them together in one file. Then there are slight differences in DICOM implementations that make it difficult to read images on some systems. Compression adds another layer of complexity — it’s not the same across the board. File sizes and levels of quality vary widely. All these mismatches and inconsistencies make everything harder for hospitals and doctors trying to work together. Orientation and Interpretation Issues Medical imaging is incredible, but sometimes working with scans slows things down when time matters most and makes it harder to get accurate insights for patient care. There are several reasons for this. Different Coordinate Systems Sometimes, DICOM permits the use of different coordination systems and causes confusions. For instance, patient-based coordinates relate to the patient’s body, like top-to-bottom (head-to-feet) or side-to-side (left-to-right). Scanner-based coordinates, on the other hand, are based on the imaging device itself. When these systems don’t match up, it creates misalignment issues in multi-modal imaging studies, where scans from different devices need to work together. Slice Ordering Problems Scans like MRIs and CTs are made up of thin cross-sectional images called slices. But not every scanner orders or numbers these slices in the same way. Some slices can be stored from top-to-bottom or bottom-to-top. If the order…

Introduction Virtual and mixed reality headsets are not just cool toys to show off at parties, though they’re definitely good for that. They train surgeons without risking a single patient, build immersive classrooms without ever leaving home, and even help to design something with unparalleled precision. But choosing VR/MR headsets … It’s not as simple as picking what looks sleek or what catches your eye on the shelf. And we get it. The difference between a headset that’s wired, standalone, or capable of merging the real and digital worlds is confusing sometimes. But we’ll break it all down in a way that makes sense. Types of VR Headsets VR and MR headsets have different capabilities. However, choosing the perfect one is less about specs and more about how they fit your needs and what you want to achieve. Here’s the lineup… Wired Headsets Wired headsets like HTC Vive Pro and Oculus Rift S should be connected to a high-performance PC to deliver stunningly detailed visuals and incredibly accurate tracking. Expect razor-sharp visuals that make virtual grass look better than real grass and tracking so on-point, you’d swear it knows what you’re about to do before you do. Wired headsets are best for high-stakes environments like surgical training, designing complex structures, or running realistic simulations for industries like aerospace. However, you’ll need a powerful computer to even get started, and a cable does mean less freedom to move around. Standalone Headsets No strings attached. Literally. Standalone headsets like Oculus Quest Pro, Meta Quest 3, Pico Neo 4, and many more) are lightweight, self-contained, and wireless, so you can jump between work and play with no need for external hardware. They are perfect for on-the-go use, casual gaming, and quick training sessions. From portable training setups to spontaneous VR adventures at home, these headsets are flexible and always ready for action (and by “action”, we mostly mean Zoom calls in VR if we’re being honest). However, standalone headsets may not flex enough for detailed, high-performance applications like ultra-realistic design work or creating highly detailed environments. Mixed Reality (MR) Headsets Mixed reality headsets blur the line between physical and digital worlds. They don’t just whisk you to a virtual reality — they invite the virtual to come hang out in your real one. And this means holograms nested on your desk, live data charts floating in the air, and playing chess with a virtual opponent right at your dining room table. MR headsets like HoloLens 2 or Magic Leap 2 shine in hybrid learning environments, AR-powered training, and collaborative work requiring detailed, interactive visuals thanks to their advanced features like hand tracking and spacial awareness. MR headsets like HoloLens 2 or Magic Leap 2 shine in hybrid learning environments, AR-powered training, and collaborative work requiring detailed, interactive visuals thanks to their advanced features like hand tracking and spacial awareness. The question isn’t just in what these headsets can do. It’s in how they fit into your reality, your goals, and your imagination. Now, the only question left is… which type is best for your needs? Detailed Headset Comparisons It’s time for us to play matchmaker between you and the headsets that align with your goals and vision. No awkward small talk here, just straight-to-the-point profiles of the top contenders. HTC Vive Pro This is your choice if you demand nothing but the best. With a resolution of 2448 x 2448 pixels per eye, it delivers visuals so sharp and detailed that they bring virtual landscapes to life with stunning clarity. HTC Vive Pro comes with base-station tracking that practically reads your mind, and every movement you make in the real world reflects perfectly in the virtual one. But this kind of performance doesn’t come without requirements. Like any overachiever, it’s got high standards and requires some serious backup. You’ll need a PC beefy enough to bench press an Intel Core i7 and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070. High maintenance is also required, but it’s totally worth it. Best for: High-performance use cases like advanced simulations, surgical training, or projects that demand ultra-realistic visuals and tracking accuracy. Meta Quest 3 Unlilke the HTC Vive Pro, the Meta Quest 3 doesn’t require a tethered PV setup cling. This headset glides between VR and MR like a pro. One minute you’re battling in an entirely virtual world, and the next, you’re tossing virtual sticky notes onto your very real fridge. Meta Quest 3 doesn’t match the ultra-high resolution of the Vive Pro, but its display resolution reaches 2064 x 2208 pixels per eye — and this means sharp and clear visuals that are more than adequate for training sessions, casual games, and other applications. Best for: Portable classrooms, mobile training sessions, or casual VR activities. Magic Leap 2 The Magic Leap 2 sets itself apart not with flashy design, but with seamless hand and eye tracking that precisely follow your movements and the headset that feels like it knows you. This headset is the one you want when you’re blending digital overlays with your real-life interactions. 2048 x 1080 pixels per eye and the 70 degrees diagonal field of view come with a price tag that’s way loftier than its competitors. But remember that visionaries always play on their terms Best for: Interactive lessons, augmented reality showstoppers, or drawing attention at industry conventions with show-stopping demos. HTC Vive XR Elite The HTC Vive XR Elite doesn’t confine itself to one category. It’s built for users who expect both performance and portability in one device. 1920 x 1920 resolution per eye doesn’t make it quite as flashy as the overachiever above, but it makes up for it with adaptability. This headset switches from wired to wireless within moments and keeps up with how you want to work or create. Best for: Flexible setups, easily transitioning between wired and wireless experiences, and managing dynamic workflows. Oculus Quest Pro The Oculus Quest Pro is a devices that lets its capabilities speak for themselves. Its smooth and reliable performance,…

Meta Connect 2024 explored new horizons in the domains of augmented reality, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence. From affordable mixed reality headsets to next-generation AI-integrated devices, let’s take a look at the salient features of the event and what they entail for the future of immersive technologies. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg speaks at Meta Connect, Meta’s annual event on its latest software and hardware, in Menlo Park, California, on Sept. 25, 2024. David Paul Morris / Bloomberg / Contributor / Getty Images Orion AR Glasses At the metaverse where people and objects interact, Meta showcased a concept of Orion AR Glasses that allows users to view holographic video content. The focus was on hand-gesture control, offering a seamless, hands-free experience for interacting with digital content. The wearable augmented reality market estimates looked like a massive increase in sales and the buyouts of the market as analysts believed are rear-to-market figures standing at 114.5 billion US dollars in the year 2030. The Orion glasses are Meta’s courageous and aggressive tilt towards this booming market segment. Applications can extend to hands-free navigation, virtual conferences, gaming, training sessions, and more. Quest 3S Headset Meta’s Quest 3S is priced affordably at $299 for the 128 GB model, making it one of the most accessible mixed reality headsets available. This particular headset offers the possibility of both virtual immersion (via VR headsets) and active augmented interaction (via AR headsets). Meta hopes to incorporate a variety of other applications in the Quest 3S to enhance the overall experience. Display: It employs the most modern and advanced pancake lenses which deliver sharper pictures and vibrant colors and virtually eliminate the ‘screen-door effect’ witnessed in previous VR devices. Processor: Qualcomm’s Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 chip cuts short the loading time, thus incorporating smoother graphics and better performance. Resolution: Improvement of more than 50 pixels is observed in most of the devices compared to older iterations on the market, making them better cater to the customers’ needs Hand-Tracking: Eliminating the need for software, such as controllers mandatory for interaction with the virtual world, with the advanced hand-tracking mechanisms being introduced. Mixed Reality: A smooth transition between AR and VR fluidly makes them applicable in diverse fields like training and education, health issues, games, and many others. With a projected $13 billion global market for AR/VR devices by 2025, Meta is positioning the Quest 3S as a leader in accessible mixed reality. Meta AI Updates Meta Incorporated released new AI-assisted features, such as the ability to talk to John Cena through a celebrity avatar. These avatars provide a great degree of individuality and entertainment in the digital environment. Furthermore, one can benefit from live translation functions that help enhance multilingual art communication and promote cultural and social interaction. The introduction of AI-powered avatars and the use of AI tools for translation promotes the more engaging experiences with great application potential for international business communication, social networks, and games. Approximately, 85% of customer sales interactions will be run through AI and its related technologies. By 2030, these tools may have become one of the main forms of digital communication. AI Image Generation for Facebook and Instagram Meta has also revealed new capabilities of its AI tools, which allow users to create and post images right in Facebook and Instagram. The feature helps followers or users in this case to create simple tailored images quickly and therefore contributes to the users’ social media marketing. These AI widgets align with Meta’s plans to increase user interaction on the company’s platforms. Social media engagement holds 65% of the market of visual content marketers, stating that visual content increases engagement. These tools enable the audience to easily generate high-quality sharable visual images without any design background. AI for Instagram Reels: Auto-Dubbing and Lip-Syncing Advancing Meta’s well-known Artificial Intelligence capabilities, Instagram Reels will, in the near future, come equipped with automatic dubbing and lip-syncing features powered by the artificial intelligence. This new feature is likely to ease the work of content creators, especially those looking to elevate their video storytelling with less time dedicated to editing. The feature is not limited to countries with populations of over two billion Instagram users. Instead, this refers to Instagram’s own large user base, which exceeds two billion monthly active users globally. This AI-powered feature will streamline content creation and boost the volume and quality of user-generated content. Ray-Ban Smart Glasses The company also shared the news about the extensions of the undoubted and brightest technology of the — its Ray-Ban Smart Glasses which will become commercially available in late 2024. Enhanced artificial intelligence capabilities will include the glasses with hands-free audio and the ability to provide real-time translation. The company’s vision was making Ray-Ban spectacles more user friendly to help those who wear them with complicated tasks, such as language translation, through the use of artificial intelligence. At Meta Connect 2024, again, the company declared their aim to bring immersive technology to the masses by offering low-priced equipment and advanced AI capabilities. Meta is confident to lead the new era of AR, VR, and AI innovations in products such as the Quest 3S, AI-enhanced Instagram features, and improved Ray-Ban smart glasses. With these processes integrated into our digital lives, users will discover new ways to interact, create, and communicate within virtual worlds.