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After the MRTK library has been adapted to the Oculus Quest 2 and in the ver. 30 of the Operating system we received a pass-through feature, we decided to check if Oculus 2 could be used as an alternative to expensive HoloLens 2. To validate the idea, we’ve made two applications with the same features on the Oculus Quest 2 and on the HoloLens 2. You can see the result in the video at the end of the article. Short introduction and comparison of headsets OQ2 vs HL2 For those who want to get more information on these devices, we have prepared a small review. Oculus Quest 2 Oculus Quest 2 is a virtual reality (VR) headset created by Oculus, a brand of Facebook. As with its predecessor, the Quest 2 is capable of running both a standalone headset with an internal, Android-based operating system, and with Oculus-compatible VR software running on a desktop computer when connected over USB or Wi-Fi. Hardware. The Quest 2 utilizes the Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 system-on-chip (which is part of a Snapdragon product line designed primarily for VR and augmented reality devices), with 6 GB of RAM — an increase of 2 GB over the first-generation model. Its display is a singular fast-switch LCD panel with a 1832×1920 per eye resolution, which can run at a refresh rate of up to 120 Hz (an increase from 1440×1600 per-eye at 72 Hz). The headset includes physical interpupillary distance (IPD) adjustment at 58 mm, 63 mm and 68 mm, adjusted by physically moving the lenses into each position. This is also combined with software adjustment. The included Oculus Touch controllers are slightly bigger, influenced by the original Oculus Rift’s controllers. Their battery life has also been increased four-fold over the controllers included with the first-generation Quest. Hololens 2 The HoloLens 2 is a combination of waveguide and laser-based stereoscopic & full-color mixed reality smart glasses developed and manufactured jointly by Microsoft and MicroVision, Inc. in Redmond, Washington. It is the direct model successor to the pioneering Microsoft HoloLens and the technical successor to the MicroVision stereoscopic and monochromatic laser-based virtual retinal display (VRD) & helmet mounted display (HMD) prototype-in-the-running for the canceled RAH-66 Comanche stealth helicopter and the now-defunct monoscopic and monochromatic MicroVision Nomad Augmented Vision System. Hardware. The HoloLens features an inertial measurement unit (IMU) (which includes an accelerometer, gyroscope, and a magnetometer) four “environment understanding” sensors (two on each side), an energy-efficient depth camera with a 120°×120° angle of view, a 2.4-megapixel photographic video camera, a four-microphone array, and an ambient light sensor. The HoloLens contains an internal rechargeable battery, with average life rated at 2–3 hours of active use, or 2 weeks of standby time. The HoloLens can be operated while charging. HoloLens features IEEE 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.1 Low Energy (LE) wireless connectivity. The headset uses Bluetooth LE to pair with the included Clicker, a thumb-sized finger-operating input device that can be used for interface scrolling and selecting. The Clicker features a clickable surface for selecting, and an orientation sensor which provides scrolling functions via tilting and panning of the unit. The Clicker features an elastic finger loop for holding the device, and a USB 2.0 micro-B plug socket for charging its internal battery. HoloLens 2 and Oculus Quest 2 have different operating systems, provide different user experience and have different types of interaction with the system and world. Development process Developing applications for Oculus Quest 2 is based on the basic rules and best practices with specific oculus Quest side requirements using Unity engine. If we are talking about HoloLens 2, we have to develop an application for the Universal Windows Platform with specific restrictions and additional capabilities provided by Windows 10 Holographic operating system using the MRTK library provided by Microsoft. Some time ago we found that the MRTK library has been adapted to the Oculus Quest 2 and we started using it in our projects. This library has a lot of prepared elements that save time for prototyping and development. In the ver. 30 of the Operating system we received a pass-through feature from Oculus Quest 2 that allows us to step outside your view in VR to see a real-time view of your surroundings. Passthrough uses the sensors on your headset to approximate what you would see if you were able to look directly through the front of your headset and into the real world around you. Taking into account these feature possibilities, we decided to check if Oculus could be used as an alternative to expensive HoloLens 2. To validate the idea, we’ve made two applications with the same features on the Oculus Quest 2 and on the HoloLens 2. The result you can see in the video.   The summary Oculus Quest cannot be used as an alternative to the HoloLens for our purpose. The pass-through feature is not the same as Mix Reality. The possibility to work in the real world with Oculus Quest is limited. Also, Oculus Quest has no camera for recognition of images or objects, Oculus Quest doesn’t have lidar or high resolution cameras because Oculus Quest is a B2C product, not a B2B product. If you have tasks that are suitable for HoloLens 2, use it. Oculus Quest 2 provides some experience of HoloLens 2 usage but these experiences are too limited to make Oculus Quest 2 an alternative to HoloLens 2.

Project: Piano simulation on the Oculus Quest 2 The process of learning to play the piano can be quite monotonous and progress is not always clearly visible. This can lead to the student abandoning further training or not putting in enough effort to learn a new skill. This is especially true for children and adolescents. In order to make the process of learning to play the piano more fun, we decided to use virtual reality technology. With the help of its capabilities, the learning process can be more colorful, exciting and interactive. In order to keep the tactile sensations and sounds from a real piano, we used the PassThrough API. With its help, you can overlay the virtual keyboard on the real one and adjust the number and size of keys. Thus, we are trying to combine the advantages of the virtual and real worlds in order to get a new learning experience. The application development process continues. Follow our news, there will be many fun and exciting things. Technology stack: Unity SDK, Oculus MRTK, Oculus Integration. Devices: Oculus Quest 2.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many people lost the opportunity to train in the gym with a trainer. Lack of coaching support can lead to improper exercise performing, which in turn can lead to injury. But thanks to modern technology, it has become possible to train correctly: you view a recording of an exercise with a trainer and repeat it in real time. The computer vision base on Barracuda and TF model technology compares your movements and displays information on how well you perform the exercise. Technology stack: Unity SDK, Barracuda, TF. Devices: Windows 10, MacOS.

We recently released our VR app called VRium into beta testing, with which you can study general chemistry in an interesting and interactive way. To make VRium as useful and user-friendly as possible, we invited Viktor Tokariev to test our application. Viktor holds a PhD degree in physical chemistry; he is a Senior Lecturer in Chemistry at the Karazin Kharkiv National University. So you can trust his opinion. Victor is an interesting conversationalist and a person truly keen on chemistry. He tested our application, pointed out soft spots and told us how we can improve the functionality. We talked with him about the educational process, discussed specifics of teaching chemistry to schoolchildren and students, and agreed on further cooperation. I think it’s important to clearly visualize fundamental chemical concepts and help students to get general knowledge and develop chemical intuition. These are necessary for materials and life sciences (where progress is crucial to find novel drugs and materials for energy and computing), but also at scale help to raise general public perception of science. I hope VRium app will help students to alleviate common pain points of chemical curriculum as well as master advanced chemical concepts. Of course, interactive VR applications like this one are even more useful during continuing global pandemic, when access to in-person chemistry classes is limited or absent. Viktor Tokariev, PhD in physical chemistry, senior lecturer at V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University We will work together to refine the application to make the learning process of chemistry interesting, engaging and interactive.

A new mini-football season of the Kharkiv IT-League has begun. And our team starts it in a new status – as members of the Senior IT League. At the end of last season, we took second place in the Middle IT League and a victory in the transitional match with the Eastern Peak team made it possible to qualify for the Senior IT League. In the new season, stronger opponents, interesting matches and beautiful goals await us. Congratulations to the guys and we wish them victories in the new season!

Project: Scheme of the engine with the HoloLens 2 Working on the engine scheme as a part of the education apps for engineers in industrial companies. Technology stack: Unity SDK, MRTK Devices: HoloLens 2

The glasses are called Xiaomi Smart Glasses. It is a standalone Android-enabled device that does not need a constant connection to a smartphone. The internal under-the-hood of the glasses contains a quad-core processor, a battery, and Wi-Fi and Bluetooth modules. Xiaomi Smart Glasses weigh 51 g and have a 0.13-inch monochrome display, which is made using microLED technology. The device is also equipped with one 5-megapixel camera with which you can take photos and translate text in real time. The display of the glasses allows you to display notifications from your smartphone, helps with building a route, and shows information on incoming calls. Calls can be made using the built-in speakers and microphone. So far, Xiaomi Smart Glasses are only a concept and the company has no plans to put them up for sale.

Co-developed by Facebook and Ray-Ban, they have two front-facing 5-megapixel cameras that can take photos and videos. The glasses are also equipped with three built-in microphones and speakers, with which you can take calls and listen to music. You can control the device by clicking on the frame or by voice commands. The created content is stored in the memory of the glasses, which will be enough for shooting about 30 videos with a maximum duration of 30 seconds and about 500 photos. If necessary, you can connect to your smartphone via Wi-Fi and use the Facebook View application to upload existing photos and videos to it. The battery will last for about 6 hours with intensive use, and it will take about 1 hour to fully charge the device. The set comes with a portable charging case, the capacity of which will be enough to provide three days of continuous use of the glasses. Ray-Ban Stories will be sold in three frames: Wayfarer, Round, Meteor, and five colors. They will be available online and through the Ray-Ban branded network in the US, Canada, the UK, Italy, Ireland and Australia. Glasses start at $ 299 depending on design and model. The glasses have no built-in displays and no augmented reality function. This is, by the way, why we put the word “smart” in quotes. As developers of AR / VR / MR applications, we expected Facebook to showcase an AR device that would open up the benefits of augmented reality to more users. This has not happened yet, but we are optimistic about new developments of AR wearable devices and are confident that AR Apps will become an integral part of everyday life.

Many companies are beginning to understand the value of virtual reality technology as it caters to a wide variety of learning needs. This is largely due to the fact that VR pushes the boundaries of traditional learning, allowing you to create realistic learning scenarios in a simulated environment. Also, another important factor in the spread of virtual reality training solutions is that the cost of its implementation has fallen drastically. According to PwC, 23 million jobs will be using virtual or augmented reality by 2030. This will have the greatest impact on such large economies as China, the USA, the UK and Germany. This is the time when companies need to be proactive and forward-thinking to get the most out of virtual and augmented reality technologies. The main advantages of VR training: Ability to create a safe learning environment. Involvement of employees in the learning process. Reduced training costs. Development of practical skills. Scalability. Ability to track key learning indicators. Areas of VR training application: Simulation of complex processes in a safe environment, for example, actions in case of an emergency. Working out actions according to certain algorithms, instructions or checklists. Development of soft skills in areas such as customer service and management. Adaptation of personnel to the cultural norms of the company. Learning to work with equipment, machinery or complex processes. When considering how VR can be used to solve learning problems, companies in any case must understand their learning goals and determine which technology will help them achieve those goals.