XR at CES: Deep Dives #1 (Magic Leap 2, OpenBCI, Meta Materials)
Introduction
Brad and Carl discuss their experiences at CES, with Carl expressing concerns about the event returning to normal after a lackluster showing in the previous year.
Experiences at CES
- Brad and Carl discuss their experiences at CES, with Carl expressing concerns about the event returning to normal after a lackluster showing in the previous year.
- This year's CES was busier than last year's, with around 60% of pre-pandemic attendance. However, many venues were swapped around, making it difficult to get around.
- The new West Hall was open for the first time due to the pandemic. There were also many events scattered around various hotels in Vegas.
- The Tesla cars provided convenient transportation between West Hall and Central Hall. However, they were not self-driving and required a driver.
AR/VR Exhibits
Brad and Carl discuss their experiences with AR/VR exhibits at CES.
AR/VR Exhibits
- The AR/VR exhibits were only about 60% of what they normally are pre-pandemic.
- The dedicated area for AR/VR exhibits was in Central Hall while Venetian had mostly alcohol international shows.
Meetings and Demos
Brad and Carl discuss how most meetings happen outside of the main floor or in suites.
Meetings and Demos
- Most meetings happen outside of the main floor or in suites where people have prepared demos.
- The really good stuff is usually found in suites because on the floor people don't recognize you and you don't get to see the really good stuff.
Introduction
In this section, the speakers discuss their impressions of a recent event and how they were surprised by the expertise of people in attendance.
Impressions of Event
- The speakers were impressed by the expertise of people at the event.
- They agree that even private suites had more interesting content than what was on display on the main floor.
Non-Polarizing Material
In this section, the speakers discuss a non-polarizing material that does not darken or have a very dark state when it begins.
Non-Polarizing Material
- The speaker has been looking for decades for a non-polarizing material that would dim without involving polarization of the light source or image coming through.
- Metamaterial has one such material.
- The material is still 80% light-blocking when applied, like wearing dark sunglasses.
- Dynamic dimming is used to adjust it for you and all.
Magically Two Booth
In this section, the speakers discuss their impressions of Magically Two's booth and demos.
Impressions of Magically Two Booth
- Magically Two had a very nice-looking booth with clean demos and good demos.
- They demonstrated dynamic dimming well with a car demo but not as believable as Vario car stuff.
Conclusion
In this section, the speaker concludes his thoughts on his experience at an event.
Final Thoughts
- The speaker warns people about investing in stocks based on memes but admits to buying a little stock in Metamaterial.
- The speaker had a good time at the event and was shown demos by Magically Two despite not having ridden all the most positive things about them.
Liquid Crystals and Magic Leap 2
This section discusses the speed of liquid crystals and how it relates to polarization. The speaker then talks about their experience with the Magic Leap 2 demo, including color uniformity issues.
Liquid Crystals and Polarization
- Liquid crystals based on polarization tend to switch faster than other types of materials.
- The speed of liquid crystals is important for achieving a high refresh rate, which should be at least 60 times per second or 16 milliseconds.
- A refresh rate of 120 hertz is ideal.
Magic Leap 2 Demo
- The speaker tried the Magic Leap 2 demo, which involved interacting with a virtual car on a table.
- The person demonstrating the demo was visible through the glasses due to an array of cameras that created real-time parallax effects.
- There were some color uniformity issues with the headset, particularly when there was white or light color on the screen.
Color Uniformity in AR Headsets
This section focuses on color uniformity issues in AR headsets, particularly those that use diffractive waveguides.
Diffractive Waveguides and Color Uniformity
- All diffractive waveguides have difficulty maintaining color uniformity as field of view increases.
- Light bounces around in diffractive waveguides, causing damage that reduces uniformity.
- Holographic or diffraction brag grading systems all have this issue.
Telepresence in AR vs VR Systems
This section compares telepresence capabilities between AR and VR systems.
Telepresence Capabilities
- Optical AR systems are good for tasks that require machinery or cannot rely on video latency.
- Telepresence is a major focus of AR demos, but it may be more effective in VR or mixed reality systems.
The Future of AR and VR Gaming
In this section, the speaker discusses the potential of VR and AR in gaming.
VR vs AR Gaming
- The speaker believes that for gaming, it would be better to go totally VR and control what the room looks like.
- AR could be useful for hands-free experiences, but pinching and other hand gestures may defeat the purpose of a hands-free experience.
Voice Recognition in AR Gaming
- Voice recognition is an important feature in AR gaming because it frees up your hands.
- Keywords such as "see next" or "photograph" can replace squeezing or pushing things.
Open BCI Project Goliath Headset
In this section, the speaker talks about the Open BCI Project Goliath headset and its potential uses.
Features of Open BCI Project Goliath Headset
- The Open BCI Project Goliath headset has EKG sensors, EEG sensors, and other sensors to detect emotional states and meditation levels.
- Valve funded this project to use it for player state detection during game development.
Eye Tracking Technology
- Toby's eye tracking technology can track where people are looking in supermarkets to measure advertising effectiveness.
- One person suggested using data from the Open BCI Project Goliath headset to figure out what ads to throw at people.
The Glam System
In this section, the speaker talks about the Glam system and its similarities to the armband used by Meta. They discuss latency issues with wireless sensors and interference caused by wired sensors.
Similarities between Glam and Meta Armband
- The Glam system uses similar sensors to the armband used by Meta.
- Latency was an issue with wireless sensors in the armband, causing a delay of up to two seconds.
- Wired sensors caused too much interference, which is why they opted for wireless.
Delay Issues with Watch Project for Meta
- The watch project for Meta has been delayed multiple times due to interference caused by the sensor that goes around the wrist.
- A delay of more than a sixtieth of a second can cause humans to get out of sync with what's going on.
Till Five Demo
In this section, the speaker talks about Till Five's demo and how it slows down frame rates when moving your head. They also discuss warping data in headsets and instantaneous response time.
Slowing Down Frame Rates
- Till Five's demo involves slowing down frame rates when moving your head.
- Headsets automatically warp data in a back-end process.
- Instantaneous response time is crucial for headsets as delays can cause humans to get out of sync with what's happening.
Comfort Level of Glam System
In this section, the speaker discusses their experience wearing the Glam system and how it wasn't as uncomfortable as it looked. They also talk about the gamification of therapy using the Glam system.
Comfort Level of Glam System
- The Glam system looks uncomfortable but was actually more comfortable than expected.
- The speaker tried a demo that involved gamifying therapy by making different muscle responses with different parts of their face to rotate a cube.
Conclusion
The transcript discusses the Glam system and its similarities to the armband used by Meta, latency issues with wireless sensors, interference caused by wired sensors, warping data in headsets, instantaneous response time, and the comfort level of wearing the Glam system.