NOMADIC LIFESTYLE VR:
NOMADIC LIFESTYLE VR: Major Growth Potential Virtual Reality is, according to all analysts, still at the very early stages of its market potential. In its recent trend survey, the industry organisation, gfu, found that there is massive potential for the medium to grow significantly in the coming years. Hans-Joachim Kamp, Chairman of the Supervisory Board at gfu Consumer & Home Electronics explains that exponential growth for VR goggles, particularly for gaming and entertainment applications, is very promising in the next 5 to 10 years. Ralf Schäfer from the Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute, focusing on VR development, reconfirmed that the potential market was huge. In principle, every smartphone is a VR device, he said - something Samsung had already shown with the success of Samsung’s Gear VR. Meanwhile, the quality needs to improve through higher resolutions screens. Mr Schäfer states that the market will explode when 8k goggles are ready for sale in three to five years. Bob Raikes, Managing Editor -- Display Monitor, Display Daily and Managing Director -- Meko Ltd, says the resolutions of displays have kept increasing even though most viewers think that whatever we have today is 'good enough': “4K or UltraHD is ‘the state of the art’; however, resolutions will keep increasing until we reach the limit of human vision. Scientists often use cycles per degree (cpd) to measure visual acuity and 20/20 vision is 30 cpd but scientists at NHK found that some people can see a difference in realism in video at more than 150 cpd” EYE TRACKING ENABLES NEW APPLICATIONS Eye tracking is a technology that puts the user in control of his or her device by using their eyes as a “pointer”. A device with an eye tracker knows what a user is looking at, thus making it possible for users to interact by simply using their eyes. People are able to point, select, zoom and do actions in faster, easier, more natural ways than they would with the mouse or touchpad - also enabling entirely new features VIRTUAL & AUGMENTED REALITY Shahar Bin-Nun CEO and Founder, Humaneyes A Very Important Year for VR Founded in 2000, Humaneyes is a veteran in 3D and animated content creation. A first-time exhibitor at IFA, Shahar Bin-Nun, the CEO and Founder of Humaneyes, says that Virtual Reality will become a major communication platform and his company will be a leading player in the VR eco system. We started by asking about what drew the company to IFA… We believe that IFA will provide a great stage for showcasing the Vuze camera and also for some interesting announcements. Is 2017, the year that VR will explode? We believe that 2017 will be a very important year for VR with the growing adoption and use of VR headsets and the growing amount of content that is produced for VR with cameras such as ours. There is a growing interest from businesses and organisations that are starting to explore the many opportunities and use cases that VR presents from real estate, marketing, tourism, education, events to personal IFA WILL PROVIDE A GREAT STAGE FOR SHOWCASING THE VUZE CAMERA experiences. All the above will put the VR in a very different place from where it is right now. It's a significant move having the world's first 360-degree VR camera, can you tell us about the development of this product? Humaneyes was founded in 2000, and by 2015 we were already veterans in the field of 3D and animated content creation, display and processing. This allowed us to use our vast knowledge and more than 70 patents in various fields of 3D and photographic 3D that we already obtained and focus our development efforts on creating the first 3D 360 virtual reality camera . What will be the market drivers that take VR mainstream? Easy handling and engaging content. More and more companies enter the VR eco system and VR technology is getting more and more innovative and easier to handle. Entry barriers are much lower, content creators will be able to create more interesting and engaging content that will attract more and more people into VR 46
NOMADIC LIFESTYLE VIRTUAL & AUGMENTED REALITY Sennheiser – 3D Audio to Drive Headphone Category As always, the big questions at the start of IFA are always “what are the key groundswell trends this year?” Uwe Cremering, Sennheiser’s Director, Ambeo Immersive Audio, says a key topic which will become increasingly relevant over the next years is 3D audio which has the potential to completely transform the way we experience sound. The developments in VR and AR are drivers for a number of applications both in the professional and in the consumer IN THE IMMERSIVE AUDIO MARKET, ONLY SENNHEISER CAN TRULY OFFER 3D AUDIO SOLUTIONS FOR THE ENTIRE AUDIO SIGNAL CHAIN audio field. Music and sports consumption at home, the design of educational environments and exhibitions are just some of the areas which will benefit from these new technologies. How does Sennheiser position itself in this market? Based on Sennheiser’s expertise in microphone and headphone technology as well as binaural audio, we are the only company in the immersive audio market that can truly offer 3D audio solutions for the entire audio signal chain, from capturing to mixing and processing to reproduction. Early in 2016, we introduced Ambeo as a trademark carried by all of Sennheiser’s immersive audio products and services. Ambeo solutions provide a listening experience that matches the visual impressions of VR and AR. How is 3D audio changing the way consumers experience content? With 3D audio, we can help to break down the wall between the real and a virtual world. Instead of simply watching a sports game or listening to a concert at home, 3D audio allows users to feel like they are at the stadium or among the concert audience. One good example is the ‘Pink Floyd: Their Mortal Remains’ retrospective which is currently held at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. We created a dedicated Ambeo room for a 360-degree video and sound experience with songs from different Pink Floyd live shows. The effect is striking: People start listening, close their eyes and seem to feel like they are standing next to the band on stage. And then most of them just start smiling and it becomes obvious how the experience touches them emotionally. Which applications do you see for 3D audio? 3D audio bears great potential for broadcasting applications, especially in the field of sports and live concerts, but also for a range of other applications such as music recording and listening, gaming, travel, automotive and educational purposes. Sennheiser is showcasing the new Ambeo Smart Headset at IFA. What is the idea behind this device? The Ambeo Smart Headset is the world’s first intuitive and mobile binaural recording headset. It allows users to capture and share the world just as they experience it. Microphones on each of the headset’s ear pieces capture the sound of any given environment just like the user hears them which creates a stunning 3D experience. This way, the Ambeo Smart Headset complements the high-quality video that is already available on mobile devices by offering the same level of realism and detail in an audio solution. Where do you think 3D audio is headed? What does the future hold? We expect the increased merging of virtual elements and the real world to be the most radical change in the years to come. While Virtual Reality devices are just the beginning, we believe that Augmented Reality will take this development to a completely new level in terms of daily use and commercialization. Sound, especially 3D sound, will be essential here because it is crucial for conveying emotion – it is the missing piece for making consumers feel truly immersed in a virtual world » HALL 1.2 / Stand 202 Uwe Cremering Director, Ambeo Immersive Audio, Sennheiser www.ifa-international.org IFA International • Friday 1 st September 2017 47
