Good Vibes with VIVE

Season 2 Episode 16: Show Notes

Pioneering medical technology firm, Vivid Vision, aims to do exactly that! Founder and CEO, James Blaha grew up suffering from amblyopia and strabismus and, as an adult, he decided to try and improve his own vision with technology. While building the first prototype of Vivid Vision, he gained stereoscopic vision and went on to start the company, which uses VR software to treat vision conditions such as binocular vision disorders, amblyopia, strabismus, and other conditions that you’ll learn more about in today’s episode. Listen in as James shares some insight into his early experiments with VR and 3D projection mapping, how the software has evolved, and what is next for Vivid Vision, including a direct-to-patient eye wellness app. We also come to understand his entrepreneurial journey, the value of startup accelerator programs, and the process of expanding into global markets, plus so much more! For an in-depth look at how Vivid Vision is changing the world of optometry using VR technology, make sure to tune in today!

 Key Points From This Episode:

• The story of how James set out with a desire to understand his own conditions.
• Insight into some of his early experiments with VR and 3D projection mapping.
• How Vivid Vision encourages the integration of information between both eyes using VR.
• The Indiegogo campaign that made James realize he had inadvertently started a business.
• The early days of Vivid Vision, from prototype to fundraising and commercialization.
• Why James believes that startup accelerator programs are worthwhile for founders.
• James outlines the process of creating a clinician-prescribed game-based treatment plan.
• How the proliferation of standalone VR headsets made at-home treatment possible.
• Characterizing the differences in regulatory frameworks between the US, Europe, and Asia.
• What drove James’ decision to go international so early on and what kept him motivated.
• Find out what is next for Vivid Vision, including a direct-to-patient eye wellness app.
• The importance of treating your visions the way you treat other aspects of your health.
• Opportunities to build these kinds of vision treatments into other gameplay experiences.
• James shares his big-picture goals for Vivid Vision, including earlier detection of eye issues.

Tweetables:

“[Vivid Vision requires] the integration of information between [both] eyes. An eyepatch just covers up the good eye and forces you to see everything through the weak eye, which works with kids about 60 percent of the time and, with adults, a lot less than that.” — @jamesblaha [0:10:51]

“VR was out for years before almost any medical system made any rules regarding it, so the biggest challenge is uncertainty and what the regulatory framework is going to be.” — @jamesblaha [0:25:02]

“There are all these really specific use cases. More people want better vision and it doesn't involve an eye problem or eye disease at all. VR is a powerful tool to give people a way to measure and improve some of these specific visual skills.” — @jamesblaha [0:33:19]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode

Vivid Vision
James Blaha on LinkedIn
James Blaha on Twitter
Sue Barry: Fixing My Gaze (TEDxPioneerValley)
Pearly Chen on Twitter
VIVE

Season 2 Episode 15 Show Notes

 For so many, the world of VR feels completely foreign, but Fabien Barati of Emissive has made it his mission to make such experiences more accessible to the public. Through his work with Immersive Expeditions, he is creating free roam experiences with a profoundly emotional link to historical and cultural icons. Fabien joins us to discuss the various projects he’s involved in, from The Enemy - the VR experience bringing you face-to-face with combatants from three different conflict zones - to Scan Pyramids, and, of course, the Eternal Notre Dame experience. In this episode, we discover the thought and design process of Immersive Expeditions, what makes it unique, and the emotional connection it evokes. We learn about the Mona Lisa VR experience as well as some exciting upcoming Immersive Expeditions projects! Tune in for this insightful closed-door conversation to discover the secrets behind the mysterious universe of virtual reality experiences.

 Key Points From This Episode:

• Introducing Fabien Barati, CEO of Emissive.
• The vision to create virtual cultural experiences for a large number of people.
• Fabien explains The Enemy VR experience and Scan Pyramids VR.
• What led to the creation and definition of the Immersive Expeditions format.
• The technical innovation enabling Fabien to expand the scope of the tour.
• Why the VR tours are 45 minutes in length and how much tickets cost.
• The process of creating the Eternal Notre Dame experience.
• The objective to create a perfect digital clone of Notre Dame while raising revenue for the reconstruction of the cathedral.
• The process from ideation to design of the Mona Lisa VR experience.
• The emotional link created by Immersive Expeditions.
•  Fabien fills us in on the upcoming Immersive Expeditions project, The Horizon of Khufu.
• The process of finding suitable working partnerships.
• The translation of Immersive Expeditions in a home-based environment.
• Fabien’s ultimate goal for Emissive.

Tweetables:

“We wanted to define a new format that is multi-user, a really social experience, free-roaming, everything of course, in virtual reality.” — @Fab3DVR [0:05:43]

“[Immersive Expeditions] is a whole new way to discover our cultural heritage, our scientific, our natural heritage in the form of a 45-minute adventure.” — @Fab3DVR [0:10:04]

“What makes the Immersive Expeditions unique is the flow of visitors.” — @Fab3DVR [0:11:01]

“One of the objectives was really to get a perfect digital clone of Notre Dame … The other part was to be able to provide the revenue for the reconstruction of the cathedral.” — @Fab3DVR [0:18:24]

“What we're trying to do at the moment is trying to create a new standard for control entertainment.” — @Fab3DVR [0:27:00]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Fabien Barati on LinkedIn

Fabien Barati on Twitter

Emissive

Scan Pyramids VR

The Enemy

Immersive Expeditions

Eternal Notre Dame

Pearly Chen on Twitter
VIVE

Episode 14: Show Notes.

Globally, almost five billion people do not have access to surgical healthcare today. This is a significant problem and one that can only be solved by improving training for medical practitioners. Talking to us about his solution to this issue, is Professor George Papagiannakis, founder, CEO, and CTO of ORamaVR. This company offers an IT software platform called MAGES™ SDK that empowers medical professionals and companies to create their own VR simulations. Join us to hear what MAGES stands for, why clinical trials are so important on product quality control, and why George believes that linking research fields is the key to solving the world’s problems. We also address the issue of patient-specific problems, and how MAGES incorporates a solution. Tune in to find out George's secret master plan (the low-code solution) and so much more.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Welcome to Professor George Papagiannakis, founder, CEO, and CTO of ORamaVR. 
• George’s journey to where he is now, from computational biology to human health. 
• The problem of lack of surgical access we are facing globally, and how ORamaVR aims to address this. 
• Why clinical trials are so important in evaluating a product, and the results George has seen for SDK. 
• What MAGES stands for: Multiplayer, Analytical solution, Geometric algebra, Educational editor, and Semantic simulation. 
• Why linking fields of research is key to solving the world’s problems. 
• Solving the patient-specific problem: the technologies needed, and why it should be automated. 
• Who the target market is for MAGES and what’s needed to start creating content. 
• Why making the metaverse accessible to everyone is key. 
• The hospitals hiring VR developers and how they are creating a marketplace for MAGES.
• George’s take on the biggest misconceptions around the metaverse. 
• George’s secret master plan: the low-code solution. 

Tweetables:

“Maybe there's another way, maybe we need better offering tools, and maybe the problem of medical VR is not a matter of content. Maybe in general, VR is not a matter of content, but is a matter of tools, and how these tools are being used to create the content that is needed.” — @gpapagian76 [0:06:35]

“Simulation-based training was used in medicine for hundreds of years. There's no question about that. The question is, can VR do it better, faster, and lower cost? That's what we are trying to prove.” — @gpapagian76 [0:14:13]

“In academia, we're very good at answering questions and finding some answers. But you need, really, the innovation part and startup universe to make the science a product.” — @gpapagian76 [0:27:05]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode

George Papagiannakis on LinkedIn

Collected Publications by George Papagiannakis

ORamaVR

Pearly Chen on Twitter

VIVE

HTC VIVE on Instagram

HTC VIVE on Twitter

HTC VIVE on YouTube

Season 2 Episode 8 Show Notes

Today’s guest, Sly Lee, along with his co-founders/co-CEOs at Emerge are at the bleeding edge of the touch dimension for the metaverse. When most of us think of virtual touch, haptic gloves and external accessories are what come to mind first, but Sly and his partners have conceptualized something completely different. They aren’t just recreating one of the 5 senses; they’re creating a sixth! In today’s episode, Sly shares with us how the ultrasound technology they have developed enables people to connect on a much deeper emotional level, and how they plan to continuously improve upon their product going forward.

Key Points From This Episode:

•   Sly shares his educational and professional background, and how he ended up in the realm of virtual reality.

•   How Sly and his Co-Founders/Co-CEOs at Emerge are changing the way we communicate.

•   Why Sly and his partners didn’t want to go the route of haptic gloves and external accessories as a means of enhancing communication.

•   An overview of the sound technology that Sly and his partners developed to fulfill their goal of bridging emotional distance.

•   How society’s relationship with the virtual world has changed over the past few years.

•   Emotional reactions that Sly has seen people have when they engage with the Emerge technology.

•   The biggest challenge that Emerge is currently facing.

•   Sly and his partners’ commitment to continuous improvement of their product, and the approach they are using to achieve this.

•   Advice for entrepreneurs in the fundraising stage.

•   What you will be able to do with your Emerge Home device if you are a recipient of one of the initial 200.

•   How Emerge’s gameplay differs from other virtual reality gameplay that is already on the market.

•   Sly shares his thoughts on the downsides of Web 2.0, and how he hopes that this can be changed in the near future.

•   The complementary skill sets and perspectives of Sly and his two Co-Founders/Co-CEOs which have contributed largely to the success of Emerge.

•   How the Emerge technology can positively impact accessibility for differently abled people.

•   Sly and his partners’ ultimate goal with Emerge. 

Tweetables:

“We conceptualized a company that can build the next few paradigms of how we communicate. And we ended up realizing that it's actually about emotion. It's about emotional distance. And one way to bridge that emotional distance is perhaps through enabling physical touch.” — @slyjacklee [0:06:46]

“Emotional disconnection has only increased over time. We see this with some of the downsides of social media 2.0. And we hope that we can add some value.” — @slyjacklee [0:12:48]

“There are people out there that believe in your vision. As long as you're willing to persist, you will find those believers.” — @slyjacklee [0:18:34]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Sly Lee on LinkedIn

Sly Lee on Twitter

Emerge

Emerge on Twitter

HTC VIVE Flow

Pearly Chen on Twitter

VIVE

Season 2 Episode 7 Show Notes 

Using Emerging Technologies to Tell the Stories That Matter with Gabo Arora

Today’s guest is Gabo Arora, a world renowned multi-award winning immersive artist, professor, entrepreneur, and former UN diplomat who works with the most cutting-edge technologies, including virtual and augmented reality, to tell some of the most important stories of our time. His creative tech and production studio, LIGHTSHED, is based in Brooklyn, New York, and uses the power of emerging technologies and immersive storytelling to create positive social change. In this episode, Gabo joins us to talk about his latest project: Paradise, a two-person, AI-powered immersive audio experience for intimate partners in their own home that he describes as “couples therapy in the future.” Listen in as Gabo shares what drew him to extended reality (XR) as a medium and offers some insight into his films, Clouds Over Sidra and The Last Goodbye, which use VR to tell deeply impactful stories. 

Key Points From This Episode:

• Gabo describes Paradise, which was showcased at South by Southwest 2022.
• How he’s using immersive binaural audio to tell the story of “couples therapy in the future.
• The mysterious force of creativity that led Gabo to explore virtual reality.
• The story of his first project, Clouds Over Sidra, and what drew him to XR as a medium.
• Insight into the process of creating the film in the Za’atari refugee camp in Jordan.
• Learn more about The Last Goodbye, which takes viewers inside a Nazi death camp.
• How photogrammetry can be used for important educational purposes.
• What Gabo means when he says “meaning is the new money” and how he continually aims to create meaning through his work.
• Get a glimpse into the NFT project that Gabo is developing to accompany Paradise.
• Gabo speaks candidly about the moments of self-doubt that accompany his work.
• Combining stories with machines to enable new levels of engagement.
• Blurring the binary between real and virtual to enhance our experience of reality.
• Why more artists should make products in order to better understand storytelling.
• Where you can download the Paradise app and experience it for yourself.

 Tweetables:

 “It's always the human side. It's not political. It's just shedding light on our collective tragedy of being human sometimes.” — @gaboarora [0:27:08]

 “[The Paradise NFT project is] realigning incentive structure through Web 3 that can [not only] change how people think about art, but change how people think about what [art] can do to enhance collaboration and impact.” — @gaboarora [0:34:48]

 “Even though it's coming through new technology, it's really the story that is touching people. Then, the technology is enabling new emotions or engagement with it, that is giving people new insight and perspective.” — @gaboarora [0:46:53]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Gabo Arora

LIGHTSHED.IO

Paradise

The Last Goodbye

Gabo Arora on Twitter

My Dinner with Andre

Realities.io

Darkfield

Pearly Chen on Twitter 

Season 2 Episode 6: Show Notes

Exciting combinations of the newest tech are starting to bubble up across the market. Today we look at a standout example of such a project as we welcome Nils Wollny, the CEO and Co-Founder of holoride, to talk about what he and his company are doing to transform transit time in cars. Holoride aims to turn transit time into an immersive virtual experience through the collection of real-time data. Their focuses are entertainment, edutainment, relaxation, well-being, and productivity, with the initial inroads made into the world of gaming. Nils talks to us about the three components of their tech; vehicle localization software, Elastic SDK, and their platform, before sharing a whole lot of insider perspectives on what is making the project possible and the route that they envision launching the product. We also talk about the history of the startup and how it grew out of the work that Nils was doing at Audi before holoride officially became independent. Join us to hear about all of this, as well as the project's foundation in the blockchain, how they tackled fundraising, and so much more!

Key Points From This Episode:

•   Nils' highlights at this year's SXSW

•   The initial vision for holoride and the idea for transforming transit time.

•   Early demos for new media in cars and the founding of holoride as an independent entity.  

•   The process of building a team and developing the technology. 

•   Challenges in the space right now and confronting the hurdles of the pandemic.  

•   The process of fundraising and how holoride had to restart with strategic partners. 

•   Considering holoride's timing as a passenger experience company. 

• The three components of holoride's tech stack: vehicle localization software, Elastic SDK, and their platform. 

•   How Nils and holoride are approaching enabling developers to make Elastic content. 

•   The exciting possibility of blurring the lines between the physical and digital landscape!

•   Nils explains holoride's grounding in the blockchain.

•   Looking to the future with the project and the full launch of the product.

•   Nils' personal idea of success and the importance of enjoying work.

Tweetables:

“It's good to be back in real life and have people getting into the car and you see the smiling faces getting out of the car.” — @Nils_Wollny [0:14:09]

"The ones we now have on board, they flew in. Whenever there was a time window that they could travel, they flew in and tried our tech, and yeah, were convinced afterward." — @Nils_Wollny [0:17:44]

"We have three massive industries we are trying to glue together; automotive, content, and our XR tech." — @Nils_Wollny [0:20:49]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Nils Wollny on Twitter
 
Pearly Chen on Twitter 

Holoride

SXS

Season 2, Episode 5: Show Notes.

The year 2022 is undeniably an interesting time to be a surgeon. Rapidly advancing technology combined with an explosive rate of newer and safer surgical techniques has made it almost impossible for surgeons to stay abreast of all options available. Osso VR CEO and Founder Justin Barad calls this the 'exploration trap' and joins us today to discuss how he has dedicated his career to tackling this problem and revolutionizing how surgeons train and prepare for surgery. 

In this episode, we explore the challenges surgeons face around the world and how Osso VR is inspiring healthcare professionals at scale through virtual training experiences that accelerate learning and drive adoption. You’ll also hear Justin reflect on his varied career, what it was like pivoting from game design to medical school, and how it all led him to the founding of Osso VR. Make sure you tune in today!

 Key Points From This Episode:

• Introducing today’s guest Justin Barad, Founder, and CEO of Osso VR.
• How rapid changes in medical technology are impacting the way surgeons operate.
• Some of the challenges that come with specializing as a surgeon and the difficulty practicing different types of surgery.
• Justin’s history in video game development and how he became interested in healthcare.
• The potential for accessible and affordable simulations to have a dramatic impact on global healthcare.
• The risk that patients take on when their surgeon is not yet proficient in a particular method of surgery.
• The rate of adoption, and patterns of behavior, that Justin has observed in Osso VR users.
• How repeatedly doing something over time maximizes memory retention and minimizes the ‘forgetting curve’.
• Osso VR’s exceptional team of medical illustrators and how it sets them apart from other surgical simulators.
• Some of the challenges Justin faced during the multiple pivots he made in his career, like going from being a game developer to attending medical school.
• Why startups are lessons in failure and how Justin’s motivation kept him going.
• How the COVID-19 pandemic helped emphasize the value of Osso VR as a simulator for surgeons.
• Discover Osso VR’s ambitious goal to reach over 20 million healthcare professionals.
• Why it was critical for Justin that the efficacy of Osso VR be objectively peer-reviewed by academic institutions.

Tweetables:

 “Training repeatedly over time is a way to maximize retention and minimize what's called ‘the forgetting curve.’” — Justin Barad [0:11:21]

 “Startups are an exercise in failure. It is daily micro failures, and every now and then a major failure. That is what prunes the tree, and finds product-market fit, and finds this glowing core that is scalable, and that you can use to solve the problem.” — Justin Barad [0:26:15]

 “I think when it comes to VR it's much less controversial now. It's like we're past the innovation stage. Now we're at the implementation and scale phase. I think some parts of the market and the industry are just crushing it, especially the medical technology industry.” — Justin Barad [0:40:32]

 Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Justin Barad on LinkedIn

Osso VR

Pearly Chen on Twitter

VIVE

HTC VIVE on Instagram

HTC VIVE on Twitter

HTC VIVE on YouTube

Season 2, Episode 4: Show Notes.

Our mental health hygiene is just as important as our physical hygiene, and it needs to be supported as such. Healium CEO and Chief Storyteller Sarah Hill joins us today to explain how neurofeedback and biomatrix meditation tools can help us manage our stress and anxiety. 

In this episode, we discover how our thoughts alter our brain patterns, and how Healium allows us to measure them using neurofeedback and biometrics. We also find out how Healium is reducing the barrier to entry, and why mental health hygiene, in general, needs to be more accessible. Tune in to find out more about this astounding neuro-meditation tool that will support you in reclaiming your power and taking control of your mind.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Sarah Hill’s journey of becoming a health tech entrepreneur after 20 years of TV journalism.
• How her own healing process led to the creation of Healium.
• Overview of Healium and its purpose.
• The impetus to use neurofeedback and biometrics in meditative experiences.
• The benefits of neuro-meditation and the importance of exercising your mind.
• The key role of storytelling in the Healium neuro-meditation experience.
• Sarah explains how to incrementally train your mind.
• How the visual format of bioinformatics allows the user to learn to self-regulate.
• The inclusive creative process of building a Healium experience.
• The similarities and differences between AR and VR, and why AR is more difficult to design, in terms of storytelling and immersion.
• What Healium is doing to reduce the barrier to entry and be more accessible.
• Why mental health hygiene needs to be prioritized by employers and institutions.
• Sarah shares her personal coping mechanisms and routines.
• The near-term opportunities that Sarah is excited about in the digital therapy space.

 Tweetables:

“What you think about absolutely can change your brain patterns and your heart rate...Just as you’re washing your hands, so too should you be resetting your mind to flush out all of that negativity and toxicity that you had during the day. ” — @SarahMidMO [0:11:01]

“Giving the user a visual to learn to self-regulate, and having that bioinformatics from a wearable, not sequestered as a number on your wrist, but set out in a spatial computing environment that you can see it, you can interact with it and you can learn to control it. ” — @SarahMidMO [0:17:00] 

“We’re just excited about the new data sets as well, with blood pressure, skin conductance, all of those new wearables that are coming out that are going to need content solutions that allow you to do more with that data than just seeing it tracked as a flat number..” — @SarahMidMO [0:36:45]
 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Healium
Sarah Hill on LinkedIn
Sarah Hill on Twitter
Pearly Chen on Twitter
VIVE

Show Notes

Does meditating in VR really make a difference? Today we are delighted to welcome Nanea Reeves, CEO and Co-Founder of TRIPP, an award-winning, breakthrough wellness platform, based on robust scientific research, which helps its users pursue and implement a daily mindfulness practice. In our conversation, Nanea shares how meditation transformed her life, the incredibly inspiring story behind TRIPP and giving people agency over how they feel.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Introducing today’s guest Nanea Reeves, CEO, and Co-Founder of TRIPP.
• Nanea’s esteemed career as a gaming industry executive and how she became a wellness and VR entrepreneur.
• How Nanea first encountered meditation and breathing techniques.
• How game design, audio, and fantasy featured in the original TRIPP prototype and how it has evolved since then.
• The concept of open-eye meditation and how it transformed Nanea’s practice.
• How TRIPP supplements a meditation practice.
• The promising uses for VR in assisting with the treatment of pain, chemotherapy, and palliative care.
• How the COVID-19 pandemic affected TRIPP’s place in the market.
• The concept of collective consciousness and how VR can help to facilitate it.
• The positive shift that Nanea has noticed in how people treat her as a female founder.

 Tweetables:

“That respite of just dropping in and being present is hugely powerful and impacting on your mood. That was really kind of the magic of what we’ve been doing at TRIPP.” — @nanea [0:12:18]

 “We don’t want it to replace meditation. But what we can do with the container of virtual reality is allow you to experience what it’s like to have your mind quiet and be fully present. Because VR can capture your awareness in a way that is extremely effective.” — @nanea [0:18:25]

“That palpable group energy. The metaverse can really help us explore all that. It’s nourishing. I want to think about how to create nourishing connections for people.” — @nanea [0:32:42]

“Being a female founder, I’ve seen a much more positive shift in people being conscientious about how they interact with me. The stuff that I just sucked up and ignored throughout the years, I’m not having to deal with now.” — @nanea [0:39:29]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Nanea Reeves on LinkedIn
Nanea Reeves on Twitter
TRIPP
HTC VIVE on Instagram
HTC VIVE on Twitter
HTC VIVE on YouTube
HTC Vive on Facebook
VIVE

Season 2, Episode 2: Show Notes.

In this episode, we speak with Tristan Gribbin, founder and CEO of the Icelandic meditation technology company Flow, which aims to help people to reach their flow state, overcome negative thoughts and achieve focus. Tristan shares some of the tools that she has used through the years to manage her stress, the importance of letting go, and what convinced her to integrate technology into her meditation practice. Tune in to hear how Tristan from this inspiring thought leader today! the surprising tool that makes meditation so powerful

 Key Points From This Episode:

• What flow state is, Tristan’s history with meditation and how she has come to share it with others.
• The role that meditation plays to assist us to control and eliminate negative thoughts.
• Some of the tools Tristan has used through the years to manage stress, including mantra.
• How letting go is so important in meditation and why modern people need it.
•  What meditation brings up that we need to let go of in order to go deeper.
• The surprising tool in meditation that deepens your practice.
• The story of how Tristan first visited Iceland and fell in love with the country, and meditation. 
• What convinced Tristan to introduce technology into her meditation practice.
• Some of the amazing artists they have been able to collaborate with including Sigur Rós, and Ólafur Arnalds.
• Flow’s bread and butter thus far: providing subscription programs for companies.
• Why it is necessary for their to be an HR manager or someone in the company who advocates for meditation in the workplace.
• How everything happens for a reason to lead us to where we are today!

 Tweetables:

 “For me, it’s been meditation. Since the year 2000, I’ve been super dedicated and super passionate about meditation. Not only meditating myself, but also sharing meditation with others.” — Tristan Elizabeth Gribbin [0:04:55]

 “There’s a deep need. It’s a primal need to be able to just turn the mind off.” — Tristan Elizabeth Gribbin [0:08:45]

 “The good news is that the negativity isn’t true. Is it like an illusion or a lie that we tell ourselves? It just matters about coming back to what’s true. The truth of the matter is, there’s a tremendous amount of energy and a tremendous amount of love.” — Tristan Elizabeth Gribbin [0:15:08]

 Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Tristan Elizabeth Gribbin on LinkedIn
Flow
Mindvalley
VIVE