Zero to Start Podcast: VR development for beginners

Are you game for a full-body haptic suit? HaptX Inc. takes us one step closer with the imminent launch of their G1 Glove. 

HaptX invents and builds wearable technology that simulates touch with unprecedented realism, enabling haptic interaction in virtual reality and robotics.  

Joining me to explore the magic of the HaptX G1 glove and the future of human-computer interaction is Linda Jacobson, the Director of Marketing at HaptX.

An industry pioneer, Linda helped seed VR technology as the world’s first VR evangelist driving early research efforts of VR in healthcare. She is a Co-founding editor of Wired Magazine and author of "CyberArts: Exploring Art + Technology" and "Garage Virtual Reality". She has helped hundreds of clients and has introduced thousands of seniors to virtual reality, social media, digital health and wellness.

Learn about HaptX Gloves G1 system, including the HaptX SDK:

• HaptX.com
• AWE Nite: Getting Started with Haptics a webinar recorded on Nov. 16, 2023: Designed by developers for developers, we delve into the basics of adding realistic haptics to your virtual scenarios and VR training programs. VR developers from HaptX, Lowe’s Innovation Labs, Y-12 National Security Complex, and University of Central Florida will show you how to get up and running with haptics integration in VR using Unreal Engine.

Linda's Links from the wayback machine:

• Star Trek’s holodeck in its first major appearance, 1987: Star Trek: The Next Generation, “The Big Goodbye” (Season 1, Episode 11)
• ABC Primetime Live, 1991, presenting VR and Virtuality location-based entertainment arcade game
• TV show “The Computer Chronicles” episode, “Virtual Reality,” 1992 (with Linda Jacobson)
• “Six Degrees of Freedom: Designers & Engineers Put Virtual Reality to Work,” 1996: documentary written and directed by Linda Jacobson for Silicon Graphics, Inc.

CONNECT WITH LINDA

• LinkedIn

CONNECT WITH SICILIANA 

• sicilianatrevino.com 
• LinkedIn 

WHAT WE'RE PLAYING IN VR

• Gorilla Tag - holiday update! 
• Asgard's Wrath 2
• LEGO® Bricktales 
• Liminal - Relax. Unwind. Engage. Explore.
• PowerWash Simulator VR

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In the few days since OpenAI's board of directors removed its co-founder and CEO Sam Altman, the future of the company and what it means for the race to AGI Artificial General Intelligence is anyone’s guess. 

Joining me to put this fast moving saga into perspective is Avi Bar-Zeev founder and president of Reality Prime an independent consulting service providing world-class expertise in AR & VR design and engineering, since 1997.

Avi Bar-Zeev has been at the forefront of Spatial Computing for over 30 years. He co-invented the Hololens AR headset in 2010, and led the Experience Prototyping team for Apple's Vision Pro and more from 2016 to 2019. 

Most recently, he is a founder and President of The XR Guild, a new non-profit membership organization that seeks to support and educate professionals in XR on ethics and most positive outcomes for humanity.

However this techno drama plays out, we are approaching a threshold of computing power that was once the domain of science-fiction and fantasy. The builders are already living there. 

How do you think AI will impact human rights, the way we live, work or how we define what makes us unique? Let us know on the Zero to Start LinkedIn page. 

CONNECT WITH AVI

• XR Guild
• LinkedIn 
• Mission Responsible - Designing a Future We Choose to Accept - Dec 10th

CONNECT WITH SICILIANA 

• sicilianatrevino.com 
• LinkedIn 

OPENAI MAYHEM 

• Sam Altman to return as CEO of OpenAI - Tech Crunch
• Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella on the OpenAI Debacle - On with Kara Swisher
• Emergency Podcast: Altman Fired at OpenAI - Big Technology Podcast
• OpenAI Staff Threaten to Quit Unless Board Resigns - Wired
• OpenAI's Sutskever says he regrets board's firing of Altman - Axios
• OpenAi's Non-profit Board at the heart of Sam Altman's Ouster - Sharon Goldman
• OpenAI Dev Day Sam Altman Opening Keynote - YouTube
• OpenAI charter
• OpenAI Co-Founder & Chief Scientist Ilya Sutskever - No Priors Podcast
• Ilya Sutskever: Deep Learning - Lex Fridman Podcast

MORE RESOURCES

• Metaverse Safety Week Dec 10th-15th 
• Zero to Start episode with Kavya Pearlman, Founder XRSI 

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On December 10th  XRSI will kick–off their 4th annual Metaverse Safety Week - XRSI’s flagship conference, an annual occasion to meet industry leaders and discuss the challenges of safety, privacy and artificial intelligence in spatial computing. 

Kavya Pearlman, Founder and CEO of XRSI, X Reality Safety Intelligence,  a leading non-profit organization globally recognized for advocating safety, privacy, security, and inclusion in the domain of emerging technology joins me on the podcast to share why this year's Metaverse Safety Week is an essential industry event. 

Kavya is an award-winning cyber security expert who brings together world leaders, organizations, researchers, community advocates and policymakers to address the industry’s most challenging threats. 

Dive into what you need to know about safety in the Metaverse on this episode of Zero to Start!

Check out show links below and let us know your feedback on our LinkedIn page.    

• METAVERSE SAFETY WEEK DEC 10th - 15th 2023 
• xrsi.org
• The XRSI Privacy and Safety Framework
• The Child Safety Initiative
• Safety Tips for Parents - Top Recommendations from XRSI

GOVERNMENT POLICY

• Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights
• EU AI Act: first regulation on artificial intelligence 

RESOURCES and READING

• Medical XR Privacy and Safety Framework - XRSI
• Stanford Research Shows VR Users Can Be Identified Using Only 5 Minutes of Motion Data - Road to VR
• Scammers Use AI to Mimic Voices of Loved Ones in Distress - CBS
• The Power of Digital Policy: A practical guide to minimizing risk and maximizing opportunity for your organization - Kristina Podnar
• Cyber War - Richard A. Clarke 

CONNECT WITH KAVYA 

• LinkedIn
• X
• Kavya Pearlman on 60 minutes 

CONNECT WITH SICILIANA 

• sicilianatrevino.com 
• LinkedIn 

Subscribe to Zero to Start on your favorite podcast platform, give us a rating and share this episode with your community. Thanks for listening and happy installing!

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Prepare to be amazed and inspired by special guest Michaela Ternasky Holland, Emmy Award-Winning XR Director, Creative Strategist and Impact Producer leading equity and social change in XR and the Metaverse.  

A pioneer in VR journalism and experience design, Michaela shares the evolution of her unique industry journey and how her latest immersive film, Reimagined Vol. II: Mahal, is redefining traditional narratives and Tagalog / Filipino mythology to create authentic, innovative, heart-felt stories that captivate audiences around the world.

We also talk shop about the new Quest3, Apple entering the market and what every beginner should know about immersive storytelling. Don't miss it!

Check out show links below and let us know your feedback on our new LinkedIn page.   

CONNECT WITH MICHAELA

• VIDEO - Reimagined Volume II: Mahal  Official Trailer
• Michaela's Website
• LinkedIn
• IMDB
• Face to Face website
• VIDEO - On the Morning You Wake ICAN Nuclear Ban Forum Panel 

CONNECT WITH SICILIANA 

• sicilianatrevino.com 
• LinkedIn 

RESOURCES

• Quill VR painting app on the Meta Quest Store
• Asian American Journalists Association

Dive into what you need to get started on your immersive storytelling adventure. Subscribe to Zero to Start on your favorite podcast platform, give us a rating and share this episode with your community. Thanks for listening and happy installing!

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XR Pioneer Robin Moulder, Founder and CEO of 3lb Games and 3lb XR joins the podcast to share details about their latest releases including VR Workout and Grokit, a hand tracking multiplayer mixed reality game aimed at rapid fire interactions focused on fun while giving newer headset players more confidence - perfect for introducing your friends and family to the magic of mixed reality on a Quest 3 at your holiday gatherings.

GroKit Core is their B2B resource that will help companies accelerate their spatial computing project development.
 
Robin also reports on highlights from her recent visit to Europe's thriving immersive conferences, her reflections on Apple Vision Pro, how she started her career in technology and what every beginner should know about getting started in spatial computing. 

Check out resource links below and let us know your feedback on our new LinkedIn page.   

Spooky installing!

DOWNLOAD

• Grokit Multiplayer Mixed Reality Game  - AppLab
• SpaceDragon - AppLab
• VR Workout - Meta Store

CONNECT WITH ROBIN 

• 3lb Games
• 3lbXR
• Robin on LinkedIn
• XR Women

CONNECT WITH SICILIANA 

• sicilianatrevino.com 
• on LinkedIn 
• The Shoes of OC5
• The Shoes of OC6

WHAT ELSE WE'RE PLAYING THIS HALLOWEEN!

• Spooky worlds and adventures in Social VR - Andy Fidel 
• Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas - Supernatural 
• Universal Monsters Arena 
• Rise of the Ghost Lord  - Ghostbusters
• Widow's Walkabout - Walkabout Mini Golf 
• Movie Nights - Haunted Horizon 
• Spookality #spookality  - VRChat

The early days of hand tracking with Leap Motion:

• SFVR #12 David Holz, Leap Motion Orion demo - YouTube 

CONFERENCES

• Stereopsia
• AWE Vienna 

We hope you're inspired to explore mixed reality and start your spatial computing adventure. Subscribe to Zero to Start on your favorite podcast platform,

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"What if I could make an app that could change an entire play area into a horror game?"
That's what David Montecalvo, Founder and President of VirtualGo LLC asked himself when he saw the black and white pass-through on the Meta Quest 2, inspiring him to create Hauntify, one of Quest 2's earliest mixed reality games that combined the headset's new experimental pass through with a ghostly room-scale experience - available now for Quest 3 on Sidequest and App Lab. 

On this spookacular episode of Zero to Start special guest David Montecalvo unlocks the secrets to playing Hauntify, his vision for developing mixed reality apps and what he's learned along the way of making games like Escape Lava Mine (Rift), FPS Enhanced Reality (Quest 2, 3), Mixed Reality Animal Escape and more.

This Halloween turn your house party into a horror game with Hauntify. Check out our list below for more games to get you into the spirit and let us know which monster VR games you're playing on our new LinkedIn page.   

Spooky installing!

DOWNLOAD HAUNTIFY

• AppLab
• SideQuest
• Itchi.io
• Hauntify Trailer on YouTube
• Set Up Tutorial on YouTube

CONNECT WITH VIRTUAL GO LLC

• Website 
• David Montecalvo on LinkedIn
• 5 floors of Mixed Reality playspace - VIDEO 
• FPS Enhanced Reality on AppLab
• Lava Escape Mine Trailer on YouTube

WHAT ELSE WE'RE PLAYING THIS HALLOWEEN!

• Supernatural - Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas
• Universal Monsters Arena 
• Ghostbusters - Rise of the Ghost Lord (Oct 26th)
• Walkabout Mini Golf - Widow's Walkabout
• Haunted Horizon - Movie Nights
• VRChat - Spookality #spookality

CONNECT WITH SICILIANA

• sicilianatrevino.com 
• on LinkedIn 

We hope you're inspired to explore how you can apply mixed reality to your creative vision and have fun this Halloween. Subscribe to Zero to Start on your favorite podcast platform, and share this episode with your ghosts and ghouls.  Thanks for listening and for your support

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Web AR and social impact is a powerful combination that fuels dynamic connection, community building, awareness and action - at scale. 

On this episode of Zero to Start,  Sarah Porter, Director of Innovative Philanthropy at Hope for Haiti joins me to share the nonprofit's mission, how they started their immersive journey and how you can join 8th Wall's Hope for Haiti challenge happening now - the deadline to enter is November 6th at 11:59 pm Pacific. 

You can jump right to the Challenge details at 13 minutes into the podcast. See the links below for everything you need to participate.

Happy installing!

8th WALL CHALLENGE LINKS: 

• 8th Wall Challenge 
• 8th Wall blog post
• Resource deck

CONNECT WITH HOPE FOR HAITI:

• Hope for Haiti website
• Hope for Haiti socials: IG and X
• Celebrating Hope event in NYC on Oct 27th
• Hope for Haiti VR app on Sidequest
• VR app trailer
• Sarah Porter on LinkedIn

3D JAVASCRIPT FRAMEWORKS 

• A-Frame
• three.js
• PlayCanvas
• Babylon.js

CONNECT WITH SICILIANA

• sicilianatrevino.com 
• on LinkedIn 

We hope you're inspired to explore WebAR and 8th Wall's Hope for Haiti Challenge. Subscribe to Zero to Start on your favorite podcast platform, and share this episode with your community. Thanks for listening and for your support! 

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Discover how Cognitive3D’s SDK for Unreal and Unity empowers immersive creators to unlock player behavior and build better 3D experiences with Calder Archinuk, Developer Evangelist at Cognitive3D. 

Designing for Player agency in virtual environments is one of many challenges in VR development, yet player agency is also what makes VR an essential medium for capturing and studying player behavior.

• How can developers quickly and easily leverage spatial analytics to build better immersive experiences? 
• What should every immersive developer know about leveraging spatial analytics in their projects? 
• How can developers safely collect spatial data and protect privacy? 

Dive into these questions and more on our latest episode.  Happy installing!

CONNECT WITH COGNITIVE3D:

• Create a free account on Cognitive3D.com
• Download the SDK
• Follow on Github
• Join the Cognitive3D community on Discord
• Follow on X
• Calder Archinuk on LinkedIn

RESOURCES:

• Cognitve3D Glossary of Metrics - Cognitive3D
• Virtual Reality in Behavioral Neuroscience: New Insights and Methods - edited by Christopher Maymon, Gina Grimshaw, Ying Choo Wu 
• Eye-Tracking Methodology and Applications in Consumer Research - Hayk Khachatryan and Alicia L. Rihn, University of Florida 
• X Reality Safety Intelligence (XRSI) 

CONNECT WITH SICILIANA

• sicilianatrevino.com
• on LinkedIn 

Subscribe to Zero to Start on your favorite podcast platform, and share this episode with the immersive creators in your life. Thanks for listening and for your support! 

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Dive into the power of Neuroscience and VR to improve brain health with Amir Bozorgzadeh, the cofounder and CEO of Virtuleap. 

Brain health as you age affects each and every one of us. Caring for your cognitive well-being is essential for living an independent and fulfilling life.  Virtuleap combines neuroscience and virtual reality to help increase attention levels, and address cognitive illnesses, disorders, and learning challenges. 

Virtuleap’s' Enhance VR app is a fun and immersive workout for your brain. Featuring games like Magic Deck, Memory Wall and more  that help keep your mind sharp and healthy at any age. See link below to download Enhance VR free. 

We also explore how VR's power of embodiment is driving clinical research in treating conditions like ADHD and Long Covid, data safety and ethics, consciousness and the unique challenges researchers at the intersection of new tech and healthcare must overcome - with lighter weight headsets, accessible onboarding and more. 

Support the podcast - subscribe, like and share this episode with your community.  Thanks!

DOWNLOAD ENHANCE VR FREE:  

• AppLab
• SideQuest VR
•  Enhance VR games and more available in Alcove VR  

CONNECT WITH US!

• Virtuleap.com
• Amir Bozorgzadeh on LinkedIn  
• Siciliana on LinkedIn 

SBIR GRANTS:

• Small Innovation Business Research (SBIR) 
• Non-Dilutive Startup Fundraising SBIR Grants for Innovation - YouTube 
• TurboSBIR - Grant application support software

DIGITAL BIOMARKERS + REPORTS: 

• Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality Medical Devices - FDA
• Alzheimer's Disease Diagnostics and Therapeutics Global Market Report 2033  - Increasing use of Biomarkers for Diagnosis Drives Growth
•  Digital Biomarkers Market accounted for US$ 3.1 billion in 2022 -Prophesy Market Insights
• The Connected Self: The Era of Digital Biomarkers in Neurology - CFI.co

DEMOGRAPHICS:

• The 2030 problem: Caring for Aging Baby Boomers

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Stepping into the Spotlight is Sadah Espii Proctor, XR & Experiential Designer Composer & Spatial Sound Designer 

On our 8th and final spotlight episode, recorded on January 2021, Espii shares her philosophy on creating  narrative VR experiences for theater, music and art - and how the pandemic is ushering in new ways to experience live performance. 

Among Espii's many accomplishments in immersive film, art and sound, she is the director of 2019's Girl Icon. Globally, over 130 million girls do not go to school. Step into the life of one girl from India who is inspired by Malala Yousafzai to change her course. Produced in partnership with Oculus VR for Good Creators Lab, Malala Fund and Milaan Foundation.

We also discuss the development of her immersive work, Testigo (Witness), created at Garage Stories and The Bayou Project. 

Thanks for listening and happy installing!

• Share, like and subscribe to Zero to Start on your favorite podcast platform.
• Connect with Espii on LinkedIn
• Follow Siciliana on LinkedIn

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FEATURED LINKS

• Oculus Start Developer program 
• Garage Stories
• Unity
• Unreal Engine

================================
Thanks to our partners at Meta for sponsoring our Spotlight Series and supporting women working in Virtual Reality. 

#sponsoredpost

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