VRTO Meetup January 2016

VRTO – Virtual Reality Meetup – Toronto January 14th 2016

VRTO – one of Toronto, Canada’s largest virtual reality meetup groups, presented the January 14th 2016 supermeet featuring various presentations and panelists from the top VR companies in the city. It was a sold out event with over 120 attendees, and 15 volunteers!

The first of these presentations looked at the theme of Natural Virtual Reality Interfaces: Keeping a strong immersion & sense of presence. Dale Rosen presented his 3DUI – Three-Dimensional User Interfaces. The project consisted of a set of three 3D widgets – switch, lever and potentiometer that can be manipulated by natural hand motions using a Leap Motion mounted on the front of an Oculus DK2.

Dale Rosen presenting his 3DUI at VRTO January 2016 - an IoT Arduino / Leap Motion / Oculus project
Dale Rosen presenting his 3DUI at VRTO January 2016 – an IoT Arduino / Leap Motion / Oculus project

These simple 3-dimensional user interfaces can easily be embedded in any virtual environment. There was also a demo of how the virtual interface can be tied to the physical world, switching on an off an LED on an Arduino using the Leap Motion, Unity and Oculus Rift combination.

Leap Motion Project Page

VIRTUAL REALITY 2016 PANELISTS

The master of ceremonies for the evening – Perry Voulgaris – hosted a panel with:

Stefan Gambert
Creative Director – Secret Location

Creative artist with twenty years professional experience in a variety of related media – creating interactive and immersive experiences.

Stefan Grambert - VRTO January 2016
Stefan Grambert – VRTO January 2016

Josh Manricks
Associate Technical Director – Secret Location

Ted Biggs
VP Convergent – Smokebomb

19 years creating, planning and developing interactive media projects, primarily for the film and TV industry.

J. Lee Williams
Director of Stuff and Things – OccupiedVR

An award-winning VFX + animation director with many alter egos: illustrator, comic book artist, animator, flash developer, VFX director, film producer and his main role as commercial and film director

VRTO Virtual Reality Panelists January 2016


Perry Voulgaris (Moderator)
Chief Business Development – AWE
Over 25 years in media, sports and entertainment, 20 years in digital media, 15 years executive management: leading teams in the delivery of successful media, sports and entertainment properties.

…discussing current projects, funding strategies, and a look at the tools for 2016 content creation.

Virtual + Augmented + Peripherals Showcase Area

Samsung Gear VR, Oculus Rift and Leap Motion demos

The demo choices for Gear VR will include:

  • Anshar Wars 2
  • Samsung Internet Beta
  • Oculus Social Alpha

Oculus Rift demos will include:

  • Valiant
  • Mythos

Adam Fimio, news editor for IndieGameReviewer.com showcased Tabletop Simulator from Berserk Games.

Adam Fimio from IndieGameReviewer.com
Adam Fimio from IndieGameReviewer.com

Augmented Reality: 4D Augmented reality demo – showing great examples of Augmented Reality with a model of the living, pulsing, heart in AR, as well as a model of a human male/female in AR.

Shok Kreative showed their new 360 immersive video:

GRAFFITI ALLEY | AN IMMERSIVE VR SHORT

BRIEF:
Graffiti Alley is a short Virtual Reality film opening in a colorful graffiti riddled alley where the graffiti comes to life bit by bit. Eventually a Graffiti Girl trapped in a colorful 2D Graffiti World comes to life.

She discovers the world existing in three dimensions just outside of her reach and breaks through the barrier. She explores it with wonder and curiosity which eventually erodes into confusion and fear which drives her back into the safety of her colorful simple world.

CAST | CREW
Graffiti Girl | Ann PirvuWriter/Director | Isaac Rayment 360 Camera/DP | Terry MyersStitch Master | Stitch Master BSpecial FX/Animation | Isaac RaymentOriginal Sound Score/Sound Design | Matt Redman

Shaftsbury shows their new VR project
Shaftsbury shows their new VR project

Here was the complete schedule:

  • 7:00p – Demos
  • 7:15 – Video Greeting from VRTO founder Keram Malicki-Sanchez + Featurette about L.A. Augmented Reality artist Daniel Leighton
  • 7:35 – Opening remarks, key news details
  • 7:40p – Dale Rosen presents 3DUI
  • 8:00 – Soft break, light refreshments, demos
  • 8:20 – Panel Discussion
  • 8:50 – Moderated attendee announcements
  • 9:00-9:45pm – Demos til close

VRTO will also be hosting a meetup for anyone attending VRLA Winter 2016 – January 24th in downtown Los Angeles. Stay tuned for that meetup!
Don’t forget to follow VRTO on Twitter and Instagram at@vrtoronto for around the clock updates. You can also use hashtag #vrtoronto across all social media.
Special thanks to Murray Mckercher and Brightlane.ca for facilitating the location.

Attendance is free to all VRTO Meetup Group Members. RSVP is required.

Full event details and updates

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