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Horizon Workspaces: Facebook launches virtual reality-powered workspace.

facebook horizon workrooms

Let us go back in time, close to 18 months back when the world around suddenly got confined to the four walls of our homes. Video conferencing replaced physical brainstorming sessions and paperwork got replaced by endless tapping on the keyboard. At that point in time, we were clearly not ready for something like that to strike us. Endless glitches and people not too familiar with gadgets and technology had to quite literally “lock” every action related to their work.

However, taking inspiration from all the recent complications, Facebook has been consistently working on creating virtual meeting rooms. It has been named as Horizon Workspaces. Although for the past two years, it is mostly stuck in its Beta development phase, it is quite promising. People could meet, work, share details and brainstorm together in a digital room but in a virtual medium with virtual and augmented reality. Here, instead of people’s faces, we will be dealing with their digital avatars. Something akin to your digital avatar on Facebook. Does it not sound interesting? Something like a simulation of the dream. Okay, some more details.

Facebook unveils Horizon Workrooms for remote coworking in VR | VentureBeat

What if I say that you could demonstrate flowcharts, plans and graphs in the virtual meeting? Just with a mouse, keyboard and hands, all that you physically draw sitting in a room will directly translate into digital records in your meeting that everyone will be able to see, edit and feel with their own hands. This is a huge dream of Mark Zuckerberg’s Metaverse. Metaverse is a virtual reality and augmented reality environment that facilitates meeting with different people at different places in the world. It is currently being developed by Facebook on war-footing scale.

facebook work rooms

A huge boost to it was given by the introduction of Oculus headsets. This hardware is supported by the virtual web and app development software’s that are developed by the company.

Coming back to the Horizon product. Each headset easily costs somewhere around USD 300. Those who do not own Oculus 2 and the software with them can join as regular meetings as they do for Zoom or Google Meet calls. So, a maximum of 50 people can join the meeting. Out of which only 16 can join with headsets, digital avatars and make the virtual note-making and meeting possible. You could even share photos and videos with other people in the meeting rooms. This software is compatible with both Windows and MAC PC’s. Once you link your PC with the horizon workspace, along with the Oculus headsets, you could work, share, write and edit data and information in the virtual systems.

Apart from these features, it has some of the most cutting-edge technology with respect to cybersecurity. That is giving full control over the applications and data of the corporates with industry compliance and requirements. The second feature, as stated by Horizon workspace is the ability to enhance productivity. The files, data and other information can be securely accessed from all kinds of devices that are connected with the ecosystem.

So, after a long time and a lot of attempts at Facebook has given this wonderful product. The product is still in beta version and undergoing tests. Once it gets successfully launched, it can be a game-changer in virtual reality and remote working environments. Something which the current video conferencing applications lack at.

Are you too interested in joining the virtual reality revolution that is coming faster than expected? If your employees are geeky enough and feel the need to connect with each other and build scalable solutions to challenges around them with the use of virtual reality, then you have landed at the right place.

Our vastly experienced engineers at Twin Reality, will help you build some of the most advanced virtual reality applications development with high-end immersive experiences. We regularly blog and actively comment on the existing and upcoming advancements in this domain. We would be glad to connect with you over our website and have a look at our portfolio!

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Can virtual reality help patient experience in MRI?

Virtual Reality with MRI

Before we go any further with how MRI and Virtual Reality are related and how to research and developments are being done. Let us understand what is MRI, in summary, to help us understand the deeper concepts a bit better.

MRI is a short form for Magnetic Resonance Imaging, a method using which internal organs are imaged via strong magnetic fields and radio waves. This is useful detect clots, blockages or other forms of disturbances or deformations in the human body. An MRI scan shows a detailed and color report about body organs in the picture and according to which further medical procedures or surgeries are carried out.

MRI

Now comes the role of technology or in our words the role of Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality in it. The MRI scan is carried out in a closed room with the help of a radiographer who moves you in and out of the MRI scan machine. For claustrophobic people, it may seem very daunting. So, for patients like these, the Virtual Reality headsets are given using which their minds are diverted into a different path for the scan to be carried out seamlessly.

A lot of research has gone into understanding patient anxiety during MRI scans and the neuroscience behind it. Before VR was introduced, medicos used the processes of seduction or anesthesia, however, there are chances that they might not fully work. After the introduction of VR, it’s a more relaxing experience for the patient.

 

The second role after MRI claustrophobia is MRI patient preparation. As far as patient preparation is concerned, the VR/AR research teams over the world have developed various software’s and apps, using which patients are educated about the MRI experience and machine scanning.

In this, the virtual reality headset is connected to a standard MRI head coil, that is enabled by two MRI-compatible cameras, which is controlled by the patient’s eye movements. This is done for those patients who fear the MRI room and after making them wear this headset, they are taken into the MRI room for scans. The audio and visuals are present during the actual scan are simulated and that somewhat helps patients to gain confidence and lower the fear rate. 

 

 

Child MRI

Another interesting study to take reference from is a case study performed somewhere in the United Kingdom. A group of a total of 35 participants, of which around 6 were children were called test participants to see how this technique works. They were given these headsets with games, apps and another relaxing topic already installed into them. When they were put into an MRI scanner, they never got to know about being scanned by an MRI machine and could easily perform their favourite tasks from the VR headset. Also, they did not have any side effects like motion sickness, headache or loss of focus from the headset.

The third aspect of the patient experience from MRI is VR apps in medication. The patients also learn about potential conditions or diseases for which the scan is being done. They see the damaged body part or the organ in a more holistic and 3-dimensional manner and show solutions about that organ or part that will be cured by medication or surgery. This not only helps patients but also doctors to plan their flow of treatment better.

So, as far as to date, it is safe to say that a lot of research is being undertaken to enhance the patient experience in MRI scanning, and there have been some successes in between too. However, it is still in its infant stages and much more capital investment, time and research equipment’s will be needed to make it more accurate.

At Twin Reality, we do just that. We are one of the pioneers in building Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality app development in India, and have a wide range of experiences from education to exhibitions, medical to entertainment and even real estate.  To see our projects, clients and work, feel free to reach out through our website!

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Impact of Virtual reality on medical sector.

Virtual Reality is a boon and a by-product of the Artificially Intelligent era that we are heading into. It offers a simulated and user-controlled environment where we could practically perform any activity without needing a full set of components or requirements physically. It’s an area where continuous research and development is taking place in the Computer Science domain. 

Virtual Reality has been such a blessing for all domains, but a majority of the advantages are to be seen in the Medical Science domain, where it is being used to perform a lot of trials and experiments, which perhaps involves a lot of pain, money and discomfort if it were not for the Visual Reality.

In earlier cases, a lot of trials and errors of medicines, their side effects and methods to be followed during surgeries had to perform on the bodies physically. However, with the advent of Virtual Reality, animated effects and bodily simulations have been a lot easy to make, practice and study. The major practices where VR is used can be chiefly classified into four fields:

  1. Medical training
  2. Patient Treatment
  3. Medical marketing
  4. Disease Awareness

 

Let us delve a bit deep into each of the categories.

Patient Treatment

Marketing these days, has become an important tool to stay alive in the market and be competitive. Few journals and articles state how medical marketing is done by using Visual Reality. Ay for instance with the VR headset, you induce a headache to someone, and with the very same Virtual Reality headset, you could have that headache settled, which shows how certain procedures work. 

Medical Marketing: 

Marketing these days, has become an important tool to stay alive in the market and be competitive. Few journals and articles state how medical marketing is done by using Visual Reality. Ay for instance with the VR headset, you induce a headache to someone, and with the very same Virtual Reality headset, you could have that headache settled, which shows how certain procedures work. 

Disease Awareness: 

It is not uncommon to be irritated when we see someone suffering from a certain kind of disease which makes him/her look like an anti-social element. Some people perhaps suffer from Parkinson’s disease, Schizophrenia and other ailments. Visual reality helps normal people like you and me understand the kind of pain and difficulties that these lesser fortunate ones endure. 

 

Making patients feel better

Suppose someone has met with a life-threatening disease and has to spend a lot of time in the hospital to get treated. More often than not, they do feel bored. Visual Reality comes to the rescue, where one could simulate anything and let the patient watch. He could be seen swimming with dolphins, playing sports with some of the biggest Olympic champions and what not. It serves as a feel-good factor and creates an aura of positivity for the patient. 

 

With this, and many more features, Virtual reality in the medical sector is here to stay, by making pains more bearable, side-effects of diseases more understandable and health science more approachable to a layman. 

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COVID-19 Lockdown, World Famous IRONMAN Competition Holds First Virtual Race

Many sports events got canceled due to COVID-19 Lockdown. Even the Olympics are shifted to next year which is affecting many fans and the players.

Many fans are not happy because of it but they can do nothing about it because right now the world is in Chaos

NASCAR US-based auto-racing organization announced the postponement of all races through May 3rd,  they began conducting a series of virtual races in which professional NASCAR drivers competed remotely from their homes using the popular PC-based racing simulator iRacing.

And this week IRONMAN Triathlon took a smiler approach for their event. Now Fans can watch the special athletes performing online.

They are conducting virtual racing series in which over 11,000 athletes from across 115 countries registered to compete from the comfort of their homes.

It is really awesome to find companies taking more steps to engage with fans and using different techniques to engage.

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The First Game For Apple’s Rumored VR/AR Device

There is already a rumor that HTC is assisting Apple in creating their new AR device.

 A report from Macrumors showing a photo which is looking like a customized HTC Vive Focus controller.

Not only a customized controller but now there is also a rumor of the game called “crosswalk bowling game” for the Apple AR/VR device.

According to Macrumors, the experience is meant to be played while waiting to cross the street. 

Users use the customized Focus controller to throw a virtual bowling ball at a set of virtual pins situated at the other end of a crosswalk. 

The app can only be accessed by an Apple engineer near an Apple office known as “Mathilda 3” at 555 N Mathilda Ave in Sunnyvale, California.

Apple is also working on its AR/VR glasses. It is really cool to see the AR/VR device.