It’s A Smaller World After All
Virtual Reality and the 3D Communication Revolution
Communication technology has been one the most important driving forces in human history. From the Roman road system to Gutenberg’s printing press to the modern Internet, improvements in the quality and efficiency of communications have led to massive growth in commerce and innovation while helping make our world that much smaller.
But with the advent of virtual reality, we’re at the beginning of an entirely new way of transmitting information: 3D communication. The most powerful aspect of this new type of communication is that it mimics the way we’ve shared ideas since we were living in caves. Using 3D communication technology like virtual and augmented reality, we can feel like we’re talking to each other face-to-face even if we’re on the other side of the planet.
As powerful as this technology is, currently 3D communication isn’t sufficiently advanced enough to make most people use it over traditional communication tools. That is, unless there’s something special about communicating in 3D that makes it superior in certain use cases.
At Agora, we’re working to build the tools that will turn 3D communication from a gimmick to the kind of technological advancement that will actually improve the way we share information. That’s why we’ve teamed up with Abantech to create the first of many 3D communication apps to run on top of the Agora platform. With their innovative middleware software, we can make maximum use of 3D space in order to work on projects and share information.
The Siminar
One of the most powerful aspects of virtual reality is that you can convey information through 3D objects and animations. Rather than looking at a diagram of the solar system, with virtual reality you can actually look at a rotating scale model. Or better yet, you can be inside the solar system itself and move from planet to planet.
This becomes even more powerful when you have another person in that virtual environment teaching you about the 3D objects you’re viewing. That’s why our first app is a tool for creating and delivering fully 3D presentations in virtual reality.
We call these presentations Siminars. That’s because it’s a lot like a 3D version of the Webinar. Like a Webinar, a presenter can deliver a remote presentation to people around the world. But there are a few key differences. Unlike a webinar, in a Siminar the presenter and the audience can all see each other in virtual reality and have a real back-and-forth conversation. And, rather than relying on a 2D slide deck, a Siminar can also incorporate 3D models and animations.
Imagine a class on ancient Rome where the teacher can bring in a model of the Parthenon or a Gladiator in full armor. Or a marketing presentation on the latest product updates that allows the audience to see the changes up close. Or a meeting between architects to discuss different options for a building site that includes a model of every potential building. Pretty much any presentation that would be improved by 3D content can be done through a Siminar.
We want to make the creation of Siminars as easy as possible. So we’ve been working with Abantech to create a Siminar Builder. This will allow anyone to upload 3D models and slides to a website. Then pop on your virtual reality headset, select your presentation on the Agora platform and begin delivering a Siminar. Anyone else can attend your Siminar by putting on their own VR headset and selecting it in the Agora app.
Efficio
How does the presenter control these Siminars? That’s through the power of Abantech’s middleware solution Efficio. Efficio allows any spatially-aware devices or Natural User Interface devices to communicate effectively with almost any 3D platform. This means that you’ll be able to control these presentations with a Gear VR swipe, a Vive controller, or a Leap Motion.
But the Siminar is just the first step. Efficio makes it easy to build almost any multi-user virtual reality application on top of the Agora platform. It could allow 3D modelers to work on assets together. It could allow interior designers to place furniture around a space. It could allow building contractors to share 3D progress updates with clients. And that’s just the beginning. Training, education, sales, collaboration and even eventually an entirely virtual office can all take place in Agora using Efficio.
While the Siminar Builder is currently our main focus, we are an open platform. We want to work with developers to build multi-user virtual reality applications for business, education, and fun. If you’re interested in working with Agora and Efficio, feel free to reach out on Twitter or our Website.
The interesting thing about every previous revolution in communication technology is that they never happened in a vacuum. Roman roads were built by millions. Gutenberg may have built the first European printing press, but many more took his technology all over Europe. And the Internet is one of the greatest engineering projects in human history. If we want 3D communication to have the same impact, it’s up to all of us to create the tools to make the world that much smaller.
Matthias McCoy-Thompson is a co-founder and COO of AgoraVR. We create tools for companies, organizations, and individuals to present and share their ideas in virtual reality.
