INNOVATION COMES TO PLAY AT SXSW
ART BRUSHES SHOULDERS WITH LATEST ADVANCES AT AUSTIN’S ANNUAL FESTIVAL
As you read this, nearly a half-million people swarm downtown Austin for the annual South by Southwest (SXSW) festival, a celebration of music, film, connectivity and technology.
The following is just a sampling of the festival’s most compelling tech, ranging from virtual reality demos and wearables to interactive chatbots, robots and Internet of Things (IoT) gadgets.
VIRTUAL BEDTIME STORIES
Nominated for an Interactive Innovation Award, Samsung ’s Bedtime VR Stories is billed as the first shared virtual reality experience between parents and their children.
The premise: Busy parents, especially those who travel to make a living, can’t always be there to tuck in the little ones. So this multiplayer storytelling adventure connects mom or dad and a child in the same virtual space at the same time, even though they’re not physically in the same room. In this app, they can read stories together, talk and explore the three worlds and its bizarre inhabitants in 360 degrees.
The parent wears a Samsung Gear VR headset, while the child puts on Google Cardboard (decorated with one of three character masks) before syncing up for the magical ride. No word on wide-scale availability just yet.
MUSIC AND BIRDS, TOO
RIFF.TVR from IMEX (Immersive Music Experiences) is an upcoming HTC Vive experience that lets people play an instrument, virtually, such as an electric guitar or drums, or perhaps grab an imaginary microphone to belt out lyrics to licensed tracks.
Don’t call it “Rock Band meets VR,” as this platform also lets users create and share original VR music from this computer-generated world. When it debuts in a few months, IMEX says it will offer multiple forms of interactive gameplay through a range of programming modules (and minigames), as well as editing tools such as costume, lighting and camera options to create 2D or 360-degree music videos.
Then there’s Birdly, a “full body virtual reality flight simulator,” which lets participants feel like they’re flying as they soar over cities in Oculus Rift — a feeling heightened by movement, wind and olfactory feedback.
SXSW attendees can climb into the cockpit of another virtual reality motion ride that simulates flight over a city — but this one uses ultra-high-definition 8K video, and it doesn’t require a head-mounted display or headphones. Rather, a hemispherical screen and surround sound setup make the (up-to-two) riders feel like they’re flying over Tokyo throughout the five-minute ride. Produced by NHK Enterprises and NHK Media Technology, the 8K VR motion ride is at the Austin Convention Center.
SKIN DEEP
A CES Innovation Award winner available to test-drive at SXSW, HiMirror is the world’s first “smart mirror” that provides personalized beauty and health feedback by analyzing your face. Simply wave your hand in front of the mirror or use voice control, and thanks to the camera and cloud-based image processing algorithm, you’ll receive real-time skin care analysis — including comments on wrinkles and fine lines, complexion, dark circles, spots and pores.
Based on your skin condition, HiMirror displays custom DIY YouTube tutorials on the mirror itself. Advice is based on how your skin looks over time, and the device’s internal memory can store photos of you.
Along with the basic HiMirror model ($189), HiMirror Plus ($259) adds LED makeup lighting that can simulate varying environmental settings — such as sunny outdoors, a brightly lit office, restaurant and supermarket, to name a few — to help you properly apply makeup for the occasion.
The Plus model adds more storage (for more photos or more users) and a faster Wi-Fi connection.