09:05 - 09:10
Join Süleyman Zorba as he welcomes attendees on day 2 of AWE EU 2023 with a short statement about digitalization, network policy and data protection related to XR.
09:45 - 10:10
Standardisation is of enormous economic importance: its main objectives are cost savings and work simplification. Standardisation leads to an increase in market transparency and a reduction in costs. By using standards, manufacturers can concentrate on the truly innovative aspects of their products and also gain important aspects of legal certainty. All these advantages naturally also apply to computer graphics and XR. VDC has established a global monitor for XR norms, standards, guidelines and recommendations. This monitor also records current standardisation projects and active working groups. Christoph's presentation gives an overview of the status quo of the XR standards monitor.
10:00 - 15:00
Join us in the Expo Hall and Playground areas to meet sponsors and exhibitors, discover the latest AR/VR tech, check out the newest start-ups, make connections, and more.
10:05 - 10:30
This fireside chat explores the innovative role of avatars in enhancing operational efficiency and brand performance. We will discuss how avatar technology can streamline customer interactions, automate tasks, and personalize user experiences. Attendees will gain insights into leveraging avatars to drive cost savings, improve customer satisfaction, and elevate brand engagement, making it a must-attend event for those seeking to harness the potential of avatars in the corporate landscape.
10:05 - 10:30
Join Andreas Fraunberger of Junge Römer and Christopher Widauer, Artistic Director for The Mozart Experience Vienna, as they explore the value of generative content for the production of XR experiences to boost efficiency, creativity and ultimately to reach measurable goals in marketing and sales.
10:05 - 10:30
Bayer and Arthur Technologies are revolutionizing collaboration across global sites by integrating virtual reality (VR) technology. Together, their efforts aim to create fully immersive collaboration opportunities on a global scale, bringing the Bayer community closer together, enhancing productivity in a hybrid setting, and validating potential use cases for Bayer.
Leveraging VR technology, Bayer, a multinational life sciences company, is transforming employee collaboration. The partnership with Arthur Technologies has allowed Bayer to establish their groundbreaking initiative, the Metaverse Connection Hub. This virtual collaboration platform is designed to immerse employees in a digital realm that transcends traditional ways of working.
During the presentation, a range of use cases covered in this Bayer Metaverse Experiment will be highlighted, including community events, immersive workshops, Bayer-specific HR training concepts, and productive VR sessions using the workstation. A key driver behind these activities is the validation of future office layouts, prior to construction, by having employees work on the future spaces virtually while sharing feedback that will optimize construction and possibly CO2 emissions. First impressions and feedback will be shared on the ongoing experiment, highlighting learnings. Additionally, Best Practices in setting up an XR experience for enterprises will be shared.
The partnership between Arthur Technologies and Bayer represents a significant advancement in immersive collaboration across global sites. The Bayer Metaverse Connection Hub empowers employees to engage with the community in a dynamic and immersive manner, fostering collaboration and productivity.
10:05 - 10:50
What makes companies stand out?
What are investors looking for? What do they not want to see?
How can I avoid some of the biggest mistakes start-ups make when pitching VCs?
Join this panel to chat with investors who focus on investments in AR/VR, spatial computing and immersive tech as they share their hot take on a specific use cases and opportunities.
10:15 - 10:40
As XR tech is more and more convenient it is a matter of time til it is an integrative part of our everyday products. This is where virtual and reality need to merge seamlessly into each other.
Simulation and XR technologies are already used in nowadays product development but what are the enablers for the development of future products and how to deliver added value for your customers?
Lukas and Jan will discuss the needs and approaches to enable solutions for tomorrow.
10:35 - 11:00
Over the past decade we have seen VR and AR advance significantly, and now the rise of artificial intelligence - but how do they connect? This talk covers the convergence of these technologies, detailing how hands, eyes, voice and body is the ultimate interface for AI (multimodal interfaces). We will show informative examples from state-of-the-art R&D from Aldin and discuss foundational technologies that the industry is building. The talk will give understandable insights into relationships between VR/AR/AI and how they are leading to the next personal computing platform, what new opportunities are arising and how it can make computing more natural and powerful.
10:35 - 11:00
This talk will share experiences gathered through out the design and implementation phase of a multilingual XR learning application that enables experiential learning of work safety related behaviors in forklift operations. The applications first explains important terms for forklift operation and makes them tangible and establishes the comprehension of forklift specific terms in a common target language (in this case German, but could be any other language as well. This makes instruction, training and safety training more understandable.
After the introduction to the terms, the forklift is put into operation virtually and the trainee is given work assignments that involve safety-critical situations. The trainee must act correctly in accordance with the theoretical training. If the trainee does not act correctly, a virtual accident occurs.
In order to properly address Kolb’s learning cycle appropriated feedback and after action review abilities are provided. We will report on experiences, challenges and solutions we developed throughout the user- and stakeholder-centered development of this application and the embedding into the existing curriculum of the BFI Austria, one of the largest vocational training providers in Austria.
10:55 - 12:30
Join us as start-ups pitch to our panel of judges for a chance to be named AWE's "Start-Up to Watch" for 2023. The winning start-up takes home an up to $200k with investment* (pending due diligence) provided by acclaimed investor Christopher Obereder. The winning company is also honored on the main stage at AWE EU 2023 with an Auggie Award and the winning title of “Start-up to Watch” during the event's Best in Show Awards.
Judges for the Start-Up Pitch competition will be Leen Segers, Petri Rajahalme and Christopher Obereder.
11:05 - 11:30
Roughly half of all modern games include NPCs or AI characters, making them an integral part of the user experience. However, when applied to XR applications, current-gen AI characters tend to stumble into the "uncanny valley" because they feel robotic and inauthentic. We found that this valley can be bridged by combining two up-and-coming technologies. Behavioral AI brings characters to life with believable movements and actions in virtual environments, while conversational AI provides them the capability to engage in meaningful, evolving dialogues.
This talk delves into the mechanisms and potential outcomes of integrating these two distinct technologies. It's a journey toward a future where interactive characters are far more than simplistic avatars—they move, react, and converse in a manner that echoes authentic human behavior. Let's explore this frontier together, aiming to leapfrog the uncanny valley and construct characters that don't merely mimic life, but reflect it.
11:05 - 11:30
Step into a future of retail where cutting-edge technology and emotive storytelling converge to transform ordinary spaces into extraordinary experiences. In this talk, we delve into the development and implementation of six state-of-the-art interactive installations, showcasing the power of XR and AI to captivate, engage, and emotionally connect with diverse customer segments.
Dive deep into the heart of interactive displays created to make people smile, games designed to help children overcome fear, a multisensory journey through the history of light, VR experiences that strengthen couples' bonds, and more. Learn how each project, despite its unique challenges, successfully elevated the customer's experience, helping them have an unforgettable shopping experience while enabling them to acquire new knowledge and skills that enrich their daily lives.
These installations aren't just showcases of XR and AI; they're visions of a future where the essence of a brand goes beyond the product, establishing a stronger emotional connection with customers. Whether you're an XR professional seeking inspiration, or an end consumer curious about implementing XR in your business, this talk will broaden your perspective on the potential of integrating XR into the retail sector.
Join us and discover how technology is breathing new life into retail spaces, making them not just places to shop but destinations to experience, engage, and connect.
11:05 - 11:30
Having grown up in a digital informational world, the future workforce requires a more active and engaging approach to training. AR, MR, and VR combine real and virtual environments to provide the experiential learning workers need. Join Johannes Stettmeier as he maps out key benefits and important considerations for commercial immersive learning and training programs.
11:15 - 11:40
Making the first step is often the hardest, especially when it comes to new technology. Virtual Reality is no exception. With years of hype, there are many companies who are concerned with high costs, vague business cases and technical complexity.
Magnus Mackay will tell the story of how Jotun got started with VR and managed to overcome these barriers to entry, having successfully developed immersive training for some years now and reaping the benefits.
Joining Magnus on stage is Thiên-Sinh Polodna from Uptale. He will share his experiences guiding enterprises through creating immersive training content based on 360-images and -videos. Together, they hope to remove any potential reservations and inspire more companies to get started with VR-training.
11:35 - 12:00
Mimic Productions, a 3D studio that makes the world's most realistic digital humans for all industries will present their case studies and future ambitions for virtual beings. David Bennett, a pioneer in the VFX, performance capture, 3D gaming and VR industries, with credits that include James Cameron's Avatar and most recently The Matrix 4. The visual presentation will focus on how photorealistic digital humans can be used in culture, with an industry insight into the current and future (AI) technologies that are used to create avatars. David has played a major role in the development of facial animation through innovation in new tools and techniques to streamline and enhance the capabilities of avatars and has plans to continue this journey through the use of AI technologies. https://www.mimicproductions.com
11:35 - 12:00
Learn how high-end retailers are leveraging location-based AR to create immersive shopping experiences, build brand stories, and engage with customers in novel ways.
11:35 - 12:00
Chile is leading in Latam the process of transforming its energy matrix towards a more efficient and sustainable one. For the implementation of new H2V Green Hydrogen plants, it is key to have the support and understanding of the communities, in this presentation we will review the strategy that is being implemented for the development of the roadmap with intensive use in immersive experiences for both technical and communicational and educational uses.
11:45 - 11:55
Can Virtual Reality trigger a paradigm shift in how we tackle climate change, racial biases, and intergroup conflicts? To answer this question, Alina Nikolaou, PhD analyzed over thirty years of empirical research about the effect of VR experiences on social attitudes and behavior. The findings reveal critical and surprising insights about the roles of immersive modality, embodiment and perspective-taking;and they inform XR technologists, policy-makers and activists alike about the bold opportunities, and formidable risks, of using VR to change how people think about complex social topics.