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The Immersive Technology Alliance is proud to reveal our agenda for our annual meeting taking place March 4, 2015 at 9:00 AM PST at SF Green Space at EEFG in San Francisco, California – close to the Game Developers Conference (GDC) Moscone Center venue. This meeting is possible thanks to sponsorship from The Khronos Group and ImmersiON-VRelia. Refreshments will be served, so arrive about 10 minutes early! Read More
This agenda is subject to change without notice.
Special thanks to The Khronos Group and ImmersiON-VRelia for helping sponsor The Immersive Technology Alliance annual meeting and making these facilities available. Refreshments will be served; arrive 10 minutes early as the meeting must start on time!
REGISTER NOW! SPACE IS LIMITED!
Wednesday, March 4, 2015 from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM (PST)
SF Green Space @ EEFG
657 Mission Street
Suite 200
San Francisco, CA 94105
Public Portion
Recommended attendees include:
9:00AM – 9:15AM A Year in Review of The ITA
Neil Schneider, Executive Director of the alliance, will give a brief description of why the alliance exists and discuss initiatives we have successfully completed as well as new developments in the works.
9:15AM – 9:30AM Open Immersive Technology Standards
Neil Trevett is the President of The Khronos Group, he’s VP of the Mobile Ecosystem for Nvidia, and is an active Advisory Board member of The Immersive Technology Alliance. Based on member input, The ITA is committed to building open standards in the immersive space. Neil will speak about what open standards actually are and the key markers that differentiate them from the other methods and classifications of standards / platform development.
9:30AM – 9:55AM The Role of Space in VR (Gear VR)
Alex Chu is an Interaction Designer at Samsung Research America in Dallas. He was the design lead for Milk VR, a 360 degree video service for Gear VR, and worked on the original Gear VR prototype.
VR provides an exciting opportunity to explore the potential of an immersive new medium. However, this technology holds a different set of opportunities and challenges for traditional two-dimensional designers. In this session, we will look at how space, environment, and perspective relate in VR, and how this interplay affected the design of Milk VR. Although this session is design focused it will not be highly technical and could apply to various VR related disciplines.
9:55AM – 10:45AM PANEL: Where Will Immersive Tech be in Two Years?
Dr. Jon Peddie (Moderator) is one of the world’s foremost analysts in the world of graphics and processing technology. He has authored several books including most recently “The History of Visual Magic in Computers”. Among other things, he is also the publisher of Techwatch and advisory board member of The Immersive Technology Alliance.
Frank Vitz is Creative Director for the Frostbite team at DICE (Electronic Arts). The Frostbite engine is the backbone of successful franchises like the Battlefield series, and Frank’s rich career has spanned both cinema and video games, and he has a strong history with immersive technologies.
Ethan Schur is the Chief Marketing Officer for ImmersiON-VRelia, a leading head mounted display manufacturer, and a developer of a metaverse platform called AlterSpace. With a rich history in immersive technologies like VR and stereoscopic 3D, Ethan also served as the Chief Standards Engineer for TDVision and their contributions at SMPTE, SCTE, ATSC, 3D@Home, and CEA.
Bertrand Nepveu is the CEO & Founder of VRVANA, makers of the upcoming Totem VR/AR premium HMD. Passionate about VR, he’s the author of two patents in that field. When he can still find time, he enjoys doing Firmware programming for the Totem.
Colin Shin is the EVP and Co-founder of Siliconarts. Siliconarts develops an innovative ray-tracing processor that opens the door for better lighting quality in games, faster programming, and richer audio experiences. Siliconarts is seriously interested in developing VR-dedicated chip.
David Cole is a co-founder at NextVR, a technology and production company that specializes in 3D 360-degree video recording and broadcasting that makes it possible to relive experiences from remote locations. David brings 27 years of experience in digital imaging, stereoscopic 3D research & development, business development and business execution. David has co-authored 14 patents in virtual realty and stereoscopic technology and three patents in adaptive computer learning technology. David’s passion for virtual reality has been unwavering since 1993.
Private Portion
This is limited to members of The Immersive Technology Alliance
11:00AM – 11:15AM Neil Schneider, Executive Director, The ITA
11:15AM – 11:30AM Josh Farkas, Cubicle Ninjas
11:30AM – 12:00PM Group Discussion
Highlights of the private portion include:
Refreshments will be served. We recommend arriving ten minutes early as the meeting must start on time.
The meeting will feature:
• Special guest and member presentations
• Progress of the alliance; where we’re headed
• Open standards pertaining to content and technology makers
• and more!
There is still more content being made available online from Immersed 2014. The above video features Kevin Williams, Founding Chairman of the DNA Association talking about professional exhibition of virtual reality and similar immersive technologies. This other other proceedings can be found on the Immersed conference site.
The Immersive Technology Alliance is proud to have been a media sponsor for The B.I.G. Summit which was put together by ITA member Next Galaxy Corp. The above panel began with a detailed history of modern VR by Peter Rubin, Senior Editor for Wired Magazine. It was followed by a great discussion featuring Mary Spio (Next Galaxy Corp), Danny Cui (Vuzix), Elizabeth Baron (Ford Motor Company), and Matt Johansson (Eon Reality).
The alliance is very excited to have been part of this, and we see this as becoming an even bigger summit in 2016. Congratulations to Next Galaxy Corp for putting this together!
Toronto, Ontario, Canada (January 5, 2015) – The Immersive Technology Alliance (ITA) is currently forming working groups to make effective quality assurance and software compatibility standards for virtual reality (VR) devices. Defined industry standards will allow content makers to confidently produce experiences for all immersive solutions and community platforms.
“The ITA is a unique forum for diverse companies to identify collaborative opportunities to accelerate the mainstream adoption of virtual and augmented reality. Consumer-ready VR and AR will require many interoperating standards, and Khronos looks forward to working with the ITA to help make that vision a reality,” said Neil Trevett, President, Khronos Group (makers of OpenGL).
Early ITA participants include ImmersiON-VRelia, YEI Technology (PrioVR), FOVE, VRVANA, Siliconarts, Next Galaxy Corp, University of Central Florida and more. A private ITA CES 2015 meeting will reveal additional participating technology leaders.
ITA membership is collating and developing the required knowledge that will define a measurable experience and specification to aim for and be rated against. The compatibility standard will follow: created internally or passed on to a qualified industry-wide standards body. This standard will help fulfill the quality assurance specification.
“ITA standards are reminiscent of the work we did in the early days of digital cinema to get the industry to adopt the format. This will be a major catalyst for the widespread adoption by content makers and consumers alike,” said Mary Spio, CEO, Next Galaxy Corp.
“Less time content makers spend on reinventing the wheel and more time spent on valuable differentiation of their products will accelerate the industry. The more informed debate and varied discussion we can have in the creation of standards the better,” said Alan Price, President of The ITA.
“Academia has been working on VR for over 30 years. This is an invaluable contribution for creating Virtual Reality Standards and supporting developers and industry,” said Dr. Joseph LaViola, Director of the Interactive Systems & User Experience Research Cluster of Excellence at the University of Central Florida.
“VR experiences should provide the best user experience possible independently of hardware choice. The only way is by standardizing the interaction among the different layers, cameras, sensors, HMDs, Human Interface Devices, Mobile phones, and more. The ITA has the structure, people, tenure and know-how to build the big picture and put the industry first,” said Manuel R. Gutierrez Novelo, CEO of ImmersiON-VRelia.
“We look forward to contributing to a collective standard that will allow content and platform providers to confidently support the imminent explosion of immersive hardware accessories. This is a critical foundation piece for the next big thing in gaming and simulation,” said Francesca Hartop, CEO of YEI Technology.
“The ITA provides a unique platform for both hardware makers and content producers in that it not only supports traditional high profile technologies, but also embraces emerging next-generation technologies that have potential for success,” said Colin Shin, CMO of Siliconarts.
“This is our chance to get the sharpest minds together and do something amazing. Everyone would benefit from a non-partisan proof-of-quality seal, and an eventual industry-wide VR standard would help make sure that creating and selling exceptional virtual reality content is easy and efficient on all solutions,” said Bertrand Nepveu, CEO of VRVANA.
All qualified parties are welcome to participate and ensure that the upcoming standards are both effective and durable. CES 2015 Meetings with ITA representatives can be scheduled below:
Media Contact:
Carol Warren
Crew Communications
Tel. 714-890-4500
Email: cwarren@crewcommunications.com
“The ITA is a unique forum for diverse companies to identify collaborative opportunities to accelerate the mainstream adoption of virtual and augmented reality. Consumer-ready VR and AR will require many interoperating standards, and Khronos looks forward to working with the ITA to help make that vision a reality.” – Neil Trevett, President, Khronos Group (makers of OpenGL). Read More
After the success of Immersed, the ITA’s first industry-building conference in Toronto, the participating members and industry came to the realization that the alliance is credible, strong, and self reliant. Our membership is capable of doing just about anything by working for what’s good for the industry at large, leveraging our contacts and tenured expertise for everyone’s benefit, and by tackling the problems others shy away from. We also have a tenured management and advisory team that has a demonstrated history of positively influencing and growing the industry.
On the request of our membership, the alliance is building standards-based working groups. We are starting with virtual reality and are working towards a future where there is a recognized specification for measurable VR quality assurance and industry-wide compatibility. Standards aren’t going to be rushed out the door as there are all kinds of considerations and discussions that need to take place amongst the membership to get a viable result. What matters most is that the serious conversations are beginning, all qualified ITA members get an equal vote and opportunity to participate, and it’s all happening in a well recognized non-profit organization – The Immersive Technology Alliance.
It’s confirmed! Immersed 2015 is scheduled for October 4-6 in the new year in Toronto. To celebrate, we are working to get the 2014’s recorded sessions online so others can experience some of the magic that happened at the show. The website has also been updated with pictures from the inaugural event. More than this, while the 2014 edition came and went, we are still getting news from attendees who have benefited from the conference. Some of these stories have been outlined in our latest announcements. This is why Immersed was founded, and why it will happen again in 2015.
Follow Immersed on Twitter to get instant notifications of when new recorded content is available.
Attendees & Exhibitors Garner Success at Immersed, Next Year’s Event Confirmed
Toronto, Ontario, Canada (December 16, 2014) – Organized by The Immersive Technology Alliance, the Immersed conference was the first major East Coast industry building event for technologies such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and stereoscopic 3D. Featuring over 40 speakers and dozens of exhibitors, Immersed catalyzed new business success through networking, media exposure, and education. Proceedings from Immersed are being gradually made available online at http://www.getimmersed.com. Follow Immersed on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/getimmersed to be informed of new video releases!
“Immersed exceeded all my expectations. The exhibition alone was worth the price of admission, with some of the best curated technologies and applications of the AR, VR, and 3D industries. Couple that with the stellar speaker line up, this was one event that was not to be missed, ” said Ana Serrano, Chief Digital Officer at Canadian Film Centre and Producer of the Body/Mind/Change David Cronenberg Rift Experience.
Premium level sponsors included Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) and ImmersiON-VRelia. Founding Partners were Canada Media Fund and Ontario Centres of Excellence.
“Much as the Virtual Reality (VR) movie Lawnmower Man generated maximum inspiration despite being produced for very little money, the Immersive Technology Alliance (ITA) began as a non-profit formed strictly from vision and limited resources.
The Immersed conference demonstrated that not only is The ITA gaining its own powerful wings, but it is also fulfilling the VR/Artificial Reality community’s mandate with everyone’s interests and success at heart. The ITA’s growing influence on the industry is both remarkable and deserved. Anyone seriously interested in helping this industry grow for the long term only benefits by joining and participating,” said David Traub, Principal of Epiphany Film Fund and Immersed speaker who was also responsible for producing the on-display graphics work in the Lawnmower Man. Lawnmower Man is the 1993 science fiction movie that introduced VR to the global audience.
“Immersed didn’t just mark the beginning of a first-of-its-kind event, it marked the beginning of new relationships, new businesses, new ideas, and probably new friendships as well,” said Ray Sharma, Founder & Chairman of XMG Studio Inc and Founder & Executive Managing Director of Extreme Venture Partners.
“Immersed was tremendously successful for us. We made some very important connections for our business and have been selected by Ontario ministry of Economy & Trade to go to NAB Show as part of the Ontario trade mission. There will be measurable results from the meetings we had,” said Irene Vandertop, Producer, DEEP 360.
Dimension Technologies Inc. showcased their latest 3D monitor prototype at Immersed, and garnered media attention and praise. They also benefitted from a new business relationship they didn’t have access to before.
“After seeing the DTI glasses-free 2D/3D displays at Immersed, Nvidia gave us the 3D Vision green light. Nvidia is one of the leading 3D software makers for gamers, so this is a big deal for us,” said Thomas Curtin, VP of Business Development for Dimension Technologies Inc.
“At Immersed, the top content producers, hardware innovators, and technology providers converged to shape the trajectory of the Virtual and Augmented Reality industry,” said Manuel Gutierrez-Novelo, CEO for ImmersiON-VRelia. “The opportunity to bring thought leaders from all areas of the industry together to share and learn from one another cannot be overstated.”
“Everyone felt a certain pride in having an event like this in Toronto. The attendees, speakers, and exhibitors regularly commented that Immersed was unique compared to other events they are used to attending, and we are certain it’s going to be even bigger and more influential next year,” said Neil Schneider, Executive Director of The Immersive Technology Alliance.
The next annual Immersed conference in North America is tentatively scheduled for October 4-6, 2015 in Toronto, Canada.
About the Immersive Technology Alliance (The ITA)
A non-profit corporation and non-proprietary in nature, the ITA is the official voice and industry body for technologies like augmented and virtual reality, 3D, gesture technology, and more. http://www.ita3D.com.
Media Contact: Carol Warren
Crew Communications
Tel. 714-890-4500
Email: cwarren@crewcommunications.com
