Between the GearVR and Oculus Rift, it’s clear that virtual reality (VR) is gradually becoming mainstream. And like any piece of tech, there’s always one industry you can depend upon to get to the table first. Well, aside from the porn industry…
We’re talking about the advertising industry of course, and Cape Town is no exception as VR studio SenseVirtual hosts a showcase for businesses this week.
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Africa’s Virtual Reality and 360 Video Showcase takes place on April 14 at Bandwidth Barn in Woodstock – so what can attendees expect?
SenseVirtual founder Tyrone Rubin says that people will be able to view CG experiences and 360 degree video clips to give them a sense of what virtual reality is all about.
Rubin told Memeburn that they were limiting demos to five minutes each so everyone has a chance to check it out.
“It’s something to give them a taste of VR,” Rubin explained.
Some of the experiences touted on the event’s Facebook page include the TiltBrush painting tool, crafting videogame Fantastic Contraption and a virtual reality car showroom.
As for equipment available at the event, the SenseVirtual founder said that attendees can get their hands (eyes?) on the new HTC Vive, the Oculus Rift DK2 and Nokia’s professional OZO VR camera.
Unfortunately, the retail version of the Oculus Rift “got caught in customs”, but Rubin added that the DK2 (development kit) was equipped with retail software.
The event representative said that while the public was more than welcome to attend, it was a business-focused event and floor space was expected to be at a premium.
Rubin is also the designer behind a groundbreaking virtual reality 360 video course at AFDA’s Cape Town campus, covering everything from camera equipment to stitching software.
The SenseVirtual founder has also been driving the VRSA movement, a community dedicated to developing virtual reality experiences in South Africa.
