All posts by abullock

Google Cardboard, The Future of VR

 

The Google Cardboard.

 

Google Cardboard is a new virtual reality device. Created by Google, it pairs with a Google App to help the viewer get a 3-D rendition of what they are viewing. The device was introduced at last year’s Google I/O conference. It provides the ability, as long as you are the owner of a smartphone, to do things such as viewing your pictures in 3D. This year Google introduced a new update of the device, the second generation of the Cardboard VR viewer.

It is almost amusing that the Google Cardboard looks like a toy. It is the exact opposite of the highly anticipated Google Glass, released a few years ago. The device itself is actually made out of cardboard. It has plastic lenses that render the 3-D images and it only costs around $4. But, this is Google’s intention. Google Cardboard is simple, and can be used by anyone. It does not scare off untechnical consumers with a clean cut tech look.  David Coz, an engineer in Google’s Paris office who developed the Cardboard, said “We want the viewer to be as dumb as possible and as cheap as possible because we basically wanted to open VR for everyone.” Google’s mission is to expand virtual reality to all smartphones imaginable. The cardboard can be folded to fit up to any smartphone. Not only are they selling the Cardboard for cheap but, they are even offering a new software kit that makes it easy for app developers to make more VR applications. Because of the versatility of the Cardboard, Google is placing efforts in making it easy and accessible. The mission is more to amass an audience than to make profits.

This is GoPro’s crazy 16-camera Google Jump rig

The next step for Google Cardboard and VR are expansion and practicality. Google needs to expand by teaching the masses the real-word applications for Google Cardboard and VR. Google intends to tackle this first with entertainment. Google developed a 360-degree camera, called the Jump rig, that when it runs footage through Google’s software and processors; it will be turned into virtual reality. Google sparked a collaboration with GoPro for this. GoPro will begin to sell the rig with 16 GoPro cameras in the near future.  Google said that YouTube, this summer, will start to allow the upload of virtual reality videos. Other companies such as Facebook, Sony and Microsoft are making big investments in VR. Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s chief executive, has said that VR will be the next computing platform.

An Innovative Alliance

The Gilman Brothers Company, a North American manufacturer of foam board products, and Zünd, the lead manufacture in cutting systems, have combined innovation with strategic business. They created a symbiotic relationship, and at the center of this relationship is the G3 Zünd digital cutter. The G3 Zünd  digital cutter is innovative for two distinct reasons; it can adapt to ever-changing cutting needs while maintaining exceptional quality and it has 24/7 operational use.

Printer
The G3 Zünd digital cutter.

The Gilman Brothers installed the G3 Zünd digital cutter at their new Customer Experience Center. This can help Gilman Brothers test a variety of materials at all times of the day adding value by offering immediate responses for customer needs. It even makes international business easier by providing flexibility for designers in different countries.

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The Zund G3 2500 at the Gilman Brothers Customer Experience Center (CEC).

 

Zünd’s vinyl cutter is highly beneficial to Gilman Brothers but,Zünd gets something out of this relationship too. Zünd gets to reach out to a new customer base on the East coast. They have a location where they can demonstrate their latest product and a facility to better serve existing clients. This partnership makes creating any type of signage possible.

 

 

Ardruino Workshop

 

This past Wednesday the Innovation Lab and Saket Ati, the president of IEEE, hosted a hands on Ardrunio workshop. The workshop, for beginners, focuses on the different parts of tIMG_2086 (2)he Ardrunio and what they are used for. Ati discussed how to set up simple cirucits with blinking lights, buttons and buzzers. After the basics were covered, participants practiced uploading small C programs using the Ardruino’s IDE software. The goal of the workshop was not just to teach the basics of Ardrunio but, to show the variety of projects that the Ardruino can be used for in real world applications. IMG_20150401_135935654 IMG_20150401_135822319