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 AUSTIN 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’smost compelling tech.
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 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.
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.
MUSIC AND BIRDS, TOO
RIFF. TVR from IMEX ( Immersive Music Experiences) is an upcomingHTC 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 computergenerated world. It debuts in a few months.
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.
SKIN DEEP
A CES Innovation Award winner available to test- drive at SXSW, HiMirror is the world’s first “smart mirror” that provides beauty and health feedback by analyzing your face. Simply wave your hand in front of the mirror or use voice control and you’ll receive real- time skin care analysis.