Meta Minutes

In this episode of Meta Minutes, we're joined by Ben Porter of Meta to discuss the Metaverse's impact on the modern workplace. Ben shares insights on how Metaverse technologies enhance collaboration and efficiency in professional settings. We also explore the Quest 3's Mixed Reality pass-through features, examining their role in blending virtual and physical realities for business applications. This conversation offers a compelling look at the future of work, emphasizing the innovative potential of Metaverse technologies and the Meta Quest. Join us to understand how these developments are reshaping the professional landscape.

In this episode of Meta Minutes, we dive into the Robotics Metaverse with Marc Theerman of Boston Dynamics and Leander Hille of Roboverse. Marc shares engaging examples of Boston Dynamics' robotic innovations, while Leander unveils the vision behind Roboverse and its collaborative ventures. Explore the upgraded Spot's industrial potentials with Marc and delve into the blend of teleoperations and VR interfaces in robotics with Leander. This discussion provides a thrilling glimpse into the future of robotics in the Metaverse, showcasing how cutting-edge technology is reshaping industrial and virtual landscapes.

In this insightful episode of Meta Minutes, we engage with Michael Cruz Cervera to unravel the intricacies of 3D capturing and its pivotal role in the burgeoning Metaverse. We delve into the critical aspect of content creation, particularly in 3D, which is instrumental in breathing life into Metaverse worlds. Michael elucidates how 3D capturing technologies like LiDAR and photogrammetry are playing a crucial role in this domain, also touching upon various apps that are leading the charge. The dialogue further deepens as we explore the impact of recent advancements in AI on 3D capturing, with a focus on Neural Radiance Fields (NeRF) and Gaussian Splatting. Michael breaks down these novel techniques, comparing them to more classical capturing methods, and highlighting their respective advantages and shortcomings.

In this enlightening episode of Meta Minutes, we sit down with Grace Hsu, a Senior Product Manager at Magic Leap, to explore the expansive horizons of the Metaverse, AR, VR, and the newly released MRTK3. Grace shares her insightful perspective on what the Metaverse encapsulates and the untapped potential it holds. As we delve into the current gaps in XR, Grace provides a roadmap for aspiring developers keen on venturing into the realms of VR, AR, MR, and Metaverse app development, shedding light on the essential tools and frameworks that can set a solid foundation for their journey. The conversation then shifts towards the evolution of the MRTK, highlighting its transition into an independent organization on GitHub with a broader steering committee. Grace unpacks the array of features the latest release, MRTK3, brings to the table, sharing her personal highlights and how these advancements are propelling the field forward. This episode is a treasure trove of knowledge for anyone intrigued by the convergence of reality and the digital realm, and the exciting possibilities the MRTK3 unfolds.

In this exciting episode of Meta Minutes we chat with Sasha Padashifard about the buzzing world of the Metaverse and digital humans. Sasha breaks down what the Metaverse means to him and explores its potential. We dig into what a Digital Human is, and why looking and chatting like a real person is a big deal, especially for brands wanting to make engage better with their customers. We also chat about the tricky bits like identity theft, hiding behind fake profiles and technical challenges.

In this episode of Meta Minutes, we talk to Theodora Lau, a fintech and innovation expert and the author of The Metaverse Economy book. We discuss what the metaverse is and how it can create new economic opportunities and challenges. We also talk about her latest book and how it explains the metaverse economy for finance professionals. Tune in to learn more about the metaverse economy, web3 and how you can get ready for the future of finance.

In this episode of Meta Minutes we dive into a Metaverse world and talk to Carlos J. Ochoa Fernández, a XR and real-time 3D expert and the president of the VRARA Madrid Chapter. We explore what the metaverse is and how it can transform education and learning and we do this in a custom Metaverse world that Carlos and team built. We also discuss the similarities and differences between the metaverse and Second Life, and how history can inform and inspire the future of immersive technologies. Carlos shares his insights and tips from his experience as a consultant and advisor for various organizations, including the European Commission, on how to overcome the main challenges and barriers for the metaverse adoption. Tune in to learn more about the metaverse for education now, and how you can get involved in the metaverse standards forum.

In this episode of Meta Minutes, we talk to Andy Fidel, a spatial networker, community builder, event organizer, consultant and content creator. We dive into what the metaverse is and how it can enable new forms of communication and collaboration across virtual and physical spaces. We also discuss the concept of spatial networking and how it can foster meaningful connections and interactions in the metaverse. Tune in to learn more about the social dynamics and opportunities of the metaverse, and how you can get involved in spatial networking.

In this episode of Meta Minutes, we talk to Vesa Nopanen, a Microsoft MVP and the organizer of the Metaverse One conference. We explore what the metaverse is and why it matters for the future of work and collaboration. We also discuss the main challenges and opportunities for enterprises to adopt and leverage the metaverse, and how artificial intelligence can enhance and shape the metaverse experience. Vesa shares his vision and tips from his experience as a consultant and speaker on Microsoft 365, Teams and the Power Platform. Tune in to learn more about the metaverse one conference and how you can join the metaverse revolution.

In this episode of Meta Minutes, we talk to Johanna Pirker, a professor, game developer, streamer and podcaster who is passionate about gaming and higher education. We discuss what the metaverse means to her, how gaming can enhance learning and creativity, and how artificial intelligence can transform game development. Tune in to learn more about the exciting intersection of gaming and education, and how you can get started with game development yourself.

In this episode, we talk to Emmanuel de Maistre, Co-founder and CEO of Scenario, about Generative AI for the Metaverse. We explore what the Metaverse means for him and how it can unlock new possibilities for immersive and interactive experiences. We also discuss what Generative AI is and why it’s not only a hype but really such a big enabler for the democratization of content creation. We learn about how his company Scenario is using Generative AI to create game assets that can be used for Metaverse platforms as well. We find out how Scenario’s technology works and how it can help game developers and artists to create high-quality 3D models with minimal effort and cost. Finally, we look into some of the challenges and opportunities of using Generative AI for the Metaverse and what he expects to see in the future. Tune in to find out more about this fascinating topic that can revolutionize content creation and consumption.

In this episode, we talk to Pouneh Kaufman, Group Product Manager in Microsoft Mesh and a leader in Enterprise Metaverse Collaboration, about Microsoft Mesh and Enterprise Metaverse Collaboration. We explore what the Metaverse means for her and how it can transform the way people work and learn together. We also discuss how Microsoft Mesh enables natural and immersive collaboration in mixed reality, with 3D avatars that represent people in a shared space. We learn about the main usage scenarios for Microsoft Mesh, such as virtual meetings, design sessions, remote assistance, and immersive training. Finally, we address some of the challenges and opportunities for broader adoption of the Metaverse, especially around interoperability. Tune in to find out more about this exciting technology that can bring people closer together across any distance.

In this episode, we talk to Marc Pollefeys, Professor of Computer Science at ETH Zurich and Director of the Microsoft Mixed Reality and AI Lab in Zurich, about Computer Vision for the Real-World Metaverse. We explore what the Metaverse means for him and how it can enable new ways of interacting with the physical and virtual world. We also discuss how his group is working on Visual Positioning Systems (VPS) and Azure Spatial Anchors, which are technologies that allow users to anchor digital content to specific locations in the real world. We learn about the challenges and opportunities of creating a large-scale 3D reconstruction of the world that can be accessed by mixed reality devices like HoloLens. Finally, we address some of the computer vision tasks that his group is working on for HoloLens, such as spatial understanding, object recognition, hand tracking, and eye gaze estimation. Tune in to find out more about this fascinating research that can bring us closer to the Real-World Metaverse.

In this episode, we talk to Sarah Grimaldi, Executive Creative Director at Xister Reply and Professor at Istituto Europeo di Design, about Brand Engagement in the Metaverse. We explore what the Metaverse means for her and how it can create new possibilities for connecting with customers and audiences. We also discuss how web3 and NFTs can offer innovative ways for brands to engage with their fans and create value in the digital world. We learn about some examples of brands that are already experimenting with web3 and NFTs. Finally, we look into her crystal ball and imagine what the Metaverse will look like in a few years and what novel brand engagement strategies we can expect to see. Tune in to find out more about this exciting topic that can revolutionize marketing and communication.

In this episode, we talk to Eric Provencher, a staff research engineer at Unity and a lead developer of Unity’s XR Interaction Toolkit (XRI). We ask him about his views on the metaverse and explore some of the innovative interactions that XRI enables for VR and AR experiences. He explains what XRI is, why it’s useful and how to get started with it12. He also tells us about his passion for natural user interfaces (NUI) and hand tracking for VR/AR. He shares his insights on why hand tracking is so important and whether it will replace VR controllers at some point. He also imagines some future interaction modalities that may emerge in the metaverse. Tune in to this fascinating conversation and learn more about the possibilities of XR interaction!

In this episode, we talk to Claire Harrop, a senior associate at law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and an expert on data protection and technology law. We ask her about her views on the metaverse and discuss some of the legal challenges and regulation that the metaverse is facing for broader adoption in general and in particular with interoperability. She explains some of the issues that may arise in the metaverse such as avatar altercations, user data privacy and security, intellectual property, and ownership of property. She also tells us about web3 and digital assets like virtual land, which are transactions on a blockchain that may have legal implications for taxation, ownership, etc. Tune in to this informative conversation and learn more about the legal aspects of metaverse!

In this episode, we talk to Neil Trevett, the president of The Khronos Group, the chair of The Metaverse Standards Forum and VP at NVIDIA. We ask him about his views on the metaverse and explore some of the challenges that the metaverse is facing for broader adoption in general and in particular with interoperability. He explains what interoperability means for the metaverse and why it is important for creating an open and inclusive digital reality. He also tells us about The Metaverse Standards Forum, which is a collaborative body that aims to foster consensus-based cooperation between diverse standards organizations and companies to define and align requirements and priorities for metaverse standards. Tune in to this insightful conversation and learn more about the future of metaverse standardization!

In this episode, we talk to Joost van Schaik, a senior mixed reality developer and architect at Velicus and a Microsoft MVP. We ask him about his views on the metaverse. We also learn about his work on an innovative solution for medical first responder training using mixed reality. He explains the challenges with classic first responder training and how his solution is improving it by providing realistic scenarios, haptic feedback and smart adaptation. He also shares his thoughts on using VR devices with pass-through versus MR headsets with see-through for his solution. Tune in to this informative conversation and discover how mixed reality can enhance first responder training and save lives!

In this episode, we talk to Joseph B Crosswhite, a pioneer and innovator in using VR and metaverse technologies for education in emerging markets. We ask him how he is solving the challenge of limited access to technology in these regions and how he plans to scale his impact. We also learn about his current focus markets and products, and how he leverages VR to create interactive and personalized learning experiences. Finally, we hear about his study with USAID on the effectiveness of VR training and some of the examples he has seen. Tune in to this inspiring conversation and discover how VR and metaverse can transform education for millions of learners!

In this episode, we talk to Steve Suarez, a visionary leader and expert in the fields of metaverse, quantum computing and finance and the Global Head of Innovation at HSBC. We ask him some intriguing questions about his views on the metaverse. We also explore the potential and opportunities of the metaverse for finance, education and more. We discuss some of the challenges that the metaverse is facing for broader adoption in general and in particular for the financial industry. Finally, we look into the crystal ball and ask him about his vision for the metaverse in a few years with finance and how quantum computing relates to it. Tune in to this fascinating conversation and learn more about the future of digital reality!