Weekly Tech Recap - № 236 - MS DreamWalker, Lilium Jet, dark mode and battery, smallest image sensor, Stadia
Virtual reality in actual reality
Geek Crossing! © Microsoft Research.
Researchers at Microsoft are working on new virtual reality technologies that let users stay fully immersed in a virtual world while walking around in the real world. Wearing the DreamWalker, you’ll be able to walk down your street while seeing an entirely different virtual environment; the physical obstacles you may encounter on the way will be detected by an array of sensors and replaced in real-time by virtual objects in your parallel universe. To make sure you don’t see random objects suddenly popping into your virtual field of vision, DreamWalker uses a clever system, called Mise-Unseen, with virtual lures to draw your gaze elsewhere while it inserts objects. For example, if the system needs to add or change an object on your right, it can make a cat walk in on your left to make you move your focus while it inserts an object in the other direction.
⇨ YouTube, “DreamWalker: substituting real-world walking experiences with a virtual reality.”
⇨ YouTube, “Mise-Unseen: Using Eye Tracking to Hide Virtual Reality Scene Changes in Plain Sight.”
⇨ Microsoft Research, “DreamWalker: substituting real-world walking experiences with a virtual reality.”
⇨ Ars Technica, Samuel Axon, “Microsoft’s DreamWalker VR turns your daily commute into a totally different one.”
Lilium Jet, the electric plane
Lilium Jet. © Lilium GmbH.
German air taxi startup Lilium has completed its first phase of testing, with its five-seater electric plane prototype. The fixed-wing prototype has 36 tilting, electric jet engines that propel it at speeds of up to 100km/h (62mph). It has no tail, rudder or propellors. Its design allows it to take off vertically, then switch to conventional forward flight. This transition from vertical takeoff to forward flight is one of aerospace’s greatest challenges. Ultimately, the plane should reach a range of 300km (186 miles) and a top speed of 300km/h (186mph). The company says it’s on track to launch commercial passenger service by 2025. Lilium also announced the hiring of Airbus veteran Yves Yemsi as chief program officer. Yemsi worked as head of program quality for the highly successful Airbus A350 aircraft. At the same time, Lilium has just completed a new manufacturing facility, entirely dedicated to building air taxis, in southern Germany.
⇨ YouTube, “The Lilium Jet in flight.”
⇨ The Verge, Andrew J. Hawkins, “Lilium’s electric air taxi is finally actually flying in new video.”
Dark mode saves energy
iOS dark mode. © Apple.
If you’re one of those people who yawn at the sight of dark mode, wake up! On smartphones, dark mode combines form and function, potentially extending battery life by 30%. According to tests performed by PhoneBuff on the iPhone XS Max, dark mode can appreciably extend battery life: when your battery is close to done in standard mode, it could still have 30% charge in dark mode. The reason for this is simple: pixels consume energy; so the fewer are on, the lower the power consumption. That said, the savings only hold true for OLED displays. LCD displays, such as the ones on the iPhone 11 or XR, see no energy gain due to constant backlighting.
⇨ YouTube, “Dark Mode vs. Light Mode Battery Test.”
⇨ Mashable, Stan Schroeder, “Dark Mode on the iPhone can save massive amounts of battery life, test shows.”
Stadia a victim of its own success
Stadia Controller. © Google.
Though it’s still a month away from launch date (November 19), Google’s new gaming service is already over-successful: the company has announced that it will not be able to honor all preorders. To be one of the lucky first users of the service, you had to purchase the USD130 Founder’s Edition pack, which includes a Stadia controller, a Chromecast Ultra and a three-month subscription to Stadia Pro. But Google has now said that only the first gamers who preordered this bundle will receive their pack on time for launch. If you’re not one of the lucky few, you’ll have to wait. Gamers can still order a similar pack called Premiere, but there are no guarantees as to when they’ll actually receive them, since they’ll ship after all the Founders.
⇨ Ars Technica, Kyle Orland, “Google can’t fulfill all Stadia preorders for Nov. 19 launch.”
Nano camera
OVM6948. © OmniVision.
Sensor manufacturer OmniVision has created what has now been confirmed as the smallest commercially-available image sensor in the world by Guinness World Record. The OmniVision OV6948 is an ultra-compact 1/36-inch sensor that measures just 0.575mm x 0.575mm. The sensor, designed specifically for medical applications, features a resolution of 200 x 200 pixels, a 120-degree field of view, a 30 fps framerate and 1.75 µm pixels. It works hand-in-hand with Omnivision’s OVM6948 CameraCubeChip, connecting to a dedicated chip with backlighting, which makes it a complete miniature camera that can be mounted on disposable catheters and endoscopes. The images are transmitted through an analog signal that can travel up to 4m with very little noise. The company also predicts other applications, such as toys and wearables.
⇨ Digital Photography Review, Gannon Burgett, “OmniVision has created the world’s smallest commercially-available image sensor.”
