Looking through the headset The story of Intel True VR
Alexa Hamlin
Looking through the headset The story of Intel True VR
Alexa Hamlin
Headset from Intel True VR
ii
Dedication I
dedicate this book to my dad, who constantly supports me in everything I do. I also dedicate this book to my mom, who helped me the most throughout this process as a whole.
iii
One of Intel True VR’s headsets iv
Acknowledgments T
his book would not have been possible without all of the individuals at Intel True VR. Special thanks to Uma Jayaram, John Harrison, and Martin Andersen who gave me their time to interview them. I would also like to thank all of the Freestyle Academy teachers who were extremely helpful throughout this process.
v
08 P R E F A C E
TABLE OF
10 I N T R O
12 C H 1
14
CONTENTS
16
C H
C H
2
3
18 C O N C L U S I O N
One of the cameras used for filming sporting events
8
Preface
F
or this particular project, I was asked to write an informative and entertaining research paper which documents a person, group, location, organization, or idea. My goal was to answer this question, “How do you authentically portray the untold stories of your community?� I decided on this documentary topic because virtual reality really interests me and I am curious about how it works. Through my research, I gained deeper insight into virtual reality as technology that is rapidly increasing and that will soon be used by many people. It excites me to learn more about what is in store for us in the near future and how people will incorporate virtual reality into their everyday life. My only concerns were that the Intel True VR office was significantly far away and that is where my interviews took place. I went once a week for 4 weeks and the timing all got planned out well. Throughout this whole documentary project, I learned how to write insightful interview questions and how to use the research process to obtain important information. I also learned how to film professional interviews and all of the important details that go into that. It was an amazing experience being able to talk with these people and learn about the development of VR and how they are able to get involved. I hope for the reader to obtain a better understanding of Intel True VR and learn from my experiences. My biggest hope is for the reader to feel excited about what else virtual reality has to produce in the future.
9
10
Introduction
Y
ou’re gliding through the crisp frosty snow on your skis going 80 mph. You are surrounded by a winter wonderland. You reach the bottom of the perfectly smooth slope, and you take off your Intel True VR headset. This company focuses on virtual reality, specifically making it so people can feel as if they are at a sports game. Many people watch sports games from their TV at home wishing they could be there in person front row. With the virtual reality headset, customers can make that happen. Over the past year, many people throughout American have either heard about virtual reality, or they have had the privilege to try it for themselves. If people are not familiar with it, virtual reality is a headset with a phone attached that allows users to feel like they are in a different setting. Users can then select what kind of team they are watching or sports event they choose to experience. With the headset on, users can navigate throughout the entire sports arena at their own control. Many people are drawn to virtual reality because they want to have the same experience of being at the sporting event even if they don’t have the time or money to go. Customers are able to enjoy all of these perks without even having to leave the comfort of their homes. In the US about 72% of all 18 to 29 year olds are sports fans. (Gallup) Since so many people around the world love watching sports, virtual reality is going to be a huge step for sports lovers everywhere.
11
Resilience O
ne of the co-founders of Intel True VR is a woman named Dr. Uma Jayaram. Jayaram used to be a professor at Washington State University and taught in the School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering for 22 years. While working there, she co-founded the universities virtual reality lab. Jayaram then went on to become one of the first women to receive an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering. After lots of hard work, her company got acquired by Intel and has grown to become what it is today. Jayaram has contributed a lot to modern day society with her involvement in the advancements of technology. Jayaram hopes that for the future, these headsets will be carried around with people everywhere they go just like smartphones are today. The main focus of Intel True VR is to help sports fans all around the world experience virtual reality in their own way. Jayaram states her views, “If I was to come up with a motto for Intel True VR, I think it would be to bring meaningful virtual reality experiences to fans all over the world.�
12
Dr. Uma Jayaram working in her office
13
Perserverance J
ohn Harrison is a software architect that has been with Intel True VR even before it was acquired. He worked for Dr. Uma Jayaram and her husband while they were teaching at Washington State University. He has been with the company for two years but has been working with Uma specifically for eleven years. Harrison is one of the workers at Intel that does a little bit of everything. For example, he does everything from writing code, to pitching to investors, to taking out the garbage. Harrison states that Intel True VR is one of the first companies to experiment with virtual reality, “If I could put together a company motto for what we do here at Intel, I would say it’s to pioneer new frontiers in digital media. We’re doing something that’s never been done before. Live VR is brand new. We just came off of the Olympics and no one has ever done a live VR on the Olympics before. We just did it. We had a lot of hiccups and minor glitches, but we pulled it off and it was an amazing experience.” Intel True VR has evolved from this small idea to an entire company in such a brief amount of time that there is so much to come in the future. Harrison has no idea what the future has to hold for the company, “ Interesting thing about large companies is many of the cool products they came up with, they come up with by acquiring smaller companies and so, you know, a couple years ago Intel didn’t even have a sports group and now we have true VR and the volume metric, True View, which is kind of a companion technology to what we do. So in two years, who knows what we’re going to have.”
14
“I would say the key to success is tightly bound to the energy and the supportive nature of the team and so culture is everything.� - John Harrison 15
“And once you achieve one milestone, you move to the next and you just keep expanding that and that’s how you stay active. That’s how you make it in this life.” - Martin Andersen
16
Determination M
artin Andersen, the program director of media at Intel True VR has been with the company for 9 years. He explains how they started using the VR camera in 2010 and have only improved from that time. “Developing the headset that came along with the purchase of Oculus was a big factor and suddenly there’s this interest in putting a headset on and being able to control that. Well, we already had everything in place and all we had to do was change the delivery mechanism from a television to a phone screen. That was an easy change for us so we were instantly in the ball game ahead of most of our competitors because we’re already doing that.”
17
Grit T
he key to success in Intel True VR was to always stay persistent and to never give up when setbacks arise. The only way this company was able to prosper and thrive in such a competitive atmosphere was to keep trying even when you fail. In order to achieve the company’s ideal end product, they had to fail multiple times. Dr. Uma Jayaram talks about the setbacks they have encountered, “We had a great foundation to build upon and a lot of hard work, a lot of setbacks. I think you don’t know what you don’t know and so you just have to keep prototyping, you go out there, you learn your lessons, you come back, you bring that into your design and into your next cycle. And so I think you have to be very resilient.” Another important aspect of the companies success is grit, “I think one of the reasons that we succeed is an old term called grit. You know, there, there’s a movie called True Grit. It’s an old western movie. And it really highlights kind of how we’re successful. There’s a lot of uncharted territory that we’re entering into with VR. There’s a lot of things we’re doing that’s never been done before. And so it requires a certain person and virulence, a certain dedication. And I would say if you could bundle it all together, it would be grit.”
18
Intel True VR headset 19
Works Cited Gallup, Inc. “Sports.” Gallup.com, www.news.gallup.com/poll/15421/sports.aspx. “What Is Virtual Reality?” Virtual Reality Society, www.vrs.org.uk/virtual-reality/what-is-virtualreality.html. “Virtual Reality Is About to Change the World.” Time, Time, www.time.com/3987022/why-virtualreality-is-about-to-change-the-world/. TEDxTalks. “Godel, Escher, Bach & The Entrepreneur | Uma Jayaram | TEDxUCSD.” YouTube, YouTube, 21 July 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=FD1O_80wYAc. “Intel Acquires Virtual Reality Startup To Focus on Live Events.” Fortune, www.fortune. com/2016/11/03/intel-vr-voke-live-sports/. “Virtual Reality Technology Developed at WSU Enables Virtual Olympics Participation | WSU Insider | Washington State University.” WSU Insider, 15 Feb. 2018, www.news.wsu.edu/2018/02/15/ virtual-reality-olympics-participation/. Ferguson, Bennett Campbell, and About Bennett Campbell Ferguson Bennett Campbell Ferguson. “Virtual Reality Startup VOKE Acquired by Intel.” Willamette Week, www.wweek.com/technology/2016/11/07/virtual-reality-startup-voke-acquired-by-intel/. 20
21
About the Author Alexa Hamlin is 16 years old, a junior at Los Altos High School, and also attends Freestyle Academy. On the weekends she will either be working or hanging out with her friends and family. She also enjoys hiking and staying active so she adventures a lot. Right now, most of her focus is on film and design. She plans on going to a college for film and continuing her work there. Someday in the future she wants to be doing something with screen writing or film as her career.
22
23
24
Looking through the headset The story of Intel True VR
Alexa Hamlin