AUREA#5 recap
The metaverse isn’t just a buzzword. The technology, resources, and talent required to build it are materialising, and it’s up to those at the forefront of the XR industry to make it happen. Back in 2018, it was an ambitious endeavour to bring the brightest minds in immersive tech and XR together. Fast forward to 2022, the metaverse is at the heart of tech discussions.
The 5th AUREA Award took place at the inaugural NTR Metaverse Summit organised by the German Association of the Digital Economy (BVDW). It was the perfect partnership that brought more than 300 experts in the digital economy together with the makers in immersive technology. Discussions about how to make the future of immersive entertainment a reality gave the conference a unique cutting edge. The AUREA pitches signified that the metaverse is already a reality for those working on it every day.
The AUREA Pitches kicked off with Emily Olman and Gabriele Romagnoli introducing the AUREA Awards. The finalists were all nominated by our global community of immersive entertainment experts - being nominated was already an honour! Next, the audience was introduced to our all star jury for this year’s Awards: Kathleen Cohen, Frank Govaere, Thomas Wagner. Two new members joined the jury for this year: Laura Bücheler, AUREA#4 winner, and Dirk Freytag, the President of the BVDW.
Ain the Machine started the party with his unique music set and everyone was ready for action!
The pitches kicked off with Alexander Will and Jens Bünger from IMPROVR. They impressed the jury with their unique technology that unlocks every athlete's full potential by providing scientific brain-based VR training.
Guido Gioioso from WEART pitched their TouchDIVER haptic system. Some audience members were sceptical about the technology, but we were soon convinced about the technology’s possibility to disrupt the way we do online shopping and play games.
Stan Larroque from LYNX delivered one of the most confident pitches of the Awards by doing a live demo of their headset. Their headset showed that the metaverse could really become a reality with mixed reality.
Next up, we had Sheyna Garicano from OWO showcase their haptic vest. Over 30 different sensations can be coded on their haptic vest, bringing a whole new experience to gaming.
Marian Gläser from BRIGHTER AI pitched their Deep Natural Anonymisation Technology. Although you would expect their technology to be used mainly to protect identities in public transport systems, its applicability to the metaverse is unprecedented.
Lode Groosman from THREEDIUM showcased how 3D models can be done lightning fast. They showed us how online shopping can be revolutionised!
Next, we had Thomas Bedenk representing COLNAGHI ART GALLERY, who pitch their digital art gallery. The project showcased how the metaverse might enter the traditional art market and change the way we engage with ancient pieces.
Oliver Proske from NICO AND THE NAVIGATORS pitched their project, Du Musst dein Leben Rendern. Actors can render themselves on stage in an AR Loop Machine. It reimagined the way actors engage with themselves on stage and how the audience can interact with both the digital and analog versions of the actors.
To wrap up the pitches, we had Debi Wong from RENAISSANCE OPERA stun the jury with their fresh approach to opera. Everyone was amazed how this project reimagined the ancient art of opera and opened it up to a new, younger audience.
The NTR CONFERENCE kicked off with a welcome address from Europa-Park CEO Michael Mack, who has long been a champion of immersive technologies and entertainment. In his speech, he praised the growth of the AUREA community since its establishment just five years ago, and reiterated the importance of collaboration among the XR industry’s brightest minds.
The NTR conference continued with amazing talks whilst the jury gathered to deliberate. Before long, we had our dancing shoes on for the gala - Europa Park’s stunning Dinner Show!
