Virtual reality is no longer a wistful dream that a few die-hard sci-fi fans discuss in between episodes of Battlestar Galactica and Firefly. It has transcended the hopeful fantasies of a few passionate innovators, and has now become a very real, and rapidly growing, industry.
The release of the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive headsets brought with them the beginning of a new age for VR. Now that it’s here, the race is on to see who will benefit the most from this modern-day gold rush. Major players like Google and Facebook were some of the first to begin staking out their corners of the immersive landscape, and they have since been joined by the likes of Disney, Sony, Microsoft, and YouTube. Now, however, another sleeping giant has begun to stir and make its way into the fray — one that many are excited to see join the fight: Twitter.
That’s right, the social media juggernaut recently started up it’s own AR/VR division with ex-Apple designer, Alessandro Sabatelli, heading up the team. Twitter’s AR/VR goals remain shrouded in mystery at this time, but its recent acquisitions point to a focus on computer vision and reality-bending applications.
In order to continue kicking off its new immersive ambitions in style, Twitter is coming to this year’s SIGGRAPH convention in Anaheim, California. There, they will be meeting with elite programmers, designers, visionaries and luminaries during an invitation only mixer put on in partnership with Upload and thrown at the Colony House on July 26. The festivities kick off at 7:30 pm and will feature 200 of the AR/VR world’s best and brightest all rubbing shoulders with the industry’s newest major player.
By coming to SIGGRAPH, Twitter is demonstrating its commitment not only to this new immersive renaissance, but also to the brilliant men and women making it happen. If you’re planning on attending SIGGRAPH and would like the chance to meet, interact, and share ideas with the new AR/VR team at Twitter, fill out this form for a chance to receive an exclusive VIP invitation to the event.
Let’s continue building the future together!
