Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Media Technology IDMTFraunhofer IDMT presents 3D audio for VR and AR at South by Southwest (SXSW), together with creative partners MediaApes and Aspekteins
Attending the South by Southwest® Conference and Festivals in Austin, Texas from March 11-14, the Fraunhofer experts from Ilmenau (Germany) will be joined by representatives from MediaApes and Aspekteins, two German creative agencies in the vanguard of 360° immersive VR and AR worlds. The collaboration is part of the German delegation attending this year’s SXSW®, comprising about 1,000 creative people from both start-up companies and renowned enterprises.
At SXSW 2018, the three partners for the first time will be presenting a new, interactive solution combining Fraunhofer IDMT’s SpatialSound Wave system with various VR and AR worlds developed by MediaApes and Aspekteins. Together with the digital media designers, Fraunhofer IDMT will be showcasing a number of newly developed immersive scenes comprising three-dimensional sound, virtual and augmented reality, and 360° video at the German Pavilion (Austin Convention Center).
Immersive demonstrations
At the booth, visitors can expect a variety of fascinating audio-visual demonstrations, which will be presented via the Fraunhofer 3D audio setup, partly combined with binaural sound reproduction over headphones. For example, while listening to a classical piece of music, visitors get the chance to discover single instruments both visually and acoustically; riding a virtual reality roller coaster becomes even more breathtaking as visitors at the same time get to listen to amazing 3D sound effects; as astronauts, visitors may go on an experimental space journey; and after going through all these exciting adventures, they may enjoy the comfort of various chill-out zones enriched by atmospheric 3D sound.
”This combination of 3D sound technology with VR, AR, and 360° video will certainly make an impression on visitors”, says René Rodigast, Business Manager Acoustics at Fraunhofer IDMT. “Visual immersion has become state of the art. Combining visual and acoustic immersion creates a new dimension though. Everybody interested in finding out how this looks and sounds like is welcome to visit our booth.”
Sebastian Gsuck, CEO and creative head at MediaApes GmbH, is convinced that the combination of VR, AR, and SpatialSound Wave opens up new creative doors: ”At South by Southwest, we will be demonstrating what is possible integrating AR, VR, and 360° video with 3D sound. These are the technologies that will shape the future. SpatialSound Wave adds perfectly to our toolbox for creating new immersive concepts and formats for entertainment, live events, music, sports, and arts.”
Panel discussion "Augmented Reality and Sound”
Why sound design is getting more and more important for AR and VR applications will be discussed by Sebastian Gsuck, Daniel Guthor (CEO Aspekteins), and other experts at the ”Augmented Reality and Sound” panel on March 11 in the German Haus (Barracuda, 611 E 7th Street). ”Fraunhofer’s SpatialSound Wave is the perfect technology for taking AR and VR to the next level. What we need now are intelligent applications and plausible business models. Our showcases at SXSW will make a significant contribution to this discussion”, says Daniel Guthor. And Sebastian Gsuck is sure: ”In the future, composers will have to conceive of their music in 3D”.
Join Fraunhofer IDMT, MediaApes GmbH, and Aspekteins GmbH at the German Pavilion (Booth #909, Austin Convention Center) – and experience the new dimension of audiovisual immersion!
About SpatialSound Wave
Based on the principles of Wave Field Synthesis, SpatialSound Wave (SSW) is Fraunhofer IDMT’s object based system for producing and replaying true-to-life three-dimensional, immersive sound. Using SSW, audio content can be produced for reproduction by any audio system and loudspeaker setup. Reprocessing and adaptation of scenes or effects is not required.
The German Pavilion at SXSW is organized and operated by Koelnmesse on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, in close cooperation with the Cultural and Creative Industries Initiative of the German federal government, the Association of the German Trade Fair Industry (AUMA), and Initiative Musik, the German federal government’s funding agency supporting the music industry.
About MediaApes GmbH
Founded in 2012, MediaApes acts as a pacemaker, driver of innovation, and process consultant. The immersive creative agency thinks digital transformation and lives virtual worlds. MediaApes is a team of creative people developing adventure concepts today that will shape the consciousness of people tomorrow. The focus is on cutting-edge technologies such as VR, AR, and 3D audio. The guiding vision is: Future becomes reality if it is conceived of under the premise of time-to-market. Operating at the interface between science and business, MediaApes brings together researchers and innovators from the music and other creative industries. As MediaApes pursues a global strategy, it is deliberately conceived of as a fluid, vibrant network of experts and specialists.
Aspekteins GmbH
With subsidiaries in Berlin and Saarbrücken, Aspekteins is among Europe’s most advanced 360° video and VR digital agencies. Virtual reality experiences developed by Aspekteins have been enjoyed by over 100 million spectators worldwide by now. Acting as a consultant, problem solver, and transformer, Aspekteins today designs and develops the solutions of tomorrow’s virtual worlds. To do this, Aspekteins closely collaborates with industry and other creative agencies. Aspekteins pursues a highly innovative approach revolutionizing the way digital natives perceive reality: By merging the real and virtual worlds, bivirtual worlds are created as an entirely new form of reality. Trendsetters in marketing use this new concept already today to display and distribute products and services on the basis of bivirtual interaction with customers.
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