Varjo has announced the addition of cloud streaming to its Varjo Reality Cloud platform, allowing users to deploy virtual and mixed reality applications and experiences entirely from the cloud for the first time and stream ‘human-eye resolution’ VR/XR content directly to Varjo headsets.
Users will be able to move into immersive workflows easier and faster than before by leveraging the cloud compute power of the platform that is powered by Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Nvidia GPUs.
Coupled with Varjo’s proprietary foveated transport algorithm, users should be able to stream immersive content to VR/XR devices with a bandwidth of only 35 megabits per second.
Additionally, all the traffic between the local PC and the servers, including the stream itself, is encrypted and has been developed with industry best practices.
Varjo says that by streaming content directly, local computing requirements are significantly reduced, and the need to have supported software applications installed on every user’s local PC is diminished. Instead, users can simply put on any Varjo headset and, with a simple link, join a cloud-hosted session to begin collaborating instantly anywhere around the world.
“Being able to achieve the same quality experience through Varjo Reality Cloud with less powerful local PCs is a game-changer for companies looking to scale their use of virtual and mixed reality,” said Varjo CTO Urho Konttori. “Now, with our new cloud streaming service, users can join photorealistic virtual experiences with almost any laptop with a dedicated Nvidia GPU and a Varjo headset and start collaborating in an immersive environment.”
The Varjo Reality Cloud is still under development and only available to select existing Varjo customers in early access, however electric vehicle manufacturer Rivian has been trialling the technology for design reviews.
Varjo has been working closely with the Rivian, Autodesk VRED, and AWS teams to transform the automaker’s design review process into a cloud-streamed, immersive workflow.
With Varjo Reality Cloud, Rivian can now create collaborative VRED sessions on-demand and enable key decision-makers to join. More specifically, one user can create a cloud-hosted session running on Varjo Reality Cloud and send it to other users across geographies.
Once users click on the session link and put on a Varjo headset, they can all see and collaborate on the same, high-resolution 3D car model through VRED without having to download it or install the application locally.
“With Varjo Reality Cloud, we are able to make high-fidelity immersion a key part of our design development and scale it effectively across locations,” said Rivian visualisation design lead Trevor Greene.
“This is a turn-key solution that allows users with very different skill levels to be brought into an immersive environment to collaborate – something that hasn’t been possible before.”
Commercial availability for Varjo Reality Cloud is expected during the first half of this year, with plans to extend cloud streaming capability for other relevant software and workflows across industries throughout 2022.
