Futurists vs. Luddites
Try to imagine for a moment state-of-the-art technology that allows you to consolidate three types of reality together into a perfectly and beautifully rendered ultimate Reality, one using virtual, hybrid and the reality of our own living consciousness.
Have you pictured it yet?
Well, for some, the traditionalists, the Luddites to those most scathing of this philosophy, it would be a kind of nightmare, a living and breathing “Ready Player One” or “Matrix” kind of existence; to others, people ready for what’s coming with the Metaverse, nothing would be more exciting or worth their while.
Some futurists have already pounced on this opportunity, by using a combination of hardware and software, they’re already slowly getting there with startups like Varjo, a prime example, doing most of the heavy lifting at the early stages.
Founded in 2016 by Urho Konttori, Varjo is Helsinki, Finland-based VR/AR/XR company on a mission to redefine reality.
Varjo
This has all been made possible due to Varjo’s team of industry professionals that includes optomechanical engineers, laser technicians, computer vision experts, UX designers, product innovators and brand creators who all possess decades of experience and the required fire in their bellies to amalgamate the virtual and real worlds and bring us to the brave new world of the Metaverse.
“The same level of realism and interactions as if the astronauts were sitting in the physical simulators.”
— Connie Miller, Product Specialist at Boeing, on Varjo’s technology
Varjo’s a big deal because of its professional-grade headsets, the Varjo XR-3, VR-3 and Aero.
• Varjo XR-3
A headset that offers true-to-life mixed reality with its full-frame bionic display, depth awareness, integrated eye and hand tracking, and inside-out tracking, which is in beta version
• Varjo VR-3
With this piece of tech, you get a full-frame bionic display, integrated eye and hand tracking together with comfort, and complete software compatibility, making the experience “as real as it can be”
• Varjo Aero
The newest virtual reality headset in Varjo’s portfolio, the Varjo Aero, was released in October of this year and gives its users leading visual quality and performance, a crystal-clear image no matter where you look and aspheric lenses which eliminate god rays and reflections, keeping those wearing them immersed for hours in total comfort
The headsets are suitable for use in training, simulation exercises, design, engineering, research, and medical verticals.
The mind behind the whole initiative is Urho Konttori. Prior to founding Varjo, Kinttori was a developer and team lead, a Product Manager at Nokia and a Forward Program Manager at Microsoft. At Varjo, he has worked in multiple roles, from CEO, CPO, CTO to CIO.
Konttori obtained a B.Sc. in Algorithms from the University of Helsinki.
As far as financials go, Varjo has raised a total of $122.5 million in funding over eight rounds, giving its ground-breaking VR/AR/MR computing devices and the team room to develop and improve upon already — what seem to be — great products that are taking us to the Metaverse reality.
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