XTECH 2016 showed me that with VR and AR here, BRain is still the most innovative.

Virtual Reality is in the here and now(even if we are in the palm pilot era) and AR is right around the corner. It seems like there seems to be a conference or meetup every week that is VR related. Well Xtech 2016 had VR but it was not a conference showcasing the cool experience of the now but rather how VR as well as other technologies will redefine how we learn, grow, challenge, and understand the workings our brain on a conscious and unconscious level. 

Tim Ferriss, author of the 4 hour Work Week was the Day 1 Keynote speaker and really helped to highlight why this such a important time in technological development in relation to human development. His story from being born premature to now pushing his mind and body to become the  Batman (peak human state) is an inspiration. Check out the video below.

My back ground as a former video game journalist makes me lean towards that type of content and I found a rather interesting VR brain training simulator on the XTech expo floor.

Read About Cerevum VR brain training: http://www.catsandvr.com/blog/cerevrum

Though the event was not geared towards gaming, VR has created such an exciting spark for technology that Playstation had a presence there and showcased Playstation VR. In fact I was in awe by who sat in front of me during the conference.

XTech 2016 surprised me as it had a Ted Talk vibe that spoke to many people from various worlds not just the people in attendance. 

NY Jets Player and mental health advocate Brandon Marshall spoke about how technology can not only create a better athlete but also help those who suffer from depression and other mental illnesses. http://project375.org/

From to raising money to raising awareness XTECH 2016 did not focus on what technology is now but what it could be and possibly will be in relation to who we are. The important thing about the conference was that it focused on the fact that as much as we go forward in technology the human brain is still the most powerful computer.

Cats And VR

Cerevrum brings Neurogaming to GearVR & XTECH 2016. They also brought really cute stickers!

Cerevrum Inc. is a software development group with a focus on progressive social and educational VR projects. CEO Natasha Floksy would say that means to make people happy as well as smarter. CatsAndVR had the chance to learn more about Cerevrum the company as well as Cerevrum the game during XTECH 2016. 

Cerevrum the game left an interesting impression on me. The first thing I noticed was the calming voice that prepared me for my Cerevrum experience. From the voice tutorial I got an understanding of the simple memory training and matching that make up the game mechanics. One thing to understand is simple does not equate to easy or ineffective in this case. The simple concepts get rather complex in application as the game progresses and as I learned from CAO Olga Peshé is that Cerevrum has been tested on college level students to gauge the effectiveness as a brain training tool. 

The second thing that really took me back with Cerevrum the game is the beautiful fluid art style. The use of colors as well as scene transitions make for a very flowing and non aggressive style of gaming. That style created a place where I was comfortable learning and wanted to continue the process of brain training. The themes of alien worlds and space exploration almost bring to mind a child like view of space travel and in turn bring that wide eyed amazement to a VR educational experience.  CEO Natasha Floksy views herself as an artist first then a CEO and this shows in the game. Check out not only the screenshots but also the super cute stickers that they gave out during XTech 2016, I grabbed a few so I can give away to readers. 

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The advances in VR has made the possibility of using the technology in unique ways. Virtual reality is a game-changer for brain training. That feeling of presence you can achieve in VR allows you to challenge cognitive abilities in a way that more closely matches the real world. Pressing buttons on a smartphone screen only goes so far, but natural inputs like head rotation and hand tracking allow players to interact intuitively with VR environments.

I do think Cerevrum the game is fascinating and I am interested in what the company can create in VR for people who suffer from learning disabilities. Cerevrum INC already has an innovative VR tool to help with public speaking available for GearVR.   http://speechcentervr.com/

Cerevrum Inc is not only trying to innovate brain training and learning in the VR space but are looking to innovate for Augmented Reality as well. I would be very excited to see what they bring to Meta. 

Check out Cerevrum and check out a 360° video I shot at their XTech 2016 booth. 

The Cerevrum Inc team.

Cats and VR