<div class="raw-html-embed"> 
 VivaTech 6th edition is over, but don't miss anything with the replays 
 </div>

Replays are here!

<figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/cdn.vivatechnology.com/vt-prd/medias/JK_19_35_746_cf385742cb/JK_19_35_746_cf385742cb.jpg"></figure>Getting lost, forgetting your charger, or missing your favorite speaker’s talk would be a crummy way to begin your 2022 VivaTech experience. We don’t want that to happen! That’s why we made a very special (and detailed!) survival guide to help make the most of your time at VivaTech. Gather your tribe and let’s get organized for the European startup and tech event of the year.&nbsp;Prepare beforehand⇒ &nbsp;Download and print your passGetting into the event is step one… Make sure to print your pass on A4-size paper. You’ll use your printed badge for networking, meetings, etc. If you don’t have access to a printer, there will be printers there (but to avoid lines, we recommend doing it yourself). &nbsp;⇒&nbsp; Don’t forget your IDYour ID will be checked before entry and must match the name on your ticket. It’s non-transferable, so we have to make sure you are you!&nbsp;⇒&nbsp; Create your account on our digital platformOur digital platform is where all the magic happens. Make sure to&nbsp;<a href="https://app.vivatechnology.com/">create your account&nbsp;</a>beforehand and fill in your personal details. Once logged in, you can plan your agenda, schedule networking meetings, view innovations in 3D and AR, and check out even more info on speakers, startups, partners, and more! (For optimal browsing, we recommend using Chrome.) &nbsp;<figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/sx3bAaKRqnPL7kkDi_2s86iiC7TYpofis9TfD4xpX0XHqD5w1_V8KjA8F0axQo1_Ba-EPf2-j_ECUTQ3tpPp8IUDYJuBULZy4_6ZkKmYhdnaDvquy80iBC6R1C3QrbdVFn90FX0TzdT-2xnTgQ"></figure>&nbsp;⇒&nbsp; Plan out who you want to seeThere is a lot to see in just a few days. Check out the official schedule on the&nbsp;<a href="https://app.vivatechnology.com/sessions?searchtext=&amp;sessionType=Onsite">digital platform&nbsp;</a>to see when your favorite speakers or startup pitches are happening. Save your top sessions to your favorites so you don’t miss anything!&nbsp;⇒&nbsp; The essential bringalongsWe cannot stress the need for&nbsp;comfortable&nbsp;shoes. VivaTech is happening in a 45,000 sqm hall, that’s a lot of ground to cover, so lace up your sneakers and put away those high heels. You also can’t forget a water bottle – gotta stay hydrated with all those steps you’ll be putting in – there are fountains around the entire Hall for refilling.&nbsp;Who, what, where? I’m there.⇒&nbsp; Opening TimesBe there (on time), or be square! Event hours:Wednesday, June 15 through Saturday, June 18From 9AM – 6PM everyday.&nbsp;⇒&nbsp; Where’s the partyWe’ve got a lot of innovations and startups to share with you, so we need A LOT of space. VivaTech will take place in Hall 1 of the Porte de Versailles exposition center in Paris. Here’s the address:<a href="https://goo.gl/maps/cQsCXonoZp5RSCNKA">1 Place de la Porte de Versailles</a><a href="https://goo.gl/maps/cQsCXonoZp5RSCNKA">75015 Paris France</a>The main entrance is at Door A1, where you’ll be asked for your pass. Then step into four days of discovery! &nbsp;<img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/2kNft8FEXadTOBrmrEXT2cetdBTvF0KCKHYTBBciqxFOD74M9q7K2PAJMd_8bVM_UmNAyPd8JoQYoeezNkh-L3LWkAchc-iIQfmBz25LhADwP2YYAa-a3u-mwYuU4b-rpH-BCXiatIfcxapzeQ">Paris Expo Porte de Versailles is located to the south west of Paris. &nbsp;⇒&nbsp; How do I get there?Whether you are coming directly from the airport or walking across the street, we’ll get you there.&gt; Airport transport: Take advantage of our&nbsp;free&nbsp;shuttle service from Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) to VivaTech. Here is the time table for all four days:Wednesday 15th &amp; Thursday 16th:<ul><li>from CDG to VivaTech - Every 30 minutes from 7:30am to 12:30pm</li><li>from VivaTech to CDG - Every 30 minutes from 4:00pm to 7:30pm</li></ul>Friday 17th<ul><li>from CDG to VivaTech - Every 30 minutes from 7:30am to 10:30am</li><li>from VivaTech to CDG - Every 30 minutes from 4:00pm to 7:00pm</li></ul>Saturday 18th<ul><li>from CDG to VivaTech - Every 30 minutes from 7:30am to 10:30am</li><li>from VivaTech to CDG - Every 30 minutes from 1:30pm to 4:30pm</li></ul>&nbsp;&gt; Public transport: Paris is one of the most connected cities in Europe. Take one of these options to help us in reducing the emissions of the event! Get off at the stop “Porte de Versailles”.&nbsp;<ul><li>Underground metro: line 12</li><li>Tramway: lines T2 or T3A</li><li>Bus: 39 or 80</li></ul>&nbsp;&gt; Taxi / Car: If arriving by taxi, use this address:&nbsp;378, rue de Vaugirard 75015 Paris, France. If you are driving here, there are three parking lots nearby:<ul><li>Onepark - Parking Vanves:&nbsp;<a href="https://goo.gl/maps/jteYvkQAAd2ooyAWA">36-38 Rue du Moulin, 92170 Vanves</a></li><li>Parking VIP - Paris Expo Porte de Versailles:&nbsp;<a href="https://goo.gl/maps/ajvWwhLRB8pn1dn97">Ave de la Porte de la Plaine, 75015 Paris</a></li><li>Parking 1 Paris Expo Porte de Versailles:&nbsp;<a href="https://goo.gl/maps/wk59Mm4qeWsBr4L19">2 Rue d'Oradour-sur-Glane, 92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux</a></li></ul>&nbsp;I’m here, now what?You made it! We’re so excited you’re here. Now a few tips for navigating the event:&nbsp;<figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-lwBRmttrUFoTQQlahRimt7HkPzqBhsd4SHJnSc-yWrf0Tq9p5b4tXJtL3CGxs_78y6EkXFptD6eTtJPg3hJQ1I4-2eimBUGXJbup_9rVoTBk8l_Eygkwyk_t9HLjbFQaQbXX9_36H7arIOoXQ"></figure>⇒&nbsp; Get orientedWith 3 stages and 2,000 exhibitors, there’s a lot to see this edition! Check out the map at the entrance and don’t hesitate to ask a volunteer how to get around.&nbsp;⇒&nbsp; Immersive experiencesThis year, the VivaSign, at the entrance of VivaTech, has gotten a little update. We are offering NFTs to all of our visitors in partnership with POAP; rendez-vous at the VivaSign and scan the QR code to get yours!&nbsp;VivaTech will also host&nbsp;one of the first&nbsp;AR digital art galleries in the metaverse exclusively designed by the art collective OBVIOUS. By downloading the Wanderland app, visitors can view digital works in augmented reality by renowned artists like&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/orlan.officiel/">ORLAN</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/pierre.brault/">Pierre Brault</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/ines.alpha/">Inès Alpha</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/aln3.0/">Allan Berger</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/allangregorio/">Allan Gregorio</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/videorbit.studio/">Isabelle Udo</a>. And don’t forget to add a message, emojis, or photos to the collaborative space for all to see!⇒&nbsp; What’s for lunch?There will be restaurants and cafes inside the hall and 14 food trucks lined up outside Hall 1 to purchase your lunch and drinks. From French sandwiches and pastries to Latin, Thai and Indian cuisine, there is a little something for everyone’s taste. Water bottles are encouraged as well; there are plenty of water fountains inside and outside the hall to refill to your heart’s content and to help us in reducing our waste! &nbsp;<figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/7PfASZWuhz_76LnUBii1w-LKpGHPw_ay2XArM1G_woNFw7_ZhWqy0tEYWoFeywsyNVzy93jLClfFMyfBdUhv12tC58Bqn6jWNd27wXk1eGsoJW1uhJW13DaWDA8qv_BArxnvXCkjQ-eDIPIGgg"></figure>&nbsp;⇒&nbsp; Stay social!Keep updated on all the coolest innovations and most inspiring sessions by following our social media accounts. And use the hashtag #VivaTech on all your posts to boost it to the top!&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/VivaTech">Twitter</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/vivatech/">Instagram</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/viva-technology/">LinkedIn</a>, &amp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/vivatechnologyparis">Facebook</a>.⇒&nbsp; Network smarterWhile connected to the digital platform with your smartphone, you can scan the badge of anyone you meet in the aisles of VivaTech. A great way to stay in touch and keep their contact information handy!&nbsp;<figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/SmUDSjE1vexGamTCHukrNu-sOq4OJkHaFtnaQWDqsITJk60ESre4HPTn6RwWwrUQSE086tdl9XEfsiIAzS8TTl-vRsV48HSbraw2F7A-hJTYM6XqvoWEvMLj_y8kp-J2qrOXxxXfI_kRA_nNcQ"></figure>&nbsp;Practical Information⇒&nbsp; Get connected and plug inWe know how important it is to keep your devices connected and juiced up. You can connect to the wifi network “VT-VISITORS” when inside, no password needed! Also, there are plugs in various VivaTech lounges, but we suggest you bring a portable charger (or two) so the batteries stay fueled up!&nbsp;⇒&nbsp; Leave your luggageLuggage can’t come into VivaTech with you, but smaller bags like backpacks and briefcases are welcome and will be checked at the entrance. Not to worry though, there will be a luggage check outside the hall near the entrance for the jetsetters who have just arrived!⇒&nbsp; More questions?If you have any questions, check out our&nbsp;<a href="https://intercom.help/viva-technology/en">FAQ page</a> with ALL the practical information for VivaTech 2022!&nbsp;See you there!Hopefully this little survival guide will keep you from forgetting anything important. But most importantly – don’t forget to enjoy yourself! VivaTech is four full days of action-packed sessions and business meetings, but also an exciting journey, so have fun! We can’t wait to celebrate this sixth edition with you.&nbsp;

large_JK19-35-746.jpg

medium_JK19-35-746.jpg

small_JK19-35-746.jpg

thumbnail_JK19-35-746.jpg

VivaTech 2022 Survival Guide: Get Ready to Experience the Future

VivaTech News

large_Image4jvufhcu (2).jpg

medium_Image4jvufhcu (2).jpg

small_Image4jvufhcu (2).jpg

thumbnail_Image4jvufhcu (2).jpg

11 Minority entrepreneurs who are redressing inequality in tech

<figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/cdn.vivatechnology.com/vt-prd/medias/Einride_Trailer_Hero_II_7f4e312bb3/Einride_Trailer_Hero_II_7f4e312bb3.png"></figure>Photo credit: EinrideLed by companies including<a href="https://www.starship.xyz/">&nbsp;Starship Technologies</a>,<a href="https://flyzipline.com/">&nbsp;Zipline</a> and<a href="https://www.einride.tech/">&nbsp;Einride</a>, the global fleet of autonomous robots, drones and trucks that move freight and parcels is steadily expanding, while becoming smarter and more capable.Getting goods and people from A to B without a human at the controls could result in greater efficiency,<a href="https://css.umich.edu/factsheets/autonomous-vehicles-factsheet">&nbsp;fewer accidents</a>, reduced traffic congestion,<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7341048/">&nbsp;decreased CO2 emissions</a> and<a href="https://www.scirp.org/journal/paperinformation.aspx?paperid=91048">&nbsp;lower costs</a>, reports and studies show. With airborne drone delivery, essential goods such as medicines can be delivered rapidly to hard-to-reach areas.“In terms of business case and commercialization, we’re sort of one step ahead with goods,’’ said Benieke Treverton, head of communications at<a href="https://easymile.com/">&nbsp;EasyMile</a>, a Toulouse-based startup that offers a driverless tow tractor and an autonomous passenger shuttle. “We’re seeing that getting faster traction, you can scale it quicker, it’s easier to implement on private sites, with people movers following closely behind.’’Asset manager<a href="https://ark-invest.com/">&nbsp;ARK Invest</a> estimates autonomous logistics revenue could reach $480 billion by 2026 and $920 billion by 2030, with self-driving trucks accounting for more than two thirds and parcel drones and food-delivery drones making up the remainder. The estimate doesn’t include rolling robots.&nbsp;<figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/ZSqXzQT9BfmmscAA9OdtRA5_DmnshhhxqxqjYRxp0UH6A-LMqTYG1fDrQ3KhqN8N9iHmnWw2xiC1HIYANvVfACzpbktskQy4WeUws33cryU9MXnw2JFMzevzmDohKZIUs8iV6Yr4p5M9X8O2Jg"></figure>Photo credit: Starship Technologies“Autonomous logistics, including trucks, drones, and rolling robots, could lower costs and offer faster and more convenient delivery of goods,’’ ARK Invest analyst Tasha Keeney wrote in the firm’s<a href="https://ark-invest.com/big-ideas-2022/">&nbsp;Big Ideas 2022</a> report. “Autonomous logistics will reshape the global supply chain completely.’’Zipline says its autonomous winged drones have made more than 275,000 commercial flights, while Starship’s self-driving robots had tallied up 3 million deliveries as of February. EasyMile’s tow tractors are in use worldwide, including driving baggage at Japan’s Narita International Airport and truck parts at a Daimler plant in Germany.&nbsp;Einride’s autonomous cargo pod, which can fit a shipping container and lacks a cabin, started its first trial on public roads in 2019. Now, in 2022, the Stockholm-based company is included in VivaTech’s Top 100 Scale-up List, and will participate in this year’s Next Unicorn Awards.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/p0LiMIHm9bZa8L_fFHqT8pTwB2WDhjlZcbOPIWuyjBPpx4b9zvlw73LsTe7zAwpyL0pD8nUFkqXbAz3yHQSAUX4ZWmciYuBj8dNCdLSm97mJZpHgdZYr_Ki5mn8RJ5XKbDFn8EiKPm70sSkySA"></figure>Photo credit: FreightWavesDriverless trucks moving goods from hub to hub may be one of the autonomous applications closest to becoming day-to-day reality, according to<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/kersten-heineke">&nbsp;Kersten Heineke</a>, who leads the McKinsey Center for Future Mobility in Europe. He expects autonomous trucks to be operating commercially on highways as early as next year, or by 2025 at the latest.“It’s an easier use case than driving autonomously in a city,’’ Heineke said. “That’s why this specific use case, going hub to hub on a highway, is one of the use cases we’re going to see first. Not a pilot somewhere, but actually used in business.’’Companies including<a href="https://www.tusimple.com/">&nbsp;TuSimple</a> and<a href="https://kodiak.ai/">&nbsp;Kodiak Robotics</a> are testing trucks that use cameras, lidar and radar coupled with artificial intelligence for driverless hauling in the southern U.S.Autonomous trucks could solve a driver shortage that limits the amount of goods that can be transported from A to B, as well as cutting costs and potentially making trucking more sustainable, Heineke said. That could mean logistics costs are no longer a “massive driver’’ of where goods are manufactured, he said.The cost of shipping a ton of goods by autonomous electric truck is estimated to fall to 3 cents per mile (1.6 kilometers), compared to 7 cents for a human-driven diesel truck, and cheaper than rail, according to ARK.&nbsp;<figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/XNHo1uSlPthBHDgYzY9NQFjgVsCdjjl-fvNvN5rlIKn_YbD-TolpThE_yRimVU5arRIphDL6HdBm5VjlWz4Xiwi2AiqSKnz5geWg7y9R9x-Fw0eiHs-sKI7oKP1V1qVjMPu7NNd41AIQGdDpow"></figure>Photo credit: EasyMileEasyMile, which presented its EZ10 driverless passenger shuttle at VivaTech in 2021, has validated its autonomous vehicles to operate without a safety driver on “a big portion’’ of roads on private sites, and is expanding into more complicated environments, said Alban Brisy, head of business development for goods transportation. The startup, which also provides software for driverless vehicles, has deployed in more than 300 locations around the world.“The technology is here, as of now,’’ Brisy said. “It’s really the beginning of real commercial operation, in 2022. We have convinced customers, big customers, after months of operations, that we’re there in terms of performance, in terms of safety, now they’re starting to buy fleets.’’Delivery by autonomous drone is already a reality around the world. Zipline, which launched its drone service in Rwanda in 2016, teamed up with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.walmart.com/">Walmart</a> in November for direct deliveries in Arkansas and in April agreed to deliver medicines to Japan’s Goto Islands. Zipline head of engineering Jo Mardall will speak at VivaTech this year on drones and robots upgrading logistics on Wednesday, June 15th at 11:20AM on Stage 2.Growth for drone delivery companies has been boosted by more than $1 billion in funding over the past 10 years, according to McKinsey, which forecasts<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/aerospace-and-defense/our-insights/future-air-mobility-blog/drone-delivery-more-lift-than-you-think">&nbsp;commercial deliveries by drone</a> will nearly triple in 2022 to 1.4 million parcels. Norway’s<a href="https://www.aviant.no/">&nbsp;Aviant</a>, one of more than 100 companies working on drone delivery, was started in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic to provide long-distance healthcare solutions and has grown into a full-stack drone service for on-demand transport of cargo. Aviant will present its autonomous drones at VivaTech in the robot park.&nbsp;<figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/g_UIxL7sB7YTd1nF8l57QHcb2oVoXrS_XGRQ04hzmB8Pw2lk60I9Clc1M61xsk2KQm6e_1dP51Ml0BYKzkrCJ8HKAp_A5bsfN-ySQM4xhSIYE4LuF-rcZDBIs9adCvv-jKGv23v33WbFCHUX8g"></figure>Photo credit: AviantThe cost for local drone delivery could be $0.25 for a small item, compared with $5.40 for an app delivery service, ARK estimates. The investment firm forecasts global<a href="https://ark-invest.com/articles/analyst-research/parcel-drone-delivery/">&nbsp;revenue from parcel delivery by drone</a> could amount to $14 billion by 2024 and total $113 billion in 2030, with lower delivery costs boosting e-commerce sales.Driverless systems also promise to upend last-mile delivery, with wheeled robots from Starship,<a href="https://www.nuro.ai/">&nbsp;Nuro</a> and<a href="https://www.serverobotics.com/">&nbsp;Serve Robotics</a> making tens of thousands of deliveries using public sidewalks and roads.<a href="https://www.twinswheel.fr/">&nbsp;TwinswHeel</a>, which is testing autonomous delivery droids in Montpellier and Toulouse, will also be showcasing its technology at VivaTech this year.The cost for a local delivery of groceries by a rolling integrated traffic robot could fall to $0.40 per trip, compared with $2.40 in costs for a human driver, according to ARK. The firm says inexpensive and convenient delivery should reshape consumer shopping habits.Urban last-mile deliveries are forecast to increase by 78% through to 2030 as more people buy goods and groceries online, according to a<a href="http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Future_of_the_last_mile_ecosystem.pdf">&nbsp;World Economic Forum</a> report.Still, in addition to the difficulties of operating in urban environments, last-mile logistics need to consider the “autonomous last meter’’ of getting packages from a vehicle to the door, said Heineke. While he expects autonomous trucking may be two years ahead of driverless cars, he says last-mile delivery in urban environments may be two years behind.“It’s something that might eventually also get automated, or the entire concept of last-mile logistics might change with autonomy, but it’s something that’s definitely going to take longer than anything we see in transport of goods on highways and probably also anything we’ll see in transport of people in urban environments,’’ Heineke said.One edge autonomous goods transport has over robotaxis: consumer trust. While many people say they<a href="https://www.science.org/content/article/people-don-t-trust-driverless-cars-researchers-are-trying-change">&nbsp;don’t trust driverless cars</a>, a survey by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.interactions.com/">Interactions</a> found they’d be<a href="https://www.interactions.com/press-releases/new-research-reveals-comfort-with-ai-long-lasting-effects-of-covid-19-on-consumer-sentiment/">&nbsp;happy</a> having their groceries or packages delivered by sidewalk-based autonomous vehicles or flying drones.So don’t be surprised to see a driverless truck, autonomous drone or sidewalk droid showing up on a highway, in the sky or in a street near you one of these days.

large_Einride Trailer Hero II.png

medium_Einride Trailer Hero II.png

small_Einride Trailer Hero II.png

thumbnail_Einride Trailer Hero II.png

Autonomous vehicles: The self-driving and flying revolution happening out of sight

large_stage vt blog post (1).jpg

medium_stage vt blog post (1).jpg

small_stage vt blog post (1).jpg

thumbnail_stage vt blog post (1).jpg

Scale-up with These 10 Speakers from Top International Unicorns

Mobility Park<figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/cdn.vivatechnology.com/vt-prd/medias/Aegis_Rider_AR_Helmet_6_183d9a589d/Aegis_Rider_AR_Helmet_6_183d9a589d.jpg"></figure>Photo credit: Aegis&gt;&gt; AegisWhile motorcyclists have the advantage of feeling the wild wind rush over them and getting a real sense for the open road, they don’t have the same comfortability of navigation nor an easy-to-see dashboard that cars offer. Imagine using google maps while going 80 km/h down the highway – not too easy to see where your next turn is if your phone is between your lap.This is why the Swiss startup&nbsp;<a href="https://aegisrider.com/">Aegis</a> has developed an AR motorcycle helmet which projects navigation information in AR such as current speed, curvature of the road, and where to turn next – all without taking your eyes off the road! You might feel like you are in a video game with all these features, but don’t let the Mario Kart vibes fool you, the integrated helmet can also track your performance and help you plan your next trip to include more curves, more scenery, etc.&nbsp;Robot Park<figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/cdn.vivatechnology.com/vt-prd/medias/mur_yhnova_b1d05110fc/mur_yhnova_b1d05110fc.jpg"></figure>Photo credit: Batiprint 3D&gt;&gt; Batiprint 3D3D printing has revolutionized printing in so many industries like manufacturing, mechanics, education, etc. Now it’s the construction industry’s turn to get a 3D revamp thanks to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.batiprint3d.com/en">Batiprint 3D</a>. The French startup offers an innovative system that builds the walls of a house through 3D printing paired with robotics, directly on site and in just a few days. Their eco-friendly approach to construction aims to reduce painful working conditions, improve the quality of execution and decrease the environmental costs. Would you allow a robot to build your house?&nbsp;Human Park<figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/cdn.vivatechnology.com/vt-prd/medias/harness_d8255f0161/harness_d8255f0161.png"></figure>Photo credit: Biped&gt;&gt; BipedWalking independently for visually impaired or blind people is not an easy task. Moving obstacles, uneven surfaces, and crossing the street are just some of the challenges they must face when stepping outside. While white canes, smart glasses and vibrating belts can help detect some objects, they can’t see the world for you, and you’d be pretty weighed down if you had to carry all of these around with you!&nbsp;To avoid such cumbersome work, a Swiss startup,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.biped.ai/">Biped</a>, created an all-in-one solution: a smart harness that uses autonomous driving features to avoid obstacles, anticipate collisions, understand your scene and get navigation instructions, through 3D sounds. It can even be used at night thanks to its infrared cameras. Biped is basically your copilot (or accomplice) for the streets!&nbsp;Low Carbon Park<figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/cdn.vivatechnology.com/vt-prd/medias/grajette_0060b84794/grajette_0060b84794.jpeg"></figure>Photo credit: La Grangette&gt;&gt; La GrangetteSometimes, in the middle of winter, you just want some fresh, tasty basil for a caprese salad or maybe some crisp bok choy for a stir fry. Typically, unless you have a massive winter-proof greenhouse, you just can’t grow those fresh ingredients from your home year round. Until now!&nbsp;<a href="https://www.lagrangette.com/">La Grangette</a> has created a high-end hydroponic system for the home, so you can cultivate just about anything green in the dead of winter. The system doesn’t just help you produce plants from your home, it also monitors each plant's growth in a fully automated environment. Connect your Grangette to the app to plan for your future harvest and order refill seed pods to always keep your little ecosystem green.&nbsp;Inspiring Extras<figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/cdn.vivatechnology.com/vt-prd/medias/volocity_urban_setting_112b892aca/volocity_urban_setting_112b892aca.png"></figure>Photo credit: Volocopter&gt;&gt; Volocopter&nbsp;Honking horns, long lines of backed up cars, rising tempers. The trifecta of your average rush hour traffic in any city across the world. But what if you could avoid all that and get to your destination quicker, with no hassle, all while maintaining a sustainable impact? Impossible you might think. Well, think again, because&nbsp;<a href="https://www.volocopter.com/">Volocopter</a> has got you covered.Volocopter is an urban air mobility company that is developing electric air taxis to transport people and goods around cities. The German company has designed autonomous vehicles that can take off and land vertically, are 100% electric, and therefore emission-free in flight, while remaining “whisper quiet”. No worries of loud machines flying by your apartment window! They have developed three inspiring urban mobility aircraft solutions: the&nbsp;VoloCity&nbsp;air taxi for journeys between cities and airports, the&nbsp;VoloConnect&nbsp;to link cities to suburban areas, and the&nbsp;VoloDrone&nbsp;to transport goods within cities. Three solutions for connecting us to the future of mobility. The sky really is the only limit!&nbsp;<figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/cdn.vivatechnology.com/vt-prd/medias/unnamed_fb8d617f4a/unnamed_fb8d617f4a.png"></figure>Photo credit: LITO&gt;&gt; LITOEver go to a museum and feel so inspired by a work that you wanted to take it home with you? Well, before ransacking your local museum à la&nbsp;National Treasure, you should check out&nbsp;<a href="https://lito.io/">LITO</a>, a startup that is revolutionizing the art world. Their mission is to make world-renowned art masterpieces available to all. Through digital scans of works and advanced 3D printers, they are able to clone basically any piece of artwork. What’s so tremendous about their products is that they allow buyers to own a work that is infinitely superior to a print, yet a fraction of the price of an original. And half of the profit from a sale goes directly to either the artist or the museum that owns the work – a win-win for all parties.&nbsp;Have you started making your list of which innovations you have to see for yourself at VivaTech? Our list has at least 50 innovations on it, so we are going to be busy bees during four days… If you want to join us in the hunt for the most inspiring innovations like air taxis and AR helmets,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.vivatechnology.com/get-your-pass?ca=FPRSB4T3X">get your pass here</a>. (There is still some time for you procrastinators!)

large_Aegis Rider AR Helmet (6).jpg

medium_Aegis Rider AR Helmet (6).jpg

small_Aegis Rider AR Helmet (6).jpg

thumbnail_Aegis Rider AR Helmet (6).jpg

Tech Radar: May’s Innovation Reveals

<figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/cdn.vivatechnology.com/vt-prd/medias/Adobe_Stock_130231999_42692b7801/Adobe_Stock_130231999_42692b7801.jpeg"></figure>&nbsp;They are less expensive to build or own than commercial real estate, they can be more easily reconfigured than physical offices, they can have amenities that are not possible in a real office (want a firepit in the middle of a conference room? no problem), they make it possible for employees from all over the world to gather and work in one place, and they can potentially be a way to change or improve how employees interact with each other.&nbsp;&nbsp;“It potentially gets rid of that unconscious weirdness that you can experience in the workplace,” said Meriah Grove, marketing manager at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.offbeat.xyz/">Offbeat Media Group</a>, which develops virtual offices. She said that in her company’s virtual office environment, she often chooses to be a stick of butter. “If you are joining as a stick of butter, you get to hear employees, interact with them, get their total feel as a person, without actually seeing their physical selves, which kind of levels the playing field.”Still, for all the obvious and potential advantages that virtual offices offer, there are decisions that must be made and issues that must be resolved before they will really offer a functional solution for companies.Where to buildEven virtual offices must be built somewhere. They may be part of a company’s internal IT architecture, but there are other options, including erecting them in existing metaverses, much as a company might build a real office in a city. Two of the best-known metaverses are&nbsp;<a href="https://decentraland.org/">Decentraland</a> and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sandbox.game/en/">The Sandbox</a> and some companies and agencies are gravitating to them for the same reason that companies might decide to build a corporate headquarters in a large city: Location, location, location.Vice Media opened its virtual office, called&nbsp;<a href="https://nftplazas.com/vice-launch-viceverse-virtual-working-hub-in-decentraland/">Viceverse</a>, in Decentraland in March and this month, the Dubai Assets Regulatory Authority announced that it had bought a piece of land in The Sandbox for the&nbsp;<a href="https://cryptopotato.com/dubai-regulator-will-open-offices-in-the-sandbox-metaverse/">development of virtual headquarters</a>.Decentraland and The Sandbox are so well established that there are active markets for their virtual real estate. Decentraland publishes up-to-the-minute prices, called LAND, on its site while the prices on The Sandbox, called SAND, are tracked on cryptocurrency exchanges.Part of what drives Decentraland prices is an enforced scarcity – Decentraland only has 90,000 parcels of real estate and it has said that it will not increase their number. Prices have dipped recently, but&nbsp;<a href="https://nonfungible.com/market-tracker/decentraland/EST/4832">parcel 4832 recently sold for $82,000</a> real US dollars.Decentraland and The Sandbox are hardly the only places where companies can go. There is also&nbsp;<a href="https://nextmeet.live/">Next Meet</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://genesis.game/">Genesis Worlds</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tcg.world/">TCG World</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://substrata.info/">Substrata</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://matrixworld.org/home">Matrix World</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cryptovoxels.com/">Cryptovoxels</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nftworlds.com/">NFT Worlds</a>.And the largest companies, such as Metaverse with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.oculus.com/horizon-worlds/">Horizon Worlds</a> and Microsoft with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/mesh">Mesh</a>, are vying to become players in this new and rapidly developing virtual world. Given their financial and technical resources, it would be a mistake to underestimate what kind of impact they may have.The industry is still new, so it is too early to say if one or another of these metaverses will become the virtual location of choice, the sort of Amazon of its industry, or if the market will remain more diffuse.Design is importantWhen Vice decided to open Viceverse, it hired&nbsp;<a href="https://big.dk/#projects">Bjarke Ingels Group</a> (BIG), a Danish design studio, to create the plans. The result is a giant cube-like structure with large openings and steps rising up in a spiral along the inner walls of the building. The design is actually not original for the metaverse – it is virtually the same as one that BIG did for a building in Taipei, Taiwan, called&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dezeen.com/2011/02/04/tek-by-big/">TEK</a> for technology, entertainment and knowledge center.&nbsp;<figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/cdn.vivatechnology.com/vt-prd/medias/dzn_TEK_by_BIG_1_05b7c78e51/dzn_TEK_by_BIG_1_05b7c78e51.jpg"></figure>TEK building design. Photo credit: dezeenThough the building might have been spectacular in the real world, in the virtual world it is not as successful. For example, some of the surfaces and renderings are in 2-D and the trees on the rooftop garden are not well rendered. An&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUQh_abU22c">online review</a> found other things that were disappointing.The issues with the Viceverse building point to another important element of building virtual offices: The quality of their design.Obviously, no agency or firm has decades of experience in the metaverse, but some are beginning to establish a reputation as developers in this new format. One of them is&nbsp;<a href="https://everyrealm.com/?_gl=1*c1bw6m*_ga*MzM4NDE1MzI3LjE2NTI2NTAxMzc.*_ga_5H6TQXRS87*MTY1MjcyNzczNy4yLjAuMTY1MjcyNzc0MS41Ng..*_ga_C9T2XJFTLW*MTY1MjcyNzczNy4yLjAuMTY1MjcyNzc0MS4w">Every Realm</a> (previously known as Republic Realm), which has been among the active companies in buying up virtual real estate. Last November, it&nbsp;<a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/currencies/metaverse-property-sandbox-virtual-real-estate-deal-record-4-million-2021-11?utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_source=markets">paid $4.3 million</a> for land in The Sandbox. Among its projects are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.republicrealm.com/islands">Fantasy Islands</a>&nbsp;in The Sandbox and the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.republicrealm.com/metajuku">Metajuku Shopping District</a> in Decentraland, which is modeled on the Harajuku district in Tokyo.<a href="https://www.spaceform.io/">Space Popular</a>, which has offices in Spain and London, specializes in creating gathering places, while&nbsp;<a href="https://spatial.io/">Spatial</a>&nbsp;builds virtual galleries and spaces for events. There are many others, including&nbsp;<a href="https://pixelmax.com/">Pixel Max</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gather.town/">Gather</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.teamflowhq.com/">Teamflow</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://decentralandarchitects.com/">Decentraland Architects</a> (which, despite the name, designs for multiple metaverses), and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.virbela.com/">Virbela</a>, which has created a large virtual campus.As for BIG, it has teamed up with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.unstudio.com/">UNStudio</a> and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.squintopera.com/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=archdaily.com">Squint/Opera</a> to create&nbsp;<a href="https://www.spaceform.io/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=archdaily.com">Space Form</a>, a site where companies can quickly create virtual spaces for meetings and presentations.Technological and use issuesDespite all the activity and investment in the metaverse, there are some financial and technology obstacles, particularly for anyone wanting to set up a virtual office.One of the most basic is how users/employees will enter it. Though some sites can be accessed through a regular browser, the experience can be clunky and not altogether satisfying because the browser cannot take advantage of all the features of a virtual environment.The alternative is VR headsets, like Oculus from Meta. But those cost hundreds of dollars. If a global company with tens of thousands of employees chooses to set up a virtual office, the additional investment of outfitting its employees with headsets could run into tens of millions of dollars.&nbsp;<figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/cdn.vivatechnology.com/vt-prd/medias/meta_office_3f6da4c0c3/meta_office_3f6da4c0c3.png"></figure>Meta’s virtual Workrooms. Photo credit: MetaThere are other problems as well.Ms. Grove at Offbeat Media said that some of the company’s employees cannot really use VR sets. “VR is motion sickness inducing and we have had some people who couldn’t stay in the VR environment very long,” she explained.Alex Howland, president and cofounder of Virbela, was more explicit. “I don’t think there’s an amount of money you can pay me to be in a VR headset 40 hours a week,”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.protocol.com/workplace/virtual-office-metaverse">he told Protocol last December</a>.In a&nbsp;<a href="https://sifted.eu/articles/virtual-office-design-tinder/">blistering critique in March in Sifted</a>, Tariq Rauf, the chief executive of Qatalog, a company that provides companies with tools and resources to connect digitally, said that the virtual office model that tries to recreate the real experience is flawed.&nbsp;&nbsp;“These solutions forget that the constraints of the physical world, such as space, cognitive restrictions, social considerations and interaction limitations, no longer exist in the digital world,” he wrote. “In other words, if space is limitless in the digital world, why do you need a virtual desk of a certain size?”Finding convertsWhether Mr. Rauf is right, virtual offices and meeting spaces have already been successfully used. Virbela hosted the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.experience.afrotech.com/">2021 Afrotech Conference</a>&nbsp;and Gather was the site for the Forbes 30 Under 30 conference. eXp Realty was so happy with its experience on Virbela that it bought the company and now uses it exclusively for its worldwide operations, which include 81,000 employees.According to the article in Protocol, workers at Pipo Saude, a Brazilian healthcare startup, were initially reluctant to use Gather, but they eventually grew to love it as it made casual interactions easier and cut down on meetings.Ms. Grove said that Offbeat Media has not had any of its clients accept their offer to build them virtual offices, despite&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5NS2OH5UAI">a slick marketing video</a>, because there are clear issues, particularly if companies are trying to use them as a way to extend their brands in the metaverse. “There is a barrier of technology, there is a barrier of time, there is a barrier of all the discoverability in the worlds themselves,” she said.But she added, “The one thing that we have said is that the virtual world is fantastic for closed communication. So when our company goes in, our employees go in, we often say it is so much fun. It is a great place to collaborate.”

large_AdobeStock_130231999.jpeg

medium_AdobeStock_130231999.jpeg

small_AdobeStock_130231999.jpeg

thumbnail_AdobeStock_130231999.jpeg

Virtual Offices: A Work in Progress

<figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/cdn.vivatechnology.com/vt-prd/medias/thesandbox_f045cc42e2/thesandbox_f045cc42e2.jpg"></figure>Photo credit: MediumAs peak metaverse hype appears to have passed, hundreds of startups and tech giants continue to work on the next phase of the internet – the future convergence of physical, augmented and virtual reality in shared online space.While a precise definition of the metaverse is notoriously lacking, the virtual worlds of<a href="https://www.epicgames.com/fortnite/en-US">&nbsp;Fortnite</a>,<a href="https://www.roblox.com/">&nbsp;Roblox</a> and<a href="https://www.sandbox.game/en/">&nbsp;The Sandbox</a> hint at the possibilities. Today, millions of people socialize there, musicians organize concerts and fashion brands sell digital goods in computer-generated worlds that are always alive and active, with their own economy and codes.No one can say for sure whether functional internet in 3D space is years or decades away, but CB Insights says analysts estimate the metaverse could represent a $1 trillion market by the end of the decade. Some of the building blocks already exist: smart contracts, augmented-reality applications, virtual-reality headsets, persistent online worlds populated with digital avatars.“There is some really significant investment going on, but there are a lot of hard problems, and it’s going to take companies working together,’’ said Marc Petit, general manager of Unreal Engine, the 3D-graphics engine developed by<a href="https://www.epicgames.com/site/en-US/home">&nbsp;Epic Games</a> that’s used in hundreds of games, and in Hollywood movies. “We need to be humble about the state of technology.’’Making the metaverse reality will require better hardware and more bandwidth to handle interactive content. The future Internet will need interoperability – a way to move digital assets from one virtual world to another – and an economic model that encourages content creators.Users driving creationUser-generated content, already a staple for games and platforms including Epic’s Fortnite, and Microsoft’s<a href="https://www.minecraft.net/en-us">&nbsp;Minecraft</a> and Roblox, will likely be fundamental to building the metaverse, say experts such as<a href="https://a16z.com/">&nbsp;Andreessen Horowitz</a> General Partner Jonathan Lai. Players today are creating anything from 3D cosmetic items to dance moves and entire games within games.The Sandbox virtual world is using blockchain and non-fungible tokens to build a decentralized virtual economy, where players and creators own the digital assets they buy or make. Users will create 99% of the metaverse, said Sebastien Borget, the company’s co-founder and chief operating officer.“Rapid evolution of technology, combined with the creativity of user-generated content, will certainly drive even more immersive experiences and new forms of entertainment,’’ Borget said. “We have passed the point of being a niche experience and are now moving into the mainstream.’’The metaverse will redefine ownership, and smart contracts and NFTs that enable decentralization are here to stay, said Sebastien Badault, vice president of metaverse at<a href="https://www.ledger.com/">&nbsp;Ledger</a>, which makes a hardware wallet for crypto assets. As consumers’ digital assets and avatars become a bigger part of their lives, security such as what Ledger provides will become more important, Badault said.An economy focused on creators?Digital goods will probably become a trillion-dollar economy, and the metaverse could be an opportunity to reset to “a very healthy transactional economy,’’ with the majority of the value going to creators, Petit at Epic said. The industry will have to come together to figure out the economics around interoperability, or the ability to move digital assets across platforms, the executive said.Aside from getting the metaverse economy right for creators, there are technological hurdles to overcome. Starting with improving the digital avatars that embody users in virtual space, adding things like eye contact, gaze tracking and full body capture to enable what Petit calls “a sense of core presence’’ that would make a meeting in virtual feel as real as one in the physical world.“We need all those things that make human communications well understood, and then you can express the emotion,’’ Petit said. “We’ve got the voice, we’ve got the graphics, we’re good at facial capture, we need to be better at body capture, and we need to get that at a level of subtlety where our brain will be comfortable with it.’’Photo realismThe latest graphics engines, such as Unreal Engine 5, can generate photo-like realism in real time, Petit said. Sensors in clothes or on the wrist can track vitals, capture motion or create a virtual keyboard, with artificial intelligence and machine learning filling in the gaps when data is lacking.It won’t all be face-covering headsets for metaverse access either. Virtual-reality headsets will be like personal computers, very efficient for certain tasks such as deep immersion and productivity, but not a device to carry around like a mobile phone, Petit predicts.“Augmented reality will be like mobile, something that you flip out of your pocket or you turn on and you consume it right away within the context of what you do,’’ Petit said. He said connected glasses, as well as glass panels from windows to car windshields might be able to display interactive content.Global sales of augmented reality and virtual reality headsets jumped 92% in 2021 to 11.2 million units, according to International Data Corp., which forecasts shipments will surpass 50 million headsets by the end of 2026.Ubiquitous interactive contentAn enabling technology still missing is ubiquitous delivery of interactive content, and the metaverse would require something akin to today’s video streaming, Petit said. Widespread rollout of 5G mobile technology will bring that a step closer.Blending physical and virtual reality in 3D space will also require common protocols and standards. Petit said companies including Roblox, Epic,<a href="https://unity.com/">&nbsp;Unity Technologies</a> and<a href="https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/">&nbsp;Nvidia</a> realize they’re going to have to work together on those standards to realize the metaverse expectations.Games such as Fortnite are proof of concept that a whole economy can be built out of virtual goods, or that events in virtual space can draw huge amounts of people, said Badault at Ledger. Epic Games said an in-game concert by rapper and singer Travis Scott in 2020 drew more than 12.3 million concurrent Fortnite players online.“There are a lot of technological problems to be solved, and that will take some time, at least 10 years,” Badault said. “But we’re going to see a lot of cool things between now and then.”’Just as today’s mobile ecosystem would have been considered fantastical two decades ago, predicting the future of the metaverse risks venturing into the realm of speculation – especially as tech giants such as&nbsp;<a href="https://abc.xyz/">Alphabet</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apple.com/">Apple</a> and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aboutamazon.com/">Amazon</a> have yet to detail their vision for the metaverse. But the foundations for this technological revolution are being laid down now.&nbsp;Petit, Borget and Badault will speak about their visions for the future of the metaverse alongside other Web3 experts at VivaTech. Don’t miss their session on Friday, June 17.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.vivatechnology.com/news?ca=FPRSB4T3X">Get your tickets.</a>

large_thesandbox.jpg

medium_thesandbox.jpg

small_thesandbox.jpg

thumbnail_thesandbox.jpg

The Metaverse: What Fortnite and The Sandbox Can Tell Us About the Future Internet

VivaTech News

Latest news

VivaTech 2022 Survival Guide: Get Ready to Experience the Future

In case you missed it

11 Minority entrepreneurs who are redres...

Autonomous vehicles: The self-driving an...

Scale-up with These 10 Speakers from Top...

Tech Radar: May’s Innovation Reveals

Virtual Offices: A Work in Progress

The Metaverse: What Fortnite and The San...