Pantomime at GamesBeat 2016

Lightning round speakers at GamesBeat teach us how to do the right thing

David Levitt, CEO at Pantomime, described the Pantomime Platform, the company’s software for interactive consumer augmented reality that runs across mobile devices, personal computers, and VR headsets. Pantomime’s software libraries let users reach in and interact in shared virtual worlds using their mobile devices, providing a connected, networked experience with the kind of AR now familiar to all of us in Pokémon GO. The difference? It is networked over Wi-Fi and includes vivid 3D graphics, realistic physics, and 3D models of all the participating phones, tablets, and computers.

Since it was a bit rushed, here’s the full text of Levitt’s presentation:

Happily, Mass Consumer Augmented Reality has arrived early.

Michael Capps, our emcee from GamesBeat’s AR/VR Day, now says he was wrong when predicted in February that Augmented Reality was 5 years away.

People tend to assume interactive virtual worlds require a wide angle stereo headset that blocks out the world.  That augmented reality is even harder — digitally merging those 3D worlds with live video.  That it would take several years and a billion dollars for Magic Leap or Apple to achieve it.

Meanwhile, over the past month, hundreds of a millions of consumers have been enjoying very simple AR in Pokemon GO.

And that’s been great for our startup Pantomime.
Because we’ve already created an advanced, networked consumer augmented reality software platform that runs on mobile, computers, and VR headsets, and can help create a revolution in games.

We call it the Pantomime Platform.
Stereo VR headsets are supported — but they’re OPTIONAL.
So the real world isn’t necessarily blocked out.

You interact using your tablets and phones — as paddles, viewers, and more.

ROGER RABBIT vs THE TERMINATOR

And it’s not Terminator style AR, where you’re looking passively at video through a layer of Metadata that describes it.  It’s Roger Rabbit style AR, where you reach in and interact, and might grab Roger by the ears and chuck him across the room.

With Pantomime:

• any consumer screen into a portal into virtual worlds.
• any mobile device becomes a kind of a Wii paddle for AR, and
• any PC or Mac becomes a new kind of AR game console.

Every screen becomes a magical pane of glass that lets you see into a shared virtual world from its own point of view.

NEW KIND OF AR
It’s a new kind of synchronously networked Augmented Reality that uses 3D models of our phones, tablets, our hands holding them, our laptops, TVs, tables and floors.

When you balance a mobile device on a virtual table in Pantomime, you can hear and feel its corners click against the surface — even if you’re holding it in mid air.  When you grab a mobile device with your thumb on the screen, Pantomime knows where your wrist is and provides realistic leverage to accurately bat a ball or pet a creature.

MOBILE AND PORTABLE
And most important, it’s completely mobile and requires no setup.
No tracking cameras, lasers, magnets or special rooms.

Pantomime’s patented methods provide accurate mobile tracking along with easy navigation via screen gestures, using the sensors in ordinary mobile devices.

MAKE AR/VR A LIFESTYLE, NOT A NOVELTY
This transforms AR/VR from a Nerdy Novelty into an easy Consumer Lifestyle.

Suddenly, playing in interactive virtual worlds is something anyone can do anytime, anywhere.  And it’s social, not isolating — you can make eye contact and look over peoples’ shoulders while they play.

ON RAMPS TO CONSUMER VIRTUAL REALITY
Since Pantomime does support VR headsets, and lets people who have them play in realistic worlds with people who don’t, it’s a perfect On Ramp for virtual reality.

We’re working with leading VR companies who realize their expensive products can become wide angle stereo upgrades to easy experiences a billion consumers are already having.

We’re working with leading brands with franchise IP that, like Pokemon, has content well suited to populate interactive virtual worlds for their millions of fans.

COMING UP —
Augmented reality is here and with Pantomime, real-time networked AR is right around the corner.  It’s way more social and less expensive than most of us thought, and it’s arriving sooner.  Join us for a wild ride.