Understanding emotions through eye gaze and brainwave data…experiencing drone control at home
Prototype development to be completed in the first half of next year, turning brilliant ideas into reality

From real-time brainwave analysis for learning ability assessment, to '3D Smart Stadium', and 'virtual reality (VR)-based drone racing games'…

SK Telecom announced that it has begun developing 5G services utilizing 5G augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) together with 3 venture companies.

The 3 venture companies selected this time are AR/VR-related R&D companies expected to be representative services of the 5G era: ▲3D Smart Stadium (Redbird Inc.) ▲VR content-based emotion analysis (Lucid Labs Inc.) ▲Drone immersive experience (Eloise Inc.).

The new 5G-based services to be developed this time are ideas selected from the '5G Immersive Media & Convergence Service Contest' jointly hosted by SK Telecom and Unity Korea* to foster the domestic 5G ecosystem, as part of the 5G Future Service Demonstration Project*.

SK Telecom and Unity Korea are providing technical consultation including AR/VR research personnel support and measuring instruments and terminal device support to assist in 5G service development. The two companies plan to complete prototype development with the selected venture companies in the first half of next year and review full-scale commercialization feasibility.

VR-based drone racing and brainwave/eye gaze analysis, 3D Smart Stadium, etc.

The 'VR content-based emotion analysis' proposed by Lucid Labs is a service where when users wear a dedicated head-mounted display (HMD) and use VR content, the HMD measures brainwaves and sends information to a 5G network server, which then performs real-time analysis. Cognitive and emotion analysis will be conducted based on eye gaze and brainwave data, and its application scope is expected to be broad, including educational content and advertising effectiveness measurement.

Redbird's '3D Smart Stadium' uses 3D modeling technology to display the stadium in three dimensions on mobile devices. It is a service that provides useful information such as the location of convenience facilities and emergency evacuation routes through a 3D stadium implemented in the mobile device's web browser when visitors actually visit the stadium. In the future, by reflecting player characters and game content in real-time, customers will be able to experience what it's like to be at the stadium.

Eloise's 'drone immersive experience' is a drone racing game that composites real footage filmed using drones with 3D avatars and aircraft, allowing users to feel as if they are directly controlling the drone.

The plan is to not only realistically express drone movement and collisions but also enhance the realism of the game by converting variables such as drone characteristics including weight, speed, acceleration, and durability as well as external conditions such as wind speed and direction of the stadium.

Chae Yong-wook, CEO of Lucid Labs, stated, "This is a great opportunity to create content applying our user cognition/emotion analysis solution in a VR environment in the 5G era," and expressed expectations, saying "Through collaboration with SK Telecom, we will expand the VR-based user analysis solution to various applications in the future and challenge entry into global markets."

Choi Jin-sung, Head of SK Telecom's Comprehensive Technology Institute, stated, "We will create successful models together with technology-capable small and medium-sized enterprises to achieve two goals: platform business innovation and fostering a 5G service ecosystem."