On March 2, the fifth DIGIREAL lunch meeting took place. The subject of this edition will be volumetric capturing. This fast-growing video technique captures a three-dimensional element, such as a person, location or performance for an optimal and immersive viewing experience. 
Guest speaker: Natasja Paulssen, 4DR Studios
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We invited Natasja Paulssen from 4DR Studios to inspire and inform us about this emerging technology. 4DR Studios is the first and only volumetric video studio in the Netherlands and one of the few high-quality volumetric video studios in the world. From simulating live performances to bringing historical figures to life; Natasja tells us all about the areas of application, the current state of the art and the future of the technology. 

During the fourth DIGIREAL lunch meeting on February 2, experts Mark de Graaf shared his knowledge on smart interactions: interactions in which technology is used to help users achieve their goals in a way that feels as natural as possible. With spoken or written text, image recognition or even gestures. Using a voice command to make a phone call in your care while driving, for example. As algorithms get smarter, what is needed to make them really good? What does that imply for the design of virtual humans, or smart environments?

The December edition of the DIGIREAL online lunch meetings was all about digital humans. We know them from deep fakes and videogames, as virtual fashion models and as virtual humans that assist in training and educational settings. 

To illustrate the wide variety of options within the world of digital humans, we invited the following experts to share their knowledge:
- Carlos Santos is the leader of the VIBE project at Breda University of Applied Sciences. This project develops virtual humans that are realistic digital replicas for conversational AI and medical training. They use real-time rendering, fully integrated text-to-speech, live facial animation and deep learning systems.
- Desiderio Cano Porras is a Postdoctoral Researcher at Tilburg University with a focus on human interaction with virtual humans. How do you built the avatars? How do we perceive them when we interact with them and what barriers do we still need to remove? 
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On Thursday 24 November, from 15:00-20:00 CET at the Belgian National Comic Arts Museum, Zandstraat 20, Brussels  DIGIREAL will be presented at the Neth-ER annual conference and networking event as an example of how ecosystems can contribute to the green & digital transitions impact. The digital reality transition of digital humans, digital environments and digital twins, is going so fast; if you work and invest alone, you will start to lag behind.

On Monday 7 November, we will start with a new series of DIGIREAL expert meetings. And as the name of this first edition suggests, we would like to take you on a virtual safari. Afterwards, we will discuss the virtual experience, the improvements for future projects and how (joint) research can contribute to this. 

Programme
12:30 h: Walk-in with lunch
13.15 h: Explanation Maker Space Lab of the Effenaar
13.30 h: Virtual Safari
15.00 h: Joint research discussion
16.00 h: Closing of the event

Location
The expert meeting will take place at pop venue Effenaar in Eindhoven. More information on how to reach the venue by public transport or by car can be found here. 

Lunch
A fully vegetarian lunch will be provided at 12.30 pm. Do you have any allergies? Then please contact us. We will take this into account.
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We are very much looking forward to meeting each other.

​From October, an online seminar will be organized every first Thurday of the month, from 12:00-13:00 CET. Physical meetings will also be planned in the future.

Are you interested in attending this session? Or would you like to register for another upcoming virtual lunch meeting? Then please fill in this form.
​You will receive an email with the latest practical information in the run-up to the session. These events are open to anyone who is interested in Digital realities.

The second edition of the DIGIREAL Lunch Meeting is entirely dedicated to Digital Twins.
During the session, we will be informed and inspired by two experts in the field: Guido van Gageldonk and Jeroen Borst.

​Feel free to join via this Zoom link.
​Meeting ID 991 7442 1627
​Password: 805827

​From October, an online seminar will be organized every first Thurday of the month, from 12:00-13:00 CET. Physical meetings will also be planned in the future.

Are you interested in attending this session? Or would you like to register for another upcoming virtual lunch meeting? Then please fill in this form.
​You will receive an email with the latest practical information in the run-up to the session. ​These events are open to anyone who is interested in Digital realities.