One of the most vibrant areas in the technology sector is that of augmented, virtual and mixed reality. As the Cupertino company prepares its Apple Glasses, we continue to see dramatic progress on this front. And now, Apple just hired a real genius behind one of the most stunning creations we’ve seen so far.
Stargazer recreates the universe on Oculus…for a short time?
Emanuel Tomozei is an immersive designer specializing in virtual and augmented reality technologies. He worked in several companies such as PwC in the UK and the World Bank, as a consultant and developer of these technologies. He also founded his own company a few years ago.
In December 2021, Facebook held its XR Hackathon, a mixed reality competition in which participants innovative or unique use of technology developed in Meta. At the end of it, three winners were designated and a special mention for a fourth in different categories. That’s where Tomozei comes in, who finished third in the Presence Platform Track category, with a prize of $25,000.
For the hackathon, Tomozei created Stargazer, a mixed-reality simulator of the night sky. Yes you can see the result in the video demo that accompanies this entry, absolutely incredible. The user can open through their Oculus Quest 2 glasses a door to the night sky directly on the ceiling of the room. Doors and windows to this world can also be opened from the simulator itself, as specified by the creator in a YouTube video.
Emanuel used the prize money to create a demo available for free on the Oculus platform. Uploaded to the platform just five days ago, four days later, Emanuel Tomozei announced on his LinkedIn who had been hired by Apple. The designer will be in charge of developing prototypes of AR/VR experiences for the Cupertino company. Is this why Tim Cook told us recently to be attentive while smiling?