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Korea’s largest VR·AR EXPO

The Seoul VR-AR EXPO 2018 (SVAE 2018, hereafter) is an event where one could experience the present and glimpse the future, and is Korea’s largest VR marketplace where huge numbers of VR and AR related developers, investors, and distributors participate. This year’s event was attended by over a hundred companies that showcased new technologies relevant to virtual reality.
SVAE is differentiated from other events in that it mainly consists of exhibitions only. As expressed by the tag line written above the booth of one of the exhibitors, “One VR is worth a thousand words,” most booths were built to support direct VR and AR experiences. Shouts and exclamations usually heard at amusement parks burst out throughout the hall.
In particular, the Monster VR booth, which introduced not only games but also various videos and child psychology content geared towards expanding the VR theme park market, was packed with spectators waiting their turn. In contrast to existing theme parks that require vast areas, the Monster VR booth gave the anticipation that fully realistic experiences will be made possible even in small spaces.

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Going beyond simple entertainment to become part of our daily lives

Project X, also visited by many, was a collaborative project by three Korean AR and VR technology companies with ambitions to open the doors to expanded reality (XR) by converging the technologies of AR, VR, and MR. The booth, showing off extravagant images and soundtrack using projection mapping technologies, was equipped to let visitors enjoy VR and AR experiences within.
While most experiences required the visitors to don head-mounted displays (HMDs), Obake Hunter drew popular attention with its experience that did not require an HMD. With a game of catching monsters emerging from all around without the need for any sensors or equipment on your body, it was popular especially among family visitors.
In addition, the event presented a wide range of content in which VR and AR were converged with other sectors such as education, industry, military, and tourism, including a medical VR that simulated an operating theater in VR as well as a VR shopping mall where the mall was created in VR and users were able to purchase goods directly within. This EXPO was particularly significant in that it demonstrated how the VR-AR industry could be expanded into various areas of our daily lives outside of its current focus simply on entertainment content such as games and videos.

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Oasis as seen in the movies; when will it be realized?

At the exhibition hall, a variety of accompanying events including presentations of new projects and products took place, showcasing new VR and AR products for the first time either in the world or in Korea. Events also included an IR Day that helped link investors and participating companies.
In particular, at the Seoul VR·AR Conference held over two days on April 19 and 20, experts from around the globe spoke about the latest trends and knowledge. The director in charge of the Asia Pacific region for Niantic, the company that raised worldwide interest in augmented reality with Pokémon Go, emerged as the first speaker and proposed a new definition of AR through their Harry Potter game currently in development. Also, Will Mason, the founder of the global VR media company Upload VR, shared his vision and insight on mixed reality. In addition, renowned developers from Korea and around the world were present in full force to spend time looking at the present and future of virtual reality.
At a recent event held in Daejeon, Director Yi Gil-haeng (ETRI Creative Content Research Division) forecast that a complete virtual reality similar to Oasis in Ready Player One would be realized around 2040. Looking around at the various technologies shown at this EXPO, it felt as if Oasis could become a reality in our lives sooner than expected, since science and technology have always changed our lives with speed that surpassed our predictions. We can hardly wait for the VR·AR EXPO to come again next year with even newer technologies.