Varjo, known for its top-tier XR headsets, just unveiled an exciting new venture: a smartphone-based 3D scanning service designed specifically for enterprise use. This service, promising swift creation of photorealistic environments, can be experienced both in VR and on standard displays.
This innovative application, named Teleport, offers users the ability to capture and digitally recreate real-world settings in just 5 to 10 minutes. Varjo highlights this as a significant improvement over the usual time-consuming photogrammetry techniques. For those interested, the app supports iPhones and iPads running on iOS 17 and later—meaning if you own an iPhone XR or a newer model, or an Apple 8th gen iPad or later, you’re all set to use it.
Once these “digital twins” are created, they can be viewed on smartphones, PCs, and through Varjo’s XR headsets or even other popular PC VR headsets. The whole process hinges on advances in Gaussian Splatting and NVIDIA’s GPU-trained generative models. These 3D models get processed in the cloud but are rendered on your device. What’s great is that you only need an internet connection to download the model initially—after that, you’re free to explore without needing to be online.
Teleport is offered at $30 a month, but Varjo is providing a seven-day free trial for new users. By signing up, you gain access to numerous captures for free in both standard and high-definition through its web viewer, plus the option to see top-tier quality captures via their desktop client.
The launch of Teleport isn’t happening in isolation. Varjo also announced an expansion of its Series D funding round, bringing on board fresh investors like Beyond Capital, Nishikawa Communications, and NVIDIA. While the exact amount raised wasn’t disclosed, Varjo mentioned to Road to VR that their total funding has reached roughly €180 million, about $188 million USD.
CEO Timo Toikkanen stated that this investment will be fundamental in pushing forward the adoption of Varjo’s XR hardware and software solutions in industrial sectors. The company plans to harness AI and machine learning to seamlessly integrate real and virtual worlds, boosting productivity and efficiency for its industrial clientele.
On a related note, Meta is developing its own similar offering aimed at consumers: Horizon Hyperscape, announced back in September. This demo showcases Meta’s aspirations for photorealistic environments, and allows creators to “build worlds within Horizon by scanning a room with a phone.” However, Meta hasn’t yet specified when this service will be broadly available.
