Since 2018 Virtualeap has been at the cutting edge of combining neuroscience and virtual reality to help increase attention levels, and address cognitive illnesses, disorders, and learning challenges.

On this episode, Amir Bozorgzadeh, Cofounder and CEO of Virtualeap is back to tell us all about the release of Cogniclear VR, an immersive cognitive screening test that uses gamified scenarios to assess a wide range of crucial cognitive abilities and collect extensive cognitive and behavioral data to enable early intervention, for better health outcomes.

We dive into the ongoing challenges of designing accessible apps for cognitive testing, leading a start up at the intersection of emerging tech and health care and how Virtualeap has survived change like “a reed in the wind.”

You can support Zero to Start by subscribing on your favorite podcast platform, give us a rating, and share this episode with your community. Follow our podcast page on LinkedIn!

Thanks for listening, happy installing!

FEATURED LINKS:

Virtualeap.com

VIDEO: Cogniclear VR Trailer

Impact of EnhanceVR on working memory and inhibitory control of young adults with intellectual development disabilities.

BLAST FROM THE PAST:
Improving Brain Health with Enhance VR - Zero to Start podcast episode
Birdly simulator

CONNECT WITH AMIR
LinkedIn

CONNECT WITH SICILIANA
LinkedIn
sicilianatrevino.com

Former NASA AI scientist turned VR creative director and producer, Nathalie Mathe, has been pushing the boundaries of VR since the early days of the Oculus DK1 and DK2.

From creating visual effects on blockbuster films like Total Recall, Fast & Furious6, Skyfall, and The Dark Knight Rises to directing and supervising cutting-edge VR projects for Google, Facebook, JauntVR and Condition One, Nathalie is a powerhouse of innovation and artistry.

She’s also the founder of NativeVR, an independent VR studio in California, and has taught VR & Immersive Media at UC Berkeley, Drexel University, and University of the Arts.

She currently teaches at Northeastern University’s College of Art, Media, and Design, in The Game Science and Design MS program at Mills College.

On today’s episode, Nathalie shares how her Hollywood work propelled her to the forefront of pioneering techniques in photogrammetry and 360 video to create groundbreaking entertainment and social impact stories—including U-Turn, her award-winning interactive VR comedy that raises awareness of the gender gap in tech.

She takes us through the importance of transparency, ethics and scientific approaches to studying immersive tech and AI, and how following her intuition about the future has shaped her successful career.

Plus Natalie offers her advice for aspiring creators looking to break into the rapidly evolving industry.

You can support Zero to Start by subscribing on your favorite podcast platform, give us a rating, and share this episode with your community. Follow our podcast page on LinkedIn!

Thanks for listening, happy installing!

FEATURED LINK:
Master of Science in Game Science and Design, Northeastern University, Oakland

BLAST FROM THE PAST:
VIDEO: Uturn Trailer
VIDEO: Jaunt VR app trailer
VIDEO: Oculus Developer Kit 2 trailer

MORE RESOURCES:
Unity
Unreal Engine
Godot Game Engine
Foundary / Nuke VFX Software - Compositing, Editorial and Review
Touch Designer by Derivative

CONNECT WITH NATHALIE:
LinkedIn

CONNECT WITH SICILIANA:
LinkedIn
sicilianatrevino.com

GameDriver enables video game developers, testers, and producers to automate playtesting; improving time to market, test coverage, and overall quality and revenue.

The company brings over 30 years of test automation expertise to the massive gaming industry, as well as Enterprise - where next-gen user experiences are built using gaming technologies including AR and VR, to deliver consistent, repeatable testing to the app development process.

XRDriver is an Auggie nominated developer tool that addresses sector-specific needs with Advanced XR testing.

Joining me on the podcast to tell us more about GameDriver's powerful results and how developers can increase productivity on their XR games and enterprise apps is Shane Evans, Co-founder at GameDriver, Product Strategy and Go-to-Market.

Shane is a pioneering Product Management leader who has led mature, market-leading products and introduced new products, and solutions to fit changing market and business needs for HP, HSBC and more.

His ability to fuse a passion for games with cutting-edge innovation and enterprise solutions gives him a unique and invaluable perspective on the industry.

You can find him at GDC, AWE and and other global conferences.

Visit GameDriver.io to get your free trial of GameDriver and download their exclusive resource to discover the strengths and gaps in your testing process.

Thanks for listening! You can support the podcast by subscribing on your favorite podcast platform, give us a rating and connect with us on our LinkedIn page.

Special thanks to Noah Langer

FEATURED LINKS:

• Getting Started with Video Game Test Automation using GameDriver
• XR Driver
• GameDriver on GitHub

GAME ENGINES / MORE RESOURCES:

• Unity
• Unity: DOTS
• Unreal Engine
• Unreal Engine: MASS
• Godot Game Engine
• How to get a job as a video games tester - GamesIndustry.biz
• The crucial role of software quality assurance in gameplay development - Software testing magazine

CONNECT WITH SHANE:

• LinkedIn

CONNECT WITH SICILIANA:

• LinkedIn
• sicilianatrevino.com