Hoppin’ Virtual Reality Telepresence Platform Teleports Users in Lockdown

Location-based multi-user immersive communication in real time and pre-recorded 360 videos allows anyone to meet together anywhere in the world - saving money and time without needing anyone to be physically present.

Imagine being able to give a face-to-face guided tour of a location without needing the host or the attendees to be present on site.

A new VR communications technology is helping forward-thinking companies deal with travel restrictions, and ushering in a new era of group virtual reality telepresence. The Hoppin’ platform, created by Montreal startup Hoppin’ World, leverages 360˚ videos and pictures taken by Insta360 cameras to “teleport” users to any location at any time.

Hoppin’ is a VR-optimized SaaS platform that enables real-time and pre-recorded multi-user, 360-degree virtual reality telepresence, breaking down the barriers of time, money, distance and physical presence. You can download a free version of the app from the Oculus store and use your Oculus Go headset to access locations in VR. Within the app, you can browse locations, invite others and interact with each other’s custom avatars.

The free public version of the application gives users a way to see the world with friends and family from the safety of their home. And for companies, it gives businesspeople the ability to visit any facility, location or experience without needing to take flights or public transportation.

Check out how the platform works in the video below. https://www.youtube.com/embed/6XnNdZLQxqA

Virtual reality telepresence platform allows companies to give fully-remote guided tours

The global lockdown has forced companies to start thinking about alternative ways to meet and connect remotely. There are many existing solutions, including social VR platforms like AltSpace and Spatial, video conferencing platforms like Zoom, Teams and Google Hangouts, or other telepresence solutions that require someone to be physically present on site.

“Until now, there was no viable solution for fully-remote guided tours of real-world locations such as real estate tours, travel planning, showroom showcasing, manufacturing plant visits, remote training, site inspections, and location surveying,” said Joaquim Miro, Founding Partner of Hoppin’ World.

virtual reality telepresence camera — *Studios from all around the world use Insta360 cameras to upload locations onto the Hoppin' platform from their clients, like this one at the Olympic Stadium in Montreal.*

“Hoppin’s virtual reality telepresence technology now enables anyone to meet anywhere, regardless of where they are in the world. We’ve removed the necessity of physical presence to have location-based face-to-face meetings, allowing people to connect on the same deep level as if they were actually together in person. We hope this empowers companies by giving them a tool to push forward in these times where global travel is difficult, if not impossible.” said Jean-Nicolas Vandelac, Founder & CEO of Hoppin’ World.

Mel O’Connor, CEO of the sports training system Okkulo, became one of the first to use Hoppin’ to showcase and sell his facility to football clubs in-(virtual)-person. “Rather than having to fly general managers to see my facility, I send them a headset and meet them directly in the facility, giving them a live tour of what I have to offer,” said Mel.

“Most of my clients are all around the world, so with the current lockdown I can’t fly them to the UK. Being able to give them a live tour as if we were face-to-face has transformed my sales process and made it so much easier to bring on new clients. I don’t think I’m ever going back to my previous process as this is faster and saves both time and money.”

Mel O'Connor Okkulo — *Mel O’Connor uses VR to showcase his facility to football clubs and give live guided tours, regardless of where he or they are in the world.*

Creators can allow users to meet within their 360 footage

The Hoppin’ platform also empowers VR production studios by providing a new clever use for the 360˚ content they film for their clients.

Hoppin’ can accommodate video footage from any Insta360 camera that can shoot 4K and above, giving 360˚ video studios and independent creators an immediate new revenue stream.

The Hoppin’ platform supports both pre-recorded 360 content and live streaming directly from a 360 camera. Users can move from location to location by clicking on mobility dots, as if they are walking around in real life.

Since launching on the Oculus Store in November 2019, over 15 studios and creators have partnered with Hoppin’. People can now meet together within their content, interacting with the 360 footage in a new innovative way.

“360 video offers unparalleled realism in telepresence applications,” said Michael Shabun, Insta360 VP of Marketing, North America. “With an end-to-end solution spanning hardware and software, creators now have the ability to achieve the closest thing to real world teleportation.”

The Hoppin’ platform is available for any company that would like to give remote tours. After qualification, the Hoppin’ team will put you in touch with partner 360˚ studios that use state-of-the-art Insta360 equipment, to ensure the utmost virtual tour quality. Or if you are interested in capturing or live streaming your own tours, Insta360 can ship anything from an Insta360 ONE R camera to an Insta360 Pro 2 directly to your team at the location that needs to be ‘virtualized’.

The Hoppin’ virtual reality telepresence service is a VR SaaS solution, meaning it is an affordable pay-as-you-go monthly or yearly service. Interested companies and 360 studios can reach out at marketing@hoppin.world or can visit https://hoppin.world to Go Virtual.

About Hoppin’ World

Hoppin' is the world’s first Multi-User VR SaaS solution that allows businesses, organizations and experience providers to teleport their prospects and clients/users directly into their location/experience using 360° videos (pre-recorded or live). With an Oculus Go, marketers and sales teams can hop in the VR app and meet whoever they want as avatars to give them in-(virtual)-person guided tours of any real world locations of their choice without either party needing to be physically present.

About Insta360

Founded in 2015, Insta360 makes boldly innovative cameras that help people capture and share their lives. The brand’s ONE series cameras pioneered the use of a compact dual-lens design to redefine what’s possible with an action camera. The ONE series brings together groundbreaking stabilization, the ability to easily capture drone-like aerial angles, and the freedom to reframe a shot in any direction after the fact — all in a palm-sized device. Insta360 also offers a premium range of ultra-high-resolution professional VR cameras. Their best-in-class imaging and streamlined workflows make it easy for filmmakers to jump into immersive content production.

Keen to keep up to date on Insta360 stories? Keep an eye on our blog and sign up for our mailing list. You can also contact our Enterprise team directly to see how 360 cameras can benefit your business.