Jaunt was founded in 2013, right when the first Oculus Rift DK1 was released. Upon gaining access to the headset we immediately saw the potential for what could be the evolution of media, and a new way of experiencing content. In that moment we decided we were going to dedicate ourselves to making transformative experiences: something that could virtually transport you to far away places — hence the name Jaunt.
Early on we understood that the promise of virtual reality extended beyond the specific medium itself, into an immersive reality. VR was the gateway to breaking the fourth wall that traditional media was confined to, allowing for experiences that could extend into new dimensions.
As VR production tools began to mature, so did the medium itself. Producing VR content is no longer relegated to those with a highly technical background. Because of the maturation of tools, VR content creation is much more accessible to artists who can now focus on the creative process as opposed to the technical hurdles. As a result, VR is becoming ever more ubiquitous, to a point where it is on the verge of mainstream. At the same time, we are seeing other forms of immersive content gain momentum, ready to take their place in what will ultimately be a continuum of immersive media.
Looking out on the technology landscape, the pieces are in place for there to be a massive evolution in media. When you bring to bear advancements in VR, AR, mobile devices, machine learning, 3d sensing, computer vision, computational geometry, compression algorithms, and massively parallel processing, a whole new paradigm of possibility begins to emerge.
In the summer of 2017, I decided to renew my focus on R&D and build a team of smart researchers and engineers. Together we are exploring ways Jaunt can exploit these technical advancements and ultimately evolve what the media landscape has to offer, opening new markets and forging a new wave of innovation. None of this is easy, and we are often pushing the limits of what is possible, but i’ve always held that hard problems are worth solving.
This is the first post in a series of blogs from the Jaunt R&D team that will share more about the problems we are solving and how we’re working to help build the future of media. Stay tuned for our next update on the Jaunt Blog.
Interested in joining us? Explore job opportunities with our R&D team here: https://www.jauntvr.com/careers/