The main protagonist, Zak Jaiathe of Xibit
If only I could watch from a distance
My interest in Virtual Reality began with a simple longing: “If only I could catch a glimpse of those I cannot meet in person, even from afar.” When I first studied theater in Berlin, I learned about the acting theory of Michael Chekhov, a Russian-born actor. My teacher, while describing Chekhov’s acting, portrayed it with such vividness.
However, my question was always this: “How do you know so well if you’ve never seen him in person?” Chekhov had many disciples who diligently recorded his acting and classes. Thus, his theories were passed down from mouth to mouth, notebook to notebook. But I always felt a lingering regret: “If only I could have seen his acting just once, I could have felt and learned it so much better…”
Of course, some footage remains. In Alfred Hitchcock’s 1945 film Spellbound, Michael Chekhov was even nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. But what I wanted wasn’t that grainy, low-quality video. I wanted Mr. Chekhov himself to come and demonstrate his acting in person.
10 years have passed, but this photo still remains on our school website. One of the best things I did in Berlin was learning Chekhov’s acting theory at this school. ©mtsb.de
VR + AR = Mixed Reality (MR)?!
The reason I brought up this old story is that I realized we might have reached a technological level where what was impossible 10 years ago is now potentially possible. Earlier this year, the VR human documentary Meeting You, produced by MBC, garnered explosive responses, reaching about 22 million views and approximately 49,000 comments on YouTube. A mother who lost her 7-year-old daughter to sudden leukemia was briefly reunited with her through VR technology.
After watching this video, I saw infinite possibilities. Could we meet separated families from the North, or relatives far away who we cannot see due to COVID-19? Of course, the key challenges are time and cost.
In Berlin, a tourist attraction called Timeride was developed where you can put on VR glasses and travel through East Germany before reunification. Although I had seen many photos and read books about East Germany, I was curious about the feeling of experiencing it through VR. So, as soon as it opened, I visited the place near Checkpoint Charlie.
My impression? I expected a smooth, realistic experience, but it was below my expectations. Upon entering, you first look at some simple materials about the division of Germany. Then, you listen to the life stories of three people from East Germany and choose one to be guided by through the VR screen. Sitting in a small model bus and wearing VR glasses, you just watch graphics where the pixels are so visible it’s obviously fake. I felt it would have been better to watch an old documentary from the East German era, and the 14-euro admission fee felt like a waste.
Beyond VR, which provides a fully immersive experience by cutting the user off from the real world, there is also AR (Augmented Reality), which overlays virtual information on the real world. Using the Google Translate camera on a menu to read it in Korean is a result of the AR technology we use frequently. Also, AR games like Pokémon GO drew explosive interest, and the tvN drama Memories of the Alhambra, inspired by Pokémon GO, was an interesting content that sparked debates among VR tech enthusiasts about the feasibility and technical accuracy of the technology shown.
The drama
However, experts say that Memories of the Alhambra is more accurately described as MR (Mixed Reality) rather than just AR. MR takes the best of both VR and AR while prioritizing interaction with the user. While it looks similar to AR, the technology differs in terms of object and spatial recognition because it must interact with the user.
Currently, the leader in MR technology is Microsoft’s HoloLens. First revealed in 2015, HoloLens caused a sensation every time it was showcased, demonstrating games like Minecraft or FPS games with holograms on the hands. Time magazine even selected HoloLens as the best electronic device of 2015. HoloLens is currently only available as a developer edition, with plans to wait until enough content is secured before a full consumer release.
HoloLens 2 has been released. ©microsoft
Xibit - An MR Software Startup at Factory Berlin
Immediately after I moved into Factory, COVID-19 broke out, so I could barely use the space. Occasionally, I met several startup founders, consultants, and staff through online networking. I happened to connect with Zakaria Jaiathe, the founder of Xibit, through Factory and LinkedIn networking simultaneously. We exchanged messages about grabbing a coffee, and that’s how we met. I was interested in Xibit’s MR technology, and Zakaria was interested in expanding into Korea.
Zak, CEO of Xibit © Eunseo Yi
Originally from Morocco, Zak came to Germany in 2014 to join the German software company SAP. Starting as a software engineer, he became the Technical Lead (Office of CTO) for the AR/VR domain after five years. He has an impressive career, including serving as a mentor and judge for the Google Developer Group. Later, he decided to start his own venture in the VR field, founding Xibit with co-founder and CPO Abdeljalil Karam, and became a resident startup at Factory Berlin.
As the name suggests, Xibit develops MR software specialized for exhibitions and trade fairs. In other words, they create “Brand Experiences” where consumers can directly experience products through MR at various exhibitions.
Although founded only about a year and a half ago, there are many indicators of Zak and Xibit’s activity and potential. Xibit won the 2019 Beautiful Software Awards and took 1st place at the 2020 Luxury Innovation Award, even being featured in Forbes. Furthermore, Zak was named one of the Top 100 Founders by Business Punk and was listed in the VR/AR Market Report: Germany for Q2 2020. However, seeing as it is still registered as a UG*, it can be considered an early-stage startup.
*UG: Unternehmergesellschaft (haftungsbeschränkt), a private limited liability company that can be established with as little as 1 euro in capital. It can be converted into a GmbH (limited liability company) once it reaches over 100,000 euros in earnings.
Currently, there are seven employees, many of whom are freelancers working flexibly rather than full-time. Since they haven’t received significant investment yet, they strive to participate in various startup competitions and awards and hold many webinars and presentations to create investment opportunities. In particular, since they are a startup supported by Factory Berlin, Zak mentioned that the biggest advantage of Factory is the opportunity to meet various large corporate investors.
Currently, they are investing most heavily in perfectly implementing 3D sound technology within the MR domain. Additionally, as the demand for non-face-to-face exhibitions due to COVID-19 increases, they are putting a lot of effort into marketing. Below is a Q&A with Zak.
Q. It seems Xibit’s technology could be widely used in the field of artistic experiences. For example, in times like the current COVID-19 pandemic, aren’t all theaters and exhibition halls closed?
A. That’s exactly where Xibit started. An early project related to an art exhibition became the catalyst for starting Xibit. Our goal was to implement technology so that artworks and audiences could interact and experience each other—not just a simple experience, but one where the technology works intuitively. But, as you know from your background in theater, the arts aren’t very profitable, right? Despite our heavy early investment, we didn’t receive much financial help. So, we shifted our focus entirely towards a commercial direction, looking at trade fairs and commercial tech exhibitions. We placed the greatest emphasis on developing intuitively so that it could be implemented with simple gestures from the user.
Zak explaining Xibit’s technology in detail © Eunseo Yi
Q. Demand might have actually increased due to this COVID-19 pandemic. How is the situation?
A. The response hasn’t been as large as expected yet, but we’re trying to leverage it. Even at IFA, the Berlin consumer electronics fair, which was held both online and offline this time, various technical attempts were seen, such as LG using holograms for presentations. However, since people were so disappointed they couldn’t attend the fair offline, they didn’t imagine new technologies. But our software can be a great solution for the COVID era. To let customers experience products, MR glasses and software can make it possible even if the fair isn’t held. I see it as an opportunity.
Q. What hardware are you currently using?
A. We operate in partnership with Magic Leap, so we primarily support Magic Leap. However, we also have the technical capability to utilize HoloLens and Nreal.
Q. Do I need to learn anything special to use Xibit’s software?
A. We provide a separate tutorial service for customers. However, it’s designed to be very intuitive and user-friendly, so it takes less than a minute to learn.
Q. How is your life as a founder?
A. 90% of my life is work related to Xibit. I spend 5% on sleeping, and the remaining 5% on watching Korean dramas.
Q. Korean dramas?
A. It’s the most interesting content in the world. Actually, my ex-girlfriend was Korean. It’s a long story from here… (laughs)
Shall we start something fun with Xibit?
Thanks to Zak, who knows Korea well, we could naturally talk about Korean culture and technology without me having to explain much. We finished our brief coffee meeting with excitement about each other’s possibilities.
The future of MR looks particularly promising. As people spend more time at home, interest in technologies that allow for better experiences is growing. It is clear that it will be utilized as a form of digital content not only in games, video, and film, but also in education, healthcare, and tourism.
Also, what will happen when the recently rapidly developing IoT technology meets MR technology? I’m curious about how Xibit will position itself within the various ripple effects that will be discovered in the future. Shall I go and start something fun with my Factory friend?
Eunseo Yi
eunseo.yi@123factory.de