Varjo Unveils ‘Teleport’ Service for Seamless Real-World Scanning into VR

Varjo, well-regarded for its premium XR headsets, has unveiled an innovative smartphone-based 3D scanning service designed for enterprise use. This new tool, named Teleport, offers users the power to swiftly construct photorealistic environments that can be explored in virtual reality as well as viewed on traditional displays.

Teleport is available as a paid app, enabling users to capture and reimagine real-world locations in just 5 to 10 minutes—a significant speed improvement over more conventional photogrammetry techniques. It’s compatible with a broad range of devices, including iPhones and iPads equipped with iOS 17 or later. This includes models starting from the iPhone XR and the 8th generation iPad and upwards.

The digital models created by Teleport, referred to as “digital twins,” are accessible across various platforms, be it on smartphones, personal computers, or through exploration with Varjo’s XR headsets, as well as other prominent PC VR devices. The underlying technology capitalizes on breakthroughs in Gaussian Splatting and NVIDIA GPU-enhanced generative models. These 3D models are processed in the cloud and subsequently rendered on the user’s device. Notably, an internet connection is only necessary for the initial model download, leaving you free to explore it offline thereafter.

Teleport is priced at $30 per month, though Varjo is providing a seven-day free trial for new users. By subscribing, users gain access to a diverse array of captures—viewable in varying quality levels through both a web interface and a desktop client tailored for top-tier quality.

This introduction of Teleport aligns with Varjo’s efforts to broaden its Series D funding, attracting new investors including Beyond Capital, Nishikawa Communications, and NVIDIA. Although the precise amount of the latest funds raised haven’t been specified, Varjo shared that this brings their total lifetime funding to around €180 million, or roughly $188 million USD.

The company plans to use the fresh investment to bolster the adoption of its XR tech solutions in industrial settings. Varjo’s CEO, Timo Toikkanen, emphasized that they’ll be harnessing AI and machine learning to more seamlessly blend real and virtual worlds, aiming to boost productivity and efficiency across their industrial clientele.

In parallel, Meta is also diving into a similar space with a product called Horizon Hyperscape, which was announced back in September. Initially launched as a demo to present Meta’s vision of photorealism, Horizon Hyperscape will eventually allow creators to construct virtual worlds using just a phone to scan and recreate environments. However, Meta has yet to specify when this service will be widely available to the public.