#3D Machine Vision

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Revolutionizing Industries: A Comprehensive Exploration of the Transformative Power of 3D Machine Vision Technology

Introduction

Machine vision technology has experienced a remarkable evolution in recent years, with the integration of 3D capabilities emerging as a pivotal game-changer across diverse industries. This article delves into the exciting trends and advancements in 3D machine vision technology that are reshaping how we perceive and interact with the world. From the realms of manufacturing and healthcare to the burgeoning field of autonomous vehicles, 3D machine vision is driving innovation and offering solutions to complex problems.

1: 3D Machine Vision in Manufacturing Industries

A. Robot Guidance In manufacturing, the adoption of 3D machine vision has triggered a significant paradigm shift, particularly in quality control and production processes. One of the key trends in this sector is the application of 3D machine vision in robot guidance. These systems are increasingly employed to guide robots in intricate tasks like pick-and-place operations, ensuring unparalleled precision and flexibility in manufacturing lines. This not only enhances efficiency but also paves the way for a new era of automation where robots can navigate complex environments with ease.

B. Defect Detection Another crucial application of 3D machine vision in manufacturing is defect detection. The technology showcases its prowess in capturing and analyzing 3D data, enabling the identification of defects and inconsistencies in products. This has a direct impact on reducing waste and improving overall product quality. As manufacturing processes become more intricate, the ability of 3D machine vision to discern subtle defects plays a pivotal role in maintaining high standards across industries.

C. Bin Picking The automated process of bin picking is a cornerstone of modern manufacturing, and 3D machine vision has revolutionized this aspect. 3D vision systems can now adeptly identify, locate, and pick objects with varying shapes and sizes from bins, optimizing efficiency and flexibility in manufacturing processes. The integration of 3D vision in bin picking not only streamlines operations but also minimizes errors, leading to increased productivity and cost-effectiveness.

2: 3D Machine Vision in Healthcare

A. Surgical Assistance In the realm of healthcare, the implementation of 3D machine vision has ushered in new possibilities for diagnostics, surgery, and patient care. Surgical assistance, for instance, empowers surgeons to utilize 3D machine vision for enhanced precision during surgeries, particularly in procedures like laparoscopy. The technology provides a more detailed view of a patient's anatomy, thereby reducing risks and improving recovery times. As 3D machine vision becomes more refined, it is poised to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of surgical procedures.

B. Medical Imaging The impact of 3D machine vision on medical imaging cannot be overstated. The technology contributes significantly to the development of advanced medical imaging techniques, including 3D CT scans and MRI. These innovations offer a more accurate and comprehensive understanding of a patient's condition, allowing healthcare professionals to make informed decisions about diagnosis and treatment. The integration of 3D machine vision in medical imaging is a testament to its potential to revolutionize patient care and diagnostics.

C. Telemedicine Telemedicine has witnessed significant improvements with the incorporation of 3D machine vision. Remote diagnostics and consultations benefit from the enhanced visual data provided by 3D technology, enabling doctors to assess patients more effectively. The detailed visual data allows for more accurate diagnoses, facilitating timely and appropriate medical interventions. As telemedicine continues to gain prominence, the role of 3D machine vision in remote healthcare is set to become increasingly indispensable.

3: 3D Machine Vision in Autonomous Vehicles

A. LiDAR Integration The rise of autonomous vehicles is intricately linked to the integration of 3D machine vision technology. One of the prominent trends in this nascent field is the integration of LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) sensors. Combined with machine vision, these sensors enable autonomous vehicles to create real-time 3D maps of their surroundings. This not only enhances navigation but also plays a crucial role in ensuring the safety of occupants and pedestrians. LiDAR integration showcases the potential of 3D machine vision to revolutionize transportation and redefine the future of mobility.

B. Object Recognition Object recognition is a fundamental aspect of autonomous driving, and 3D machine vision plays a pivotal role in this domain. The technology can identify and classify various objects on the road, including pedestrians, cyclists, and other vehicles. This capability contributes to safer and more efficient autonomous driving, as the vehicle can make real-time decisions based on a comprehensive understanding of its surroundings. The integration of 3D machine vision in object recognition marks a significant step towards achieving the goal of fully autonomous and safe transportation.

C. Environmental Awareness In the realm of autonomous vehicles, environmental awareness is a critical factor for ensuring safe and reliable operation. 3D machine vision provides systems with the ability to assess road conditions and adapt to environmental changes, such as road construction or adverse weather conditions. This capability enhances the overall reliability of autonomous vehicles, making them more adaptable to dynamic and unpredictable scenarios. The incorporation of environmental awareness through 3D machine vision is a testament to the technology's potential to redefine the future of transportation.

4: The Transformative Role of 3D Machine Vision As explored across diverse industries, 3D machine vision technology is demonstrating a modern and fundamental role in reshaping the way we approach various processes. The ability to capture and process 3D data empowers machines and robots to perceive and understand the world in ways that were once reserved only for humans. This transformation is not limited to specific sectors but extends across manufacturing, healthcare, and autonomous vehicles.

A. Evolution of Technology The continuous evolution of technology is a driving force behind the innovative applications and advancements witnessed in 3D machine vision. As hardware and software capabilities improve, the precision and efficiency of 3D machine vision systems are expected to reach new heights. This evolution will likely lead to the development of even more sophisticated applications, making our lives safer, more efficient, and more connected than ever before.

B. Uncharted Territories The field of 3D machine vision is still in its early stages, with numerous uncharted territories waiting to be explored. As technology continues to evolve, we can anticipate the emergence of novel applications and solutions that go beyond our current understanding. The dynamism and embryonic nature of 3D machine vision make it an exciting field to watch, with the promise of continual developments that will shape the future of various industries.

C. The Future of 3D Machine Vision Looking ahead, the future of 3D machine vision holds immense promise. The technology is poised to become an integral part of industries, playing a central role in enhancing efficiency, precision, and safety. From revolutionizing manufacturing processes to redefining healthcare and shaping the landscape of autonomous vehicles, 3D machine vision is at the forefront of technological innovation.

Conclusion In conclusion, the integration of 3D machine vision technology is transforming industries across the board. From the intricacies of manufacturing to the intricacies of the human body in healthcare and the complexities of navigating the roads in autonomous vehicles, 3D machine vision is leaving an indelible mark. As we stand on the cusp of unprecedented technological advancements, the journey of 3D machine vision is one that promises continual exploration, innovation, and transformative impact. Stay tuned for more developments as 3D machine vision shapes tomorrow's vision today

To Know More Visit: https://www.mvrpl.com/

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your annual hate post for the new soulless 3d animated disney movies

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3d Machine Vision Market - Forecast(2024 - 2030)

3D Machine Vision System Market Overview

3D Machine Vision System Market Size is forecast to reach $5.9 billion by 2027, at a CAGR of 11.9% during forecast period 2022-2027. The need for inspection of flaws and controlling a specific task of industrial operations is motivating the utilization of 3D Machine Vision Systems in process control and quality control applications. Additionally, the growing penetration of automation and robotics across various industries and rapid advancements in industrial technologies along with the need for higher productivity are boosting the deployment of 3D Machine Vision Systems. These systems encounter wide range of applications in various industry verticals including oil& gas, aerospace, transportation, automotive among others and are able to serve their inspection needs with the available types such as PC-based and smart camera based 3D Machine Vision Systems. 3D Machine vision systems have been utilized for a number of growing applications including object recognition, automatic inspection, Optical sorting as a real time information for robot controllers. This will drive the market significantly.

Report Coverage

The report: “3D Machine Vision System Market Report– Forecast (2022-2027)”, by IndustryARC covers an in-depth analysis of the following segments of the Brushless DC Motor market

By Product Type: PC Based, Smart Camera Based By Component: Hardware (Camera, Frame Grabber, Lighting, Processor, Optics), Software (Application Specific, Deep Learning) By Application: Quality Assurance and Inspection, Position Guidance, Measurement, Identification, Pattern Recognition and Others By End Users: Automotive, Electrical and Electronics, Healthcare, Consumer Electronics, Aerospace and Defense, Logistics, Security and Surveillance, Printing, ITS, Machinery, Packaging, Food and Beverage and Others By Geography: North America (U.S, Canada, Mexico), South America (Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Others), Europe (Germany, UK, France, Italy, Spain, Russia and Others), APAC (China, Japan India, Australia and Others), and RoW (Middle East and Africa)

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Key Takeaways

The rising need for advanced manufacturing in the U.S have increasingly demanded the use of 3D Machine Vision Systems.

The market players are majorly opting for various strategies such as product launch, partnership and agreements and collaborations to gain market traction and further penetration to explore the hidden opportunities in upcoming trends including Industry4.0

Recognizing trends and irregularities in production processes early on machine vision paves the way for realizing the smart factory of the future. Machine vision ensures safety in production process as well as quality in the end product.

3D Machine Vision System Market Segment Analysis - By Component

3D Machine Vision System and components market is led by cameras which are estimated to surpass $3.2 billion by 2027 majorly driven by the advancements in imaging technology. The 3D Machine Vision System industry is expected to grow during the forecast period due to continued evolution of CMOS image sensors, rise in demand for automation in industrial applications and increased investments in R&D of smart camera and software by key players, such as Cognex Corporation, Teledyne Technologies, Inc., Keyence Corporation, and others. The global 3D Machine Vision Systems and components market has increased due to the rapid penetration of automation across several industry verticals. Moreover, the development of advanced sensors and software algorithms capable of offering precise and microscopic inspection in high speed production lines is escalating the growth rate of the market. Machine Vision market is estimated to witness significant growth in the coming years, on account of increased adoption in various industries for automatic inspection and control of machines or processes by capturing and interpreting and analyzing an image.

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3D Machine Vision System Market Segment Analysis - By End Use Industry

Automotive industry is expected to witness a highest CAGR of 14.1% the forecast period, owing to increasing investments, and funds for semiconductors has been providing opportunities for adoption of automation technology which further set to drive the demand of connectors in semiconductor industry. These systems encounter wide range of applications in various industry verticals including oil& gas, aerospace, transportation, automotive among others and are able to serve their inspection needs with the available types such as PC-based and smart camera based 3D Machine Vision Systems. Investments by the U.S automakers for strengthening of the manufacturing of automobiles with increasing integration of recent robotic vision technologies in vehicles is accompanying the growth of the robotic vision market in the U.S. Industry revenue is projected to continue grow due to this development.

3D Machine Vision System Market Segment Analysis - By Geography

3D Machine Vision System market in Europe region held significant market share of 38% in 2021. The investments are rising for electric, connected and autonomous vehicles and this in turn The U.S. accounted a huge market base for Machine Vision due to the growing adoption of 3D Machine Vision System technology by vision companies continues to witness exploration for new applications in a variety of industries. which are driving the machine vision market driven by a push from companies such as Google and Verizon. The rising initiatives in Middle East and Africa for the increasing need of automation is set to propel the machine vision market. The growth of manufacturing industry in Africa and Middle East (AME) is expected to grow at a rate of 14.2% between 2021 and 2025 thereby significantly driving the market

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3D Machine Vision System Market Drivers

Growing Demand for Smart Cameras

Smart cameras often support a 3D Machine Vision System by digitizing and transferring frames for computer analysis. A smart camera has a single embedded image sensor. They are usually tailored-built for specialized applications where space constraints require a compact footprint. Smart cameras are employed for a number of automated functions, whether complementing a multipart 3D Machine Vision System, or as standalone image-processing units. Smart cameras are considered to be an effective option for streamlining automation methods or integrating vision systems into manufacturing operations as they are cost-efficient and relatively easy to use. There is a huge demand for smart cameras in industrial production as manufacturers often use them for inspection and quality assurance purposes. Smart cameras are growing at a 9.7% CAGR with Machine vision being a premier use case. Thus, increasing demand for smart cameras will drive the 3D Machine Vision Systems market growth in various industrial applications.

Increasing need for quality products, high manufacturing capacity

3D Machine Vision Systems perform quality tests, guide machines, control processes, identify components, read codes and deliver valuable data for optimizing production. Modern production line are advanced and automated. Machine vision enables manufacturing companies to remain competitive and prevent an exodus of key technologies. Recognizing trends and irregularities in production processes early on machine vision paves the way for realizing the smart factory of the future. Machine vision ensures safety in production process as well as quality in the end product. As a result of this, according to an IDG survey by Insight, 96% of Companies surveyed think computer vision has the capability to boost revenue, with 97% saying this technology will save their organization time and money across the board.

3D Machine Vision System Market Challenges

Lack of awareness among users and inadequate expertise

The robotic vision technology is rapidly changing, with new technologies emerging constantly, and new tools coming to market incredibly fast to make tackling automation problems easier. In the past decade alone, the robotic vision market has seen the introduction of more advanced sensors in terms of both smaller pixels and larger sensors, software platforms that continues to be more accurate, and lighting which is growing brighter and becoming more efficient. The high cost of the research and development in robotic vision and the lack of awareness among users about the rapidly advancing robotic vision technology are key factors likely to hinder the market to an extent.

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3D Machine Vision System Industry Outlook

Product launches, acquisitions, Partnerships and R&D activities are key strategies adopted by players in the market. 3D Machine Vision System top companies include

Cognex

Omron Corp

Sony Corp.

Panasonic Corp.

Microscan

Basler AG

Keyence Corp.

National Instruments

Sick AG

Teledyne Technologies

FLIR

Recent Developments

In July, 2021 Cognex launched its new series of vision software “VisionPro” for industrial machine vision enabling customers to combine deep learning and traditional vision tools in the same application.

In March 2021, Omron launched FH-SMD Series 3D Vision sensors for robotic arms enabling space-saving assembly, inspection, and pick & place and other applications.

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The 3D Machine Vision Market Analysis: Boosting Productivity

3D Machine Vision Industry Overview

The global 3D machine vision market size was valued at USD 6.43 billion in 2023 and is projected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.9% from 2024 to 2030. Increasing demand for quality inspection and automation in various industrial verticals is likely to drive the machine vision market. Additionally, need for vision-guided robotic systems across automotive, food & beverage, pharmaceutical & chemical, and packaging segments is expected to fuel market growth. The surge in demand for application-oriented machine vision systems is also boosting the adoption of technology over the forecast period. 3D machine vision (MV) systems involve the ability of a computer to observe, inspect, and scrutinize work performance by employing one or more video cameras, digital signal processing, and analog-to-digital conversion. Captured data is then transferred to a computer to analyze and provide desired output.

Sensitivity and resolution are two important aspects of any machine vision (MV) system. Resolution is responsible for differentiating between objects, whereas sensitivity is the machine's ability to detect objects or weak impulses despite dim lights or invisible wavelengths. These systems play a crucial role in supervising work environments and offer features such as process control, robotic guidance, and automatic inspection in industrial applications. Industrial production and manufacturing activities are becoming increasingly complex, leading to challenges and greater unreliability for the human eye to accurately detect, observe, and examine production activities.

Gather more insights about the market drivers, restrains and growth of the 3D Machine Vision Market

The technology is witnessing high adoption in industrial operations and is significantly replacing manual inspection and measurements due to the increasing need for efficient and reliable inspection and measurements. Machine vision systems utilize smart cameras and image processing to perform measurements and inspections.

The technology is gaining considerable traction across various industrial verticals, including food and packaging, automotive, pharmaceuticals, and others, owing to its abilities, such as improved object detection, enhanced analysis, monitoring tolerance, and accurate component measuring. All these factors are expected to boost the global market's growth over the forecast period. However, the lack of efficient system operators due to inadequate training is a restraining factor that is likely to hinder the smooth growth of the market.

Key Companies profiled:

• Cognex Corporation • Keyence Corporation • Sick AG • ISRA Vision AG • Basler AG.

Key 3D Machine Vision Company Insights

Some prominent players in the market include Cognex Corporation (U.S.), Basler AG (Germany), Keyence Corporation (Japan), Sick AG (Germany), and ISRA Vision AG (Germany).

• ISRA VISION GmbH is a manufacturer and provider of surface inspection systems. The company’s products are used for quality and surface inspection, including image processing systems, focused on the arena of 3D machine vision. Its machine vision system comprises lightning components, sensor devices, hardware, software, and mechanical elements such as high-resolution cameras and fast-switching LEDs.

• Basler AG develops and manufactures digital cameras for medical devices, traffic systems, industrial applications, and video surveillance. The products offered by the company include PowerPack Microscopy equipment; network cameras; 3D cameras for applications in logistics, industrial image processing, imaging, and inspection; area scan cameras for factory automation and traffic monitoring; and line scan cameras for sorting procedures and quality assurance.

Browse through Grand View Research's Category Next Generation Technologies Industry Research Reports.

• The global printed and chipless RFID market size was valued at USD 5.30 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 21.2% from 2024 to 2030. Advancements in printing technologies and materials science have significantly enhanced the performance and reliability of printed and chipless RFID tags.

• The global computer aided manufacturing market size was estimated at USD 3.47 billion in 2023 and is expected to grow a CAGR of 9.4% from 2024 to 2030. This growth can be attributed to the increasing adoption of automation and digitalization across manufacturing industries.

3D Machine Vision Market Segmentation

Grand View Research has segmented global 3D machine vision market report based on offering, product, application, end-use, and region:

3D Machine Vision Offering Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2017 - 2030)

• Hardware o Camera o Frame Grabber o Optics o LED Lighting o Processor • Software o Application Specific o Deep Learning Software

3D Machine Vision Product Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2017 - 2030)

• PC Based • Smart Camera Based

3D Machine Vision Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2017 - 2030)

• Quality Assurance and Inspection • Positioning and Guidance • Measurement • Identification

3D Machine Vision End-use Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2017 - 2030)

• Automotive • Pharmaceuticals & Chemicals • Electronics & Semiconductor • Pulp & Paper • Printing & LabelingFood & Beverage (Packaging and Bottling) • Glass & Metal • Postal & Logistics • Others

3D Machine Vision Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2017 - 2030)

• North America o U.S. o Canada o Mexico • Europe o Germany o U.K. o France o Italy o Spain • Asia Pacific o China o Japan o India o South Korea o Singapore • South America o Brazil • Middle East and Africa (MEA)

Order a free sample PDF of the Market Intelligence Study, published by Grand View Research.

Recent Developments

• In February 2022, Basler AG extended its 3D range with an industrial-grade stereo vision series. Basler Stereo Cameras enable robots to comprehend their environment in real-time.

• In May 2021, HALCON 21.05, the latest upgrade for the machine vision software suite, was released by MVTec Software Gmb. The Generic Form Matching feature that minimizes the number of operators and unifies HALCON's shape matching algorithms into a single set of operators, is a major highlight of the upgrade.

• In March 2021, OMRON Corporation announced the launch of the FH-SMD series 3D vision sensor. The launch aims to mount the sensors on a robot to enable recognition and inspection, space-saving assembly, placement of bulk automotive parts in 3D, and pick & place to implement automation and improve productivity.

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The Evolution of 3D Machine Vision Market in Industrial Applications

The 3D machine vision market was valued at USD 1.5 billion in 2020 and is projected to reach USD 2.4 billion by 2025; it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 9.4% from 2020 to 2025.

The rising awareness of consumers about product quality has led to an increased demand for quality inspection and automation of end products. A growing number of companies are focusing on automation systems to reduce their production costs post-COVID-19 But due to the lockdown across countries, companies are facing severe cash flow issues and are deferring new projects related to the implementation of 3D machine vision in their factories.  The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has caused disruptions in economies and supply chains, thereby causing companies operating in different industries to adopt a global supply chain model. A number of manufacturing companies have halted their production, which has collaterally damaged the supply chain and negatively impacted the 3D machine vision market.

APAC held the largest market share in the 3D machine vision market between 2020 and 2025 The 3D machine vision market in APAC is expected to hold a major market share during the forecast period as countries in APAC such as China, Japan, India, and South Korea have some of the largest manufacturing facilities wherein automation of manufacturing processes has been taken as the highest priority. Also, strong competition among consumer electronics companies in APAC is likely to boost the adoption of machine vision systems in the region. The growing awareness about and demand for high-quality and zero-defect products has fueled the need for 3D machine vision in inspection-related applications in the manufacturing fields.

Download PDF: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=4125387

The key players in the ecosystem of the 3D machine vision market profiled in this report are OMRON Corporation (Japan), Keyence Corporation (Japan), Cognex Corporation (US), Basler AG (Germany), National Instruments (US), ISRA Vision AG (Germany), TKH group (Netherlands),  Stemmer Imaging (Germany), MVTec Software GmbH (Germany), and Tordivel AS (Norway).

Cameras expected to lead  hardware segment for 3D machine vision market The 3D machine vision market for hardware is expected to hold the largest share during the forecast period. The cameras segment in hardware is projected to grow at the highest CAGR from 2020 to 2025. Cameras in machine vision systems play an important role in capturing 3D images. The high demand for high-quality images and quick image processing is fueling the growth of the cameras segment of the market. The smart camera-based machine vision system is expected to grow at a faster rate during the forecast period as smart camera-based machine vision systems are cost-effective, compact, and flexible since it is easier to implement changes in these systems based on revised regulations and standards. In addition, with the advancements in smart camera technology and IoT, which can be easily be integrated with smart cameras, and the penetration of the smart camera-based machine vision systems is likely to increase in the next few years.

Positioning & Guidance to hold the highest share among Smart Camera-based applications in the 3D machine vision market during the forecast period The smart camera-based systems segment of the 3D machine vision market for positioning & guidance is expected to grow at the highest CAGR as well as will hold the largest share from 2020 to 2025. This is because the smart camera-based 3D machine vision systems are mostly preferred by manufacturers for flexible robotic vision inspections for processor development and the round-the-clock operations. The automotive industry increasingly depends on robotic vision inspection technology.

Food & beverages in industrial vertical to grow at the fastest rate in the 3D machine vision market during the forecast period The 3D machine vision market for food & beverages is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. This growth can be attributed to the use of 3D machine vision in the food industry as several companies use 3D machine vision systems for application-specific solutions in the areas of grading, sorting, portioning, processing, quality checking during processing, and packaging. The market is also expected to witness stable growth during the COVID-19 crisis owing to the increasing global demand for food and beverages. Also, the growing food production capacity and the increasing automation in the food industry in APAC are fueling the growth of the market for food & beverages in APAC.

Postal & Logistics to hold the largest market in the non-industrial vertical for 3D machine vision market during the forecast period The 3D machine vision market for postal and logistics will hold the largest market share in the non-industrial vertical during the forecast period. 3D machine vision-based autonomous navigation (self-localization, obstacle detection, docking) helps in providing the required flexibility and free-navigation capability in crowded environments, for inter-cell transportation logistics services. However the outbreak and spread of COVID-19 have impacted the postal and logistics activities as most of these services remained shut across the world.

[nasa]

Hubble Space Telescope: Exploring the Cosmos and Making Life Better on Earth

In the 35 years since its launch aboard space shuttle Discovery, the Hubble Space Telescope has provided stunning views of galaxies millions of light years away. But the leaps in technology needed for its look into space has also provided benefits on the ground. Here are some of the technologies developed for Hubble that have improved life on Earth.

Image Sensors Find Cancer

Charge-coupled device (CCD) sensors have been used in digital photography for decades, but Hubble’s Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph required a far more sensitive CCD. This development resulted in improved image sensors for mammogram machines, helping doctors find and treat breast cancer.

Laser Vision Gives Insights

In preparation for a repair mission to fix Hubble’s misshapen mirror, Goddard Space Flight Center required a way to accurately measure replacement parts. This resulted in a tool to detect mirror defects, which has since been used to develop a commercial 3D imaging system and a package detection device now used by all major shipping companies.

Optimized Hospital Scheduling

A computer scientist who helped design software for scheduling Hubble’s observations adapted it to assist with scheduling medical procedures. This software helps hospitals optimize constantly changing schedules for medical imaging and keep the high pace of emergency rooms going.

Optical Filters Match Wavelengths and Paint Swatches

For Hubble’s main cameras to capture high-quality images of stars and galaxies, each of its filters had to block all but a specific range of wavelengths of light. The filters needed to capture the best data possible but also fit on one optical element. A company contracted to construct these filters used its experience on this project to create filters used in paint-matching devices for hardware stores, with multiple wavelengths evaluated by a single lens.

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[mit]

Video: Melanie Gonick/MIT

A team of engineers has developed a new 3D inkjet printing system that utilizes computer vision for contact-free 3D printing, letting engineers print with high-performance materials they couldn’t use before.

Learn more.

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Altered State: Part 1

IDK if anyone on here will be interested in this story, its kind of a long and slower but thought I would post it anyways. More parts coming next week!

Most great adventures start with a call to arms, a quest from on high, a declaration of purpose to serve the greater good. Edward’s and Leon’s started with a question asked through a mouthful of chips.

“Wanna play this new game dude?” Leon asked words barely intelligible. He stood in the doorway of their living room, his fat frame blocking most of the light. In one hand he held a bag of chips and in the other, he held up an unfamiliar battered keep case, the type that held video game disks inside. The thing had a red and blue design that Edward didn't recognize. 

“I guess. What is that thing, will it work on my Wii?” Edward asked. He lay on the couch, long thin body taking up the whole thing but sat up and moved over to make room for his roommate. 

Leon shook his head “I don’t think so dude, it's like super retro.” He walked over to the TV and started fiddling with the row of older consoles that belonged to their third roommate Alvis trying to see if any could accommodate the game. "It was free though." He said as he found the right one, an extremely retro blocky thing Edward was surprised even accepted disks. Leon booted up the system, the familiar hum of the machine filling the space. “I got it from that comic shop down the street. This buff dude at the counter just handed it to me. Said he thought I would put it to good use.”

“Alvis would kill you if he knew you were touching that,” Edward warned, always the one to show more caution. 

“Fuck Alvis. If he didn't want it to be used he shouldn’t have bought it” Leon countered. Neither of the two were particularly big fans of their other roommate, but Leon especially hated his guts. He only let the guy live with them because it made the rent cheaper and because Alvis’ weird retro tech fit in with their decor of half-finished Lego sets, empty pizza boxes, and superhero posters, and because for the most part, Alvis left the two friends alone, spending all his time in the engineering building or fiddling with tech in his room.

Leon opened the case and took out a dusty disk, growing on it to reveal the title “Altered State” and the manufacturer HunkTech, neither of which either Leon or Edward had ever heard of. Leon put the game back into Alvis’s video game console and pressed play. The TV flickered for a moment, then exploded with color so bright it forced both of them to squint. Flashes of neon light, strange symbols, and spinning images seared into their eyes, leaving dancing after images. Neither of the friends could look away, their senses overwhelmed by the pulsating lights that burned into the back of their brains. And just as suddenly as it started, the TV went black and both friends came back to themselves.

“Oh shit" Edward muttered, blinking rapidly to clear his vision. "Your game just fried the TV!Alvis is going to kill you.”

Leon opened his mouth to defend himself but before he could a green holographic display blinked into existence, floating in the air right in front of him. Growing text marched across the living room floor reading:

"Welcome to Altered State.”

Leon’s jaw dropped. "Uh, Ed? You seeing this?”

Edward stood motionless for a moment too shocked to speak. “What the fuck” he breathed “What's going on?”

Both of their holograms shifted to display naked, pixelated 3D models of the two friends, hanging awkwardly in midair. 

“Eww, what the hell,” Leon said. He tried to avert his gaze but the images followed the motion of his head and stayed even when he shut his eyes. 

Neither of the projections was a particularly flattering sight to behold.  Leon’s short, heavy frame was rendered in painful detail—his soft belly, narrow shoulders, pudgy limbs, and average penis were all fully extenuated under the brutally detailed holographic projection. Edward’s model didn’t fare any better. Tall and spindly, his twig-like arms and knobby knees, paired with a notoriously ugly face, gave him the appearance of a scarecrow. Edward was not helped much in its attractiveness by the acne on his face, the greasy thin hair on his head, and the pitifully small penis between his legs fully visible in the naked light of the hologram. 

“Your the one with your dick in my face.” Edward shot back, cheeks flushed with embarrassment at the display.  

The hologram flickered again, and new text appeared below both their models:

Analyzing subjects…

The text began to blink as new displays blinked into existence on the peripheral of both their vision, only really notable if focused on. Various menus that displayed statistics quests and a list perks were all there, though all were currently blank. The words level one along with an empty an empty progress bar beneath appeared at the top of their filed of view, though only visible to themselves and not the other. 

Neither of the two friends had time to examine the new features in detail as the words under their models shifted again.

“Analyzing Purpose: Class Selection”

"Class selected: Juggernaut.” Appeared under Leon’s character. 

Leon blinked. "Juggernaut?" he repeated, unsure what to make of the development.

Edward snickered, “I think that's the fantasy term for fatty.”

But before Leon could respond, Edward’s display changed too:

"Class selected: Snake Charmer.”

“What like I’m going to play the flute?” Edward asked.

It was Leon's turn to laugh. “No bro, the game just called you a homo.” 

It took Edward a second to understand. “Not funny,” he said swatting his best friend on the arm, blushing somehow harder. “This is seriously messed up. We need to go to the hospital or something.”

“Relax charmochondriac, don't you see what’s happening?” 

“Group psychosis?” Edward guessed.

“No dude, we are in a video game, and we fucking rule at video games.”

“Leon” Edward said warningly. Before he could say more though quests populated onto both their displays.

“Dude chill this is awesome. My first quest is easy too. I bet I can get level ten before you.”

Edward wasn’t as ready to accept this rapid series of unexplainable events but he also wasn’t ready to let his best friend think he was a chicken. “Fine. I’ll meet you back at the house when I kick your ass.”

Leon laughed and with that both boys raced out the door, shoving each other playfully to get out first. From there both took off to opposite sides of campus, towards their various objectives and their differing yet intimately intertwined destinies. 

-

Leon raced, or his version which was something between a fast walk and an awkward jog, across campus to his first quest. It seemed easy enough: “Go to the gym” it read. Leon wasn’t exactly one for physical fitness but he at least knew where the health center was from campus orientation tour.

Despite his slow pace by the time he reached it he was out of breath. For a moment he stood in front of automatic double doors, panting and intimidated. He stuck out like a sore thumb on this part of campus, dressed in the ratty strained Superman shirt and baggy shorts his protruding belly and wild unkempt hair stood in stark contrast to the muscular adonis in low tank tops and tall fit women in matching sports sets who brushed by him without a second thought. Mustering his courage Leon walked through the doors and into the gym. His ears were greeted by the sound of slamming weights, rhythmic grunts, and a small ding as he completed his first quest and leveled up. He watched as the experience bar filled fully, bumping his level up to two and filling his vision with notifications. The bar continued to fill until it had reached halfway to the next level. A notification appeared in a gray box with plain white blocky text.

You have reached level two. You receive attribute points based on your class: +3 Strength, +1 Charisma +0.3 Intelligence.

Leon grinned as he felt himself change. He couldn’t actually feel himself getting smarter or more charismatic. He wasn't sure if that was because those were more cognitive stats or if it was because the increase was marginal compared to his strength. Either way, it was a strength that Leon felt himself receive. It wasn't much. Leon didn’t suddenly become a hulk or a bodybuilder but he felt something shift. His shoulders widened slightly, his chest inflated a bit and his butt became less saggy. A single vein buried deep in the layers of fat in his arm engorged itself with blood and snaked its way to the surface, pushed upwards by growing muscle and diminishing fat. He felt physically stronger, faster, like he might be able to actually run a bit without throwing up. He didn't actually look all that different, a quarter of an inch taller, a few pounds shifted from fat to muscle, but inside he felt amazing, electric, like this is what he was made for. Leon suspected that feeling had to do with the other notification waiting for him just below the first.

“You have gained a class perk.”

“Gym Rat: as a juggernaut, you feel comfortable in all athletic spaces.”

Leon felt all his worries and insecurities about being in the gym fade away. He scanned his student ID and strode past the muscled jock at the front counter confidently, flashing him a smile and a slight wave. Leon felt just as comfortable in the gym as if he was at the comic book shop, no more, he felt like he was at home chilling with Edward, like he could do anything and give a damn about who judged him. Leon knew he should be concerned about how this game had physically changed his body and mind so easily but he was too invigorated, too electrified, and he had another quest to do. 

“Do a push-up.” It read simply. 

Leon hadn’t tried to do a push-up since 8th grade gym class but he felt confident he was capable of it with the boost to strength he had received. Leon weaved through the various machines and stations manned by the university’s resident hunks and athletes, some gave him dirty looks but most looked right through him. Leon found he couldn’t care less. He found a corner of the free mat and assumed the push-up position. Despite the recent slight boost to his athleticism, it was a task easier said than done. Leon went down as far as he could until he felt his arms begin to shake, about an inch, then pushed himself up with substantial effort.

To his disappointment, the quest still read as incomplete. He reasoned it must be due to his, form. He tried to go lower but ended up face-first on the mat, unable to push himself up. He went to his knees and did a push-up but that didn’t count either. Nor did a push-up with his butt out in the air, or one in which he rested on the ground for a few seconds in the middle. Leon was about to give up when he saw a guy around his age approach. 

He didn't have the same gorilla bulk as some of the huge men in the gym but his body was visibly lean and defined through his tee-shirt, maybe a runner. “Need any help there” he asked. Leon couldn’t tell if he was being genuine or mocking but his new total comfort in the gym provided by his “Gym Rat” perk made him not care. 

“I’m trying to do a push-up.”

“Just one?” The guy asked with a grin. 

“Gotta start somewhere,” Leon said humbly. 

“Your problem is your stance.” He said. He instructed Leon to assume the plank position and then went about correcting Leon’s form. His arms were too close together, his core was not properly engaged, back not fully straight. The man introduced himself as Cal and then instructed Leon to try again. Leon tried another pushup lowering his body slowly “Lower, lower” Cal called Leon and complied though his face turned red and he wanted to die. Cal didn't let him stop till the tip of his dick was practically touching the mat. Then he went back up, slowly and with more exertion than he had ever used in his whole life. 

He was rewarded with a ding and a slew of notifications. 

“You have reached level three. You receive attribute points based on your class: +3 Strength, +1 Charisma +0.3 Intelligence.” 

“You have gained a class perk.”

“Perfect Form: as a juggernaut, you instinctually know the proper form to maximize the performance of any athletic endeavor.”

Leon felt his body shift again from where it lay crumpled on the mat. His stomach deflated slightly, and under his man boobs pecs started to form. His legs lengthened a bit causing his shorts to only reach his knees instead of past them. The changes were as small as the first but Leon couldn’t help but feel amazed. He tried to do another push-up and found that his body now naturally assumed the perfect position without him having to think about it. With his new points in strength, he was able to push out another perfect military-style push-up, and two more before he flopped down onto the mat, fully spent.

“You're getting the hang of it,” Cal said smiling. If he had seen Leon's body change he made no indication. “good luck on your workout,” he called out as he left.

“Yeah see you around man” Leon called after him. He felt on cloud nine. At this rate, Leon would reach level 10 by the hour. On cue, two more quests appeared for him to complete. He wondered how Edward was doing, if he had even gained one level by now. Maybe once Leon had power gamed his way into OP status he could help his friend with a quest or two. 

-

Edward walked across the quad at a brisk pace. He would have run if his bony arms and legs didn't make him look like a chicken when he did. Edward wasn’t quite as sold on this whole bizarre real life video game thing as Leon was but he also wasn’t about to let Leon leave him in the dust. Edward's first quest was pretty simple if non-specific, “be within 50 feet of 30 or more people”. 

Edwards tendency to avoid large crowds gave him the advantage of knowing exactly where they often were. The coffee shop by the quad came right to his mind. At this time of the day, the place was packed with students either leaving or going to their mid-day classes. The place terrified Edward, the thought of so many eyes on him, judging him, mocking him, and yet Edward reasoned there was no harm in at least checking the place out, it not as if the quest required him to talk to anyone. 

As he walked Edward wondered at the game. Leon, true to self had accepted the game right away without question. If his friend was muscular instead of fat he might be called a himbo. It wasn’t that he was dumb, he was getting a degree in public health, but he also didn't have a habit of thinking things through particularly throughly. Their freshmen year Leon had built a glider out of the shower curtain and broke his arm jumping off the second floor of their dorm with it. And last year Leon had thought it was a good idea to subscribe to some shady porn website that had given his computer a virus so corruptive even tech wizard Alvis couldn’t remove it. 

Though they were inseparable best friend Edward was the opposite. He was much more cautious about everything, sometimes to irrational extremes. Last semester Edward had almost dropped out because he was too nervous to get approval for his classes from his sociology advisor. If he was scared of his sixty-five year old sweet as candy professor talking to guys he liked was surly out of the question, not that he would have any hope of success with his appearance. 

As Edward walked across the quad he avoided eye contact with students crowded onto the open green sitting and chatting or throwing frisbees. Edward felt drowned in the sea of people, though the lawn wasn’t nearly dense enough to fulfill the quest. 

The line for the coffee shop was out the door which made him want to throw up. He walked slowly forward waiting for the quest to complete. Finally, when he was only a few feet away, practically in line the quest was fulfilled and his experience bar to level two filled fully.

Edward heard a “ding” in his head and several notifications filled his vision startling him.  

“You have reached level two. You receive attribute points based on your class: +3 Charisma, +1 Intelligence +0.3 Strength.”

“You have gained a class perk.”

“People Person: Those around you feel your natural charm and are more likely to accept you in a neutral or positive way, potentially even striking up a conversation.”

Edward felt a strange itch on his brow and a pressure on his jaw but ignored it. He didn't know what to make of the messages. The stats seemed somewhat consistent with role-playing video games, and he supposed the break down made sense with his class. Still, he wasn’t sure how something like charisma would be incorporated into real life, nor his new People Person perk. As a sociology major Edward knew all too well how complex human interaction was. The perk seemed to imply that not only would the game be changing him but also the people around him and their perceptions. He wasn’t sure if that was even possible not to mention ethical.

“Introduce yourself to a stranger,” the next quest said popping up on the side of Edward's vision. That more than any ethical quandary made Edward scared. It was all well and good for the game to claim that people would react positively to Edward but he knew firsthand that wasn’t true. 

“Hey, are you in line” two girls who had walked up behind him asked. Edward froze, realizing he had positioned himself at an awkward spot half in line half not. The girls didn't seem disgusted by his presence but they also didn't seem particularly enthralled, they just wanted to get their coffee. 

Edward nodded his head, the best he could do with his crippling social anxiety. He moved more obviously in line and the girl went back to chatting. As the line crept closer Edward tried and failed several times to work up the courage to introduce himself to the girls. He came up with various scenarios in his head of how he could make an introduction, all of which ended with the girl calling him a creep. 

Finally, after ten minutes, Edward reached the front of the line. He realized in his attempts to complete the quest he hadn’t so much as glanced at the menu. 

“What will you be having today” a tall tan worker asked, his tattooed arms pleasantly stretching out the sleeves of his shirt. Edward just opened and closed his mouth like a fish, mind suddenly blank of every coffee drink ever, including coffee. 

The worker, whose name tag ironically read “Tag” saw his confusion and smiled. “It's a big menu I know. It's fall, so you can never go wrong with a PSL.” He saw Edwards look confused and he sheepishly clarified “Pumpkin spice latte.”

“I’ll do that,” Edward said, voice quiet but clear. He took a deep breath then before he could think about it blurted out “I’m Edward by the way”. 

Tag gave a handsome grin and wrote the name on a cup. “Thanks, Edward, I’ll that get you out for you right away.”

Edward heard a “ding” but ignored it and the notifications that popped up as he paid on the tablet Tag turned towards him. His hands shook as he selected the largest tip options and stumbled over to the designated area to stand while waiting for a drink and looked at the notifications. 

“You have reached level three. You receive attribute points based on your class: +3 Charisma, +1 Intelligence, +0.3 Strength.”

“You have gained a class perk.”

“Social Sync: You are naturally attuned to the tone and rhythm of conversation making awkward pauses and interruptions a thing of the past.”

New quests popped up as well, two this time. “Make someone laugh” and “Offer someone advice.”

As the messages appeared Edward felt the same strange pain in his face, like the soreness he sometimes got after smiling all day with Leon. He lifted a hand to his face and felt skin much smoother than his normal rough, dry, pockmarked complexion. His weak chin, which had always been a source of insecurity no longer felt totally concave but pushed out somewhat lending a strange sharpness to his jaw. Edward was about to take out his phone to examine his reflection when he heard a voice beside him. 

“He’s so dreamy, isn’t he,” a man said in his right ear. All his life Edward had been painfully scrawny, wrists the size of cucumber and ribs showing through his pale skin. This man was even more slender like he could break with a strong gust of wind. He held a coffee cup that had the name Trent on the side. The guy didn't seem to mind Edwards's silence and continued staring at Tag longingly. “The coffee here is so bitter but the eye candy is so sweet” he mused. 

“Yeah that guy is what I would call a full-sized candy bar” the comment came out before Edward had time to think. It was a mediocre joke, wordy and unoriginal to a fault, but to painfully shy and unfunny Edward he felt like he was a standup comedian. Trent smiled and gave a slight chuckle, though his quest remained incomplete, probably because the laugh was fake.

“He’s a Snickers, and let's just say I’m not allergic to nuts.” Edward tried again, this time eliciting a better reaction from Trent. A slight giggle was all it took for the quest to complete and Edwards' experience bar to increase half the way to level four. 

“Well both of us are going to go hungry. He’s straight.”

“Really” Edward asked. As a closeted gay until he was 19, when he had finally worked up the courage to tell Leon, Edward thought he had pretty good gaydar, and that Tag guy was anything but straight. “How do you know?” He asked Social Sync perk causing him to put the perfect pause between his declaration of doubt and his question without him even noticing.

“He used to date some girl” Trent responded with a touch of disgust.

“Maybe he’s bi,” Edward said and Trent’s face lit up as if he had never considered the thought.

“Oh wow, do you really think so” He asked excitedly. “Now that you say it he is kind of flirty when he gives me my drink.”

“You should just go up and talk to him” Edward advised sagely. “I mean what is the worst that could happen.” The advice was hollow seeing as how Edward had never even breathed in the direction of any of his crushes. Trent seemed to sense this and looked at Edward dubiously. The game system however didn't seem to care. It marked his “give advice” quest as complete and alerted him he had reached level four with a ding. At this rate, Leon didn't stand a chance of reaching level ten before him. 

“You have reached level four. You receive attribute points based on your class: +3 Charisma, +1 Intelligence, +0.3 Strength.”

“Sage: Your charisma gives you an innate knowledge of people's desires, both conscious and unconscious. Note: The higher your charisma the more attuned this sense becomes. Note: this effect is 92.22% more effective on people with a penis.”

Edward felt a shift both in his physiology and in his brain, like before he felt his face move, bones like continental plates drifting every so slightly apart into a more attractive configuration. 

Inside his head, he felt something shift far more drastically. The three +1 boosts to his intelligence had been so slight he barely noticed them, just a slight speeding up of his thoughts and a boost to his reasoning ability. This new change in his mind was drastic, impossible not to notice. A sixth sense emerged, filling his head with a source of knowledge he wasn’t quite sure what to do with. It was almost as if he had gained the ability to read minds only not so strong and without any words, only feelings. Suddenly Edward felt Trent’s desire, a sexual one, not just for the barista, but also for the group of frat boys in the corner of the shop and strangely enough for Edward. He felt others' desires too, though much less clearly. 

Two guys standing to his left both hoped the other would buy the alcohol for tonight's party. The other men in the shop only gave wisps of desire. Edward suspected that had something to do with proximity and his still relatively low charisma.

The women on the other hand Edward could barely sense, only receiving a small tingle like TV static instead of anything readable. Edward wondered at that strange 92.22% bonus towards men. Edward took a moment to reflect on the class he had been assigned. Could Leon be right? Could the name of his class be a gay joke, that he was meant to charm not venomous creatures in baskets but instead the snake in men's pants? It seemed somehow too vulgar for a video game though Edward knew that was illogical. If it was true it begged some concerning questions, like how the game had known he was gay and what exactly it was setting him up to do. 

“Would you go talk to him?” Trent asked suddenly snapping Edward back to the present. His sixth sense faded to the back of his mind, though he could still sense Trent’s desire. “Sorry I know that's a lot to ask but I think you would have more luck than me.” He looked at Edward with puppy dog eyes filled with earnest hope. “Be my wingman?”

A notification appeared obscuring a part of Edward’s vision. 

“Quest offered! Set up Trent and Tag romantically. Reward: XP”

A box under the quest notification had two boxes with “yes” and “no” options. Edward had no idea how to select either option. Out loud he said “I’ll do my best,” the notification disappeared and reappeared small in the quest part of his interface. 

Trent smiled “Really? I can’t thank you enough.” He felt Trent’s desire shift from lust to hope. “Just like using a pickup line or something. Don’t make it too awkward” he said suddenly nervous.

“Don’t worry I got this,” Edward said with about 1000% times more confidence than he felt. He had absolutely no business getting other people's tail when he was still a virgin himself. Edward just knew he was going to make an absolute fool of himself.

-

It turned out that the quests to advance to level four were not as easy as Leon had imagined. The first quest “run a lap” proved exhausting but doable. Leon made his way to the elevated track that encircled the gym and with perfect form, if less perfect endurance, ran the loop. Before the game, Leon would have had to walk most of it, but the two levels and six points he had gained in strength allowed him to push through with a slow jog. The quest's completion bumped him 3/4 of the way to level four. He had no doubt the other quest would get him all the way there if only it was possible. 

“Do a pull-up.” How hard could one pull up be? Extremely difficult it turned out. Dangling from the elevated bar Leon tried with all his might to heft his flabby body up. He only managed to lift his head halfway before the effort became too much and he was forced to give up. 

Leon knew it wasn’t his form keeping him from completing the exercise like it had been with the push-up. Instead, it came down to a plain and simple lack of strength. Leon didn't know what to do. He felt frustrated that he had hit a roadblock so soon. He looked at the experience progress bar, so tantalizingly close to the next level. Maybe he would have to do it the old-fashioned way. Train his back and his biceps extensively until he could do a pull-up on his own. Leon knew something like that would take weeks if not months but he was nothing if not stubborn.

Determined not to give up Leon found a set of dumbbells and began to lift with perfect form. The activity didn't provide the same instant gratification as leveling up did, but Leon was starting to understand how people could get addicted to this. As he worked his eyes wandered to the graphical display imprinted on either side of his vision. He found he could unfocus on the information and the display would blur unobscuring his vision. He focused again and the quest and progress bar came back into his field of vision. Leon couldn’t tell if he was imagining it but it seemed as if the bar was more full. He did a few more curls and watched the progress bar tick up the tiniest amount. He lifted the other arm and it moved again. He grabbed the largest weight he could conceivably lift and using all this strength curled it with both arms, the progress bar moved, still not much but more than before. Leon grinned. He was pretty sure he had just found an exploit.

Thirty minutes later a tired Leon prepared for his last set of leg presses to get him to level four. The “exploit” he had found wasn’t as much of a hack as he had originally hoped. Working out gave him experience to fill the bar but not nearly as efficiently as quests. He had to go from machine to machine loading up the maximum amount of weight he could lift, not much, and completing various exercises until that part of his body was completely exhausted. His “perfect form” perk ensured that he was able to complete each exercise to its fullest despite not knowing how to do any of the exercises. All he had to do was approach a machine or a set of weights and his body would suddenly assume the position.

Even with his perfect form protecting him from injury Leon was exhausted. The day's gym session was more exercise than he had ever done in his life. His hair was matted to his forehead and dark sweat spots had appeared around the collar and pits of his Superman shirt. His body felt like a sack of bricks like he could fall asleep and not wake up till his next birthday. Leon persisted and as he performed his tenth leg press he heard a ding. His legs slammed back to their resting position and he breathed heavily, feeling his body begin to change and notifications pop up. 

“You have reached level four. You receive attribute points based on your class: +3 Strength, +1 Charisma +0.3 Intelligence.” 

“You have gained a class perk.”

“Animal Endurance: The rate at which athletic activities tire you is decreased significantly while the rate of recovery is greatly improved. Note: the potency of this effect scales off of strength.”

Leon felt his muscles harden, his arms bulge, his legs bulk up and shift. His core burned as his abs shredded themselves and strengthened. The layer of fat on Leon’s body, though still present thinned. Underneath it his muscles went from average to distinctly fit, no great titan yet but also not a slouch either. His weariness from all the exercise it took to reach level four drained away thanks to his perk and Leon once again felt reinvigorated. 

He marched over to the nearest pull-up bar and with only a small amount of effort hoisted himself up with the power of his upper body. The completed quest brought him a third of the way up to level five. Two more quests appeared. “Bench press a third of your body weight.” And “exchange workout tips”. Neither seemed especially difficult. 

Leon looked around to see if he could find Cal to knock out the more social of the quests but the helpful runner was nowhere to be seen. Instead, Leon found a benchpress machine and went to load it up. Leon was shocked to realize he had no idea what his body weight was. Before Altered Reality, Leon had weighed 230 pounds, now though he could be anything. Leon squinted at the holographic display in the sides of his vision and found with effort he was able to bring up a stats page. 

Leon: 

210 Pounds

5’10’’ Feet

Strength: 11

Charisma: 7

Intelligence: 8.9

When he played video games with his roommates Alvis was the one who focused on the numbers, min-maxing his character to be the strongest possible. Edward liked to talk to the NPCs, to understand the story, and Leon, well Leon liked to punch things and not worry too much about the boring stuff. Still, with his 8.9 in intelligence, Leon couldn't help but notice some changes to his body composition. There was the inch in height his body had gained from those three levels and the twenty pounds of weight he had lost. Leon suspected the total loss was more like 30 or 40 pounds of fat but that the added muscle made up the difference. His stats were interesting too. Leon hadn’t much thought about it but based on the quests and perks he had received the Juggernaut class seemed to be one that focused on athleticism. Despite that, he still received a marginal boost to charisma and intelligence at each level which he supposed were meant to keep him well rounded. Leon did the math, the current numbers would mean that his intelligence before the game had been eight, which seemed right, and his strength a two, also unfortunately right. The four in charisma seemed rude, but Leon supposed he had never had much luck with women for a reason.

Doing math once again Leon loaded up the bench press, factoring in the weight of the bar to reach seventy pounds one-third of his weight. He assumed the position under it, with perfect form thanks to his perk; then with substantial effort, Leon lifted the bar over his chest and with as much control as he could manage lowered it. That was the easy part, the hard part was pushing it back up. Leon clenched his toes, bugged his eyes, and pushed with all his eleven strength upward. His mind suddenly flashed to the bar crushing him, rolling down onto his neck and ending this game. Panic more than determination got the bar up and back to its starting position. The quest was completed and the progress bar to level five was filled in another third. 

Only once the bar was fully returned to its resting position could Leon see the girl standing over him, upside down from his prone view. 

“I was ready to pull that thing off you.” The girl said in something between a mix of condescension and admiration. Leon sat up.

“Umm, thanks.” He said nervously. He recognized this girl from his advanced biology seminar, although she didn't seem to know him. She looked very pretty with her high ponytail and tight yoga pants, which only made his voice stutter more. “I’m Leon.”

“Cassy,” she said.

An idea came to his mind. “Got any tips for this one?” Leon asked, hoping to knock out his remaining quest. 

Before Cassy could answer though a tall man in a low-cut tank top that showed off his ripped torso and cannonball shoulders approached and wrapped his mammoth vascular arms around her. “Cassy, why the fuck are you talking to this fatty?” He asked as if Leon were some flaming garbage outside his window, offensive to his sight. Leon recognized him as a member of Alpha Sigma, one of the best and most dickish fraternities on campus.  

“Fuck off Hunter” Cassy said rolling her eyes.

“Yeah fuck off Hunter” Leon repeated. He instantly regretted it.

Hunter's eyes went wide, and a vein on his neck began to pulse. Leon stared back at him with a level of defiance he knew defied both the social order and logic. Leon had always been brash, a trait now manifested in full force by the extreme comfort he felt in the gym due to his Gym Rat perk.

Cassy shot him a look asking if he was trying to get himself killed then turned to Hunter to defuse the situation. “Come on babe let's go.” 

Hunter heard none of it. He got right up in Leon's face so close Leon could smell the sweat on his body and the ZYN in his breath. “Listen here tubby, this is a gym. The McDonalds is down the street. Now fuck off or I’ll turn your happy meal into chicken tenders. Ya hear?” He stood up and started to walk away Cassy unhappily following after him. “And don’t ever talk to my girl again homo.”

Leon knew he should be scared but instead, he found the whole interaction funny, his “Gym Rat” perk really might be working too well. “Got any gym tips for me” he called after Hunter, wanting to still get something out of the interaction. He couldn’t wait till he was bigger than that arrogant prick and no one could talk to him that way.

The frat bro turned around “Eat a fucking salad” he called. Leon’s last quest remained incomplete. He wondered why for a second then realized it said “exchange workout tips.” 

“You should really get off the roids, it's killing the last two of your brain cells,” Leon called after him. Hunter moved to turn around, probably to beat the shit out of Leon but Cassy grabbed his hand and dragged him away. The quest completed and Leon reached level five. Not too bad for seven charisma he thought proudly. The now familiar ding sounded along with a wall of notifications. Leon began to feel strange. A biting ache began to thrum in the pit of his stomach. Doubled over Leon rushed to the bathroom, careful to head in in the opposite direction of Hunter and Cassy. 

He burst into the empty men's room and then into the nearest stall he could find. As he sat on the toilet the pain intensified. Something was happening and it hurt like all hell.

-

Edward had no idea why Trent had even started talking to him. That wasn’t something people ever did to ugly Edward, maybe point and whisper, but never strike up a conversation and surly never ask him for help. It must be his stupid charisma and perks scrambling everyone's brain he concluded. Edward was about to turn back to Trent and tell him he had made a mistake and that he actually couldn’t help him when he heard “Edward” yell from behind the bar. He saw Tag the sexy fit barista holding a steaming to-go cup and looking around the coffee shop for Edward. Trent gave him an encouraging smile and a thumbs up.

Edward felt as if he was moving in slow motion like he was making his way to the gallows. Tag saw him coming and smiled, extending the drink towards him. Edward reached out to take the drink, his finger ever so slightly brushing up against Tag’s hand in the process. He wasn’t sure if it was the touch or just the proximity but he felt his new “Sage” perk activate in vivid detail.

A picture suddenly flashed in Edward’s mind. A subterranean location full of flashing lights and loud rhythmic music, a rave Edward realized. He saw Tag standing alone in an open button-down shirt showing off sexy tattooed muscles. Edward flashed back to reality. His sudden vision had caused him to linger a bit too long grabbing his drink and he jerked his hand away awkwardly. 

Edward retracted his hand and gave a smile hoping to save the moment. “Hey, are you going to the rave tonight?” Edward asked as casually as he could “I think I have seen you at a few before. I heard the one tonight is supposed to be especially hype.”

Tag seemed surprised for a moment then reassessed Edward his demeanor shifting from customer service friendly, to peer in-group easygoing. “You mean sewer fest? I want to man, but all my friends are busy tonight and I don’t want to go alone.”

“Oh damn that sucks,” Edward said. He was mindful of the stares he was getting from the other students around him but couldn’t bring himself to care, this was going too well. “I wish I could go but I have a paper I have to write tonight. My friend Trent was actually just saying he was thinking about going though.” Edward pointed back at Trent who gave a little wave. 

“Oh, I know him.” Tag said when he saw Trent. “That would be sick man. I really don’t want to miss Sewer Fest. How about this,” he took a cup sleeve and started to write on it, “Give your friend my number and tell him to text me” he handed it to Edward. 

“Will do. You two have fun” Edward said as he walked away. Trent looked at him wide-eyed and was about to say something but Edward made a signal that they shouldn’t talk about it inside.

“This is for you,” Edward said as he handed Trent Tag’s number once they were outside. 

“No way. You're actually a god. How did you do that?” Trent asked amazed.

“Don’t get too excited,” Edward said sheepishly. “You're going to a rave, and it’s in the sewer.” 

“A rave? You know what, I’ll take it. I really can’t thank you enough.” 

“Oh, it was nothing. Honestly, you helped me just as much as I helped you.”

Trent ignored the cryptic comment. “Well I should go, I guess I have to find an outfit to wear to a sewer. Would all white be a bad idea?” He handed Edward his phone. “Will you put your number in my phone? I’ll text you how tonight goes.” 

The two exchanged information then Trent left. Edward stood there sipping his latte, which really was too bitter. He saw Trent typing out a message on his phone as he walked away.

Moments later Edward heard a “ding” as the quest was completed and he reached level five. Notifications sprung up in his vision, more than usual. Edward couldn’t read them, he couldn’t focus on anything. His mostly full coffee slipped out of his hand and spilled onto the ground as a golden nebula sprung up around him and his face and body were wracked with pain. He started to scream.

[jellycreamjammedart]

For Cassie, do any of the stuff she had back in the Pizzaplex still have a use for her in the Playtime caves?

What tools does she add to her arsenal?

Should we assume that the underground part of Playtime is so large that parts of it can plausibly be underneath a mall kilometers away?

Answering your last question first, I'd say yes. Which probably would help make sense how an elevator from the underbelly of the PizzaPlex can crash-land through the cavern into the Prison or the Mining area of Playtime Factory, when the top surface locations of both business being not even remotely close to one another. Even though the whole thing still sounds kind of silly.

As for Cassie's arsenal, she certainly would still have everything she had in the PizzaPlex minus the AR collectibles. The problem is that initially none of those tools are compatible with Playtime Co. tech and machinery, not to mention the complete lack of a V.A.N.N.I network (and thus, Helpi is also offline.)

But with how intuitive Cassie was with those tools back in RUIN, on top of being daughter of a technician, she certainly would be able to eventually circumvent the incompatibility and make modifications/adaptations to make her tools functional again, with the addition of a few cables and stuff to help make those possible.

At the beginning she'd only have her Faz-Wrench with very limited use, as I headcanon it can also work as a taser (it is kinda shaped like one when you think about it too, doesn't it?) which is a decent help for defense. it'd require modifications for any of its hacking properties though- which might be possible already in design (if you inspect the 3d model of the Faz-Wrench you can see input sockets for cables like USBs.) One of its prongs got slightly bent in the elevator drop, but that's an easy fix (easy but still needing delicacy in handling.) With enough adaptations, it could be very useful to help troubleshoot and maintain some machines like Safe Haven's generator.

The VANNI mask is as good as a cheap Halloween mask at first. But if Cassie manages to restore functionality to it without the network, it'd essentially work on its own grid, and be used as a neural-based controller for other devices if Cassie wears it. There's no "AR world" or VANNI network in Playtime Co. though, so it can't quite work the exact same way as it did back in the PizzaPlex... but with it she can see through walls! And now there's no M.X.E.S. limiting her time to use it meaning it's relatively safer to wear (though I imagine seeing through walls for too long in a row could cause a sensory overload perhaps? Hm, that would have to be a togglable property.) The mask would also make Cassie invisible to The Doctor just as it did for the Glamrock Endos and Ruined Glamrocks (but back then that was just trading them for M.X.E.S.) The Doctor sees "everything", but it's always through technology like cameras and monitors, things susceptible to the mask's interference, since he no longer has his organic eyeballs. Along with the see-through-walls property, I imagine Cassie MAYBE also developing other vision modes like infrared, night vision, heat vision, etc. Hell, if she gets one of those gas masks Playtime Employees would wear, she could use it to further upgrade the VANNI mask to also double as a gas mask to keep her safe from the red smoke. And perhaps restore its ability to run simulations too, like the one we see in the Brazil Ending... so long Cassie doesn't get too lost in her own memories and lose touch with reality- but current friends like Doey would be great anchors to help prevent that.

Flashlight? Broke. Busted in the elevator fall. RIP.

The Roxy-talky technically would already be usable, but it'd run in a frequency that doesn't match Playtime Co. communication-- Com'on, of course Fazbear Entertainment would design those things that way to force customers into buying more of their own mascot-talkies, rather than have them work with any other walky-talkies. Greedy corp shitty designs, amirite? Other walky-talkies would have to be manually recalibrated to run on the same frequency the Roxy-talky does in order to communicate with it. Sounds like a hassle, but would allow for a safe isolated communication line if you get what I mean.

Once Cassie is more recovered from her injuries, I think Doey would get her a GrabPack with a few hands- not that he'd expect anything from her, but if you don't have one you're very limited in what you can do there. And boy, that girl would overhaul that shit over time, especially when combining it with her own tools already. Connecting the mask to it as a neural controller would let her control the GrabPack with pretty much just her brain so her actual hands remain free. Controlling the GrabPack that way would also increase the dexterity of the hands meaning they're a lot more posable with a wider-range of movement (picture Cassie shooting a hand out towards Player/Employee only for it to stop inches away from their face with the middle finger up. Admit it WE all wished we could do that with those hands DONT LIE LOL.)

And that's not mentioning the hypothetical scenario of Doey and perhaps the more capable toys of Safe Haven hunting The Doctor's automatons for sport for parts. Who freaking knows what else Cassie could add to her arsenal with such resources.

At this point, she DREADS the possibility of being limited and unable to help those left that she holds close like it happened in the PizzaPlex, so she really would start applying herself, especially technologically, for her toy friends in Safe Haven. She learned in the PizzaPlex, and would vow to do better for Safe Haven.

[stra-tek]

More Roddenberry Archive musings...

This is supposedly the launch configuration of the Prime universe U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701's main bridge. It's based on the first piece of concept art for the TOS set, and is one of several weird not-quite-canon things the Roddenberry Archive has decided to consider canonical. 2 command chairs and the whole centre console and chairs spins to face the very minimalist 60's scifi perimeter consoles or viewscreen. Try to imagine Captain April and first officer Chris Pike on this bridge, it's weird.

Behold! The top of the Jeffries Tube.

FERENGI ATM MACHINE ON THE PROMENADE!!!!

The view from OG Captain Pike's bed, featuring his awesome TV, his laser gun and his Starfleet hat. We wouldn't get hats back in Trek for 50 years.

This is inside the Ringship Enterprise XCV-330, circa 2100. The Ringship in canon was seen only in picture form or a desktop model, we never saw inside. The ship was actually designed for a non-Trek Roddenberry scifi show called Starship which never came to be, and there was actually concept art made for the interior which the RA people decided to import to Trek too. Predating the transporter, here is the Metafier.

Discovery Season 2's U.S.S. Enterprise has a cool corridor running around it. Walk around it and... it goes nowhere😂 the Archive tries to balance the reality of everything being a television show with the fantasy of a 100% accurate in-universe museum, it'll give sets ceilings to make them into a believable spaceship but doesn't want to go nuts inventing too much of it's own stuff and that sometimes leads to weird stuff like this dead end

Speaking of ceilings, here's the ceiling and lights of the classic TOS Enterprise's corridors. I think they did a decent job keeping to the TOS aesthetic. The sets TOS was filmed on didn't have ceilings at all.

The Enterprise-B actually had a red carpet for special guests Kirk, Scotty and Chekov

Strange New Worlds has the coolest transporter room of all. Just look at it😍

The TNG Enterprise battle bridge has it's own ready room! And it's super tiny, ultra cramped and Picard probably never used it because there's no replicator in there and thus no access to tea.

The 1st version of TNG engineering's big Master Systems Display as seen in "Encounter at Farpoint". Ten Forward wouldn't be a thing until season 2, and you can see here an earlier deck layout and the original concept for the saucer rim, a corridor walkway with windows above and below. You'll also note Ten Forward would actually be on deck 11 had they not changed the diagram by then.

Kirk's quarters on the TOS Enterprise has dresser drawers full of uniforms for when his gets torn

Walking around the Roddenberry Archive ships is eerie as hell. You're the only one on board, exploring corridors and poking your head into rooms. These starships are liminal spaces. This for me adds to the atmosphere greatly.

Here's the link (enjoy before it vanishes again!):

Roddenberry.x.io

Here's my original post about the Roddenberry Archive:

Also a clarification, I was wrong when I said it won't be in VR. There is one VR setup it was designed for - the $3,000 Apple Vision Pro. More details here, although it appears to only show a 2D window rather than be fully immersive 3D, possibly confirming what I was told previously that no current 3D setup is capable of doing a true VR experience:

[mikaila-orchard]

How to fix Shadowlands.

So awhile back, I made a post on how to fix BFA which I largely still stand by. I mentioned possibly doing a followup for Shadowlands as it was the culmination of all the bad decisions Blizz made in BFA prior and over two years later, I'm keeping that promise.

1. Fixing the setting.

The Shadowlands themselves are going to have to get perhaps the biggest overhaul. First and foremost, we're nixing everything to do with the First Ones. Zerith Mortus is fucking out. The idea that all the dieties are 3d printed robots? Also out. In their place, we're gonna have it that Titan traveled to the realm of death in an attempt to bring Order™ to the place Mortal Souls go. They created Oribos to organize the souls based on deeds and nature, Bastion where they put the souls to work upholding the grand vision, Revendreth to 'rehabilitate' discordant souls, and the Maw for those deemed too undesirable. And naturally, they left keepers here to oversee everything, including Kyrestia, Denathrius and Zovaal.

Also, yes. This means that Domination magic is Death magic + Titan magic, which is honestly very fitting.

What about Maldraxxus and Ardenweald, M'kay?

Well, we're nixing Maldraxxus because it's awful. But more importantly, Ardenweald is going to represent what the Shadowlands were before the Titans swooped in. It's a safe haven for mortal souls who don't prescribe to the Titans ideals, like the trolls and the Night elves. Loa, Wild Gods and Elune all have a presence there and are crucial in saving the Titan Realms from the mess they made for themselves.

2. Fixing Zovaal

This one's surprisingly easy. First, we stick with Zovaal's look in the concept art because it's way cooler and the Primus has been written out of this version anyway. This is what the Progenitor of the Lich King should look like.

Second, we fix his motivation. Rather than trying to reforge all of reality which is a goal the lore had to break itself in half to give him, we're gonna give him the same motivation as all the other cosmic forces. Dominion over Azeroth's world soul.

So everything from giving the Scourge to the Legion to disrupting the machine of death to pull all those souls into the Maw to the veil being shattered above Icecrown, all of it is done so that Zovaal has a clear shot to channel enough death magic through the Forge of Souls, straight to the core until Azeroth emerges as an entity of Death and Domination. This keeps the stakes ceiling on par with expansions like Legion rather than trying to one up it like a tryhard.

3. Fixing Sylvanas (MOST IMPORTANT)

Fortunately, since we already fixed BFA, most of the work has already been done for us in terms of characterization. We just have to tweak a few things.

Firstly, we're going to make her the hero of this expansion leading the fight against Zovaal while Bolvar is going to be his lackey, as was set up back in Legion. We keep the fight on Icecrown, we keep Sylvanas shattering the Helm. But this time, Bolvar is going to retreat to his master, having been long since been swayed by him. And Sylvanas is going to take the fight to the Maw rather than trying to run from it as she had been since Edge of Night.

To better focus on this task, she names Baine Warchief and names Nathanos regent of the Forsaken, trusting them to handle things on Azeroth while she wages war against the Jailer.

Also, to no one's surprise, the whole split soul thing is getting completely scrapped. I don't care if there was a clever way to do it. It's just not worth it as a story beat. The Sylvanas we've spent 22 years getting to know is the Sylvanas. Full stop.

And there we are. That's all you need to change to make the story work. Everything else, you can keep. Wanna keep Anduin becoming Zovaal's discord kitten? Go right ahead. Wanna keep Torghast? Sure. Wanna keep the Dreadlords being Denathrius' little bitches? Sure. Just stick to these three reworks and you'll have a good expac.

[emptygoldstudio]

Gravity Falls AUs Masterpost

A long post with all the past and future links to all of my Gravity Falls AUs content + short description for each of the AU. This post will be updated as time goes. (LAST UPDATE 04.06.2025)

🔧 RepairShop AU - Kryptos and Bill on parole, have to work in space transportation craft repair shop (+Bill gets visited by therapist every other day). Later Pyronica, who, unlike Kryptos, successfully escaped Time police forces, joins them to wait out the search for her in the area. Trio chills, works and tries to not chew each others throats from the past grudges. Includes 4 routes where 1 is the main and 3 others are for fun - my artist sona hanging out with Kryptos.

General: covers

Route 1: _1 _2 _3 unused cover _4 AMA _5

Route 2: _1

Route 3: _1 _1 edited

Route 4: -

🩸 Medically Abused Bill AU - Kryptos breaks Bill out of Theraprism with the help of Pines family, the story of recovering and getting help after being abused in a medical facility.

_1,_2(+bonus)

🔇 Mute Bill AU - Bill accidentally destroys Euclydia at a very young age and one of his parent's exoskeleton shards damages his vocal chords(or whatever he has). Bill ends up growing up in Theraprism's open facility. Cant talk, uses cards and soundboard. Wants to have implant that can return his speech, but no one risking an operation on the almost unknown species. A big nuisance in a facility. Dreams to get out and see "the world".

_1 AMA AMA2 AMA3

🃏 Runaway Roommate AU - a joke AU i made with my friend, where we, as a purple 3-eyed 6-legged axolotl and tiny green Time jerboa, hide Bill from the law in our very normal intergalactic apartment.

_0 _1 _2

👁 Gone Blind AU - at the time period before Gravity Falls events(even the flashback ones) ever started, Bill loses his vision completely. Not getting anything from him anymore, henchmaniacs leave, except for Kryptos, who takes Bill with him dimension hopping, trying to find any cure. Bill still has his powers, but cant use them all the time, to not accidentally kill Kryptos/get them in bigger trouble(usually its Kryptos who has to stop Bill from burning everything that makes any sound near them).

_1

🤗 I Met You First AU / IMYF - Kryptos finds Bill, rather than the other way around, while Bill is still in post-traumatic dissociative state not long after Euclydia's Fall. Kryptos feels sympathetic to a fellow 2D shape and, while cant get any answers from him, takes and protects the unresponsive triangle on an adventure to find their new home, place where they'd belong. Big support, care and brotherhood topics involved.

_1

(Next AUs are not developed as much but arts on them might still appear here)

🔥 Kryptos-Reverse - Kryptos is the one who accidentally destroys his home dimension. Slowly goes mad, jumping from one universe to another, though not as sadistic as Bill. Gets dimension warping powers from devouring whats left of his world (no blue fire). Constantly in the stage of denial (unlike Bill, therapy could've actually helped him, but not being destructive enough didnt bring much attention to him -> he doesnt get into Theraprism to get help). Very lonely.

_1

🩹 Labor AU - Bill forces henchmaniacs (mainly Kryptos, Pyronica and Pacifire) to build portal, uses similar physical and mental torture, like on Ford in tbob, they team up against Bill, build a machine that traps triangle in a crystal pyramid with no way out. Inspired by @/blabberoo animation on tumblr and song Labour by Paris Paloma.

🧭 2D Revolution - Kryptos rises a revolution at his home dimension, kills higher ups and, with the help, safely evolves his dimension into 3D, becomes his people's Messiah

[vintage-tigre]

One of Alexander McQueen’s final designs before his death in 2010. This shoe’s macabre morphing of human and mechanical forms was inspired by the artwork of H.R. Giger, a member of the special effects team for Ridley Scott’s film Alien (1980).

Speaking about his artistic preoccupations to the BBC in 1981, Giger said, ‘My pictures are about things I like, things I hate or things I am afraid about. I always want to find out what is inside of me, what kind of creature. I like very much the combination of machine and human and biological things’.

Made from 3D printed resin, the shoe combines a reference to Giger’s futuristic vision with cutting-edge technology. A biomorphic spine snakes around the shoe’s heel and sole. In a gruesome flourish, a single finger curls across the wearer’s toes.

Eleven different versions of the ‘Alien’ shoe appeared in the Plato’s Atlantis catwalk presentation. As the models merged more deeply into McQueen’s underwater world, the shoes subtly evolved from white matte, to shiny silver and finally a shimmering light blue.

[heartmachinez]

CELEBRATING 10 YEARS OF HEART MACHINE

A Decade of Creativity and Community

A decade ago, we began a journey that would lead to the birth of Heart Machine - a game studio committed to crafting immersive, vibrant experiences that resonate with players on a profound level. As we celebrate our 10-year anniversary, we reflect on our history, achievements, community, and the exciting future that lies ahead.

THINKING BACK

Glitch City, Kickstarter, and Hyper Light Drifter

In 2013, we took a leap of faith and launched a Kickstarter campaign for our debut project, Hyper Light Drifter. Little did we know that this campaign would not only secure the funds needed to bring our project to life, but also ignite a beautiful connection with supporters, players, and community members who believed in us from the outset.

Fueled by a need for camaraderie and knowledge, we spent those early days of Drifter’s development as a part of Glitch City, a then-small collective of independent game developers, artists, and creators all working together out of Alx’s basement. Those early days and (often) sleepless nights vision were critical in defining our design philosophies, studio culture, and grassroots community connections - setting the stage for what was to come.

Our Heartfelt Gratitude to Our Early Contributors

To date, thanks to the incredible support of our community, the Kickstarter for Hyper Light Drifter remains one of the most successful game projects on the platform. It smashed through the initial funding goal of $27,000 and ultimately raised over $600,000.

To our early backers who believed in us and our vision, and those fellow devs who helped us through endless rounds of playtesting and feedback, we extend our deepest gratitude. Your unwavering support enabled us to bring our dreams to life and emboldened us to continually push the boundaries of game design.

Special shout out to core Drifter team members: Alx Preston, Beau Blyth, Teddy Dief, Casey Hunt, Rich Vreeland, Akash Thakkar, Sean Ward, Lisa Brown, and Cosimo Galluzzi.

The critical reception following the release of Hyper Light Drifter was incredible - beyond our wildest expectations. We never could have anticipated the accolades and recognition it received, or the impact it made on players far and wide. It was humbling, and affirmed our dedication to continue to make great games to share with the world.

Moving Into a New Dimension

We started development on Solar Ash about a year before the multi-platform release of Hyper Light Drifter. Early on, we joined forces with Annapurna Interactive, whose expertise and resources facilitated our exploration of 3D game development. Over the next five years, Annapurna's support played a pivotal role in bringing this ambitious project to fruition. The vastness of the game's ethereal landscapes and fluid movement mechanics opened new avenues for worldbuilding and storytelling.

To date, Solar Ash continues to engage new players and inspire returning ones to create beautiful works inspired by the game. It is following in the footsteps of its predecessor and is now available on a a wide array of game platforms for a worldwide audience.

All of the positive reception that followed Solar Ash’s release proved that our community was ready to continue along this new aesthetic path with us. Just as Drifter smashed through its initial Kickstarter goals,  we are poised to once again smash the boundaries of possibility with our upcoming projects.

HEART MACHINE TODAY

Reimagining a Familiar World

As we celebrate our 10-year milestone, we're thrilled to now be well underway with our newest title set in the familiar Hyper Light Universe. This new project, Hyper Light Breaker, builds upon the foundations we've laid, evolving our creative vision in unexpected ways.

A Shared Journey

Our journey would not be complete without acknowledging the invaluable contributions of our community. From community leaders who pave the way forward with creativity and kindness, to creators who challenge us with incredible skill and passion,  to modders who continuously breathe new life into our games, to wiki writers who meticulously document every detail, to speedrunners who push the boundaries of possibility – you are the heartbeats that keep our worlds alive.

Over the years, we've had the privilege of connecting with our wonderful community at conventions and events across the digital and physical world. These gatherings allowed us to share our passion, hear your stories, and learn from your insights. Your presence and enthusiasm continue to inspire us.

We’re so grateful to: Polare, Lukas, Durtle, Clark, Yrrzy, CornMayor, Aza, Andreas, Conscy, Perfectly Mediocre, Thunderbrave, Bryonato, Utsu, NicowithaC, Covert Muffin, Sylvi, among many many others who make our work worth doing.

Our Company Vision

At Heart Machine, we've built more than games. We've cultivated a company culture that values kindness, inclusivity, and pushing the envelope. Our mission has always been not only to entertain but also leave a lasting impact. This dedication has enabled us to support and grow a thriving studio of some of the most talented, thoughtful, and fun people in the entire industry.

Our ethos revolves around fostering a work environment that prioritizes professional advancement, mental and physical health, and employee happiness. This commitment takes shape in various dimensions of our culture. We proudly offer Heart Machine University (HMU), a collaborative peer-teaching initiative where we cover everything from how to LARP or make sculptures out of driftwood to environment, concept, and tech art techniques. We also organize activities like group gaming and anime sessions, provide access to networking and learning resources, and support social and charitable initiatives to reinforce our team’s sense of purpose. As a studio, we strive to hang our culture on a framework where each individual can flourish and achieve their own growth and learning goals.

It’s no accident that the trajectory of these past 10 years has led us to forming the team we have now. We have always and will continue to adhere to our culture of high quality standards, emphasis on creative innovation, and heart-first leadership practices.

LOOKING AHEAD

As we stand at the threshold of the next chapter, we're excited to announce that Hyper Light Breaker will be arriving in Early Access in 2024. This project represents our ongoing commitment to pushing boundaries, taking risks, and creating experiences that captivate and challenge players in our specifically unique ways.

Beyond Hyper Light Breaker, we have other projects currently under wraps that will continue to define us as a studio. We can't wait to share these journeys with you as we forge into this next decade.

Thank you thank you thank you for joining us on this incredible ride. Heart Machine wouldn't be the same without each and every one of you. Here's to the many more adventures that lie ahead!

With love and gratitude,

The Heart Machine Team

[compneuropapers]

Interesting Papers for Week 24, 2025

Deciphering neuronal variability across states reveals dynamic sensory encoding. Akella, S., Ledochowitsch, P., Siegle, J. H., Belski, H., Denman, D. D., Buice, M. A., Durand, S., Koch, C., Olsen, S. R., & Jia, X. (2025). Nature Communications, 16, 1768.

Goals as reward-producing programs. Davidson, G., Todd, G., Togelius, J., Gureckis, T. M., & Lake, B. M. (2025). Nature Machine Intelligence, 7(2), 205–220.

How plasticity shapes the formation of neuronal assemblies driven by oscillatory and stochastic inputs. Devalle, F., & Roxin, A. (2025). Journal of Computational Neuroscience, 53(1), 9–23.

Noradrenergic and Dopaminergic modulation of meta-cognition and meta-control. Ershadmanesh, S., Rajabi, S., Rostami, R., Moran, R., & Dayan, P. (2025). PLOS Computational Biology, 21(2), e1012675.

A neural implementation model of feedback-based motor learning. Feulner, B., Perich, M. G., Miller, L. E., Clopath, C., & Gallego, J. A. (2025). Nature Communications, 16, 1805.

Contextual cues facilitate dynamic value encoding in the mesolimbic dopamine system. Fraser, K. M., Collins, V., Wolff, A. R., Ottenheimer, D. J., Bornhoft, K. N., Pat, F., Chen, B. J., Janak, P. H., & Saunders, B. T. (2025). Current Biology, 35(4), 746-760.e5.

Policy Complexity Suppresses Dopamine Responses. Gershman, S. J., & Lak, A. (2025). Journal of Neuroscience, 45(9), e1756242024.

An image-computable model of speeded decision-making. Jaffe, P. I., Santiago-Reyes, G. X., Schafer, R. J., Bissett, P. G., & Poldrack, R. A. (2025). eLife, 13, e98351.3.

A Shift Toward Supercritical Brain Dynamics Predicts Alzheimer’s Disease Progression. Javed, E., Suárez-Méndez, I., Susi, G., Román, J. V., Palva, J. M., Maestú, F., & Palva, S. (2025). Journal of Neuroscience, 45(9), e0688242024.

Choosing is losing: How opportunity cost influences valuations and choice. Lejarraga, T., & Sákovics, J. (2025). Journal of Mathematical Psychology, 124, 102901.

Probabilistically constrained vector summation of motion direction in the mouse superior colliculus. Li, C., DePiero, V. J., Chen, H., Tanabe, S., & Cang, J. (2025). Current Biology, 35(4), 723-733.e3.

Testing the memory encoding cost theory using the multiple cues paradigm. Li, J., Song, H., Huang, X., Fu, Y., Guan, C., Chen, L., Shen, M., & Chen, H. (2025). Vision Research, 228, 108552.

Emergence of Categorical Representations in Parietal and Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex across Extended Training. Liu, Z., Zhang, Y., Wen, C., Yuan, J., Zhang, J., & Seger, C. A. (2025). Journal of Neuroscience, 45(9), e1315242024.

The Polar Saccadic Flow model: Re-modeling the center bias from fixations to saccades. Mairon, R., & Ben-Shahar, O. (2025). Vision Research, 228, 108546.

Cortical Encoding of Spatial Structure and Semantic Content in 3D Natural Scenes. Mononen, R., Saarela, T., Vallinoja, J., Olkkonen, M., & Henriksson, L. (2025). Journal of Neuroscience, 45(9), e2157232024.

Multiple brain activation patterns for the same perceptual decision-making task. Nakuci, J., Yeon, J., Haddara, N., Kim, J.-H., Kim, S.-P., & Rahnev, D. (2025). Nature Communications, 16, 1785.

Striatal dopamine D2/D3 receptor regulation of human reward processing and behaviour. Osugo, M., Wall, M. B., Selvaggi, P., Zahid, U., Finelli, V., Chapman, G. E., Whitehurst, T., Onwordi, E. C., Statton, B., McCutcheon, R. A., Murray, R. M., Marques, T. R., Mehta, M. A., & Howes, O. D. (2025). Nature Communications, 16, 1852.

Detecting Directional Coupling in Network Dynamical Systems via Kalman’s Observability. Succar, R., & Porfiri, M. (2025). Physical Review Letters, 134(7), 077401.

Extended Cognitive Load Induces Fast Neural Responses Leading to Commission Errors. Taddeini, F., Avvenuti, G., Vergani, A. A., Carpaneto, J., Setti, F., Bergamo, D., Fiorini, L., Pietrini, P., Ricciardi, E., Bernardi, G., & Mazzoni, A. (2025). eNeuro, 12(2).

Striatal arbitration between choice strategies guides few-shot adaptation. Yang, M. A., Jung, M. W., & Lee, S. W. (2025). Nature Communications, 16, 1811.