The Rocking Reality Team wishes everyone a happy Christmas and a great 2025  

The Saxony-Anhalt State Office for Construction and Property Management, together with the Anhalt University of Applied Sciences at its Köthen campus, has awarded Formitas AG the contract for comprehensive Building Information Modeling (BIM) coordination for a new research facility. The Interdisciplinary Research Center for Sustainable Food Production (InFonaL) is planned to occupy approximately 19,000 square meters of campus space and is expected to be operational by 2026.

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University’s Human-Computer Interaction Institute have developed a tool, EgoTouch, that uses AI to transform the user’s skin into an interface for controlling augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) environments. This innovation, described in a recent paper, employs a machine learning model to interpret touch interactions by analyzing visual cues such as shadows and skin deformations captured by standard cameras integrated into AR/VR headsets.

The Amsterdam police have launched a new campaign in the Red Light District to try to solve the cold case of Bernadett “Betty” Szabó, a 19-year-old sex worker who was murdered in 2009. The campaign, running for a week, seeks to attract attention to the case through various means, with a prominent feature being a hologram inspired by Betty. This hologram, a first for the Amsterdam police, portrays a lifelike version of Betty, asking passersby to come forward with any information that might help solve her murder.

​​​​Members of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) have agreed on priorities for standards and capacity development in areas from artificial intelligence (AI) and the metaverse to sustainable digital transformation at the World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (WTSA-24) which closed today in New Delhi, India.

Formitas AG is involved in the curriculum of the new BIM advanced training master’s program at the Münster University of Applied Sciences. The first full-fledged, part-time master’s degree program “BIM – Building Information Modeling” begins in the winter semester of 2024/25 with a standard period of study of four semesters. The BIM experts at Formitas were involved in the design of the course structure and will contribute basic and practical know-how for the first three semesters of the master’s degree.

Researchers at the University of Tsukuba have developed a system that enhances the sense of social presence in online interactions by sharing biosignals, such as heart rate, between gaming partners. The system, called “BioShare,” was designed to address the lack of meaningful social interactions in online communication by allowing players to share real-time physiological data during gaming sessions.

Microsoft has raised $3 million through sales of an add-on for its Microsoft Flight Simulator to support the restoration of the An-225 “Mriya,” the world’s largest aircraft, built by Ukrainian manufacturer Antonov Company. These funds are designated solely for rebuilding the aircraft, which sustained severe damage during the conflict in Ukraine. Microsoft has donated all first-year proceeds from the virtual An-225 to Antonov to aid the restoration efforts.

At the Meta Connect Keynote Mark Zuckerberg has introduced a range of new features for its AI products. He unveiled new multimodal features, powered by its Llama 3.2 models, which aim to make the Meta AI assistant more versatile and engaging. Among the updates, users can now interact with Meta AI using voice commands across platforms such as Messenger, Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram.

Formitas AG has supported its client, MEWA Textil-Service SE & Co. Management OHG, in the digitalization of planning and construction processes, enabling the textile service provider to implement construction projects with greater flexibility and speed in the future. This comprehensive approach highlights the full potential of Building Information Modeling (BIM) as a central digital management tool.