Hawaii Bulletin

Hawaii Bulletin

Share this post

Hawaii Bulletin
Hawaii Bulletin
Hawaii Virtual Reality Club Launched
Copy link
Facebook
Email
Notes
More

Hawaii Virtual Reality Club Launched

Ryan Kawailani Ozawa's avatar
Ryan Kawailani Ozawa
Jun 18, 2013

Share this post

Hawaii Bulletin
Hawaii Bulletin
Hawaii Virtual Reality Club Launched
Copy link
Facebook
Email
Notes
More
Share
Oculus Rift

The concept of "virtual reality" has been around for decades, and has inspired science fiction and popular culture in countless ways, from the "cyberspace" of William Gibson's novels to "Tron" and "The Matrix." But with the breakneck speed of technological innovation we're seeing today, we're perhaps closer than ever to seeing VR taking hold in the mainstream.

Next week brings the first meeting of the Hawaii Virtual Reality Club, focused on exploring the potential of these virtual worlds. Founded by graphic designer and web entrepreneur Ka'i Kau, the club will convene at HICapacity in Kaka'ako.

"Virtual reality is set to make a comeback and change the world of videogames like the iPhone changed the world of phones," Kau says. "I want to help establish Hawaii as a hub for software development for this exciting new platform, as I see the potential for any software written right now to take off in a big way."

The focus of Tuesday's inaugural gathering will be the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset. The device was born on Kickstarter, where it raised an incredible $2.4 million (blasting past its initial goal of $250,000). Kau was an early backer of the campaign.

At the meetup, Kau says, attendees will be able to check out two Oculus Rift headsets and their accompanying development kits. The device has made quite a splash in the gaming and technology community, and perhaps most notably earned oohs and aahs on "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon."

"We'll be demonstrating the technology for the local community, and to further stoke interest in developers and designers for the new platform, we'll have a pair of talks about the Oculus Rift, virtual reality, and how Hawaii developers have the opportunity to get involved early creating for this innovative hardware," he explains.

The Hawaii VR Club meeting will run from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 25 at HICapacity (307a Kamani Street). Anyone interested in attending is encouraged to RSVP online. The hashtag for the event is #hicapvr.


Subscribe to Hawaii Bulletin

By Ryan Kawailani Ozawa · Launched 6 years ago
Island innovation in focus. Hawaii-based science, technology, startups and entrepreneurs, featuring local leaders, creators, educators, and more.

Share this post

Hawaii Bulletin
Hawaii Bulletin
Hawaii Virtual Reality Club Launched
Copy link
Facebook
Email
Notes
More
Share

Discussion about this post

User's avatar
Gallery: ThriveHI Pau Hana
A sold-out crowd of Honolulu-based tech workers (and their friends) packed the courtyard of Honolulu Beerworks in Kaka‘ako yesterday.
Apr 14, 2023 â€¢ 
Ryan Kawailani Ozawa
13

Share this post

Hawaii Bulletin
Hawaii Bulletin
Gallery: ThriveHI Pau Hana
Copy link
Facebook
Email
Notes
More
Preview: Hawaii Angels Turns 22
The leading investment network for seed-level private equity investors in Hawaii starts a new chapter in 2024.
Jan 15, 2024 â€¢ 
Ryan Kawailani Ozawa
3

Share this post

Hawaii Bulletin
Hawaii Bulletin
Preview: Hawaii Angels Turns 22
Copy link
Facebook
Email
Notes
More
Hub Coworking Expands to Entrepreneurs Sandbox
Cofounder Nam Vu looks back at the pandemic and shares his bright vision for the remote-work future.
Apr 22, 2023 â€¢ 
Ryan Kawailani Ozawa
7

Share this post

Hawaii Bulletin
Hawaii Bulletin
Hub Coworking Expands to Entrepreneurs Sandbox
Copy link
Facebook
Email
Notes
More
2

Ready for more?

© 2025 Ryan Kawailani Ozawa
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start writingGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture

Share

Copy link
Facebook
Email
Notes
More

Create your profile

User's avatar

Only paid subscribers can comment on this post

Already a paid subscriber? Sign in

Check your email

For your security, we need to re-authenticate you.

Click the link we sent to , or click here to sign in.