The Future Of Virtual Reality
What would the future of virtual reality be like? You must have mused on this line of thought at one point or another because, well, there’s just no denying it. VR has arrived. And it looks like it here to say too.
Unlike the first VR revolution of the early ‘90s which failed miserably, the VR and AR market remains robust. In fact, projections and estimates predict that the segment would experience an explosive compounded annual growth rate of 58 percent. If you really have to insist on the figures, that’s a $121 billion annual market we’re talking here.
Given that tantalizingly huge market, it’s a no-brainer to say that tech manufacturers will only be too happy to supply consumers with the VR gadgets they want in the near future. Speaking about the near future, what possible direction could the VR industry? Here’s a roundup of some of the most exciting predictions experts and visionaries have to say on the matter.
Gets More Physical
One interesting prediction of where virtual reality could be heading is that eventually, interacting with VR devices is going to get more physical. At the moment, anyone who has tried the latest VR headsets would know that there is some hand-held controller involved as a means for the user to interact with the virtual world.
However, predictions are saying that for VR technology to be more immersive and realistic, the whole person’s body must be able to interact with the virtual world. In a Time magazine report, Alienware’s former CEO and co-founder Nelson Gonzalez predicted that “The next evolution of VR would be where you participate physically in that VR world and not sitting down.”
In this case, VR might no longer be the ideal world for couch potatoes either. As Gonzalez puts it “if you’re a quarterback, you actually get to throw a football, and you can interface with the team. So that kind of stuff, it’s there, it’s going to happen.”
But wouldn’t those averse to physical activity (also known as lazy) revolt at such idea? After all, many would argue that if the technology is here to lessen our effort, why do we have to make VR as close to reality as possible in terms of physical exertion?
Going this argument even further, wouldn’t it be better to interface and interact with the VR world through thoughts? Actually, this might not be as impossible as it seems because scientists are now beginning to test a system that lets people control robots with mere thoughts. Given its infancy, this type of technology is not likely to happen in VR anytime soon.
Will Involve More Senses Than Visual And Audio
Another exciting possibility that could happen to VR is that future gadgets are likely to involve more senses to make VR experience more immersive. Currently, VR headsets available on the market beguile its users via visual and audio only.
In the future, there are predictions that the range of the human senses that could be interfaced with a VR gadget would expand. These would include the sense of touch, the sense of smell and even temperature to bring to life what the user is experiencing in the real world.
Going Wireless But Won’t Happen In The Near Future
Everyone is probably hoping for VR gadgets to become entirely mobile. Yes, we currently have mobile VR headsets available in the market, but the experience they provide just can’t compare with big gaming’s console or PC powered VR headsets like HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, and PS VR.
Of course, VR technology is likely to become eventually mobile but don’t bet on it happening anytime soon. The reason is that there are two technologies needed for it to become a reality and, currently, they are not progressing at the same pace. Simply put, VR hardware is outpacing wireless technology in terms of development. Time will come that VR headsets will have enough computing power to support high graphics but wireless technology may not yet be capable of supporting the gargantuan bandwidth required for a high resolution, lag-free wireless VR experience.
Next Platform
Here is another startling prediction for VR’s future. At the moment, VR’s potential has been focused on filmmaking, gaming, and other entertainment content. However, Mark Zuckerberg believes that VR has the potential to transcend all of that.
In fact, the Facebook CEO firmly believes that VR has the potential to be our next computing platform. True, it might take some time to get there, but eventually, it will replace PCs, tablets, consoles and even smartphones to become our future communications and computing platform.
Nanotech Meets VR
What do you think will be the ultimate form of today’s VR headset? If VRS’ prediction is correct, the future of VR hardware could go beyond the current miniaturization trend we see today.
It’s no secret that scientists and engineers have been lately obsessed with packing in more power and futures on gadgets that seem to get smaller and smaller. That’s understandable of course because consumers want their electronics to be streamlined and handy, something you can conveniently place inside a small bag or the pocket.
They may look stylish and trendy today but today’s latest generation of VR headsets would soon be viewed as bulky and ugly. Thus, it would then push engineers to churn out slimmer versions of today’s headsets. It is possible that a VR gadget in the future might look just like a trendy pair of sunglasses?
But why stop there? If consumers want it even smaller, of course, manufacturers will have no choice but to oblige. Eventually, it might be possible for VR technology to produce displays the size of a contact lens. We’ve seen too many spy movies lately for it not to happen.
But why stop there? According to VRS, it is with nanotechnology where virtual reality’s future lie. With nanobots inside your body, you don’t really need a headset anymore. These tiny robots can just tap into that part of your brain handling visual inputs and project the image directly into it. In essence, your brain is just acting like another computer connected to a mainframe.
But wait, this viewpoint presents another exciting possibility. If we can treat the human brain as another computer that can download information, can we then upload the contents of an entire brain as well? You know, the type of upload where even your memories, emotional patterns, and even thinking processes will be intact – a digital copy of your personality. When this day arrives, does this also mean we have ultimately achieved digital immortality as well?
Sources:
http://time.com/4324598/alienware-interview-virtual-reality/
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2017/03/07/robot-can-controlled-human-thought/
https://www.fool.com/investing/2017/03/22/the-future-of-virtual-reality-5-things-to-know.aspx
https://www.vrs.org.uk/virtual-reality-games/future-expectations.html