News of the week summary
Accurate, prophetic, powerful in 5 yrs
1.Apple Is Apparently Working on AR Headphones
To fool the ears of being in the space, spacial audio would be the very first trick to be accomplished. In the article, it describes a “pre-processor” that spits out a virtual, spatial representation of where each caller’s signal would be coming from, and a “head-tracking controller” that helps to mimic in-person meetings. Having AR Headphones plus glasses would probably be the future for video conferencing (or more), instead of having an actual space to cast hologram and install multiple speakers to mimic the scene. Or at least, the previous solution would be less money-consuming.
2. LookingGlass Factory Releases Monster 3D Display
This is a peek into what the future of hologram would look like. Though it’s just a screen that shows volumetric pics and videos, it fools the eyes into believing the object or human inside the screen is “real”. Maybe the screen is a breakthrough point to an authentic hologram.
3.AR Meditation App Helps Calm Veterans Suffering From Trauma
Although for now the data gathered for the app comes from Apple Watch or a compatible Muse brain-sensing headband that doesn’t reflect much of a person’s mental state, the idea to combine medical treatment with AR and VR is very promising. If household medical devices could do a better job at detecting one’s emotions and brainwaves, conveniently and cheaply, people suffering from mental illness would enjoy a better life (at least better treatments).
Off-track, clueless, and ridiculous in 5 yrs
The idea of creating an opera through AR is not ridiculous, but it is ridiculous in a way that it compromises the possibility of a more creative story-telling and the use of technology to “mobile phone” and “home”. What the video shows is a special place that furnished like home, and the opera is mapped onto the exact setting of the room. This is more like location-based VR, and is lamer than VR, for the background of the opera would only be one’s home! In 5 yrs time, I think location-based VR would thrive and become a hit in entertainment business. At that time, there’s no need for people to hold their phone to watch some child-like AR opera at home.
2.AR and VR will make spatial journalism the future of reporting
Since the news reporting have developed from static (pics and articles) to video-based, there could be a possibility that AR and VR would take it to the next level. However, what the article envisions is that one may be taken to the actual space of the news’ occurrence (more like VR tourism with a news feature), or be shown some vivid graphics spatially. The former would definitely help one to experience the news better, but given a choice to be in a battlefield or a place that has just struck by flood, I may not choose to experience it, for it could be horrifying or upsetting. For the latter, it’s not necessary at all. To conclude, I think articles are the quickest and the most convenient way to report and view a piece of news. Even if in the future everybody is wearing VR headsets, they will still choose to read news in their headset, just as people would read news articles instead of watch videos in their mobile phones.
3.DOJAGI – the world’s first spinning wheel simulation game for pottery making in virtual reality
I used to play a similar pottery simulation game on iPad a lot. The only manipulation method is to put a finger on the screen to push the mud. How I imagine it would be different in the VR game is that instead of one finger, user can use both of their hands to feel like they are actually touching the mud and squeezing it. However, the experience would not be complete without the haptic sensation. Even if one can feel it and create it virtually, he or she still needs to export the model and 3D print it to actual have a self-made pottery. Therefore, what’s purpose of doing pottery virtually?