Sci-fiction is getting harder and harder to make-believe with so much of it becoming real now. The next latest thing to come out will make phones a thing of the past. Why worry about carrying a device like a phone with you when you can just wear a headset that will let you make calls and more?
The challenge for Hollywood is getting harder and harder for them to stay ahead of the curve because so much of it is becoming real. We now have self-tying shoes, clothes that acts as an MP3 player, and even portable devices that can diagnose our health at that very moment. Technology is becoming more of something we interact with and less a passable thing. The movie Her showed how personal digital assistants and operating systems will be the kinds of things we live with. It won’t be just that you interact with them at home you will take them with you to work, vacation, and anywhere else you go.
The Convergence of Two Technologies
The running start that Siri, Cortana, and Google Now has shows how far we will go when it comes to finding the answers we need at a moments notice. The technology that Cortana and Google Now have both show that they remember what we said before, the kinds of things we do when we are in certain places, and understand how to interpret that to predict what we might need as we are going about our lives. In five years it will be common for Cortana to automatically respond to you when talking to yourself about what else you might need before going shopping for groceries. Google Now already has it to where when you turn your phone on it shows you what you were going to ask it. Accessing information will be a proactive thing that digital assistants will be required to do. So where does that leave our physical environments?
This is where virtual reality comes in and why Facebook and Microsoft have taken charge in leading the way. Google made it apparent when they came out with Google Glasses because it shows just how useful that is versus always having to take out your phone for something. Why do that when your field of vision can carry “apps” that automatically activate for certain activities. Imagine looking at an object and knowing the molecule makeup of that object? This would be very helpful when shopping in the grocery store and you are trying to pick out the best piece of fruit. Well we have those devices now but they will slowly be integrated into wearable technology because it only makes sense. It makes no sense for an astronaut to carry around all these devices that do separate things when he could just look in his visor and turn on each program he wants to use. So what would something like that look like and will we ever get there?
The reality is we have that technology now, it just needs a little more time to “bake” before the public can take hold of it and start turning it into something we are used to seeing in the movies. One of the first major companies to show how useful wearable technology will become and why it will be the only thing now people will be focused on buying is Microsoft. Before watching the video below imagine a world when interactive screens turn on whenever you need them, you can touch and manipulate objects as if they were real, and if you wanted, put them into 3-d printers and make them come to life. Think I am making all of this up? Think again.
Welcome to the World of Holograms
Our worlds will no longer be physical environments we live in but also holographic environments. We will be able to pet out virtual pet before going to bed, playing chess with our friend on the other side of the world, and look at the current environment of a place we want to visit. We will be able to look at objects and make improvements to see what they will be once we made them. Our devices will allow us to see into things we were never able to see before not without lots of manual labor first.
Microsoft HoloLens
Learn more about the project here
Understand you will not be able to get your hands on these puppies until the fall, hopefully, but that is because they have a lot more bugs to work out since the voice controls, the only means of using the device, have to be perfect.
Space Glasses
If you are looking for glasses that you can get your hands in the fall then you might want to look into Space Glasses. These glasses let you create objects, manipulate environments, and interactive with your space. You can pre-order your pair here.
Sulon Technologies
The rise of virtual reality came all from video games so it only makes sense that more and more game makers will be creating holographic video game environments. Sulon is one company that has created their own headset to match the kind of interactive game play they want their players to experience.
RoomAlive
Microsoft Research has created an interactive environment that doesn’t require any headset in order to interact with virtual objects. Not everyone in the public will be keen on having to wear a device all the time in order to see the same thing that those with the headsets are seeing. Using holographic multi-camera projectors placed above will allow everyone in the room to see the same thing and interactive with them. This will encourage more people to see the benefits of using the same holographic technology. The huge benefit is not having a limited field of vision that so many people find problematic with headsets.
You can see from the interact movement in the room just what all goes on. Individuals will be able to change objects, put up photos, move, what would considered heavy objects, around the room to make it look different. You can learn more about the future of RoomAlive in this article and see where it is headed.
Atheer Labs
Atheer is looking to take the same idea of interactive environments and make them something all around, from health and fitness to games and business. The idea is that you wear them for everything just like a few others above. The idea though of having to wear these glasses all the time will call into question about whether or not they will start to come with prescription wear.
It is very possible that these glasses will also become just as popular. If you are a developer for software like this you can order you a pair at this link to see about getting a head start on offering services and products for them.
If you have been deciding on whether or not to go out and purchase Google Glass you might want to wait and see just what kind of changes will be coming before making an expensive purchase. As more developers are brought on to create useful apps for all these devices the world of virtual reality will continue to grow. In the meantime don’t be surprised to see some of these cool things show up in a store near you. There is also a push from the medical field to include these headsets for people who need assistance. Just recently eSight showed a youtube video where a mom gave birth to her child. What makes this moment amazing is that she was able to see for the first time using special glasses that enhanced her vision. Be sure to take a look at the links below about this remarkable achievement.
News Articles
Why Microsoft’s HoloLens stands out in the battle of the glasses
Legally Blind Mom sees newborn for first time through special glasses
Unease for What Microsoft’s HoloLens Will Mean for Our Screen-Obsessed Lives
The Life of An Entrepreneur 