After a long wait, a bit more to wait …

The newest VR goggles have been showcased … They surely look more wearable than the existing ones but it may be several more months before you can try one. Image credit: Magic Leap

Virtual Reality has the potential of changing several areas in the next decade, from education to entertainment, from real estate to design (and Industry 4.0 can leverage on that).

Some of the required components are here, like high processing capacity and advanced software or rendering. Our brain is extremely sensitive to lights and shadows and use them as hints on objects position, hence the need for a very accurate rendering to create ambients and scenes that are “credible”.

What we are missing is the perception of being part of the ambient that is being created artificially. That requires an immersion which in turns depends on our eyes. We get that when looking at very large screens, like IMAX, that seem to encircle us, but they are not a solution for most virtual reality applications. The alternative is using VR goggles like Oculus Rift and HCT Vive. The problem with them is their bulkiness. They may trick our eyes but the brain is not tricked because the sensations from wearing them cast an artificial shadow on the experience.

This is why there was/is such an expectation on the Magic Leap first headset. It has been rumored to be light, effective, in a class of its own.  After several hints  from Magic Leap to raise interest the new headset can be seen on their website.

Indeed it looks much less intrusive then the present VR goggles but it is still at least a few months away.

The first devices will be made available to developers in 2018 and it will be up to them to develop engaging applications. These latter may become available in the second part of 2018.

The battery consumption appears to remain an issue and Magic Leap is working on it. The processing is done in a computer connected with a wire to the goggles. Overall it looks better but it might not be “good enough” to win a large market. We’ll see. For the time being we have to wait a bit more.

About Roberto Saracco

Roberto Saracco fell in love with technology and its implications long time ago. His background is in math and computer science. Until April 2017 he led the EIT Digital Italian Node and then was head of the Industrial Doctoral School of EIT Digital up to September 2018. Previously, up to December 2011 he was the Director of the Telecom Italia Future Centre in Venice, looking at the interplay of technology evolution, economics and society. At the turn of the century he led a World Bank-Infodev project to stimulate entrepreneurship in Latin America. He is a senior member of IEEE where he leads the New Initiative Committee and co-chairs the Digital Reality Initiative. He is a member of the IEEE in 2050 Ad Hoc Committee. He teaches a Master course on Technology Forecasting and Market impact at the University of Trento. He has published over 100 papers in journals and magazines and 14 books.