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.