After almost a year of writing this newsletter, I think it's time to step into the metaverse or at least its virtual/augmented reality (VR/AR) dimensional version.
Virtual reality attracts a lot of scorn, and rightly so.
The concept has been overhyped for far too long, while the tools to deliver on its promise have been woefully insufficient. I remember being given virtual reality demos at conferences in the late '90s, when the headsets required were so big I thought I might fall off. Then there was Second Life, a virtual world ahead of its time and unable to live up to the hype built around it through no fault of its own (it still exists and is profitable).
But virtual reality is alive and well.
This is coming to fruition in different than expected ways and use cases, some of which we have COVID to thank. For example, take a look at Gather, a platform that allows people to create virtual spaces that they can use for meetings, demos, product launches, and parties. Gather has raised €56 million and claims that more than 10 million people have walked through its virtual doors in the two years since it was founded. A dozen other companies are doing similar things, including Teamflow, SpatialChat, Branch, and Remo.
confidence equation
These companies are taking video conferencing to the next level, using virtual offices and meeting spaces to enhance remote interactions without completely eliminating the human element. In most cases, the experiments are two-dimensional and take place on a standard PC screen.
"I don't think people will be putting on headphones and interacting with avatars any time soon," says Jim Szafranski, CEO of Prezi. "If there is a noticeable difference there is a breach of trust."
Prezi is one of many companies envisioning uses of virtual reality as an extension of video conferencing. Their software works on most video conferencing platforms. Prezi uses virtual reality in a way reminiscent of TV news, but with participants able to comment and annotate the content.
The metaverse will happen this way: incrementally, guided by practical use cases and innovations in comfortable metaphors.
In other words, I doubt Gather or Prezi Video would gain much traction if it wasn't for Zoom.
Practical applications
There are already many practical applications of the metaverse.
For example, digital twins, computerized representations of physical objects and spaces, have been widely adopted by product designers to test new designs and modifications to existing designs without the time and expense of building physical prototypes.
SiteAware uses photographic images to create digital twins of buildings under construction. Its software can detect errors that cause a project to drift from design and alert contractors to correct errors quickly. The savings are potentially huge, since the trade-in represents around 20% of the cost of a typical construction project.
OpenSpace Labs uses a similar approach to document construction projects on an ongoing basis. In addition, building maintenance can use its time-stamped virtual log, giving engineers a picture of every pipe, conduit, and support beam in the structure long after the walls have been built.
about these helmets
One of the big questions remains the viability of VR headsets in the workplace. However, as the price of Oculus 300D equipment has fallen below €XNUMX, the cost is much less of a barrier than before. "Price and general ease of use unlock usability," says Luke Wilson, founder of ManageXR, whose software enables organizations to manage virtual reality equipment at scale.
ManageXR has seen a surge in sales and interest during the pandemic, Wilson said. “We all see that work will be done remotely, and virtual reality presents different ways to connect and open up new workflows,” she said. "I think we're going to see our day-to-day productivity tools adapted to VR/AR."
Accenture would agree. The consulting giant has purchased thousands of VR headsets to help onboard new employees during the pandemic. "Immersive learning offers new ways to connect with practicing soft skills, such as sales conversations, giving and receiving feedback, as well as coaching and mentoring," said Jason Warnke, head of Digital Experience for Global Computing, at CIO.
Someone is buying the devices, as evidenced by data provided by Statista showing AR/VR headset sales are expected to almost double from 9,86 million units last year to just under 19 million in 2023.
Prezi's Szafranski isn't so optimistic. "We see niche applications for headsets, but in the white-collar suite of productivity tools, I would say absolutely no," he said.
ManageXR's Wilson believes the tipping point will be a killer app, just like the Lotus 1-2-3 boosted desktop sales in the 1980s. "There's still no headset spreadsheet," stated.
I tend to agree with Szafranski. Office workers may be willing to cut themselves off from the real world for the occasional demo or trade show, but I doubt we'll see legions of people spending their days inside the metaverse.
On the other hand, what do I know? Two years ago, I thought wearing a mask was pretty weird.
So read this:
Trapped in the metaverse: this is what 24 hours look like in virtual reality
Great technological journeys in the virtual reality realms of the metaverse
The Future Of The Metaverse Will Be Determined By These 3 Technologies
How the metaverse could affect the world and the future of technology
What is all the hype about the Metaverse?
What is the Metaverse? Here's why it matters
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