Wednesday W.O.W - Spatial Computing 🥽🌐
[4 min read] Your mid-week bite sized treat on emerging tech on our journey to the Metaverse. Learn about this newish term for the convergence of XR and other emerging tech, and how Apple is leading.
A nibble of knowledge in your inbox every Wednesday with a simple format:
🇼 What the technology is.
🇴 Objective(s) - what is it trying to achieve, with some examples
🇼 Why it is important.
This is week 52 (a whole year!) of the 520 weeks of writing I have committed to, a decade of documenting our physical and digital lives converge.
🇼 What is Spatial Computing?
Coined by Simon Greenwold in 2003, its essence aligns with augmented and mixed reality. Greenwold's succinct definition focused on human-machine interaction, intertwining virtual forms with the physical space. However, the landscape expanded over time, encompassing “Internet of Things” (IoT) and speech recognition.
In June 2023, Apple's foray into immersive technologies with the Apple Vision Pro blurred the lines between spatial computing, mixed reality, and the metaverse. My personal opinion is that Apple strategically used the “Spatial Computing” verbage to separate itself from the existing VR/MR/XR/Metaverse narratives. Apple's nomenclature preferences aside, spatial computing emerges as a synonymous term for mixed reality and augmented reality in practice.
🇴 What are the Objectives?
Here are some of the objectives illustrated via use cases:
Healthcare: Surgeons embrace AR and MR for visualizing complex anatomies. Platforms like SentiAR create holographic experiences, providing real-time insights during surgery. Stanford Medicine employs VR to overlay 3D renderings on live video feeds, enhancing surgical precision.
SentiAR Training and Skill Development: Spatial computing revolutionises employee training. Adaptive learning paths, real-time feedback, and multi-user collaboration enhance learning experiences. It simulates real-life scenarios, fostering skill development in a controlled virtual environment.
Manufacturing: AR tools in spatial computing streamline maintenance and repair tasks. Smart glasses overlay instructions, expediting issue identification. The technology optimises factory performance, minimises downtime, and facilitates effective maintenance planning.
Gaming and Entertainment: Demeo, a VR dungeon crawler, exemplifies tactile immersion in gaming. The Apple Vision Pro hosts immersive experiences from virtual home theaters to courtside NBA games. Spatial computing transforms gaming, making it interactive and engaging.
Architecture & Construction: The fusion of MR and AR with BIM and CAD revolutionises design. Architects immerse themselves in virtual models, ensuring detailed examination and collaboration. MR expedites conduit system construction through direct visualisation based on BIM data.
All of these use cases (and more) can be built using the amazing Unity suite of tools, just one of the reasons why Apple & Unity have partnered to lead this space.
🇼 Why is Spatial Computing likely to play an integral role in the future of the emerging Metaverse?
The first thing to realise is that a device like the Apple Vision Pro fits into an Apple user’s existing ecosystem of apps and accounts such as Calendar, Movies, etc. This means it can be useful in everyday life immediately, rare out-of-the-box functionality from such a cutting-edge device.
Why is spatial computing integral to the future of the emerging metaverse? The answer lies in its transformative influence across domains. In the world of work, virtual meetings and workspaces redefine collaboration and productivity, transcending traditional video conferences. Spatial computing in education facilitates immersive learning experiences, making training accessible and engaging. Data visualisation takes a leap into the third dimension, allowing professionals to explore complex datasets intuitively. Entertainment experiences, from gaming to mixed-reality concerts, redefine engagement, blurring virtual and real boundaries. The metaverse, fueled by spatial computing, reshapes how we work, play, learn & socialise.
That’s all for this week! If you have any organisations in mind that could benefit from learning about emerging technology, be sure to reach out. Educational workshops are one of many consulting services I offer.