January 9th, 2024 - DarkBrave
So for this post I decided to think about technology I'm super excited about that will come in the future, whether soon or very far out. When I think "future" many things
come to mind like neural interfaces, flying cars, space travel, and many other seeming fictional things. Many people see Virtual Reality or VR as the future of computing,
but I take issue with that. Not only does VR essentially suck you out of the real world and into some fictional mess, it also just feels less cool compared to augmented
reality or AR. Integrating cool and new technology with the real world is one of my favorite things, and AR is a great example of that. Now that why I prefer AR to VR is
out of the way, I'd like to get into why AR matters for the future and how it will affect computing.
Now I'm going to use Apple's reasoning to quickly explain one way in which AR (also known as Spatial Computing according to Apple, although it also combines in elements of
VR) is better than a traditional computer. With a regular technology setup, you need monitors, keyboards, mice, watches, tablets, scanners, phones, and a lot of other
things, but with a small AR headset, that can be minimized. An AR headset can replace all of this, but that leads us to the hardware.
While there is no cost-effective, ultra-long battery, extremely light AR device out there, and there won't be for a very long time, talking about this is still important. Think
of a better Google Glass instead of a worse Apple Vision Pro or Meta Quest Pro headset. It just needs to be like wearing a pair of glasses versus wearing a big clunky
headset, no matter how small it is, but it still needs a great field-of-view to be worthwhile.
As for software, the HUD style of a Glass is, in my opinion, superior to whatever else people come up with, although it does need some development to become better for long-term
use. Although great for getting work done, I just don't like visionOS's interface for walking around places, as it feels more stationary, but that would work in a lot of
situations. A more HUD-style interface in the middle ground will be needed to allow for lots of information and utility at the same time.
Now that a lot of that is out of the way, I'd just like to throw out some crazy ideas for applications and tools for an AR device:
Something that recognizes people's faces and gives them Minecraft-style names above their head. Maybe it could also keep track of time spent with them that could result in awesome data visualizations.
Keeping with the nametag-style tools, maybe something where you could see what people around you have similar interests that you select from a list. It could be great for asking questions and finding new friends.
Maps with instructions in the actual environment would be cool. And yes, I do know Apple Maps has this now, but it needs to be on my face and work in more places to be worth it. Maybe a version that works in cars, bikes, and public transportation could be made.
Keeping with the maps theme, I'd like to see a 3D map overlay from above, so you can see the surrounding area. Maybe a list of criminals around you could be placed so you know where to avoid.
I know privacy would be an issue, but instant replays would be AWESOME! Imagine doing something or seeing something cool but not knowing you want to record it beforehand; you could just capture the last, let's say, 60 seconds to your phone from a camera in the device.
It would be interesting to see instructions in AR, so you get step-by-step instructions for how to do something with an overlay on-screen with instructions. I cannot stress how cool this would be for electronics repair and upgrading.
So that's pretty much all my ideas for right now, but feel free to check back on this rambling in a bit to see if I've added any new ideas to them. If you can't tell, I'm excited for this future with augmented reality and concepts you can only dream about, but with our world's amazing engineers, it may just become a reality.