The advent of metaverse technologies, particularly Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR), has brought about a paradigm shift in the way we perceive and interact with our environment. These disruptive technologies are continuously evolving, pushing boundaries and redefining possibilities. From educational applications to urban planning, these immersive technologies are significantly impacting various facets of our lives.
Undoubtedly visual metaverses are the most popular format for metaverse, but there are two main areas of the visual metaverse that are witnessing the bulk of technology innovation in the AR/VR experience.
In terms of AR/VR, the focus is still very much on pushing the limits in creating an AR/VR set that could provide an immersive experience along with comfort to the user. Meta just launched its flagship AR/VR Meta Quest Pro, which has significant improvements in performance, display, features and comfort over its predecessor and features both eye and face tracking to accurately replicate it in the user avatar.
The headsets become sleeker every year with most original equipment manufacturers striving to eliminate their clunkiness and make them as natural as standard eyewear like sunglasses or contact lenses. In June 2022, Mojo Labs Vision announced the world’s first AR contact lens. With more technology giants like Apple planning to enter the realm of AR/VR headsets, the innovation is expected to be on the cutting edge.
The AR APIs also kept getting better. In 2022, Google introduced a new API called the Google Maps Platform for AR, which allows developers to create geospatial AR experiences that are tied to specific locations in space. This means that users can now experience AR content in a much more contextual manner, as the content is directly linked to the physical location of the user.
The innovation in graphics is less dramatic than the innovation in AR/VR, as the graphics industry is more mature. Popular gaming engines like Unreal Engine 5, Unity and Amazon Lumbaryard have already demonstrated that we have reached a point where real-world graphics are possible.
The pace of innovation in AR/VR technologies is staggering. Whether it’s the development of more comfortable and immersive headsets, or the introduction of new APIs allowing for more contextual and location-specific AR experiences, the advancements in this field continue to astound. The graphics industry, though more mature, is not far behind in the race, with gaming engines demonstrating the possibility of real-world graphics.
In conclusion, the world is at the cusp of a technological revolution fueled by AR/VR and metaverse technologies. As we move forward, these innovations promise to further blur the lines between physical reality and digital worlds, transforming how we interact with each other and our surroundings. The future of AR/VR in the metaverse is bright and holds immense potential for humanity.
