We experience virtual reality by proxy through goggles and controllers, but a new mask could give us a first-hand feel of a potentially harrowing Metaverse experience.
Virtual and augmented reality are supposed to enable us to easily go places where we can’t physically reach otherwise or experience things that would be impossible under the laws of physics. Being able to walk the surface of Mars without worrying about how to breathe is one of the many experiences that the Metaverse promises to deliver, sooner or later. At the same time, however, some people criticize these experiences as clearly fake and unbelievable because you can only see but not feel or smell the real thing. For better or worse, a team of researchers is trying to at least replicate how you breathe in virtual worlds, but it might make it feel too real to the point that our brains and bodies won’t be able to distinguish what is real and what isn’t.
Designers: Markus Tatzgern, Michael Domhardt, Martin Wolf, Michael Cenger, Gerlinde Emsenhuber, Radomir Dinic, Nathalie Gerner, Arnulf Hartl
Virtual reality hardware naturally starts with the eyes and ears, as they are the easiest and most important of the senses to deceive in order to create a suspension of belief. No matter how convincing that illusion is, however, it breaks down when you start trying to move around and interact with the virtual world, which happens in the real world through controllers while standing completely still. Much of the R&D in the technologies that will power the so-called Metaverse revolve around navigation and interaction more believable, like with the use of gloves and walking machines. Very few address the believability of the sense of smell or, at the very least, the act of breathing.
Researchers from the Salzburg University of Applied Sciences in Austria are investigating that are of the virtual experience by creating a mask design to restrict airflow to control breathing resistance and, therefore, the wearer’s breathing capability. The prototype looks like a whitewashed dystopian gas mask and almost hints at the contraption’s rather serious and almost critical application. A final product would look more refined, presuming something like this would ever be made commercially in the first place.
The idea is almost simple when you first hear about it, and it’s about making the virtual experience more believable by tricking your body into thinking they’re dealing with real-world situations. Walking through a house that’s on fire might not smell like the real thing, but the mask can regulate and restrict airflow so that you’d experience the same difficulty in breathing as you would if you were in a real-life fire. It might activate the brain’s natural fight-or-flight response, taking the experience closer to reality without actually endangering the wearer. Hopefully, the wearer is physically fit to experience that kind of stress, though.
Conversely, the person’s breathing could also be used as an additional way to control their virtual avatar, making their digital counterpart look as exhausted as they are in the real world. It can also open the doors to activities and games that would normally require you to blow air, like blowing out candles or blowing up balloons. The mask can also be used as a control and monitoring device for training simulations for firefighters and emergency personnel.
The same people that criticize virtual reality for being so obviously fake might also criticize this kind of invention for going overboard and making the experience too realistic. In a way, realism could actually remove some of the appeal of the Metaverse, particularly the ability to experience different places, worlds, and things without having to worry about hyperventilating. Of course, there will be experiences that are perfect for such breathing control devices, like horror games or exercise activities, but most people will probably try to do without the added gear. Alternatively, such a mask can be more useful for medical applications, helping medical personnel diagnose a patient’s well-being through monitored and regulated breathing.
We’ve all heard about bringing cities into the Metaverse, but this city will bring a part of the Metaverse to the real world instead.
AR, VR, cryptocurrencies, NFTs, and the lot are the usual culprits cited when talking about the Metaverse. Built on already existing and slightly unrelated technologies, this concept and buzzword is supposed to meld physical and virtual worlds together in an almost seamless fashion. In most cases, it involves recreating many physical things in a digital form, from avatars of ourselves to real-world cities and locations. There’s also a part that will bring digital artifacts into our world, mostly as overlays that can only be seen through screens or headsets. The Metaverse and its friends are already influencing changes in the real world, but perhaps none more daring and a teeny bit bewildering than an entire city founded upon the concept and the “image” of Bitcoin.
It’s not hard to imagine walking into a virtual city whose layout happens to be inspired by the design of a coin. After all, it’s pretty trivial to mold 3D spaces to one’s liking, whether or not they actually conform to the laws of physics. But doing it the other way around and building a real-world city patterned after a digital currency sounds a tad “out of this world,” to put it mildly. And yet that is what El Salvador is embarking on if the construction of this vision actually begins.
Announced late last year by El Salvadorian president Nayib Bukele, the “Bitcoin City” will be built on the side of the Conchagua volcano, which has thankfully never erupted in a very long time. The general layout of the city will be in the shape of a coin, as much as the terrain would allow it to be round, with a central plaza that bears the Bitcoin logo. At least based on the model that was recently unveiled, even the pattern of buildings and roads will give the city a remote semblance to the digital bits that make up all of the digital world as we know it.
Of course, Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies don’t exactly have a defined form, despite the “coin” in their names, so this is pretty much an artist’s interpretation of what a city built on it should look like. The designer also opted to paint the model in gold, almost giving it a Game of Thrones opening sequence vibe, but President Bukele assures that the actual city won’t look so pretentious. It will be a mix of greens from trees and blues from the nearby sea, so its associations with Bitcoin can really only be seen from high above. Fortunately, there are also plans to have a viewing deck over the volcano for that very purpose.
Bitcoin City, which might be its actual name, isn’t just a tribute to the first cryptocurrency that made it big. The whole city will be built on Bitcoin, or rather its construction will be funded by the sale of Bitcoin bonds. The city will also be powered by geothermal energy from its neighboring volcano. Of course, that energy will also be used to mine bitcoins, which became El Salvador’s official currency last year, the first and so far only country to adopt a cryptocurrency in this manner.
The city’s design is admittedly enthralling, but its concept and execution will most likely leave many scratching their heads. Basing an economy and an entire city on cryptocurrency is a huge leap of faith, and there have already been signs of trouble even before sales of those bonds have started. Bitcoin City wouldn’t be the first bold enterprise to capitalize on new technological trends, but it is definitely one of the more ambitious ones. One could almost say it is Bitcoin-crazy, and it wouldn’t be an exaggeration, especially considering how the city is designed around a Bitcoin.
It doesn’t have to be all fun and games in the Metaverse, especially when its best use cases are the ones that need a different reality the most.
Thanks to a few companies that have large marketing machines, the word “Metaverse” has become muddled in hype and controversy. While the current use of the coined word might be new to our ears, the technologies that empower it have been around for quite some time now. And they aren’t always used for games or entertainment, even if that is what everyone thinks these days. In fact, one of the most frequent early adopters of these technologies come from the medical field, which continuously tests new equipment, theories, and digital experiences to help improve lives. So while mainstream media, carmakers, and social networks continue to shine the light on new ways to experience different worlds, the Metaverse, its concepts, and its applications are already sneaking their way into medical and scientific institutions, ready to take healthcare to the next, augmented reality level.
Telepresence Training and Consultation
If you ask somebody about the Metaverse today, they will either look at you as if you were a crazy person because they have no idea what it means, or they will look at you as if you were a crazy person for glorifying games and virtual worlds like Second Life. Thanks to how it has been portrayed, especially by Meta, formerly Facebook, that has become the stigma that the term and the concept will carry for the next few years. At its most basic, however, the so-called Metaverse is really nothing but a combination of AI, AR, VR, blockchain, and related technologies that try to bind the digital and the physical world together into a more coherent whole. Sometimes, even something as simple as a virtual video call is already Metaverse-worthy, with or without the goggles.
This kind of visual communication can be critical not just in keeping people socially close while physically apart but also in keeping the world turning even when locked indoors. The recent COVID-19 pandemic has forced many people to resort to video calls for work and even for doctor’s appointments. Telemedicine became a thing in the past two years, but things aren’t going to stop there. With the help of VR and AR applications, medical personnel and healthcare workers can extend their reach, even when the real thing isn’t in front of them.
No, this isn’t the frightening scenario of performing surgeries remotely (we’ll get to that later) but the simple case of training personnel or even informing patients through virtual channels. Although nothing really beats the real thing, there are some pieces of information, like learning how to operate machinery, that don’t really need in-person training most of the time. And if diagrams and charts are effective in educating patients about various diseases and medical conditions, imagine how a more interactive and lifelike demonstration in the Metaverse can be more effective.
The phrase might conjure up horrific images, particularly of scenes from iconic horror films in the 80s, but digital twins are less frightening or even less dramatic than they sound. In essence, a digital twin is pretty much an exact replica of a physical thing, in this case, a person, based on real-world data. This replica can undergo hundreds of simulated changes in just minutes or even seconds that would normally take hundreds of years in real-time.
In this application, machine learning and AI take center stage over AR and VR, determining the possible results based on changing factors. To put it bluntly, a digital twin could be used as a virtual guinea pig, testing different medications and doses, different procedures, and different treatment options to see which ones will have the best possible outcome for a patient. All of these can happen in a matter of seconds, perhaps even while in the middle of an operation.
Digital twins can be used on more than just humans, of course. The same kind of high-speed trial and error can be applied to developing medicine, analyzing viruses, studying animals and plants, and anything else that can be solved with some simulations. Of course, looking at all these data as just figures and text would be boring and even painful, so 3D models can go a long way in visualizing and understanding the results of these simulations. Bonus points if you can view them in the Metaverse, too!
Designer: Philips
AR Surgery
Thanks to Hollywood, many people probably imagine surgery in the world of AR and the Metaverse as involving doctors doing procedures miles or even countries away from the patient. While that could have life-saving benefits, we don’t really need to go that far yet to reap the benefits of the technology in the operating room. Simply being able to see more information than what’s physically in front of us goes a long way in improving our knowledge and understanding, which is really the heart of augmented reality, without the hype and sensationalism.
Doctors require a lot of imagination when working on patients, and not in the flights of fantasy kind of way. They might not have a clear view of what they’re operating on, or they have to work with microscopic materials that would be impossible to see with the naked eye. Although these professionals have been working like these for decades, that doesn’t mean things have to stay that way, especially if technology can help ease the burden.
AR-assisted surgeries have already been performed with much success, but you often don’t hear about those in contrast to news about this or that new Metaverse platform. Being able to see where to drill inside a bone or where to put a screw can make procedures faster and safer. Of course, you’ll need better AR glasses to make that happen because the current consumer models we have just won’t cut it on the operating table, pun intended.
Not everything about the Metaverse has to be visible, or at least not in its real forms. Of course, the Metaverse can be reduced down to 1s and 0s, just like any computer program, but most people that experience it will be focused on digital artifacts like VR objects. One of the “non-visible” technologies that are being associated with the Metaverse is blockchain, and despite misconceptions, it actually has the potential to protect virtual people and data, including medical records.
Blockchain has gotten a lot of flak because of its association with controversial applications like cryptocurrencies and, more recently, NFTs. Like any other tool, however, it is really agnostic. Blockchains are more concerned about keeping a record of transactions joined together by cryptography in a chain. Each node in a blockchain network contains a copy of that chain and is updated with new transactions all the time. The decentralized and cryptographic nature of blockchains makes them almost perfect for protecting data, such as sensitive medical records.
Of course, that’s the ideal scenario, but blockchains are so new to the hearing and minds of anyone outside the computing industry that its applications to things like financial and medical records are still blowing people’s, especially legislators’, minds. Given the highly sensitive nature of medical data, this might take a while before a stable and trustworthy blockchain system is accepted and put in place.
The Metaverse being about having fun and games isn’t necessarily a bad thing, especially when done in moderation. In fact, playing games isn’t a bad thing, despite the connotations and prejudices surrounding even just the word. People have learned long ago that games, or specifically gameful activities, can be beneficial to learning and adapting to new things. It can even help people cope with trauma or stress.
Gamification, or the application of game thinking and game mechanics to non-game activities, has been around for years now. From leaderboards to levels to high scores, these small things can give a sense of accomplishment that reinforces the new knowledge that we just gained. And since the very same technologies that are used to make games also make the Metaverse, the intersection of gamification and the Metaverse is pretty much in the bag.
NASA, for example, has enlisted a game developer that specializes in using games to train people, particularly doctors, in diagnosing and treating different conditions. The idea is to train astronauts to have enough medical knowledge in an emergency, in case it’s the onboard doctor that needs treatment. These educational tools have all the hallmarks of typical mobile games, except it trains you with serious, life-saving skills rather than just mashing the screen to get kills.
The Metaverse might sound new, but it’s actually built on old technology. AR and VR have been around for decades, but it’s only now that they’re becoming more commercially available. Blockchain technologies are finally becoming more comprehensible even to lawmakers. The psychology of games has been lurking in plain sight in productivity tools and educational materials. You just never considered them to be formal games.
The hype around the Metaverse might have many people rolling their eyes, but all that focus has some benefits. It puts a spotlight on what the Metaverse can actually do, even separate from all the social and entertainment aspects. It brings to light how these technologies have actually been working in the background in different fields, including medicine, and how the Metaverse can be used not only to improve lives but also to save them.
Metaverse is the next big rage aided by AR and VR ecosystems, traversing the users into a realm that’s way more exciting than the real world. The hardware environment is diversifying ever than before to express the applications of the metaverse. So, why not have a modular controller that will be your best tool in a world where everything is possible, right from driving the rarest of hypercars in your alley to jumping off the space station into the infinite limits of the universe.
This modular controller seems like a viable idea for the future where we’ll be spending a chunk of our time in the hyper-reality. The role of AR/VR headsets/glasses, display screens, smartphones, or other peripherals is still not clear. That said, the metaverse environment could benefit in a number of ways from such a cool peripheral. Dubbed Modulus, the next-generation modular system smart controller consists of a base module and three separate units which can be put to use depending on the way the user wants to interact in the metaverse.
These three units consist of a holder unit to mount your smartphone (even a foldable or rollable phone), AR gaming unit and a Smart TV unit. The use case scenarios are plenty, right from using the holder unit as a smart scope interface in the peripheral vision to using it as a pair of 360-degree freedom Oculus Quest 2 Controller Grip-like accessories. The basic idea is to have a controller that can be modified in a jiffy without any nuances.
Take for example attaching the smartphone to the two holder units, and then onto the base modules to act as a gaming controller. Once you’re done with knocking down your opponents in COD Mobile, undo the setup and plug it in the Smart TV unit into one of the base modules to navigate in VR to your favorite scenic location to unwind.
Designer Min Chang KIM has managed to catch the very essence of how metaverse would function, and what functionality will help make the seamless transition from the real world into the virtual one!
As if cryptocurrencies weren’t confusing enough, here’s something that mixes it up with NFTs and the Metaverse, too.
The Metaverse might be the big buzzword right now, thanks to many companies like Meta, formerly Facebook, trying to push their vision to the masses, but there was a time not too long ago when there was a different tech craze gripping the world. Cryptocurrencies, especially Bitcoin, hit mainstream media hard to the point that even lawmakers were starting to scramble and struggle to make sense of it all. Non-fungible tokens, or NFTs, a cousin of these blockchain-based digital entities, also took the world by storm, particularly in art and design circles where this new kind of ownership still remains a bit controversial. Almost cooking up a perfect storm, a designer and artist duo are bringing all these together into an NFT that almost makes cryptocurrencies a bit more approachable or at least more visible.
Although they are always associated with money, cryptocurrencies are difficult for most people to grasp, particularly because these aren’t exactly represented as anything but incomprehensible numbers and letters. When people think of money, they will at least think of figures separated by commas or dots. Most will even think of paper bills and coins to make the connection to something familiar that has been around, even going back to the ancient Greeks. Cryptocurrencies have thrown all preconceived notions out the window, but NFTs and the Metaverse present an opportunity to turn things around a bit.
An NFT is a form of blockchain, but unlike cryptocurrencies, each one is non-interchangeable. That means it can be sold and traded, like digital equivalents of physical goods, but they’re often associated more with supposedly rare digital artworks that sell for thousands to millions of real-world dollars. NFTs don’t always have to be artwork, though, and can actually be used for anything that has a digital representation, including, in this case, NFT coins.
Minted was conceptualized as an answer to the question of what Ether, the currency for the Ethereum platform, would look like if it were an actual coin. Just like an NFT, however, a Minted coin is going to be a one-of-a-kind digital artifact, though they would have fixed Ether values. The coins will be available in Ether denominations of 0.1, 0.2, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, and 5. Each coin, however, will be “handcrafted” and unique, so they still retain the unique value, even if they just look like digital coins. And, of course, these will only be circulated via Ethereum since that’s the only place where Ether will have any value.
Of course, Minted doesn’t exactly make “crypto,” as they are called, suddenly more approachable and more understandable. They do, at least, give them a more visible form that could help lead towards a better comprehension of these newfangled technologies and concepts. It is also an attempt to beat governments to the punch in creating NFTs that will be associated with blockchain currencies. After all, if cryptocurrencies are designed to decentralize the distribution of assets, it would be ironic if a single entity like a government would co-opt that to become the new centralized bottleneck of these new systems.
Not all AR glasses need to be stylish or classy. Some actually need to be rugged enough to survive the real world.
Talk around the Metaverse has many of us dreading how the future will have screens literally in our faces even more than ever before. Of course, the ideal future also involves stylish glasses and less conspicuous headsets, perhaps even contact lenses that will let us experience a different reality in the midst of real reality. That might be fine for most people, but the Metaverse is unlikely to make certain industries disappear, especially the ones that work on the infrastructures that will make the Metaverse even possible. For many in those industries, normal smart glasses just won’t do, which is why this mixed reality and AR smart glasses put a more rugged spin on the narrative, even if it does end up looking a bit more like a cyberpunk prop.
In order to make augmented and mixed realities more accessible and more mainstream, the industry first needs to make headsets and glasses for these less cumbersome to use, not to mention less expensive. We haven’t reached a point yet where one can conveniently wear AR gear as easily as a regular pair of specs, but that is the goal of many device makers and platform developers. That said, not all potential users of AR services need fancy glasses, especially those that are often exposed to less favorable working conditions.
Just like industrial workers often need more rugged phones, they also need more rugged AR equipment. Even Microsoft HoloLens and Magic Leap, two of the very few headsets catering to these users, might actually be less sturdy for comfort. The ThirdEye Gen MR X2, in contrast, is designed exactly for rough environments. It’s thick, rugged, and almost menacing, but it’s also meant to be more comfortable and easier to use.
The visor, for example, has two layers, one providing the actual HUD (heads-up display) while the other acts as a protective shield for both the eyes and the display. The rather bulky frame includes all the hardware necessary to run MR and AR experiences, so you won’t have a cable precariously dangling from your body. And instead of joysticks or even gloves that tie up the wearer’s hands, the glasses has buttons on its frame for some important actions while also relying on gestures to control the software running on the device.
The ThirdEye X2 looks like a mix of the bulkiness of current-gen headsets and the sleek, smart glasses of the future. Its form, however, is designed not just for comfort but also for safety, with possible expansions for attaching safety helmets. At the same time, there’s almost a geeky appeal to the black and orange smart eyewear, like a mix of retro design and futuristic cyberpunk. It’s an interesting design hybrid, one that might actually become more common as we trek the road towards that AR future everyone loves to talk about.
Don’t be confused here, but while Meta wants to enhance the virtual and augmented realities with the Metaverse, the company is also taking it to the real world. Next month, a retail store is about to open its doors in Burlingame, California.
The physical Meta Store is launching on May 9. It is a retail space where you can check out some of the products available. You can try out the Meta Quest 2, Ray-Ban Stories, or the Meta Portal. The store allows a hands-on experience of the items on sale.
The Meta Store offers interactive demos like making video calls on the Meta Portal. The Meta Quest 2 demo is immersive with VR. Test yourself how the Ray-Ban Stories can help you be present with the world around you. The pair can help you capture those special memories and share them easily. There are plenty of styles and colors available, as well as a variety of lenses.
The Meta team simply wants people to get a hold of and feel a product first before purchasing—like in the old days. Interacting with everything must be experienced first before deciding if you really want the full Meta experience. It’s an interesting move, actually since the pandemic isn’t over yet. Meta is mainly a digital company too, so going into the real world is deemed unnecessary. But then again, other tech giants like Microsoft and Google also have their physical stores.
Head of Meta Store Martin Gilliard said, “Once people experience the technology, they can gain a better appreciation for it. If we did our job right, people should leave and tell their friends, ‘You’ve got to go check out the Meta Store.’”
There is a Meta Quest 2 display wall at the Meta Store. It is quite interactive as you can try the hardware, accessories, and content ready. An immersive demo area is where you can experience titles like Supernatural, Real VR Fishing, GOLF+, or Beat Saber. These apps can be tried on a wall-to-wall curved LED display. The Meta Store will even provide you with a 30-second mixed reality video of your experience that you can share on social media.
The Meta Store is set in a 1,550 square feet area. The Burlingame store is near the Reality Labs HQ. Interestingly, Meta also added a new Shop tab on meta.com where you can purchase all hardware products online.
The Meta Store will open on May 9. It will be ready to accept visitors from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM PT, Monday to Friday only. The store is located at 322 Airport Blvd in Burlingame, California.
If you’re a sneakerhead in your real life, then you’ve got be ready for the coolest pair of sneakers in your virtual life too. That luxury comes courtesy of the Nike CryptoKicks for the metaverse worlds. And yes, don’t forget to lace them up while strolling in VR!
Nike had earlier filed seven metaverse-related trademark applications, clearly suggesting their affinity for the trending pop culture of virtual assets. In line with this future vision, the American multinational acquired RTFKT Studios, a digital fashion and 3D creation studio in December 2021. Now the first nectar of their creation is out for all to see. Yes, you know where this going, right?
Nike and RTFKT’s first digital sneakers have been released and they call them the Nike CryptoKicks. It’s a design based on the Nike Dunk Genesis sneaker, and this is Nike’s foray into the world of NFTs, and eventually the metaverse. RTFKT labels this creation as the “Future of Sneakers” and we truly second that statement. Nike did hint at their interest in crafting digital sneakers and wearables back in November 2021, so after all this reveal isn’t a major surprise for keen followers.
People who own the RTFKT’s mysterious MNLTH digital box NFT which was airdropped for free to ones who have the Clone-X. There was some mystery around as to what the MNLTH cube actually holds, and now after almost three months we know one of its hidden gifts. The digital wearables can be shown off in the metaverse worlds as their look can be toggled via the collectible Skin Vials for different styles. For starters, the EVO X collection will kick off with eight different skins which can be beefed up with drip upgrades and special powers.
This virtual dunk silhouette gets an uber-futuristic bump-up with the metallic parts, a noticeably modified sole unit, and the paneling to match the swapping around of the screens for customization. CryptoKicks sneaker is going to be one of the many future releases in the pipeline and we can expect the skins library to grow exponentially too.
As Nike said at the launch of the CryptoKicks, “Nike is focused on potential ways to use blockchain technology to serve our consumers in the athletic footwear, apparel and equipment space. The MNLTH is just the start to a future of serving athletes in this space.”
You don’t need to always wear a VR headset to enjoy the Metaverse, especially if you can just stay in your self-driving car and be at your office even while on your way to your vacation.
CES 2022 was the first time in two years that the annual event returned to face-to-face interactions. Almost ironically, a lot of the showcases there revolved around virtual experiences, particularly the kind that the Metaverse movement is trying to push. Being physically present in one place while also virtually experiencing a different location at the same time is one of the biggest premises of this convergence of technologies, but most of those involve wearing some form of headset, be it VR goggles or more stylish AR glasses. The Metaverse isn’t limited to that, of course, and LG’s vision of the future of mobility tries to show how you can relax or even work while in transit to a completely different location.
Like many futuristic car concepts, LG’s OMNIPOD is filled with screens. Not just the dash or front panels, mind, but even the sides and the ceiling of the vehicle. LG calls it an “expansive tunnel screen” or “Meta-environment screen,” and it’s the part of the car then tries to immerse the rider or riders in a virtual environment or, alternatively, give them a peek of the outside world without opening any windows.
The car isn’t just about displaying videos or virtual offices, though. Every part of the vehicle is designed to make a person feel like they’re in anything but a moving car. There’s a modular mini-fridge, for example, that even includes an induction range on top for cooking on the go. The spacious cabin of the OMNIPOD can be an office space or a recording studio, depending on your need at the moment. And, of course, the car’s screens will change to create a virtual environment that makes you feel as if you’re really at work, perhaps to help boost your productivity.
Given the events of the past two years, there are also elements of sanitation in this moving living space. An “Air Shower,” for example, blasts passengers with negatively ionized air to remove dust and germs, while an LG Styler can hold your coats and shoes to sanitize them and keep them clean until you need to wear them again. And after each trip, the car’s virtual assistant Reah will flood the cabin with UV light and get robot vacuums rolling to prepare for its next use.
While some of these technologies might already be available today, all these futuristic conveniences hinge on electric vehicles perfecting their self-driving capabilities. The LG OMNIPOD does have the option of manual driving, but without the typical steering wheel and controls anyway. It’s not going to replace RVs and cabins on wheels, especially with its lack of bathrooms and kitchens, but LG’s vision of future mobility does interesting points and questions, like how humans of the future might find it harder to be physically social when they don’t even have to step out of their cars most of the time.
The Metaverse sounds fascinating and all that, but you probably won’t be too enthusiastic about it if you’d be forced to wear a clunky headset just to dive in. Fortunately, that won’t be the case soon.
Although the term has become a rather controversial marketing buzzword only recently, the technologies that serve as the foundations for the Metaverse have been around for a much longer time. Virtual and augmented reality companies, in particular, have been trying to sell their ideas and products to consumers and enterprise customers long before Facebook decided to change its name. Neither VR nor AR, however, have really become that mainstream yet, mostly because of the bulky headgear they require you to wear, which is why Magic Leap’s second AR headset is making a big splash in more ways than one.
The biggest and most obvious change from Magic Leap’s first-gen headset is the reduction in size and the more approachable design. The original Magic Leap already looked a tad more refined and polished compared to other AR headsets like the Microsoft Holo Lens, but the Magic Leap 2 shaves that further down to something that feels like wearing headphones, just around your head instead of over it. It’s a bit of a magician’s trick of misdirection, though, because the Magic Leap 2 simply relocates some of the hardware elsewhere.
The Magic Leap 2 still requires you to have an external, puck-shaped device that holds most of the processing power of the headset. The headset and the puck connect via a cable, but you can clip the computing module anywhere on your body. It’s not as wireless as we’d like it to be, but it’s the only usable compromise available for now.
The optics of the new Magic Leap headset has also improved in leaps and bounds. It has a larger field-of-view, which practically means that more augmented or virtual data can be overlaid on real-world objects, making the experience look and feel more seamless. The most important and most impressive part, however, is the dimming capability of the lenses.
Augmented reality requires that light actually goes through the lenses, in contrast to VR’s opaque display, though that also means that the digital overlays are difficult to see in bright daylight. The Magic Leap 2 allows the wearer to dim the lenses like transition glasses so you can make out the virtual objects more clearly. In fact, the dimming almost turns the AR headset into a VR one, though not to the complete occlusion of the real world.
Magic Leap says that most of its improvements were made to cater to its primary target audience in the Health, Manufacturing, and Public sectors. It might be quite a while before it decides to serve the consumer market again, after its catastrophic first attempt, but changes go a long way in preparing the technology for regular people. And when regular people start embracing these technologies more, the chances of the Metaverse’s success increase as well.
