The World is Your Oyster
AR Cloud
The AR cloud is very much in the development stage where it could happen at any second but also may take a couple more years to release. Apple, Google, Tesla, etc. could be and are most likely working on some form of the AR cloud right now. But what would be a good example of an AR cloud that people would utilize even if Apple came out with it? An article by Ori Inbar showed an example of playing AR minecraft with the cloud. I personally don’t see that translating well as VR minecraft exists and it is not liked or utilized. So what really would be the best example and uses? However, it was fascinating to learn this was even a thing being thought about and actively pursued.
Key Ideas
The need for depth cameras to work.
Needs to be unique. Cannot just replicated the success of something like Pokemon Go.
Magicverse
The Magicverse is a far off dream as we do not have the capability to create it quite yet. The goal is to create new experiences in the real and digital world that will change life across the board. It will help to tackle things like economic disparity, climate change, etc. I do not understand how the magicverse will solve the problems though. There is science and experts who have shared how to fix these problems we have but yet there is not action being taken. I feel it is the same idea as hoping to colonize mars to escape our own problems. The biggest thing I found to be interesting is that there is the possibility that this can occur by our own technology.
Key Ideas
This idea is similar to Tomorrowland.
This would be a big undertaking to create.
Mirror World
We already have some things that are beginning to be like the Mirror World. The idea to live with a digital mirror is really not too far off in the future. We could very easily achieve this technological feat soon. However, what exactly would the logistics be like? I wondered this as I was reading through the Wired article on the mirror world. If we all had to wear glasses to experience it how would that work? Would it get hard to turn it off if it is normal life? If you have a phone or computer you can just walk away but if daily things incorporate the mirror world it would be harder to just walk away. If it was a game it would be different. With that being said, the prospect of seeing a whale swim around in your room sounds intriguing.
Key Ideas
This concept is not far away as the technology is getting closer and closer for use.
The idea of a mirror world is not new and is already being used slightly in our existing technology so the switch wouldn’t be that jarring.
Cyberverse
The article from Huawei explains that in 2019 5 test sites should be set up for the Cyberverse. This means this technology is here and just needs to be implemented in a meaningful way that consumers will enjoy and use. Being a consumer myself, the article didn’t make too much sense on how it would be used, just that your phone and mapping would be used to interact with the environment. It was also stated that it would be used in theme parks, museums, airports and more. But how would it be used? However, it was really cool to know that this technology is being used/tested already.
Key Ideas
Uses smart phones and 3D spaces to work.
Will change how we interact with our phones and environment.
Planet-Scale AR
Using the world as a game board and more. Niantic is the creator of Pokemon Go and is really rolling with AR technology on a global scale. I would be curious to know what other plans they have in the future and would they just continue to use only smartphones to achieve their goals. In the end, this technology is really fascinating that you can use the planet to create games and essentially the people are the moving pieces.
Key Ideas
The world is a game board.
This technology connects people and gets them moving.
An exploration of the world using AR.
Conclusion
However cool the metaverse is, there are expectations that we should be aware of. If you are connecting the globe using AR how would each country control the ownership of their geographical data? This is already an issue just with social media alone. For example, copywrite on Youtube is wrought with problems just due to different laws in different countries. So how would this play out with the metaverse?
Another thing to consider is the furthest extremes of the metaverse. If in the future developers don’t want to deal with the hassle of smartphones what would they use? Going full scifi, an eye implant or contact could be an extreme. Would this be morally okay? What if someone didn’t want to get one. This isn’t opting out of stitches in exchange for a splint. Would forms of discrimination occur if some people chose not to do this. Would forms of discrimination or new forms of class disparity happen if people don’t have the funds to access this technology. Some of these technologies are supposed to fix these issues. But, in the end, would they just make things worse?
