VISION ON! THE PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE OF SPATIAL COMPUTING

Is Vision Pro the future market leader, or just an overpriced gimmick? We take a look at the history and future of virtual and augmented reality, and speculate on where Apple's new device might take us

- lan Osborne

Virtual and augmented reality have been sci-fi staples for years. Virtual reality (VR) puts you in an alternate world, where you can look, move and interact as if you were really there (think of the holodeck in Star Trek. Augmented reality (AR) overlays computer-generated graphics and information over the real world, so you see both through your glasses or on your screen (like in Pokémon Go). Both of these concepts have a longer history than you realise. And then there’s mixed reality (MR), which delivers the best of both.

Over the last few years, the technology behind these concepts has matured to the point where it promise to change the way we use our devices. We’re promised immersive games, with the player at the centre of the action. Video chats could be transformed, with the participants sitting around a virtual table in a virtual office, probably drinking virtual coffee. Your augmented reality glasses could be used to find directions, which could then be superimposed on the street as you walk or drive. And if promoters replaced a seat at a concert or sporting event with a 360° HD camera, they could sell that seat hundreds of times over.

Here we look at the past, present and future of virtual and augmented reality. Where it came from, where it’s going and how Apple fits into this space.

THE PAST

VR and AR have been around for longer than you think