7 Jul 2023
|
Mike Boland
AWE Talks: Evolving Towards XR's Apollo Phase
AWE USA 2023
Welcome back to AWE Talks, our series that revisits the most engaging content from AWE’s catalog of conference sessions. Now that AWE USA 2023 has concluded, we have a fresh batch of sessions to dive into.
This week, we spotlight the holographic insights of Magic Leap co-founder Rony Abovitz. Beamed in through an Arth holographic portal, Abovitz breaks down the past present, and future of XR development with Charlie Fink.
See the summarized takeaways below, along with the full session video. Stay tuned for more video highlights each week and check out the full library on awe.live and AWE’s YouTube Channel.
Speakers
Charlie Fink
Rony Abovitz
– One way to frame XR's developmental stage is the Gemini phase, says Abovitz.
– This was the first stage of the space program mission to land on the moon.
– The next phase was Apollo, when the lunar landing was closer to fruition.
– For XR, the Apollo phase likely won't be reached until closer to 2030.
– That's when we'll achieve wearable AR glasses without major design compromises.
– Getting there isn't just about money but time and engineering challenges.
– Human innovation is slow and it requires several progressive cycles.
– The difficulty in XR also involves a combo of optics, silicon, and brain science.
– With these fields and their convergence in XR, you can't take shortcuts.
– It's also about expectations: consumers expect smartphone-level features.
– In other words phones and laptops are mature enough to do thousands of things.
– XR should have different expectations in terms of being all-in-one devices.
– Meanwhile, we're making strides in devices like Vive Pro Elite and Vision Pro.
– Additionally, AI could unlock XR and be the companion it's been waiting for.
– That includes 3D embodiment of AI intelligence, such as smart assistants.
– And the m-word will play a part in this convergence, though less sensationalized.
– The metaverse could evolve as a gradual 3D colonization of the existing web.
– For all the above, Gemini isn't just a means to an end but worthwhile on its own.
– Like in past technology evolution (e.g., PCs, smartphones), we'll enjoy the climb.
For more color, see the full session footage below. 
