“The public is still waiting to be sold on the vision of [augmented reality], but there is a lack of imagination in the industry as to what the technology can do,” Matsuda said. “We are in a position of power at the moment, and we need a vision of the future that is sustainable, helpful, and doesn’t compromise us. If we can just establish the vision, then I feel we have more chance of leading the technology in a way that can be a positive force.
Sci-Fi-Infused Videos Show Off Keiichi Matsuda’s Vision of the Future | Underwire | Wired.com (via wildcat2030)
This is an interesting point. I’ve spoken to quite a few people about augmented reality (aka “terminator vision”, or seeing the interwebz overlayed on reality). They typically seem interested, but not having very solid examples of how it can be used, people seem somewhat skeptical. It reminds me a bit of how the internet itself was considered a toy or fad when it was first coming out. (Remember “geocities” site hosting? And how your page was part of a neighborhood! And those AOL chat rooms! Good times.) And now, of course, the internet is considered fairly important, even by its critics.
I think AR will be the same way. Once it gets established, once we figure out how we can use it, we’ll start to wonder how we ever tethered ourselves to little boxes with windows while sitting at desks instead of interacting with the real world… or at least the augmented world.
P.s. Also, the latter point about being in ‘a position of power,’ is very important and applies to a number of technologies. We’re seeing now how the internet, the quintessential “new tech” has transformed society and is not under some attack. The same is true, generally, for other technologies.
For instance, I’ve been arguing that 3D Printing needs to focus on sustainable usage because once this technology gets established, the paradigm it takes will be difficult to change. If we build 3DP on sustainable principles (e.g. recycling old plastic, using biodegradable plastic, etc.) it will influence the entire evolution of this technology in our society.
(via wildcat2030)
