CES is quite the event when it comes to the Augmented Reality & Virtual Reality industry. If you are looking to get the best of both worlds that is; Present tech that offers the best and Future tech that will determine how we view AR and VR post 2020, then CES is where you should be. This year’s CES presented a lot of exciting news and trends that avid techies should watch out for soon.
With over 170,000 individuals and over 4000 company representatives at the event, over 300 people came to watch or showcase something related to Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality.
Without further ado, we have compiled a list of 5 AR and VR Trends CES Tells us to Watch out for in 2020 and here they are:
- VR Headset and Smart Glasses Producers are Set to Go Full Enterprise Mode:
Consumer Level VR headsets already have the head start as people are beginning to adopt them globally. At CES, there were talks and demonstrations of how AR can help enterprises achieve higher efficiency throughout their workforce with AR enabled smart glasses and head sets. There was also showcasing of new hardware devices that help foster a better work relationship between employees and management. There were several highlights, but these devices impressed us:
- Solution roll-out announcements (PSA Groupe Factory + RealWear)
- Remote assistance systems (Airo & Teamviewer)
- New hardware for Organizations (ThirdEye Gen, Vuzix, Varjo & VRgineers)
- Mixed reality hardware featuring enterprise applications (ThirdEye Gen, Magic Leap)
- A drift from Sight and Sound to Touch in AR and VR:
We have seen it, been there and done that, but have we? For us to say, AR and VR has reached the pinnacles of its digitization promise, we must be able to digitize the entire human experience. Most companies are on full launch mode with tech that enhances sight or sound or both, but at the CES, we saw something a tad different. At the CES, we saw a number of haptic-influenced innovations including suits and gloves that may forever change what we know of “touch” as a “sensory
Experience.” The AR/VR enabled Glove showcasing was more exciting with advanced haptic systems that will change how we will start to feel things in alternative realities.
Things to Look out for in this segment:
- Haptic gloves, (Haptx)
- Haptic devices using ultrasound (Ultraleap)
- Haptic suit and vest (bHaptics & Teslasuit)
- Smartphones are fast evolving into Ultra Powerful AR machines:
It’s easier to get lost in all the noise and whispers of a new flying car or an acrobatic fry pan, but beneath all that noise is something we probably ignore, probably because we all have it – The smartphone. The smartphone continues to thrill us. Pound for pound, the smartphone remains the most powerful device in recent memory. They have grown to become even more powerful AR machines than ever. The apps on our smart phones and tablets are designed to enhance AR and VR-like experiences especially with accessories like smart glasses, spatial sensors and more.
- Foldable screens are increasing the field-of-view for AR experiences (TCL)
- Bluetooth and Wirelsss enabled Smart glasses accessories for smartphones
- 5G-enabled devices that can use low-latency networks as they come online
- Self-Driving Cars are fast becoming a Reality
The Automotive Industry Reminds us that the future is now as Cars are evolving and fast becoming AR beasts. Auto futurists at the CES showcased 3D windshield HUDs for entertainment and cars capable of empathy with the power of sensors designed to reflect a holistic driving experience. In-Vehicle VR screens functioning as car windows was also an active discussion.
Things to Look out for in this segment:
- In-Vehicle VR use (Honda)
- Empathetic cars that use in-car sensors (Audi)
- 3D HUD in windshield for enhancing navigation systems (Audi)
- Windows that use nano-screens (Panasonic)
- Virtual Human to the Rescue:
This was one of the best highlights of the CES event as a new population of virtual beings are about to flood the online market. Some companies showcased their fake video services which recreates their version of virtual spokesperson using AI. These virtual humans looked very real and may fool you on a winter evening. Some other companies opted for a more animated look to make it a bit more appealing to the younger audience, perhaps.
Things to Look out for in this segment:
- Enhanced fake video as a service to provide virtual people for customer service (Samsung’s NEON & One Hour)
- Enterprises rolling out virtual beings as part of their solution (Addison Care)
- Consumer virtual characters you interact with like smart speakers (LINE’s Gatebox)
WHAT’S EVEN BETTER FOR THE AR and VR SPACE THAT THE CES DIDN’T ADRRESS?
Obviously, it will be impossible for the CES to lend a voice or showcase every single trend in the AR and VR spaces. At times, the show misses out on even bigger trends like the;
VRSS by Ndivia:
As Ndivia rightly puts it; Variable Rate Supersampling (VRSS) expands on Turing’s Variable Rate Shading (VRS) feature to deliver image quality improvements by performing selective supersampling. This can also be selectively engaged only if idle GPU cycles are available. VRSS is completely handled from within the NVIDIA display driver without application developer integration. With the introduction of the revolutionary Turing architecture, mainstream GPUs can now deliver the performance required for VR experiences at native resolutions.
What’s beyond CES, DreamlandXR
DreamlandXR is dedicated to driving transformative changes in the immersive technology industry that perpetuate the expansion of the medium for both developers and consumers alike. At Dreamland XR speaker’s program, panelists discuss everything in the AR and VR industry including how it’s changing the gaming, blockchain, education, art, and education industries.
While at CES you might get a glimpse of what is coming technologically, but at DreamlandXR there are no limits to how far Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality can take us. It is building the bridge to the future and gives us insights on how AR and VR will revolutionize several industries. The bigger question is how far we are willing to go let these technologies take us; it’s all in the imagination, and that’s where the magic takes place at DreamlandXR. Watch out for more in-depth videos to be released soon, stay tuned!
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