Ubiquity, Mobility, Security: The Future of the Internet, Volume ...

Read
image Next
  • Augmented reality and interactive virtual spaces might see more action: More than half of the respondents (55%) agreed with the notion that many lives will be touched in 2020 by virtual worlds, mirror worlds, and augmented reality. Yet, 45% either disagreed with or did not answer this question, so the sentiment was not overwhelming. People's definitions for the terms augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) were quite varied. Smartphones and global positioning systems (GPSs) help people augment reality to a certain extent today and are expected to do more soon; many respondents said they think today's social networks qualify as a form of virtual reality while others defined it in terms of Second Life or something even more immersive. Some noted that by 2020, augmented reality and virtual reality will have reached the point of blurring with reality. Many respondents indicated that this will enhance the world, providing new opportunities for conferencing, teaching, and 3-D modeling, and some added that breakthroughs to come may bring significant change, including fusion with other developments, such as genetic engineering. Some respondents expressed fear of the negatives of AR and VR, including new extensions of the digital divide, an increase in violence and obesity, and the potential for addiction or overload. There was agreement that user interfaces have to be much more intuitive for AR and VR to become more universally adopted.
    •