#90-The Metaverse Shift (Part#2)Wearable Ecosystem as Computing Platform (Part-2)-by Sidhartha Sharma

AR/VR/Mixed reality headsets have existed for a long, but ever wondered why the metaverse is getting so much attention?

Few big megatrends shaping web3.0 :

1. Rise of low cost and sleek, stylish wearables
2. Rise of 5g powered AIoT
3. Rise of NFT/ Digital Assets powered by blockchain economy
4. Processing, Storage cost continues to go down and the computing abilities of the devices increase exponentially

There can be no metaverse without the enabling wearable (less clumsy and ideally invisible hardware) ecosystem.

Why Facebook Rayban stories is a revolutionary start? This is just 1.0 version, wait for few generations

1. Design-thinking-Rayban is already the world’s leading eyewear maker. The new smart glasses make minimal changes to the current designs that customers love. Google glass was not aesthetically designed like the Raybans. Apple is yet to come out with its ‘apple glass’ designs.
2. Platform integration-Integrated well with Facebook and Instagram platforms.
3. One-stop Product that will evolve further- This allows you to take calls, listen to music, and a lot more features can be added- storage, massage, well-being (temperature reading), map integration.
4. No need to take out Smartphone from the pocket- A voice-enabled camera can shoot both videos (up to 30 seconds) and take pictures while you continue using your hands. Comes very close to the camera’s viewfinder for taking a picture or video.
5. Facebook’s AR/VR ecosystem is just starting to go public- The goal is to change the way we work (conference calls and remote calls) and we travel and play games (games without consoles and not restricted to indoors)

AR/VR

5. Industrial application- Microsoft is running ahead with its Hololens product/platform. Great applications across industrial 4.0 and the Defence industry.

Where are We Going?

1. Service and maintenance scenarios: Most digital twins, will also be integrated with an AR/VR platform to perform maintenance, set it up yourself, and repair operations. Machine-specific expertise may not be needed; an ordinary engineer or layman can carry out operations with the help of augmented reality. The manuals and service operations logs could all move to augmented or mixed reality platforms.
2. Healthcare sector: Performance athletics, psychological conditioning, preventive healthcare
3. Tourism: Augmented reality will be used to experience studio tourism and experiences.
4. Education: Reading as a habit is going away. Thus augmented reality will play a massive role in making it fashionable again. Between searching anything on google search engine and looking for a video to understand a concept, there exists a market for an augmented reality platform.
5. Human interaction is becoming less dependent on humans: So imagine for all your queries you could not just get a screen-based response, but an augmented reality answer just like a real-time show.
6. Gamification of content will happen beyond the games: Game- tech is an exciting way to engage customers, accumulate loyalty points, unlock rewards and get the mind and timeshare of the customer.

Future Transformation Roadmap: Top Imperatives for the CXO’s

1. As 5G, AI, and AR/VR technologies mature, there will be significant cost-saving opportunities through the virtualization of the workforce and reducing business travel. Pilot new technologies to connect with your office workforce virtually.
2. Look for gamification opportunities on the consumer engagement platforms and roll them out after due diligence.
3. Healthcare, retail, remote customer service, gaming, and education business leaders must have an AR/VR playbook ready for their companies.

In the next and concluding piece on Metaverse, will be sharing my personal views on the big shift made by Facebook, rebranding as Meta, stay tuned

Facebook gives a glimpse of metaverse, its planned virtual reality world - video

Best regards,

Sidhartha Sharma

Sidhartha S. - Director, ASEAN- Digital Strategy & Transformation, Global Innovation - EY |…

Sidhartha Sharma