In 2014 some inventive engineers in Google’s Paris office created cardboard headgear that allowed users to experience virtual reality via their smartphones. While the concept seems a bit “passé” in the era of the Oculus Quest, clearly the French Googlers were onto something.
Firms large and small are working today to enable a VR experience on traditional 2D devices. One neat tie-up is between Austin-based start up 3Data and network systems provider Cisco.
3Data uses a WebXR API to foster dynamic and data-driven 3D collaboration in WebEx. The headgear-free enviroment suits executives as well as IT and systems analysts who want to easily view insights and analytics and manipulate data in real time. Touch-based functionality is enabled using Digital Signage feature on Cisco’s WebEx Board. It is also possible to consume insights on a desktop or mobile phone.
As I discuss in my report, First Life: Virtual Reality and the Coming of the Avatar in Wealth Management, ongoing efforts to incorporate neurotech and other mind-brain interfaces into VR (and the immersive nature of the experience itself) mean that headgear isn’t going away soon. But it’s worth thinking about the ways that established, consumer-friendly technology can be used to deliver a state-of-the-art virtual experience.