What Will It Take for Virtual Reality to Become More Immersive?

The rapid advancement of perceptual computing over the past decade is providing amazing insights into how we would naturally interact with technology. Devices now have the ability to sense the environment around them, providing new possibilities for compelling virtual reality (VR) experiences. For a VR device to create fully immersive experiences, it must blend the real-world elements into the virtual world, and enable natural interactions with the digital content. My keynote today at the Augmented World Expo, centered on this necessary evolution. Today, we can transport someone to a live concert where they can have a front-row seat, which is an amazing feat, but we have yet to reach the stage where the virtual reality experience naturally merges the physical and virtual worlds. Rather than just watching the concert, imagine dancing with your friends in attendance and experiencing the same excitement from your living room through lifelike visuals, sound, touch, haptics and complete freedom of movement! So what will it take from a technological standpoint for VR to become more immersive? Let’s look at the key advances that will enable this exciting future.