ETX Explainer: What Is Spatial Computing?
Apple’s June developer conference in June was mostly a snoozefest. The first hour or so was devoted to largely undramatic, incremental updates of all the familiar products and software.
But then, it was Vision Pro’s turn. Suddenly, it was like Apple’s presentation went from black-and-white into color. Or, rather, it went from the everyday world into a one layered in immersive 3D, 360 computer imagery.
Spatial computing, as Apple presented the concept for the 2024 release of its Vision Pro headset, was positioned as the ultimate break from desktop and laptops. In a series of demonstrations, Apple presented a future of multi-screen collaborations in a hybrid digital/physical environment. It also demonstrated the thrill of truly immersive video viewing, potentially opening up new areas of combinations between entertainment and e-commerce as well as new vistas in healthcare and education. The Vision Pro and spatial computing mean a lot more than higher resolution augmented and virtual reality.
To some, “spatial computing” was Apple’s way of avoiding calling its Vision Pro environment “the metaverse.” The latter term for hybrid digital/physical environments had been suffering from some bad press, mostly tied (and mostly unfairly) to Meta’s over-budget, underwhelming virtual world it branded “The Metaverse.”
But is spatial computing just a cleverly appropriated rebrand by Apple? What is spatial computing? Did Apple invent it?
Hardly. The concept and coinage of spatial computing happened in 2003. That’s when it was first introduced by Simon Greenwold, a visionary graduate researcher at MIT.
Greenwold's Bridge: The Birth of Spatial Computing
Simon Greenwold's work on spatial computing in the pre-iPhone era two decades ago used building blocks that were not on the minds of the larger tech companies and consumers at the time. But Greenwold saw that these early augmented reality programs could be combined with “input devices” that translated real-world actions into digital commands. He began testing his vision on a budget-friendly 3D scanner to realize his aim to redefine human-computer interaction.
His definition of spatial computing was simple: Human interaction with a machine, in which the machine retains and manipulates computer renderings of real objects layered over real spaces. It was a view of the future where the barriers between the physical and the virtual were seamlessly integrated with technology.
By 2005, Google would adopt this idea when it released its first mobile-based Google Maps, which incorporated AR tech.
Spatial Computing Today: An Ever-Expanding Universe
Fast forward to today, and the concept of spatial computing has made the leap from a work in progress to a fully-formed, consumer-ready set of tools. Augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and mixed reality (MR) are the cornerstones and the development has been moving at an accelerated pace as consumers catch on..
Spatial computing comes in three distinct flavors:
Augmented Reality (AR): AR enhances the physical world by overlaying digital information onto it. It transforms navigation into a personalized experience, projecting directions onto your car's windshield and introducing virtual characters into your living room.
Virtual Reality (VR): VR offers complete digital immersion, transporting users into entirely virtual environments. It's the realm of gaming, training simulations, and artistic expression, where the impossible becomes possible.
Mixed Reality (MR): MR melds the realms of AR and VR, forging a dynamic blend where digital elements seamlessly coexist with the real world. It's the tool for showcasing a virtual assembly line in a factory or aiding surgeons in visualizing complex medical data during life-saving procedures.
Finding Value in Spatial Computing
Spatial computing has the ”wow factor” down. But for the idea to be widely embraced, there needs to be some clear practical benefits consumers can readily accept:
Communication and collaboration get an upgrade: Spatial computing fosters global collaboration by creating shared virtual spaces, erasing geographical boundaries for remote teams.
New ways of learning and training: Educational institutions and industries like healthcare are leveraging spatial computing to provide immersive learning experiences that outshine traditional methods.
A Productivity boost: From manufacturing to advertising to architecture to design, spatial computing brings concepts to life by automating tasks, streamlining workflows, and delivering real-time guidance, ultimately boosting productivity and reducing errors.
Still, there are obstacles ahead. High costs, unwieldy form factors, a lack of standardization, and an absence of high-quality content are the main things holding back mass adoption. As we’ve seen with Apple’s $3500 price point for Vision Pro, spatial computing applicable devices can be expensive. In the past, consumers have found wearing headsets for extended periods can be uncomfortable. Lastly, content creators are still mastering their craft in this emerging field. In a chicken-or-the-egg scenario, the lack of consumer demand has slowed production of content that makes use of spatial computing.
Apple's Vision: AR and the Spatial Computing Frontier
While spatial computing's rise has been notable, Apple's Vision Pro takes a different approach. Apple has long been a proponent of AR, emphasizing its significance in the realm of spatial computing. Unlike other tech giants that fervently talk about Second Life-like virtual worlds that are all-encompassing and heavily communal — like Meta’s metaverse platforms — Apple's focus is primarily on AR and spatial computing.
In 2017, Apple introduced ARKit, a tool for creating AR apps on iPhones and iPads. CEO Tim Cook told Forbes that AR was a pivotal concept and believed that "creating apps and devices for AR could be one of Apple's most important contributions to the future of computing."
Since then, Apple has continually enhanced ARKit and invested in Vision Pro hardware. This headset offers a new OS and a software development tool, VisionOS SDK, for creating apps and services in the spatial computing domain.
Apple's Vision Pro, while not achieving the lofty goals of Greenwold to break down the boundaries between physical and digital realms, represents a solid first step. When donning the headset, users experience a large and conspicuous object that quickly fades into the background. The 3D content it delivers is so immersive and captivating that the hardware itself becomes an afterthought, and users are drawn into the 3D world before them.
As we move faster and deeper into this new era of human-computer interaction, spatial computing promises not just to transform how we use technology. It’s going to change how we perceive and interact with the world itself. Apple's Vision Pro is but one example of this transformative potential, offering a tantalizing glimpse into a future where spatial computing gives us a new way to use our desktops, laptops, smartphones in ways most of us have glimpsed in sci-fi movies set far into the future. With spatial computing, the future is here now.
Note: ETX Explainers: Answers & Insights is a new content feature by By Greg Kahn and Emerging Tech Experts. Want a topic addressed? Want to contribute your thoughts or an article? Reach out.
Greg Kahn
Emerging Tech Exchange
Founder & CEO
