Notes from #WebSummit: VR and AR: Changing the way we work, play and learn
Creating communities with VR and AR for education, innovation and human connection.
Details
Date: November 7, 2017
Time: 10:00am
Conference stream: Centre Stage
Speakers
Amit Singh, VP Business & Ops VR, Google, Twitter: @aksingh77
Mat Honan, San Francisco Bureau Chief, BuzzFeed News, Twitter: @mat
Web Summit Summary
VR and AR have long been touted as the next big thing in technology, but how exactly is this going to impact our day to day lives?
Main Theme
Part Daydream pitch, part love letter to the future. In this interview, Amit Singh shares Google’s vision for VR and AR, and how they can be combined to create experiences focused on community and human connection. We live in the age of disruptive technologies. What will remain timeless is the power of creativity and community.
The Key Quote
“VR can bring people together to create new sharable social experiences.”
- Amit Singh
Key Points
- Once kids interact with augmented objects and reality, the way they learn completely changes.
- It’s now possible to have a furniture shop in your living room via augmented reality. These experiences are early prototypes of what will be possible in the very near future.
- When you use VR technology, you might feel isolated. For this reason, Google is focusing on building a community approach to VR. Shareable, interactive experiences have the ability to create lasting memories, learning opportunities and productive business opportunities.
- Community is key. Creating the ability for real people to interact in VR will enable human connection in a virtual space.
- Is the technology of the future VR, AR, or a combination of the two? Google is investing heavily in both.
Reflections
How will I apply these learnings in my job tomorrow? I’ll think about VR in parallel to community and personal connection, and not as an isolated experience.
I left this interview feeling inspired by Amit Singh’s (and Google’s) focus on using VR for good; namely for education and personal connection.
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