By 2030, technological developments will bring people from a screen-based world to a sensory world, Ericsson found. Here’s how.
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Internet of Things (IoT) devices will change to the Internet of Senses technology by 2030, making technological applications visible, smelling, tasteful, sensing and audible to people, an Ericsson report discovered. Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) enable people in particular to experience the world in a new way.
The Consumer Trends report from Ericsson, published Tuesday, questioned more than 7,600 people around the world, all regular users of AR, VR and virtual assistants. With advances in 5G – and other technologies that the public may not even be aware of – the internet of senses is in our future, according to our report.
SEE: Cheatsheet: AR Tools from Apple: RealityKit and Reality Composer (free PDF) (TechRepublic)
The progress of AR and VR has been considerable, with headsets revolutionizing the experiences for gamers and field workers. Although merging these technologies into a mixed reality is still at an early stage, the report shows that significant progress will be made over the next 10 years.
Sight
AR glasses can connect to human thinking by 2030, allowing people to see their thoughts in the real world, according to the report.
For example, nearly 60% of respondents said that AR glasses could help with navigation, display a map right in front of their eyes, allowing them to search for routes by simply thinking about their destination.
The brain becomes the new user interface, reducing the use of screens, keyboards, mice and game controllers.
By 2030, half of the respondents said they believed that VR and AR would make the difference between physical and digital reality almost indistinguishable.
The majority (70%) of respondents said in the next decade that AR glasses would allow users to place digital objects in real spaces of such high quality that they resemble real objects.
More than half (56%) said these glass users would even let them look through walls or entire buildings. AR and VR will completely change how people see the world, according to the report.
Odor
Although scent cannot be transferred digitally, it will change because scent will become an online experience by 2030.
More than half (56%) of the respondents said that technology would evolve so that they could smell smells in films.
This same application will be applied to sales if retailers smell products commercially, the report smells, meaning that perfume commercials could emit a scent.
Taste
In the same line as scent, people will also be able to experience taste through devices, according to the report.
Almost 45% of the respondents believe that in the next 10 years there can be a device that digitally improves the food that someone eats. This progress can have significant health and diet implications, allowing people to eat healthier foods that taste more savory than they are.
This application offers another possibility for retail marketing, because consumers can taste food. People who watch cooking programs could even taste the food on the screen, the report found.
Touch
Some systems have already taken over touch functions, such as when game controllers vibrate or haptic feedback from VR systems and smartphones. However, the report will further reinforce touch in the next decade of technology.
More than half (63%) of respondents said that smartphone users might feel the shape and texture of digital icons. This idea goes even further: 60% of the respondents say that by 2030 there will be wristbands that stimulate the human nerves to feel every digital object.
The idea of this kind of wristbands is a revolution in wearables. Not only can these devices be on your wrist, but 60% of respondents said that there might be bracelets that convey the sense of weight and movement in digital objects, making them appear real according to the user.
hearing
Hearing is one of the senses that can be most affected by technology in the next decade, the report said.
The majority (70%) of respondents said that by the end of 2030 they expected earphones to translate languages automatically, according to the report, business professionals could seamlessly conduct meetings with anyone in the world in any language.
More than half (54%) said that future technology would be able to create a digital sound bubble, allowing users to only hear what they want, the report said. This application can be useful on a busy bus or in a busy room, if a professional is trying to hold a meeting or tune in to a webinar.
The gaming world will also benefit: 60% of respondents believed they could hear the breath and footsteps of in-game characters. Half of the respondents said that this would even be possible without earphones, instead using a headband that could transmit sound directly to the mind, the report said.
In the next decade, digital image and sound will be supplemented with taste, touch, smell and more, creating multisensory experiences in physical reality, according to the report.
For more information about AR and VR, look to change the way you work, so prepare for ZDNet.
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