2017 prediction 5 – Augmented and Virtual Reality – no longer a game!

Figure 5 –a virtual dinosaur on the Jurassic coast

Source: ITCandor, 2017

Three-dimensional photography has been with us since the 19^th century and 3 dimensional TVs are a small, but important, part of the higher end of the market, while digitised virtual worlds have been with us since Second Life was launched in 2003. Faster processing and smart programming techniques are allowing viewers to mix the 2 to enter and participate in virtual gaming worlds. For instance:

• Pokeman Go was one of the most important games of 2016, allowing players to search and kill virtual monsters while walking the streets
• VR glasses such as HTC Vive are giving gamers (whether on Sony, Microsoft or Nintendo dedicated consoles or PCs) deeper and far more ‘immersive’ experiences.

In 2017 the consumer market will grow significantly, although it will remain an up-market option.

My fifth prediction is that virtual and augmented reality will be widely adopted by businesses at an industry sector and specialised application levels. Example vertical markets will include Healthcare, Education, Finance and Manufacturing; applications will include surgery, immersive learning, database and analytics, CFD and telematics.

Its success will also have a positive effect on videoconferencing, solid printing and PaaS markets, as well as driving the uptake of the most advanced processors and storage from companies such as AMD, Intel, NVidia and others.

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