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In the last year, Augmented Reality has become mainstream with the effects promoted by Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok and the big companies are betting on the technology. The COVID-19 pandemic was also an accelerator, says Kris Kolo in an interview with SAPO TeK.
Kris Kolo is the global executive director of the VR / RA Association, which last week organized the VR / AR Global Summit Online global conference , 24 hours online, for three days, in three time zones, with almost 12 thousand participants. In the meantime, he still had time to be able to answer some questions from SAPO TEK, and share his enthusiasm and vision about the growth of emerging technologies, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and expectations with 5G.
“In the past year, Augmented Reality has become mainstream with the AR effects of Facebook / Snapchat / Instagram / TikTok and is the most engaging marketing solution for brands,” explained Kris Kolo, looking at the accelerated way in which the context is changing. Virtual Reality also gains space in companies and schools.
"MANY ORGANIZATIONS, FROM GIANTS LIKE WALMART TO SMALL COMPANIES, USE VIRTUAL REALITY IN THE EDUCATION AND TRAINING OF THEIR EMPLOYEES, AND VR IS ALSO VERY POPULAR IN SCHOOLS IN THE EDUCATIONAL CONTEXT", HE STRESSES.
Growth and potential are also evident on the consumption side, which highlights the reduction in price and quality of content as drivers of a revolution in progress. “Let's compare VR headsets to game consoles like Sony's PlayStation or Microsoft's Xbox. It took years for each of the companies to be able to sell millions of these pieces of equipment, which meanwhile have become commonplace in most homes, ”says Kris Kolo. VR headsets are becoming cheaper, better technically and with better content, but even so “it will take a few more years before we see an adoption of high consumption to virtual reality.
As with digital transformation, where the COVID-19 pandemic is seen as a major accelerator, in immersive technology this also happens. “With COVID-19 I think more people are now doing 'Social Virtual Reality' because they feel isolated at home and alone, and they want to meet with other people in a safe way. And Virtual Reality is in fact an excellent social solution to maintain the 'social distance' ”, says the executive director of the VR / RA Association.
Where is the money in Augmented and Virtual Reality?
The main investment in immersive technologies is coming from the side of industrial solutions and this is where Kris Kolo admits that there will be a higher return on investment (ROI). Remote collaboration tools are growing, and many companies have realized that telecommuting can become the new normal, with video conferencing standing out, which can be a new development opportunity for virtual and augmented reality.
The potential of 5G has not been overlooked, and the executive who has accumulated several years of experience in this area recalls that new generation network technology will allow mobility and “have AR / RV with more data, more capacity and more speed”, the which joins the low latency required in critical applications, such as distance surgery.
It is with positive expectations that Kris Kolo looks at the new scenario that presents itself for immersive technologies, recognizing its growth potential also in Portugal, where VRARA Portugal already lists more than 100 companies working in this segment. This was one of the reasons why Portugal had been chosen to host the Summit, which ended up taking place online and which can now be revisited through the various talks and debates that have been recorded and are available online.
Original source (in Portugeese)
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