IoB toolkit unlocks human behaviour in XR
The Internet of Behaviour (IoB) is a technology trend with significant opportunities and benefits for Extended Reality (XR). It adds a layer of psychology to the Internet of Things (IoT) to interpret ‘digital dust’ into behavioural patterns. The ultimate goal is to connect devices, analyse user behaviour and influence future behaviours. Gartner predict 40% of the world’s population will be subject to at least one IoB program in 2025 (from marketing to healthcare to manufacturing). Let’s dive into the IoB implications for AR, VR and the Metaverse on our mission to understand how humans behave in 3D experiences with Six Degrees of Freedom (6DOF).
What is the Internet of Behaviour (IoB)?
IoB is a protocol that uses sensors to collect behavioural data from devices. In our case it’s Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality devices (Mobile and Head Mounted Display). Data is processed using Cloud Computing, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML) and Data Science to extrapolate human behaviour. It represents the next level of Business Intelligence (BI) in Extended Reality to understand and optimise behaviour. It’s therefore a critical component of an interoperable, synchronous and persistent Metaverse with shared experiences. Over time, predictive analytics on human behaviour in XR will drastically improve user experiences and business performance metrics.
How does the Internet of Behaviour work?
IoB connects AR and VR devices to cloud services like Amazon Web Services (AWS). APIs collect sensor data (gyroscope, accelerometer etc) in a real-time data exchange. Data is stored on databases and analysed by AI algorithms to create an intelligence engine capable of understanding user behaviour patterns. 6DOF spatial data on head, hand and body movements in 3D space is a complex dataset however Cognitive Science (and significant R&D) interprets XYZ coordinates into insights which help XR businesses understand their audiences. Our approach to the IoB tech stack is an end-to-end data analytics platform which does all the heavy lifting so customers, regardless of data analytics expertise, can quickly see data visualisations and measure performance goals.
What are the benefits of IoB for XR industry?
Industry research shows that 83% of XR companies think data analytics are important to grow their business but the study also highlights a measurement gap. Partly because AR/VR experiences generate unique and unstructured user behaviours (compared to the Internet of clicks, taps and likes) and partly due to reliance on legacy toolkits (e.g. web analytics, surveys etc). IoB is a new approach specifically designed to a) collect real-time 6DOF data from any platform or device, b) quickly analyse behaviours in 3D experiences to improve performance and productivity and c) standardise XR metrics to make predictions about future actions based on past behaviours. From Navigation (the position, pathway, priority and order of events) to Attention (the time, sequence and priority of content viewed), there are benefits for all Extended Reality use cases.
How do you apply IoB to your XR business?
A plug-in for 3D engines and XR platforms (no code required) collects real-time sensor data from handsets and headsets. Our intelligence engine analyses 6DOF spatial data in the cloud using AI and Cognitive Science. Prebuilt dashboards present performance metrics and data visualisations across all your AR, VR and Metaverse projects. Our Unity plug-in is live (with more in the pipeline) so you can easily add IoB to your projects now. The Internet of Behaviour is a new framework to better understand your users, identify behaviours which aren’t necessarily obvious and to improve business performance. It’s a great diagnostic tool and is also proven to be predictive of behaviour.
What are the opportunities for IoB and XR?
Whilst other sectors have been applying IoB to digital marketing, IoT, location services etc for a few years, the opportunity for the XR industry is still nascent. CORTEXR was launched to specifically address this knowledge gap. Our guiding mission is to understand human behaviour in Extended Reality through the lens of psychology and cognitive science. From healthcare and entertainment to education and training, our customers can tap into a wealth of spatial data. How do health conditions like dementia correlate with spatial diagnostics? How do e-commerce virtual try-ons correspond with purchase intent? Does training module behaviour correspond with learning attainment? Our XR data analytics platform helps unlock these opportunities. Drop us an email at contact@cortexr.com if you’d like to collaborate!
What are the data privacy concerns of IoB?
Data privacy is, quite rightly, a crucial debate for the broader tech industry. People are familiar with synchronising their devices and granting permissions. However biometric fingerprints of faces and eyes is particularly intrusive and tech company practices in digital marketing required government regulation e.g. GDPR. Extended Reality and IoB is therefore vulnerable to ethical questions about how data is collected and used at a scale. CORTEXR has a policy of deliberately avoiding Personally Identifiable Information (PII). Raw data on 6DOF behaviour doesn’t collect PII, basic device IDs only measure user numbers and GPS data is restricted to guarantee anonymity. We don’t need (or want) PII data to deliver our XR data analytics services. Long may this continue.
Contact :Jonathan Barrowman Email: jonathan@cortexr.com
