Collaborative Telepresence Is Poised To Rattle The Status Quo
An EcoChi Vital Abstract
This article describing item #6 of the “Top 10 Emerging Technologies of 2019” was published December 01, 2019 by Corinna E. Lathan and Andrew Maynard, Scientific American. Together with the World Economic Forum, Scientific American convened an international Steering Group of leading technology experts and engaged in an intense process to identify this year's “Top 10 Emerging Technologies”.
Top 10 Emerging Technologies Of 2019
Bioplastics could solve a major pollution problem
Social robots play nicely with others
Tiny lenses will enable design of miniature optical devices
A special class of proteins offers promising targets for drugs for cancer and Alzheimer’s
Smarter fertilizers can reduce environmental contamination
Collaborative telepresence could render distance (relatively) meaningless
Advanced food tracking & packaging will save lives & cut waste
Safer nuclear reactors are on the way
DNA data storage is closer than you think
Utility-scale energy storage will enable a renewable grid
6. Collaborative telepresence could render distance (relatively) meaningless: Just as video-calling apps such as Skype and FaceTime have made what was once the domain of business widely accessible to consumers, and massive multiplayer online games have radically altered how people interact on the Internet, collaborative telepresence could transform how people interact virtually in business and beyond. Medical providers, for instance, will be able to work remotely with patients as if they were in the same room. And friends and families will be able to enjoy shared experiences, such as being together in a cozy room or touring a new city, even though they are not actually in the same place. Progress in several realms has made this prospect feasible. Augmented-reality (AR) and virtual-reality (VR) technologies are already becoming capable and affordable enough for widespread adoption. Telecom companies are rolling out 5G networks fast enough to handle masses of data from advanced sensor arrays without lag times. Innovators are perfecting technologies that enable people to physically interact with remote environments, including haptic sensors that make it possible to feel what their robotic avatars touch. The full sensory immersion envisioned for collaborative telepresence will require lag times substantially smaller than those acceptable for video calls—and they may sometimes tax even 5G networks—but predictive AI algorithms could eliminate a user's perception of time gaps. Although collaborative telepresence is still very much emerging, all the pieces are in place for it to become transformative within three to five years. For instance, Microsoft and other companies are already investing in technologies that are expected to underpin a multibillion-dollar industry by 2025. And the XPRIZE Foundation has launched the $10-million ANA Avatar XPRIZE competition (sponsored by All Nippon Airways) to kick-start technologies that will “transport a human's sense, actions, and presence to a remote location in real time, leading to a more connected world.” As the parts are knitted together, expect to see changes in daily life and work that are as dramatic as those sparked by the widespread adoption of smartphones.
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