Future Trends of Virtual & Augmented Reality Devices

1. FUTURE TRENDS
KELLY MCCAIN
LEARNING ACTIVITY 7
AMERICAN PUBLIC UNIVERSITY

2. FUTURE TRENDS
Virtual and Augmented Reality
Devices

3. FUTURE TRENDS
• Augmented Reality is an enhanced
version of reality created by the use
of technology to overlay digital
information on an image of
something being viewed through a
device (Merriam-Webster, 2017).
• Virtual Reality is an artificial
environment which is experienced
through sensory stimuli (sight and
sounds) that are computer simulated
(Merriam-Webster, 2017).

4. FUTURE TRENDS - UPSIDE
• Virtual and Augmented Reality devices were
introduced to the market early 2016.
Cisco’s blogger, Monterde (2016) expected
high sales on Oculus Rift (owned by
Facebook), HTC Vive, PlayStation VR and
Gear VR HMDs in the second quarter of
2016. In the blog, the author hinted that
communication and storytelling would be
completely transformed – providing an
example of being able to view the space
shuttle send off from one’s home using an
augmented reality device that would
provide the sense that they are present in
the moment.

5. FUTURE TRENDS - DOWNSIDE
• Nordrum (2016) however, had a different
perspective in her blog for IEEE in
November, 2016. The author states that
consumers “have not seen the value” of
purchasing a virtual/augmented reality
device. The average cost is approximately
$600 which the author believes is one of
the main issues with sales. The huge,
clunky head device covering one’s face
was the other. Nordrum compares the
VR/AR devices to the failure of Google
Glass.

6. FUTURE TRENDS - PREDICTION
• The sales of the VR/AR devices were slow (Nordrum, 2016) in my opinion mainly
because consumers do not understand the product. The commercial
advertisements show the users wearing the devices and expressing excitement,
such as, “wow” and “whoa,” but the commercials are not informative on that
actual experience which is crucial to sales.
• If the developers want sales to improve, their commercials need to educate the
consumers and show the value of their product, mainly the experience that the
users can expect; otherwise, the product will remain on the store shelves.

7. FUTURE TRENDS - REFERENCES
• Merriam Webster (2017) Augmented and virtual reality. Retrieved from
http://bit.ly/2gUxOib
• Monterde, S. (2016) Cisco Innovation 2016 and beyond: technologies and trends
that will change the future of it. Retrieved from http://bit.ly/1Q0ORZ5
• Nordrum, A. (2016) The fuzzy future of virtual reality and augmented reality.
Retrieved from http://bit.ly/2fUa25O