Don't expect virtual reality to be fully realized by Apple. The tech giant's CEO Tim Cook has again expressed his appreciation for augmented reality. In the process of doing that, he warned people that VR can be socially isolating.
Cook recently revealed this in an exclusive interview with BuzzFeed News.
Why Augmented Reality?
Cook has been favorable of augmented reality. It became more evident during his interview with Good Morning America last month, according to The Computer World. It was during this time when he said that augmented reality is larger than virtual reality.
Cook has pointed out that AR offers both real and virtual environment. On the other hand, VR is pretty much an escape from the actual world.
He recently mentioned this again to the BuzzFeed News. Cook said that AR encourages human contact instead of getting rid of it. Though he admitted that it will take some time to get the said technology right. AR also allows more productive conversation with another person.
This is obviously absent in VR since it puts certain barriers. It does not amplify human experiences as much as in AR. In context, Pokemon Go has been such a huge hit worldwide. Players are not socially isolated when they play the said game.
Apple's Augmented Reality
Apple's interest in augmented reality is not a secret. The company had acquired PrimeSence, Metaio and Faceshift. It also has gotten the services of VR research scientist Yury Petrov, Senior Computer Vision Algorithm Engineer Zeyu Li and Director of the Center for Human-Computer Interaction at Virgina tech Doug Bowman. Apple is not short of improving its place in both AR and VR.
BuzzFeed News also reports that Apple has been quietly working on a rumored AR ecosystem. Among other things are patents like a "head-mounted display" and a "peripheral treatment for head-mounted displays".
