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AI in Augmented Reality
There is a new buzz and it's called metaverse. Let’s go for a stroll and discover what’s out there.
Wikipedia says: The Metaverse is a collective virtual shared space, created by the convergence of virtually enhanced physical reality and physically persistent virtual space including the sum of all virtual worlds, augmented reality, and the Internet. The word “metaverse” is made up of the prefix “meta” (meaning beyond) and the stem “verse” (a backformation from “universe”); the term is typically used to describe the concept of a future iteration of the internet, made up of persistent, shared, 3D virtual spaces linked into a perceived virtual universe.
Phew. Understand it as a parallel digital universe that you can go in and come out when you want. Well, it can also intersect with our current real universe.
Let’s start walking (virtually of course).
Haven’t we heard this before? Second Life was there where you could live in and do commerce. Yes, that seems to be a version. It was consumed by a lot of junk (“Call For An Alternate Internet”) and didn’t get to where the hype pointed to. Hope this version focuses on some serious mankind-moving use cases and not frivolous ones.
Crypto, Blockchain, NFTs, AI, Gaming, Sensors, IoT, Digital, Gaming, Social commerce are the list of all buzz words… but hey that’s all going into making metaverse. Gaming is a version of the metaverse. People spend billions of hours immersed in games.
How is it coming into our day-to-day world? As a CXO, coder, auditor, doctor, etc.. how will it come into my profession?… let us explore with demonstrations you can try with a mobile in the context of insights that we consume for various activities.
The portal to the metaverse:
Created using ar-code.com
We have all seen QR codes. It is becoming pervasive. Scan the code here with your phone camera and see some magic.
This is not an ordinary QR code. It is an augmented reality (AR) code. AR Code to keep it simple. Just follow the steps it asks and you should see something like in the gif. (Note: some gifs take time to load)
Created using ar-code.com
You enter a simple version of the metaverse. A portal into the other dimension.
A message is projected in your real-world wherever you are. You can interact with the message. I make it smaller and place it on the wall in this case.
You can see it goes way beyond QR codes and augments your reality.
QR/ AR codes are markers that can make you switch into this new world. There is no need for even markers. We can create customer markers like a picture, a logo, etc.., and use them in a similar fashion or even go markerless.
Another thing you can observe is that you can enter this world wherever you want with just your mobile. No custom app is required and this is where the future is headed. It is as easy as browsing the web but in the process seamlessly invokes new objects into your reality. Companies want to eliminate the need for mobile too and have been promoting smart glasses with which you can switch into this world whenever you need.
How were the first few baby steps?
Thought experiment:
Let us pause and think about this. Today lot of what we do on our mobile & computer is actually on the cloud. And this is only increasing. In the sneak peek into the metaverse we invoked a board with a message. What if it were a laptop object… a virtual laptop. With all your applications visible. You can invoke it anywhere and give commands. The applications will anyways run in the cloud and give you the results. You can share this with others, collaborate, etc without actually having a laptop… in the metaverse. Oops, no hardware… invoke objects wherever you want in software and interact. As an analogy think about the cash we carried… and now we don’t… no hardware only software.
Let’s continue walking. Imagine being in a meeting and you have to provide specific insights. For simplicity let’s say on QR code trends.
AI in AR:
HIro AR Code
Just open this URL in your mobile
https://boulder-incredible-neighbor.glitch.me
and scan the HIro AR code above from it and experience the magic.
There is a ton of data on patents available in the public domain. Let us access that and have a machine (“Code+AI” software) run an analysis on that and prepare slides on trends. AI generates & AR renders in the metaverse when you want it and wherever you want it.
Created using Glitch, aframe,ar.js, python; insights:decodem.ai
What you see are two infographics on QR trends shown on demand by software above a table in the meeting. A dramatically different way to interact with business insights with no laptop or human analysts… just internet-connected glasses or currently a mobile.
Let’s walk further. How about someone explaining these charts? AI comes to the rescue again.
Now use this link
https://complete-hypnotic-addition.glitch.me
and scan the same HIro code and a person will give you insights on cricket. The person is AI-generated and doesn't exist in the real world. The insight, the person, voice, and video you see are all virtual albeit factual… rendered in your physical reality… the metaverse.
Created using Glitch, aframe,ar.js, python; Insights:decodem.ai
Thought Experiment Again:
Once we say AI the opportunity opens up. As an example, we interact with AI today in the form of recommendation engines… like music, video apps that learn about you and recommend what next you should consider.
Now consider this in our context. As we walk the learning happens and basis your physical/ virtual location or interests new objects can be rendered/ recommended. New insights can be played out. You are always ready… always insight ready… wouldn’t that be wonderful to just point at anything and learn about it or ask the machine to give insights basis your context. Today these AI systems are siloed but in the metaverse, there is a case for one integrated recommender.
Let us continue walking into the metaverse. Enough of sports just give me something in music and you switch…
Immersive Machine Insights:
If you wondered how Grammy award winners of a particular genre are linked. You can make the machine get internet data and generate a network diagram like this and present it back as an insight. Well… you must be kidding me… not after taking all these steps in the walk!!
Source: https://harshaangeri.medium.com/?p=509274ada7ef
We could give use this link
https://adhesive-scalloped-resolution.glitch.me
and scan the HIro code to see the network visualized like below wherever you want it. A 3D network graph rotating so one can see various aspects of the connections… a step above the static chart above.
Created using Glitch, aframe,ar.js, python
Or can we do better? How about getting into the network itself?
Use this link and scan the HIro code to experience the magic.
https://calico-sun-shallot.glitch.me
Welcome to a new age of immersive machine-generated insights. All the folks around a table can scan and collaboratively interact with the graph. Regenerate it on the fly as it is just about re-running the insight generation code and rendering it again.
Created using https://vasturiano.github.io/3d-force-graph-ar/
Sorry to abruptly inform you that this walk has no destination. This is just the beginning of a new future.
Machine-generated insights are rendered whenever wherever in your reality for shared collaborative immersion. No humans involved, at high velocity & refreshable. AI in AR. Intelligence in virtual space.
The destination is for us to shape.
Oh, yea, recently there has been a flurry of IPOs and when asked for insights… you know what to say…
Open the portal (link)
No scan!!
and just walk into the IPO chart
Welcome to the “machine insights metaverse”.
Created using https://github.com/vriajs