Last February, Apple revolutionized the world of virtual reality headsets by launching the Vision Pro, which projects a floating screen in front of the user’s eyes superimposed on the real world. This headset is based on “spatial computing” technology, which consists of integrating virtual objects into our real environment to make them interact.
What are the applications of spatial computing? What is its economic potential? And how can businesses implement it? BCG analyzes these new opportunities in a report entitled “Spatial computing: your next strategic advantage”.
Here are the main messages:
Spatial computing, a principle of mixed reality
Spatial computing consists of merging the digital world and the physical world: while virtual reality until now only allowed the creation of a parallel world, it is now possible to insert virtual objects into the real world through a phone, tablet or headset.
This technique is based on the principle of geolocation. For example, we can project, in a given personal space, furniture which identifies its position in the environment and virtually fits into it.
Towards a market worth 138 billion dollars in 2030
By 2030, spatial computing could represent a $138 billion market. This figure includes $74 billion in B2B-specific revenue, representing an expected annual growth rate of 38% by then. And for good reason, the applications are ever more numerous:
- Entertainment: immersive experiences for video games and cinema
- Medicine: simulation of surgical movements in medical operating rooms
- Consumption – Distribution: virtual visualization of furniture in a given personal space; virtual shoe-trying projection; virtual test of glasses on the face
A roadmap for businesses
By combining real and virtual realities, spatial computing helps reduce the cognitive load associated with transitions from one reality to another.
For businesses, the gains can be numerous:
- Increased speed and quality of operations (expert advice for installation, inspection, service and repairs)
- Increased speed of innovation and time to market with virtual prototypes
- Reduction of costs and duration of training. People who train through spatial computing have a much higher information retention rate, learn four times faster than others and are 40% more confident in their abilities
