Apple's new patent has gone public. Apparently, the famous consumer electronics manufacturer is about to create a special headset for augmented reality. However, unlike existing technologies on the market, it will capture the owner's face entirely and then broadcast it into the virtual space.
The application describes a wearable device in the form of glasses called "Display system with sensors." There are actually two displays on it - one for each user's eye, as well as a lot of sensors. Among them are not only cameras that receive information about the world around them, but also sensors for the position of the head, eyes, eyebrows, chin and even hands. Judging by the description of the gadget, he will demonstrate to his carrier a three-dimensional image based on a real picture, and his avatar in the virtual world will completely copy the movements and facial expressions of his person. This is where Apple's approach is fundamentally different from that of its competitors. One way or another, existing mass AR devices or applications operate strictly with real video, on which a computer model is superimposed.
The new file is the next link in the chain of Apple-patented technologies related to virtual (VR) and augmented (AR) reality. According to The Verge, the company conducts extensive research and development in this area. Perhaps the next implementation examples will be presented this year along with the new iPhones. Despite the many opportunities and prospects, both technologies have not yet found mass commercial application. Almost all modern smartphones have standard applications that allow you to superimpose three-dimensional objects on the camera, but augmented reality does not go beyond temporary pampering or simple games. As with many innovations in the past, Apple can provide a really interesting approach to commercializing AR and VR.
Vasily Parfenov