Why Definitions Matter: Spatial Computing and Mixed Reality
I have been deeply frustrated with the Metaverse; I wrote as much back in 2021. It’s a sentiment that stands in stark contrast to the refreshed, almost feverish, excitement I now hold for Mixed Reality and Spatial Computing. I want to articulate where this excitement stems from, the crucial importance of definitions and the potential risks that still lie ahead.
The Pitfalls of the Metaverse: A Lesson in Clarity
The metaverse, initially presented as a technological utopia, now serves as a cautionary tale about the importance of precise definitions in emerging technologies. Its attempt to encapsulate a multitude of concepts and use cases — from VR and AR to digital economies and online multiplayer environments – lacked clarity, leading to a damaging disconnect between expectation and reality.
In 2021 when I was asked to advise several corporations on their metaverse strategy, I found that if you asked 5 people to define the metaverse you’d receive 5 very different responses. When such a fuzzy concept meets the challenges of reality it can quickly dissolve.
As just one example, NFTs and crypto debates had become increasingly tied into debates shaping the future of the metaverse - but when they declined, it knocked part of the stuffing out of the metaverse momentum.
Don’t get me wrong, there is still interest and increasingly more practical and nuanced conversations still happening around the future of the metaverse - but they don’t enjoy the public attention or funding, they once gained.
Meta appears to be reacting to this reality. Their change of name to Meta, intended to signify their identity as a ‘Metaverse Company,’ demonstrates the risk of trying to own a term that has already developed a complex and conflicting life of its own. Now, it seems they are seeking to redress what looks very much like a mistake by embracing and reinforcing mixed reality’s definition, dedicating whole web pages to achieving clarity.
Defining Spatial Computing and Mixed Reality
In contrast to the metaverse's idealized vision, spatial computing, and mixed reality stand on firmer ground.
Spatial computing, initially conceptualized in a 2003 MIT paper by Simon Greenwood now predominantly associated with Apple, focuses on transcending digital boundaries. It is about embedding the digital within our physical world, creating interactions where virtual and real elements not only coexist but enhance each other.
Others, including Apple and Microsoft, share a consistent definition and the term is nicely summarised by futurist Cathy Hackl in her recent Forbes article:
“Spatial Computing is an evolving 3D-centric form of computing that, at its core, uses AI, Computer Vision and extended reality to blend virtual experiences into the physical world that break free from screens.”
Finally, mixed reality, initially driven by Microsoft and further popularised by Meta, marries the concepts of virtual reality and augmented reality to create a hybrid experience. It's not just about overlaying digital information onto the real world but creating a seamless blend where the virtual and physical are indistinguishable.
This specificity and focus on tangible interaction sets spatial computing and mixed reality apart from the metaverse's broader, more elusive concept. As mixed reality and spatial computing reach a very similar definition to each other, it gives me great and rekindled hope for the industry's future. It makes it much easier to get excited about a specific visionary concept, one that you can communicate inherent tangible benefits of, rather than a vague and interwoven utopic vision.
Risks of Corporate Definitions
Though both mixed reality and spatial computing can be clearly and quite consistently defined and described, there is still a significant risk that a multiplicity of terms or buzzwords will develop which will, once again, confuse and make broader public understanding and buy-in more difficult.
It’s quite simple: with more and more terms defining very similar things we risk them losing meaning for the public. We already have two, - mixed reality and spatial computing - and it is entirely possible that Google & Samsung enter the space with their own spin. Understandably with 3 or more terms all desperately trying to define a very similar concept users will become overwhelmed even as they consider entering this exciting new industry.
A good test for how mature an industry’s definitions are can be to affirm the consequent:
‘All iPhone are smartphones, but not all smartphones are iPhones’ – something I think everyone agrees on.
Mixed Reality and Spatial Computing currently fail the test. Even a well-informed audience would struggle to confidently assert whether one is derivative of the other as they’re defining the same thing.
Why do these savvy tech giants take such definitional risk?
It’s a simple game of othering. Each company is trying to own the category defining technology that alienates and reduces the value of others competing in this space. This can be seen quite transparently with Apple’s recent developer communications explicitly banning the term mixed reality from their new Spatial Computing App store.
I hope and expect that companies entering the space will begin to coalesce around one term or another. We can see some of this momentum already moving towards Apple and Spatial Computing with recent articles surrounding CES. The winner of the spatial computing and mixed reality battle will likely be the winner of who succeeds in naming it in a way that everyone can agree on.
The really subtle substack name might give a clue as to which term I think will come out on top.
The Tangible Positives of Focused Definitions
I get excited about either definition owning the public consciousness - both terms enable us to dive quickly into meaningful value propositions.
We can quickly begin to talk about how the technologies enable us to free our digital lives from the confines of the screen. They offer not just novel experiences but practical benefits, enhancing productivity, creativity, and social interactions. We no longer have a finite frame within which we contain our ideas, while apps, products, and advertising fight for each precious pixel.
One big area that I feel we could be talking about more is how a promise of spatial computing and mixed reality is a promise of control and autonomy for individuals over how they engage with their digital lives. Once free to decide how much space to give different parts of our digital lives, we can take back control of how we give those different things our attention.
I see a future where different social experiences get given the most appropriate space in my life. I imagine using a Spatial Computing device like a future Vision Pro in ways where I transcend physical space. For example, when my brother, who lives hundreds of miles away, can walk into my lounge as his digital self and strike up a conversation about summer plans -and while we’re talking a new message on LinkedIn only appears as a little logo hovering subtly on my dining room table. That’s very different from today’s proposition when that experience looks like two equally sized and weighted notifications on my phone, a WhatsApp from my brother and a LinkedIn notification. They see themselves as equally important in my life and there’s very little, I can do to change that balance. Spatial Computing and Mixed Reality is the opportunity to regain autonomy over our digital lives.
Concluding Thoughts
This is why definitions matter. Being able to talk about and envision futures like this is only possible because we can easily share a common understanding of the foundational technologies of mixed reality or spatial computing.
By learning from the metaverse's shortcomings and emphasizing clear, user-centric definitions, these technologies can avoid confusion and fragmentation. The autonomy and new dimensions of interaction they offer can profoundly reshape our digital and physical worlds. As we move forward, it will be crucial to maintain the clarity and focus that give these technologies their strength, ensuring they deliver on their promise to revolutionize how we interact with the digital world.
This second post is my way of introducing my excitement for the worlds of spatial computing and mixed reality. For complete transparency, I, along with some incredibly talented industry veterans, have started a new venture building foundational technology for this future of Spatial Computing & Mixed Reality. Subscribe to hear more…I always love a good debate on LinkedIn too!