Recent breakthroughs in AI and wireless connectivity highlight an interesting future.
Everything that was previously considered fiction is now becoming reality. So much so that the modern populace seems to think nothing is impossible anymore. Among the gargantuan trend shifts and technological breakthroughs that have presented themselves during the past decade, the most amazing progress has been witnessed in the field of artificial intelligence. It has slowly sneaked its way into the lives of millions of people. From telecom services to data networking and management, and from chatbots to virtual reality systems, AI is everywhere. It monitors each activity and parameters to build data sets and eventually help components perform better.
MIT’s latest VR contribution
While virtual reality and its benefits continue to catch up on global trends and augment application prospects, it has been tethered to a power source. The unparalleled journey to a parallel space remains limited by the wired attachments. After what seems like a small stroll through the inconvenience lane, industry veterans have decided to cut the cord and go wireless. How, you ask? A research group from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology stepped up the virtual reality game with a new venture into the field of wireless communication.
From the team of MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory comes the MoVR prototype device, a wireless virtual reality system that does not work on any of the traditional communication configurations such as Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. Instead, it uses a high-frequency millimeter wave radio to stream data at an ultra-high speed from a computing device to a headset in real time. What we are talking about here is transmission of multibillion bits per second.
MoVR in its competitive biome
The concept is different in many ways from the traditional wireless approach in VR systems. Technology critics look for comparative indexing with previous products that have hit the market that tried tending to similar issues. Foremost on this list is the Daydream View by Google, a product that made a grand appearance halfway through 2015. The developers laid out its plan on the convenience and mobility factor, however missed several points over the development period. The unprecedented shortcomings of switching down to the basics did not fare well with the computing strength and speed. To pile on, the convenience factor was nullified quite conveniently wherein the users had to hold up the device to their line of sight, and experienced limited control and interactive options.
Next in line was the integrated VR backpack system. The commercial introduction of MSI’s VR One PC-as-a-backpack earlier this year, was a power-packed offering. A “long” wait of five months added to the marketed hype about the product. Mobility? Check. High-resolution output? Check. Latency? Not really.
Why MoVR?
When speed was the key requirement of the game, companies seemed to miss the point. At the same time, MIT’s CSAIL research group managed to score one for the wireless communication industry. The previous computing restrictions imposed by wireless fidelity technology were overcome with the radio transmission of millimeter waves. The high bandwidth requirements are easily met for seamless real-time data transmission, thus delivering a mobile VR experience like never before.
“Replacing the HDMI cable with a wireless link is very challenging since we need to stream high-resolution multiview video in real time,” said Haitham Hassanieh, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaigna. “This requires sustaining data rates of more than 6 [gigabits per second] while the user is moving and turning, which cannot be achieved by any of today’s systems.”
Artificial intelligence support
Initial testing of the prototype was performed on the HTC Vive with excellent results. But for the upsides, the technology also has its own downsides as well. Any obstruction in the line of sight for transmitted signals results in total disconnection from the main rigs. Adept foresight in this regard has helped the research team simultaneously propose a solution in the form of programmable mirrors designed to keep track on the movement patterns of the user.
The programmable mirrors reflect the transmitted signals to the headsets as per the movement and thus prevent abrupt disconnection. As opposed to traditional reflecting mirrors, these would be able to reconfigure their angle of reflection up to an accuracy of two degrees. The training of the programmable modules is where artificial intelligence will find its key role, and brings to light new prospects AI market offerings.
The research team has already begun building a future roadmap for utility expansion of the technology in other fields as well. One of these possibilities includes technological empowerment of “5G” smartphones and health care diagnostics. To enhance the wireless communication protocols, artificial intelligence can help streamline data flow and management, and further improve the net possible outcomes.
“The ability to use a cordless headset really deepens the immersive experience of virtual reality and opens up a range of other applications,” said MIT professor Dina Katabi, member of the research group, which carried out the development of the MoVR device.
The futuristic outlook
The paramount importance of cognition in human patterns is something on which the operators in the artificial intelligence market are building their profits. The core advantage of proactive awareness and response drives widespread adoption across vertical industries. The industry is expected to garner $19.5 billion by 2022, growing at a 45.4% compound annual growth rate. Technical innovations in pertinent fields that bring products similar to MIT’s MoVR will open fresh indulgence opportunities for AI developers.
While we await the full-fledged commercial introduction of MoVR on consumer platforms, we can only conceptualize the future environment that will provide us with a smarter “play and perform” environment, and possibly a better living space. Until then, we have enough food for thought from global research and development activities.
Nitin Chitmalwar is an assistant manager at Allied Market Research and specializes in information and communications technology. He possesses rich and diverse experience in the field of information and communication technology that contributes to his areas of expertise. Chitmalwar brings to the firm years of experience in marketing of content and strategies for ICT, giving him wide industry coverage.
Editor’s Note: In the Analyst Angle section, we’ve collected a group of the industry’s leading analysts to give their outlook on the hot topics in the wireless industry.
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