Spatial computing isn’t here just yet but it’s coming and we need to be prepared. Globally-reputed tech futurist, Cathy Hackl, tells us more in an exclusive interview about the new hardware. 



The first time most people heard the term ‘spatial computing’ was when Apple unveiled its Vision Pro headset. With a hefty price tag and limited availability, this futuristic piece of technology quickly got everyone talking. Who would buy an Apple Vision Pro? Is it not just another virtual reality (VR) headset?


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="alignleft size-full is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="155" height="215" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Untitled-1.png" alt="" class="wp-image-63153" style="width:195px;height:auto"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Cathy Hackl</figcaption></figure></div>


“Most people don’t understand what spatial computing is,” says Cathy Hackl, a tech futurist and author who is often referred to as the ‘Godmother of the Metaverse’. “It is not one piece of hardware or one single technology.” Hackl explains that spatial computing isn’t VR or augmented reality (AR), it’s the future. “We are seeing an expansion of computing and an evolution of the web happening side-by-side. The convergence of all of these emerging technologies happening at the same time? That’s spatial computing.”



The computing evolution



Computing has already gone through an evolution so the fact that there’s something new shouldn’t come as a sur- prise. First, there were big, expensive mainframe com- puters that most people didn’t have access to. This was followed by the personal computer, a desktop that sat at your home or work.



“It was the first time that many of us engaged with a computer,” says Hackl. What followed next was mobile computing. Portable laptops and smartphones “and we now have a supercomputer in our hands that we don’t go anywhere without”, she adds. “What we’re starting to see now are other kinds of devices like facial computers, AI companions, smart glasses… but at the same time, the web is evolving. There was first the worldwide web which was followed by the mobile web and now we’re going into the spatial web – the metaverse.”



When you combine these three elements – advanced computing, spatial internet and new hardware being created – what you come out with is spatial computing. “It’s a 3D-centric form of computing that at its core uses AI computer vision, extended reality and a multitude of technologies to start to blend virtual content and experi- ences into someone’s experience of the physical world,” Hackl says, adding that spatial computing will not only alter human-to-human communication but also human- to-computer interaction.



And you can see this shift starting to happen with large language models (LLMs) and generative artificial intelligence (genAI). “For many years we have been adapting to technology but this time, it’s technology starting to adapt to us,” she says. “Spatial computing will result in new interfaces, software, hardware, data types and levels of connectivity. It’s not simply VR or the Vision Pro – that’s re- ductive and limiting. 



A new interface



Hackl anticipates that in the next 12 to 18 months, we’re going to see new hardware thrown at us – attempts at new form factors, new ways for people to interface with technology. She says that there will be big advancements in audio and smart glasses and although the mobile phone isn’t going anywhere just yet, there is a new form factor coming.



There are already companies like Magic Leap that are focusing on building spatial computing devices for the enterprise. Partnering with a mining company, they used their Magic Leap 2 headset as a worker training tool, overlaying key data into the physical world for immer- sive, real-time guidance. “With spatial computing, the physical world becomes the interface and that in itself is revolutionary,” says Hackl. “I think, in general, people are ill-prepared for what’s about to come.”



What’s next, says Hackl, is that we’ll be able to access data through spatial computing devices. “Accessing that data layer will be a huge step in human computer inter- action and it’s going to allow for more robots and autono- mous vehicles,” she says. AI plays a crucial role in this because in order to make use of big data, information has to be processed in real-time. This is how robots navigate the physical world; they use spatial intelligence and large action models (LAMs). The difference between a LLM and a LAM is that LAMs go beyond language by under- standing user intentions. LAMs can perform complex tasks through direct interactions with various applica- tions and systems.



Convergence, not AI



Although Hackl insists that spatial computing is still years away, we need to be ready for its impact. The line between the physical and virtual world has already starting to disap- pear if you take into account what people are spending their money on. For the generation coming up, virtual assets (like buying Robux, Roblox’ in-game currency) already have more value than physical assets. To reach this demographic, companies like Walmart have created entire worlds inside Roblox where an item purchased in-store will have a digital twin inside the game. Hackl, who was Walmart’s metaverse advisor in-residence, helped them with this project: “They’re starting to think about this new customer who wants to consume content as well as products and services.”



To prepare for spatial computing, Hackl advises that businesses don’t buy a hundred Apple Vision Pros. While it is what she calls an ‘early’ spatial computer, the headset will evolve and other technology brands will follow. “A couple of decades ago AI was in this evolu- tionary phase and now it’s revolutionary. Spatial com- puting is now evolutionary but it will be revolutionary,” says Hackl. “AI seems to be the word of the year but I think it should be convergence because that’s what we’re truly seeing – a convergence of all of these incred- ible technologies.”

metaverse

The Computers Of The Future And Insights From The ‘Godmother Of The Metaverse’

Addressing sexual exploitation and abuse in the digital ecosystem.



The hype around the development of the metaverse, an immersive digital space that will take real-world experiences online and blur the line between physical and virtual, is palpable. Accounting organization KPMG predicts that by 2030, we might be spending more time in the metaverse than in the real world. In a survey conducted by Pew Research and Elon University in North Carolina, more than half of the technology experts responded that by 2040, they expect the metaverse to be a fully-immersive, well-functioning aspect of daily life for half a billion people (or more) around the world. 



But for many, the excitement around the world’s digital future is something that should be approached with caution. Women, in particular, have been known to experience gender-based violence in the form of online harassment. One study from the Economist Intelligence Unit uncovered that 85% of women have experienced or witnessed online violence, with 38% of women reporting personal experiences with online violence and 65% reporting knowing of other women who were targeted online.



If women are already su-fering a disproportionate amount of abuse online, will they be safe in the metaverse?



In 2022, the Alliance for Universal Digital Rights (AUDRi) was formed by two international gender equality and advocacy organizations, Equality Now and Women Leading in AI. For over 30 years, Equality Now has been campaigning for legal and systematic change to address violence and discrimination against women and girls around the world but what they soon came to realize is that the sexual exploitation and abuse they were working against stopping in the physical space could be manifested online.



“People are using the internet to replicate and amplify the same sort of violence; [what] we’re seeing in the physical space is being played out in the digital space. It’s growing at an alarming rate just because of the nature of the internet,” says Tsitsi Matekaire, Equality Now’s Global Lead of End Sexual Exploitation.



Born in Zimbabwe, Matekaire has worked with women’s rights organizations throughout Africa, providing legal aid services to women affected by domestic violence.



“Looking at the legal frameworks, we didn’t realize that if we focus our research so narrowly on sexual exploitation and abuse, we sort of miss the bigger picture because this is happening in the digital ecosystem.” Working with a network of women in technology, AUDRi is calling for an international standard that will address women and girl’s rights in the digital space grounded in international human rights law.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-more-than-a-game">More than a game</h2>



The studies around avatar gender-swapping in the online gaming space are eye-opening. To avoid toxic sexual behavior, female players choose a male avatar to avoid being harassed.



Wai Yen Tang, a researcher from the University of Amsterdam, found that in gaming culture, women are often harassed because they are perceived as an outside and intrusive minority.



“Women don’t participate to the extent that they should because they have serious concerns around safety. The result is self-censorship, where you don’t want to bring out your true identity,” says Maitekaire. “We are a diverse community but as a woman, you’re operating as a white male because that attracts less harassment. There are black women, cisgender women, trans women… all of that can get lost if people have that fear.” In addition, it’s all too easy for the abuse can easily jump from digital to physical – in April 2023, a man in California was arrested for sexually abusing a 14-year old girl he met playing a popular kids gaming app – which is exactly why organizations like AUDRi are so needed.



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“WE ARE A DIVERSE COMMUNITY BUT AS A WOMAN, YOU’RE OPERATING AS A WHITE MALE BECAUSE THAT ATTRACTS LESS HARASSMENT.”
</blockquote>
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“We really wanted to look at that digital dimension and assess the impact it would have on human rights and human vulnerability so we are advocating for policies at a global level,” says Matekaire. “Even on a national level, we have to show governments what they need to be thinking about to ensure rights are protected within that space.” 



For Matekaire, the urgency is now because as the technology is being developed, policy frameworks need to be created to keep up. “There’s a dilemma because things are moving quickly and policies can also be future-proofed to anticipate the risks,” she adds. “We need to ensure that in the design stage we are building in those principles of equality, of safety, of human rights, for people with disabilities and those in the LGBTQ community. We have to anticipate these different aspects before or as the technology is designed.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">An economic opportunity</h2>



Be it education or healthcare, throughout the continent, there has been interest on a governmental level in how the metaverse can be best utilized. Egypt, for example, launched MetaTut at the end of 2022.



MetaTut is a virtual city created to celebrate Egyptian culture and take the country’s heritage into the digital age. It’s not only a virtual tourist destination but a place where people can meet others and even conduct business.



“African governments are looking at the metaverse as an opportunity to advance their economies but have they anticipated the risks?” asks Matekaire.



Considering the potential impact of the metaverse, AUDRi is urging governments, regulators and big tech companies to consider the rights of those who remain marginalized online. They’re calling for guidelines to be established that measure the impact on the human rights of vulnerable groups as well as best practices when it comes to design. 



“And we need governments involved because ultimately governments are the ones that are responsible for people’s rights,” she adds. “As AUDRi, what we’re really talking about is a global approach – global policies and laws that countries can derive their national laws and policies from.

Avatars

Will Women Be Safe In The Metaverse?

<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



McDonald’s is the latest to file trademark applications for virtual goods, services and even virtual restaurants and cafes, leaning into a growing trend of major corporations preparing for a potential wave of virtual reality marketplaces spearheaded by Meta, parent company of Facebook, and its envisioned virtual world, the metaverse.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



Josh Gerben, a trademark lawyer whose firm tracks new trademark filings on a daily basis, first made note of the requests on&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/JoshGerben/status/1491449758967562240?s=20&amp;t=ZDw6PsET58Dh4Ak0KRm_gg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Twitter</a>&nbsp;Wednesday, pointing out 10 applications filed by McDonald’s.



The McDonald’s&nbsp;<a href="https://tmsearch.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=doc&amp;state=4807:439nvi.2.2" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">filings</a>, listed February 4, request to trademark, among other things, “Operating a virtual restaurant featuring actual and virtual goods,” and “operating a virtual restaurant online featuring home delivery.”



It also aims to&nbsp;<a href="https://tmsearch.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=doc&amp;state=4808:ej2v89.2.1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">trademark</a>&nbsp;“on-line actual and virtual concerts” and other entertainment services within its virtual McCafe.&nbsp;&nbsp;



The requests follow Panera Bread’s February 3&nbsp;<a href="https://tmsearch.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=doc&amp;state=4808:4noh1d.9.1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">filing</a>&nbsp;for the “Paneraverse,” a request from the bakery company to trademark its downloadable, virtual food and beverage items “for use in virtual worlds,” along with NFTs and the option to purchase actual goods in the virtual world to be delivered.



McDonald’s and Panera Bread are the latest to prepare for a potential virtual establishment revolution, joining major corporations like <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/11/02/nike-is-quietly-preparing-for-the-metaverse-.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nike</a>, <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/01/16/walmart-is-quietly-preparing-to-enter-the-metaverse.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Walmart</a> and <a href="https://boardroom.tv/skechers-metaverse-trademarks/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sketchers</a>, who have all made similar filings in the past three months.



“When you see this critical mass of large companies making this many new trademark filings, it’s very clear this is coming,” Gerben told&nbsp;Forbes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="crucial-quote">CRUCIAL QUOTE</h2>



“I think you’re going to see every brand that you can think of make these filings within the next 12 months,” Gerben added. “I don’t think anyone wants to be the next Blockbuster and just completely ignore a new technology that’s coming.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="tangent">TANGENT</h2>



“Panera is always working to be at the forefront of tech advancement,” George Hanson, the company’s chief digital officer, said in a statement to&nbsp;Forbes. “As a brand we are consistently looking for new ways to better our guest experience, whether in our cafes or in the metaverse.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



These requests often take the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office eight to nine months to review, according to Gerben, though he says McDonalds should have no troubles getting the trademarks approved. While the Metaverse is not the only virtual world in which these trademarks can be used, Meta appears to be leaning more heavily into its vision of a virtual world (see its October <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/lisakim/2021/10/28/facebook-announces-new-name-meta/?sh=2465b42b7f83">name change</a>) than any other major technology company, and it is seeing results. According to Meta’s fourth quarter <a href="https://s21.q4cdn.com/399680738/files/doc_financials/2021/q4/FB-12.31.2021-Exhibit-99.1-Final.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">earnings report,</a> the company pulled in more $800 million in revenue from “Reality Labs,” its division that includes its augmented and virtual reality-related consumer hardware like the Oculus, the company’s widely popular VR headset used to access the metaverse.



By Mason Bissada, Forbes Staff

Daily Life In Edmonton During The Covid-19 Pandemic

McDonald’s Files Trademark For Metaverse-Based ‘Virtual Restaurant’

Is the metaverse the future of the internet? It’s already here with Big Tech banking on it, and it just might unlock untold economic opportunities for Africa.



BY TIANA CLINE



&#8220;IT FEELS LIKE SCI-FI WHEN WE TALK ABOUT it. If you think about the internet that we look at, the metaverse is going to be an internet that we are inside of,” says Derya Matras, Facebook’s Vice President for Africa, the Middle East and Turkey. “Over the last few years, we’ve been observing social communication getting more and more immersive. I remember being in high school and dreaming of having a phone that I could take with me everywhere so I could talk to my best friend. Even being able to talk to my parents over video felt like sci-fi twenty years ago. It’s important that we observe where the technology is moving already.”



Matras explains that the metaverse will be made up of a set of digital experiences that seamlessly interconnect. A deeper and wider virtual reality (VR) that is far more than social media and video games. This is one of the reasons Facebook changed its company name to Meta at the end of October 2021.



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The metaverse is going to give a lot of opportunities to Africa but the connectivity has to be there.



– Derya Matras
</div></div>



“Facebook is primarily known as a social media company but we actually define ourselves as a tech company that has the mission of connecting people and businesses. As social technology evolves, we will also,” she says. “Obviously, the metaverse is not there yet and it’s going to take a good ten years to build it all together as an industry.”



Matras believes that the metaverse has the potential to unlock huge economic opportunities for Africa. As a company, Facebook has already made some significant investments into bringing more affordable broadband to the continent. They’re in the process of building 2Africa, the longest undersea cable in the world which will effectively connect three continents – Africa, Europe and Asia (with plans of going live in 2023).



“The metaverse is going to give a lot of opportunities to Africa but the connectivity has to be there. And it is the responsibility of tech players like Facebook and telecom operators and governments to build that collectively,” says Matras. While Facebook, as a social media platform, isn’t going anywhere, what excites Matras the most about the metaverse is its educational implications.



Immersive learning through the use of VR is a field that Louise Claassen, an executive fellow at Henley Business School Africa, is already working on. (And outside of the business school, she also spends a lot of time in AltspaceVR, a social VR platform acquired by Microsoft in 2017.)



“For decades, people have been immersed into the virtual reality space but as individuals. What is happening now is increasingly, we’re seeing multi-user VR environments,” she explains. 



While independent VR social spaces have been in existence for a number of years – many of which already have vibrant, thriving communities – people are now looking into these environments as business tools and in the med-tech space. Research out of the University of Maryland, for example, showed that VR not only increases memory retention, but when used as a learning tool could potentially treat memory-related disorders like Alzheimer’s.



 “One of the qualities we have in virtual reality is embodiment, that sense of being present in a different environment. Your body is responding to where your mind believes that you are. There are all sorts of very interesting opportunities that this convergence into the metaverse present,” says Claassen. 



At Henley, Claassen works with VR by creating rich immersive experiences for her students and in particular, global case studies that transport them to different places to understand different economies: “From a business school perspective, we believe that it’s important for leaders to have well-developed cultural intelligence and they can only do that if they travel. While physically visiting and being immersed in different contexts still has tremendous merit, what virtual reality does is it democratizes that process so more students can go to more locations more frequently.”



What the metaverse can bring to education (and many other sectors) is that immersive experience at the click of a button. A digital twin where data is not only visualized, but augmented.



“When we can see each other move in a three-dimensional space, we decode that information in a very different way and that’s very powerful,” says Claassen, “it give us a much more dynamic experience of the world which is pretty much what the metaverse offers, on scale.”

Tag: Metaverse

FORBES AFRICA SOCIAL MEDIA

The Computers Of The Future And Insights From The ‘Godmother Of The Metaverse’

Will Women Be Safe In The Metaverse?

McDonald’s Files Trademark For Metaverse-Based ‘Virtual Restaurant’

Can The Metaverse Provide Opportunities For Africa That Are Out Of This World?