Part 2 – Human augmentation technologies
Cross reality
Cross reality is an umbrella term for virtual reality, mixed reality and augmented reality,
and is an area likely to see major growth.^17 Cross reality has been used in military aviation
for decades in the form of head-up displays, monocles, helmet systems and flight
simulators but falling costs are beginning to bring this expensive technology into wider
applications. Virtual reality uses headsets and other wearables to provide an immersive
experience of a computer-generated environment, while augmented reality superimposes
computer-generated images onto the user’s view of the real world, usually using glasses
or a headset.Virtual reality is becoming widely used for education, medicine, gaming and entertainment
and augmented reality is increasingly used in advertising and retail. Defence applications
could include training (virtual reality) and for improving situational awareness on operations
(augmented reality). Tele-existence is a natural progression from cross reality and can be
used to manipulate robots from a distance, often using a headset and haptic gloves for
tactile feedback. Telemedicine is paving the way in this field, allowing doctors to remotely
diagnose and, in some cases, perform surgery. Cross reality looks set to have an
increasing role in industry and Defence, although energy sources, processing power and
broadband speeds currently limit the technology’s utility. Data networks are the emerging
single point of failure for cross reality systems and protecting the network’s integrity will be
vital for any Defence applications.17 Global cross reality investment in 2020 is forecast to increase by 78.5%. Forbes.com.First generation virtual reality headsets relied on processing power from a tethered
desktop computer, but the latest versions are fully standalone and significantly
widen application opportunities