Text/Chen Gen
On March 11, the USPTO announced an Apple patent called "Bionic Virtual Conference Room Communication System and Method", which describes a communication system compatible with computers, AR/VR glasses, tablets, smartphones and other devices, and people can represent themselves through dynamic, cartoon avatars to conduct online meetings in a virtual environment with a sense of presence.
Let's first understand this "bionic virtual conference room communication system and method" through the published patent picture.
The patent, numbered US20220076478, was previously inventor of Eberhard Schmidt, co-founder and general manager of eye-tracking company SMI (which has been acquired by Apple). Apple describes in detail how virtual meetings can be implemented in the patent, including how to synchronize image information such as scenes and avatars on a variety of different devices, and use avatars to display the biometrics and dynamic changes of users. The appearance of the avatar can be set according to the user's preferences, the purpose/theme of the meeting, and the abstract or realistic appearance can be selected.
In simple terms, this technology is through Apple's virtual reality system, and Apple's hardware combination system to achieve the digital twin of people, and with the help of virtual reality conference system to participate in the meeting.
So what does Apple's patent for this project allow us to see? That is the pragmatism of these technology giants in the United States towards science and technology, they will not participate in the carnival of these metaverse terms, and they will carry out their own research and development and exploration in the possible direction of future technology very low-key.
Therefore, for Apple, it is very clear that it must be research and development to promote technology ahead of time, and to commercialize this research and development on a large scale. In the process of converting laboratory research into commercialization, it is not at all dependent on today's empty talk and carnival to solve, but requires the improvement of the entire technology industry chain.
In this process, any link of the entire industrial chain has not kept up, which may make the commercialization of technology unable to be realized normally. So, when we revel in the term metaverse today, what are we reveling in? As I've said before, when we truly recognize the importance of the metaverse, we will be in awe, and we will have no extra time to spend in these meaningless noun revelries. We will realize that in the face of possible metaversms in the future, none of our entire technology industry chain today has mastered the core technology, except for various theoretical research reports and various sci-fi methods of metacosm carnival.
When we are partying in the metaverse term, Apple is quietly making breakthroughs and research and development from the underlying industrial technology of the metacosm in various ways. And constantly through the breakthrough of the underlying technology and the construction of products to explore the possible development and realization of the metaverse.
For American tech giants, nouns and concept binges are meaningless, because these nihilistic noun revelry does not enhance their core technological competitiveness. The real core is its own core technical strength, as well as the commercial products and systems built around technology.
For Apple in particular, the carnival of these terms means nothing to them. Whether we call big data, or the Internet, or the mobile Internet, or the hanging metaverse, or the new terms of the future, these do not matter.
The important thing is that they can master the core underlying technology, they can predict the development direction of science and technology, and before the day when the technology is advanced, they can develop their own core technologies in advance, which is the focus of their attention. This pragmatic attitude towards technology, and a reverence for technology, is the key to what we should learn.