The Promise of Immersive Realities

I have seen firsthand the power of immersive reality as a shared experience to spark connection and curiosity. Dr. Woolsey said this after taking 400 people on a Shared, Synchronized Immersive Reality Experiences (SSIRE) in the theater where I led the development, construction, and programming of the World’s Largest Permanent Virtual Reality Theater. Within this theater 400 people could travel to destinations – ranging from tropical coral reefs to the moon – together in real time while a speaker narrated their experience from on stage.

That, in short, is the promise of immersive realities and the technological tools we use to access these new realities. They can create the opportunity for us all to explore and connect in ways never before thought possible. Like the approaching Super Age, immersive reality tools and experiences have the potential to shape the future of how we learn, work, play, and stay connected. 

Now this may feel hyperbolic, but think about how new technological platforms have changed our lives in the past 50 years. From telegraph, to radio, to TV, to e-mail and the Internet. Just 25 years ago, what we take for granted and use daily to stay connected to family, friends, and colleagues, would have sounded like science fiction. So whether on Zoom, Teams, Google Meet, or Facetime the daily video call is now firmly a part of our lives and how we stay connected. What will the next 25 years make possible?