WHY IT MATTERS: Digital Transformation

WHY IT MATTERS: an exceptionally good intro to lidar technologies and its myriad of applications - it's not just for self driving cars. And note that one of the leading companies in the field is from Quebec city!

WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT

Pokemon GO was an early glimpse into this whole new world of augmented reality. Looks like we will see a deluge of apps in the coming months.

WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT

Looks like AR will be most powerful and useful in professional settings. This is a great example where surgeons get additional information to guide them during surgery without having to look up and away from their patient. Bravo!

WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT

Much talk about virtual reality these days but looks like the killer app will be AR. Wrote about this in the past and looks like IDC research agrees with me... ;-)

Short video that shows how human anatomy is being put into augmented reality to create lifelike, interactive models to help medical students learn anatomy.

WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT

Right now this is a generic human but in the future we will be able to have our own bodies represented in AR for medical doctors to peer into our corpse, via scans and radiology pictures. 

IF they can do this with a human body, why are not more companies investing in making AR models of their most complex machines (think boats, planes, complex manufacturing machines, etc.) to help training, safe operations and troubleshooting? I would imagine that digital transformation strategies and plans should include elements of AR and VR, don't you?

Bloomberg video interview that provides motivations for the explosion on VR in the coming years:

1- applications are numerous, with opportunities in different space, not only in gaming but in medical, movie, etc.

2- big players are lined up : Google, Facebook, Microsoft, etc.

That being said, there have been multiple false starts for VR and #D (remember 3D TVs and google glasses?), so I remaining cautiously optimistic with both VR and AR. They may not be ready for consumer market but may expand into certain key niche applications and industries.

WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT

In that context, it is essential for digital transformation strategies to consider VR and AR in their roadmaps. There must be clear business needs to drive adoption of this relatively immature technology which requires a number of user constraint (least of which is wearing a headset which makes you look like a dork and prevents you from living in the moment). But there are multiple types of industries where professionals can find benefits in viewing things in 3D in a lifelike fashion: those should be prioritized.

5 must read papers to understand where we stand in the area of direct brain communication with machines. In a nutshell; still very early.

This is a great idea: a power tool with intelligence that drives the motors and controls the drill bit, ensuring you cut to perfection every time. Basically you've become just a fancy motor for the tool to travel and perform its work. Brilliant. Watch the videos to see how it works for real. Expect to see more of this in the future: smart tools that go beyond the mundane to invade all aspects of the physical world, including in this case the construction industry.

Also: https://www.engadget.com/2016/08/23/hololens-24-core-chip-makes-vivid-ar-possible/ 

Not a surprise but rather an interesting news snippet: dedicated chipsets for AR are starting to appear. This paves the way for lower cost, better quality solutions. Be aware, AR may become a reality in the coming years as forecasted...

Just watch the video and you'll see. We live in the matrix! ;-)