Bringing Mind Mapping and Spreadsheets to VR

Introducing a third dimension to the display of information unlocks expanded potential for virtual technologies to become valuable for productivity-oriented applications. 3D virtual environments can aid in the visualization of data in a way that could introduce insights and new perspectives that are not as easily gained through 2D representations alone. These tentative first steps are just the beginning. Spatial computing has the potential to grow into something incredible.  

 

Ultimately, these initial technology experiments are the easier phase of a much larger continuum. The much harder phase will be teaching humans to understand and make use of these new capabilities. Such is still the case with VR and spatial computing as a whole. Nearly all applications presented thus far merely scratch the surface of what is possible – we haven’t yet arrived at the gate. While we pine for increased resolution, better tracking, etc. the truth is that VR hardware is already far more advanced than our human capacity is able to realize and make meaningful use of. The divide between virtual hardware evolution and human comprehension continues to expand at an exponential rate, which is why these applications represent such an important opportunity.  

 

Biological human evolution, most recently the neocortex, has enabled us to interact with each other and with our surroundings in new and different ways that have opened vast new capabilities. 3D spatial computing could be thought of as a technology-enabled evolution – an external upgrade to our biological hardware – introducing the potential to unlock the next level of human endeavor. Tools like the ones linked to here not only represent the beginning stages of a technological evolution, but are precisely the advancements needed to understand and integrate the vast potential of spatial computing toward a powerful praxis we can’t yet comprehend.