Intel Guru Predicts a 3D Internet in Five Years
It seems as though these days, we can't move for 3D technology; be it movies, games, consoles, sports, or televisions, the 3D craze is in full swing. Sean Koehl, a technology evangelist with Intel Labs, says that soon, even the Internet could be in 3D.
Discussing emerging technology, Koehl said that over the last 10 or 20 years, there's been a huge increase in the amount of computing power available for exploitation. Pairing this with the current passion for 3D, Koehl says we could be looking at some very different experiences than what we're used to; especially when it comes to the Internet.
Computerworld reports that of all the projects underway at the Intel Labs, Koehl is most excited about how 3D technology will change the way we interact with online information. Though Koehl did concede that the Internet will probably never go fully 3D (people probably wouldn't want to read 3D text for example), he predicted that in the next five years, 3D environments will be broadly accessible.
Computerworld:"The Internet may never go fully 3-D, but making 3-D environments broadly accessible is probably capable within five years," noted Koehl. "I think it remains to be seen but there are certain kinds of interactions people will want in two dimensions, like reading text. The things we'll do in three dimensions may be things that we don't do at all on the Internet today because it isn't feasible."
Koehl goes on to give the example of 3D conference, similar to the live Q&A we had earlier this week. However, instead of voices being represented by avatars in a virtual room, you could feel like you're in the room with us. Though we've seen similar ideas in the likes of Second Life and other virtual worlds, Koehl believes pairing 3D technology with more updated graphics, the realism could match the CGI we're used to seeing in movies.
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Jane McEntegart is a writer, editor, and marketing communications professional with 17 years of experience in the technology industry. She has written about a wide range of technology topics, including smartphones, tablets, and game consoles. Her articles have been published in Tom's Guide, Tom's Hardware, MobileSyrup, and Edge Up.
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crazymech Hehe, and the ISPs are already complaining of heavy bandwidth. Wonder what they'll say when they hear this?Reply -
babybeluga I don't think they can lay that much fiber optic line down in 5 years.Reply
I know my Charter connection won't cut it. -
jecastej He says 5 years I say more like 15 to 20 years. We need a lot more bandwidth, power/efficiency and a clear, polished or mature interface that presents a natural functionality to every user. Even in hundreds of years of constant use we still read better in synthetic graphics than in complex and realistic 3D environments. And some languages may find a natural functionality in some environments that may not be replaced ever. Really, I don't see it happening as a real 3D and not because of limited technology but because it needs to be well implemented on a second level behind a graphic structure. Take into consideration the virtual desktop. Why don't we have a real 3D desktop today?Reply -
It's VRML all over again.Reply
Sorry, but for the most part 3D web pages are just not going to work. There might be cases such as video conferencing etc. where 3D will be useful- but not for basic navigation. Who would want to run through a maze or some other stupid 3D construct to get to what they want, when they could have just simply clicked on a button instead? That would get old very quickly...
If anything the biggest game changer is going to be WebGL and the other HTML5 features- which will enable much more advanced graphics, effects and interactions in web pages. I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of stuff can be done with HTML5.