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Hyper Vision
Article

Hyper Vision

The Untold Story of Magic Leap, the World’s Most Secretive Startup

Wired, 2016

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Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Innovative
  • Visionary

Recommendation

Virtual reality has come a long way. Visual, auditory, and motion tricks combine with quirks of human perception to immerse users in a believable virtual world. Start-up company Magic Leap is producing some of the best virtual reality technology available, with help from New Zealand special-effects experts at Weta Workshops. Technology writer Kevin Kelly explains how some of these tricks work and introduces Magic Leap founder Rony Abovitz, who was inspired by a love of robotics and science fiction. getAbstract recommends Kelly’s article to anyone with an interest in the future of gaming or office technology.

Summary

In the 1990s, virtual reality (VR) was expensive. Smartphones made high-quality small screens, motion sensors and processors affordable, enabling the Oculus Rift to launch in 2012. In virtual reality, a virtual world replaces physical reality. VR immerses the user in a believable situation. Users can experience traveling the world, exploring space or seeing inside the human body. Touch elements like the floor sinking slightly as the user steps on virtual stairs add to the illusion. “Mixed reality” (MR) inserts virtual items into the physical world. Users can add virtual elements to a room or make parts of the ...

About the Author

Science and technology writer Kevin Kelly is the senior maverick and former executive editor of Wired magazine.