Mixed Reality
SK Telecom has joined hands with Google to target the mixed reality (MR) market worth 10 trillion won (US$8.9 billion). MR, which merges augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), produces new environments and visualizations where physical and digital objects co-exist and interact in real. So, it is the new technology that can be widely used in medical care, education and construction sites in near future.
The two companies are planning to lead the global MAR market by combining SK Telecom’s advanced technology and Google’s contents and business networks around the world. It will be the first test bed project of SK Telecom’s new ICT ecosystem strategy which focuses on cooperation. Since his presidency, President Park Jung-ho has been stressed, “Join hands with the leader in the market in which we cannot be the leader.”
According to industry sources on May 17, SK Telecom will reveal “T-Real VR Studio,” a next-generation MR platform, at the Google I/O 2017, Google's annual developer conference, to eb held in Mountain View, San Francisco, on the 18th (local time). The company will demonstrate the service, which allows to experience 3D virtual contents in real environments by converging Google’s VR platform “Daydream” and “T-real,” in front of thousands of developers from all over the world.
In addition, the new technology enables students wearing MR devices to explore space while they feel like they are really walking on the Mars. With the service, people all around the world can have a video conference just like they are gathered in one room. Conference participants also can point out problems to other participants while presenting other’s data before their eyes.
Since the MR technology can be used in various industries, the market will be worth more than 10 trillion won (US$8.9 billion) in 2021 even in a conservative point of view. This is why global information technology (IT) giants, such as Apple, Microsoft and Facebook as well as Google, are fiercely competing to secure the technology.
SK Telecom chose Google as its partner and has been seeking to lead the global market with MR technology and 5G technology in which high speed, ultra-low latency and hyper connectivity are the key.
With SK Telecom’s decision, Google has won a strong ally. The seamless 5G service is required to spread the MR services beyond national borders.