Interview with a Professor of the Multimedia/Virtual Reality department of HKD Halle

What are the interfaces of the future like?

Non physical but multi sensual ... is that a contradiction? Not any more (smile).

What will be the interaction with a non physical world (Virtual Reality) be like and do you think VR and the RealWorld will be melted?

I think Virtual Products will be integrated into the “RealWorld”, and be perceived physical (give physical feedback), but this is only possible for devices that don't serve the basic needs of mankind. For example a Virtual Product can not take away your hunger, or the need to go to another place and be there physically because of whatever. Virtual Products could take away your feeling of hunger, but this is not the aim and would not serve the user at all.

Products that provide a non physical service, such as communication or entertainment are already dealing with something virtual and can therefore be easily taken of the “physical” state of appearance, witch means you might have only one device that is integrated into your clothes or even the body itself. This device will simulate other products or interfaces you still perceive and use physically (see them, feel them), but that are not really there.

However, there are other trends tending to go the opposite way. With the “organic food” and “live healthy” movement there is a counterpart that pays more attention to multi sensual design, products that are an experience, evoke emotions, work with haptic, smell and all the ways of social interaction that so far have been attached to “something that is alive”. But this is, so far, only used and affordable by educated and better situated parts of society. Time will tell if this (in my opinion more desirably way) is becoming the mission of major parts of society.

Where do you think is the border between VR and Reality, how far can we go?

Well, in terms of technology there is no real border. Products of the future don't have to be physical at all, even the context they are used in can be virtual and still be “real”in terms of sensual perception. The only thing that is hard to be simulated is the individual awareness and perception of the own body, the “inner-body-experience”. This could only be simulated by disconnecting the mind and the body.

So it is more a manner of ethnics. The border has to be defined by society itself, I personally don't think mankind will allow this disconnection because the self-awareness is one of the major differences between humans and other creatures. Technology will give the possibility, but it is up to everybody to decide.

Do think nanotechnology will give us the opportunity to modify the human body?

I think it will be introduced and used in terms of healthcare, but the image of the human body as product or even cyborg will stay fiction.

Do you think there will be something like collective intelligence?

Well, there already is, you can access almost every information now. Only the way of getting and using it will change. The “do it yourself” way will play a major role and give the user the opportunity to customize products to his individual needs. This will partly take away the step of industrial production and assembly. Thinking of 3D-printing, customers will get the opportunity to have entirely individual products, but that is another story.

( by Mario )