Last summer the tech world was ablaze with the news of the enormous investments being poured into a relatively unheard of company uniquely named “MagicLeap.”  With Google leading a $542 million raise for an otherwise undisclosed VR technology the news hinted to the dawn of a new day of magic in virtual reality and holographic technologies.

MagicLeap Patent Drawing

Flash forward to January 2015 as Microsoft leaps into the game in a big way announcing it’s new VR wearable tech, “HoloLens.”  Perhaps more impressive than a standalone pair of elegant looking glasses capable of transporting users into a virtual world while also providing interactive pop-out content unlike ever before seen, is the wearable tech’s seamless integration with Microsoft’s latest release of it’s popular operating system Windows 10.

Microsoft's HoloLens

Sony, a key developer in the gaming industry has also played its hand early in 2014 with the announcement of Project Morpheus which the company is targeting for gamers.

Also emerging although relatively silently, is Facebook’s Oculus Rift. The company acquired this VR tech earlier in 2014 for $2bn and according to Financial Times, “has been investing hundreds of millions of dollars to develop a consumer version of its Rift headset.”

Facebook's Oculus Rift (Source: pcmag.com)

With all this maneuvering in the VR space, one thing is for certain, the world of VR wearable tech is heating up as top tech innovators scramble to lead the way.

But, what about content? As the past Founder, President, and CEO of a health and life sciences 3D animation production company, (Medical Animatics), Google Glass Explorer, and health IT innovator who is passionate about patient education and engagement, and  innovations in training healthcare providers,  I am confident the future of interactive education will include extra-ordinary learning opportunities no matter the learning styles of end-users as VR and augmented reality will immerse the user in multi-modal learning that will combine auditory, visual, and kinesthetic experiences unlike ever before seen in interactive learning.

As healthcare continues to target direct to consumer opportunities to engage  patients in their own care, wellness, and prevention, innovative uses of VR will continue to emerge. On the edge of my seat anxiously awaiting real world examples of the otherwise secret technology of MagicLeap, I predict content will be king. Similarly, Microsoft’s combination of Windows 10 and HoloLens will keep any tech geek up at night awaiting (or developing) innovative uses in healthcare. Perhaps more mysterious for this Google Glass Explorer who recently received the announcement of Google’s sun-setting of the Explorer program, is a hush hush promise of an emerging replacement.

The wearable tech market for the various emerging lenses is explosive as holographic interactive content may soon be a part of the typical mobile and PC user experience. The possibilities are endless for this rapidly emerging technology. You don’t have to be psychic to predict a bright future for virtual reality.  Content providers and health IT innovators listen up. As I once told clients when promoting the magic of 3D animation, “If you can think it, we can make it.” Today this holds true more than ever before in the history of technological innovation. With the convergence of high-end 3D content and the immersive experiences of Geordi La Forge style wearable devices, Star Trek’s famous Holodeck is quite literally possible. Who needs the VR of science fiction when reality is just as good?

Star Trek's Geordi La Forge (Source: Wikipedia)

The post News: Virtually Real with Microsoft HoloLens, MagicLeap, Sony Morpheus, & FaceBook Oculus Rift appeared first on Health IT Innovation.