THE COMPUTERS OF THE FUTURE (AND IT DOESN'T END THERE)

Spatial computing isn't here just yet but it's coming and we need to be prepared. Globally-reputed tech futurist, Cathy Hackl, tells us more in an exclusive interview about the new hardware.

- Tiana Cline

The first time most people heard the term 'spatial computing' was when Apple unveiled its Vision Pro headset. With a hefty price tag and limited availability, this futuristic piece of technology quickly got everyone talking. Who would buy an Apple Vision Pro? Is it not just another virtual reality (VR) headset?

"Most people don't understand what spatial computing is," says Cathy Hackl, a tech futurist and author who is often referred to as the 'Godmother of the Metaverse'.

"It is not one piece of hardware or one single technology." Hackl explains that spatial computing isn't VR or augmented reality (AR), it's the future. "We are seeing an expansion of computing and an evolution of the web happening side-by-side. The convergence of all of these emerging technologies happening at the same time? That's spatial computing."

The computing evolution

Computing has already gone through an evolution so the fact that there's something new shouldn't come as a surprise. First, there were big, expensive mainframe computers that most people didn't have access to. This was followed by the personal computer, a desktop that sat at your home or work.