Jumping on the bandwagon

In the words of teenaged girls and eager bloggers everywhere…”I CAN’T EVEN!”

I mean, I didn’t think I could, until it happened, and then, eyes faced downward, I got in line with the throng of millions.  I jumped on the bandwagon with a mindless effort and posted a Pokemon Go image on Twitter,  Instagram and  Facebook page.    We had one of those little Pokemon boogers in front of our building.  Phone-in-hand gamers were in and out of our parking lot all afternoon.  I was intrigued enough to get a Millennial employee to send me a screen shot of what he saw while he was playing.  So was posting the screen shot a lame marketing effort?  A drop back and punt?  Who cares.   This stuff is cool.

Although I am getting tired of looking at the top of kid’s heads and having people bump into me while I’m walking, one can’t help but be impressed with the technology. But what does this technology mean for us non-gaming, boring and otherwise productive adults?  ALOT, actually!

Pokemon GoAs a trade show manufacturer, it means more new products and technology that need exhibits to introduce their item to the marketplace.  Win for us!  We’ve got two designs underway right now for displays for companies that make AR googles.  New products and new marketplaces?  Yes, please.

In the AR/VR world, Pokemon Go is  Augmented Reality (AR). It’s taking a Virtual Reality (VR) element (orange birds and pikachus and such) and putting them into a real world scenario thus augmenting the reality that you experience.   But aside from new, cool product, is this technology just for fun?  Hang on, because this is where otherwise boring adults should get excited.

This type of technology can be life saving…literally!  It has spurred something new…Mobile Merged Reality.  Merged Reality takes two live realities and puts them into one field.  Think of  Facetiming your friend but jumping in their screen (virtually of course.)  And this is taking place NOW to perform lifesaving brain surgery.  Say a general surgeon from a rural hospital has to perform an emergency surgery following a car wreck and there’s no time for transport.  They can connect with a specialized surgeon virtually that guides them through surgery with their own    hand.  This is happening now!  How wild is that?

In our everyday walk, mobile merged reality can provide such services as guitar lessons with someone on the other side of the world, virtual plumbing assistance, the opportunities are endless.  And you can do this without special equipment… just an app!  Although I don’t see myself downloading the Pokemon Go APP… an APP that would help program my mom’s AppleTV 300 miles away?  I’m on that bandwagon for sure!