It is very interesting where things go now and the possibilities that come with using Augmented Reality. Just recently when Metallica released their new Hard Wired song and music video, I found that they are also going to adopt Augmented Reality technology to replace one of their band members, Lars Ulrich. The main reason for that being that he simply is not fast enough anymore to keep up with the speed of the song. He will be replaced by a 3D hologram. (Souce: http://thehardtimes.net/2016/08/15/metallica-adopts-hologram-technology-to-replace-perfectly-healthy-lars-ulrich/)
Curious if that takes waves I also found that other celebrities are planning to work with Augmented Reality holograms. See here for example. (Source: https://www.engadget.com/2016/08/17/celebrity-augmented-reality-holograms/) The author, however, is still under the impression that each member in the audience would need a Microsoft Hololens or similar device to be able to enjoy such a concert. That is where he got it all wrong.
Alternative to wearables
There are already alternatives to wearables out there which look very amazing and promising for realizing such holograms. Take a look at this nice little chef for example:
by: http://www.skullmapping.com/
It is realized using projectors and the audience is completely free of wearables and still enjoys the Augmented Reality projections.
Motion capture
If you now stick motion capture sensors onto the actors on the real stage you can capture their movement and transfer is over to the other stages instantly. This is making the Internet of Things (IoT) the Internet of Humans (IoH) for Humans. That would be truly amazing as you would not need to animate the holograms with some predefined moves. They would move and act almost like the real actors on the stage. If that is done realy good there would be no telling if you are at the actual concert with the real actors or at a streamed one.
Possibilities
I think the possibilities are endless. From doctors coming over to a virtual visit to your house to you being able to visit your family in ‘real’ while you are far away on a business trip. However in this special case of bands giving concerts it is even more exciting to think about the possibilities.
Just imagine your favorite band giving the only concert in a city some thousand kilometers away. So it is not possible for you to go there and enjoy the show. With this technology, it would. The operators could set up a stage in every metropole they want and the band could give the concert simultaneously at multiple locations. It’s just amazing and for the artists it would be great too. They could be the first band reaching not just millions of people at one concert. They could reach billions of people at the same time that are witnessing the same show.
Think about an event like Live Aid taking place all over the world at the same time but with different bands. Now it could be the same bands playing at multiple locations at the same time.
Conclusion
I think that offers great and exciting possibilities to look forward to. When the Augmented Reality technology gets adopted by celebrities it is only a small step till the mass marked accepts it and we are right at this point. Let us see what comes next and stay tuned. Please share with your friends to find out what they think and leave a comment with your thoughts.
