Just two weeks ago, Greenlight VR held the seminal 2016 Virtual Reality Analytics Web Summit. In the online conference's first session, New Horizons In VR Intelligence and Analytics, a panel consisting of Steve Erhlich (Space Time Insights), Samuel Poirier (RetinadVR), Jody Medich (Singularity University), and Jonathan Freeman (i2 Media Research) debated the future of virtual and augmented reality and how innovation in analytics is still needed for these immersive technologies to permeate a wider variety of industries.

Jody Medich remarked:

“We’re at that very early stage of commercialization for these technologies, and we aren’t quite clear what the use cases are going to be yet. We have some suspicions, we have some really big opportunities for applications beyond just gaming - especially when we start thinking about health care, industry, and even everyday use - but we aren’t even aware yet what we’re going to need to use VR analytics for...The big opportunities over time will help us understand how to VR and AR can improve our daily routines -- by reducing the cognitive burden of interacting with our devices.”

Medich's point echoed opinions voiced by the other members in that integration of immersive technology and sophisticated artificial intelligence could help prevent a car accident when combined with a semi-autonomous vehicle, alert a surgeon of a possible complication during a procedure before it even happens, and teach the next generation of scientists with interactive educational experiences."

In the end, the panel agreed the future is within our grasp. Estimates of when these technologies could emerge and how analytics could provide a direct impact on our daily lives ranged from within 12 months to a decade but the potential was unanimous.

Virtual Reality will not stand alone in the future. With the integration of sophisticated artificial intelligence, biometrics and other analytical instruments, in addition to increasingly unrestricted wearable technology, they will all begin to and continue to intersect. This will allow for not only a more connected society but also a more informed one as well.

For more insights into the future of VR, analytics, and your part to play in the industry: purchase a copy of the Executive Report and Full Recording of the 2016 Virtual Reality Analytics Web Summit.