What if you went downtown–and saw augmented-reality information on today’s meal specials appear on your favorite restaurant?

That’s just one of the scenarios which AR/VR consultant, author and futurist Charlie Fink says is entirely possible.

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In his new book Metaverse: an AR Enabled Guide to VR and AR, Charlie explores the ways in which augmented and virtual reality may become part of our daily lives in the not-too-distant future.

And he doesn’t just write about it.   He literally illustrates it!  An augmented-reality app by Living Popups adds another dimension of information and entertainment to Charlie Fink’s Metaverse.

Charlie, who estimates the date for widespread integration at 2030, says the “killer apps” of the future are…us.  People. he says in Metaverse, will drive adoption of virtual and augmented reality into daily life.  The future vision he presents in his book is both exciting, and a little scary.

People will be able to occupy each other’s physical reality, Charlie writes–while they’re thousands of miles apart.   Artists will have new means of both creating, and sharing, their work.  But consumer adoption of AR and VR will happen slowly, with today’s avenues to the technology not even close to what will be needed.

In his keynote speech at VRLA 2018, Charlie talked about his background (his areas of expertise include both the entertainment industry and startups), his introduction of Metaverse at CES 2018, and some of the ways we might expect augmented and virtual reality to shape our future world.

On this edition of Over Coffee®, you will hear:

• How Charlie first encountered VR as an entertainment-industry professional in 1992;

• The fundamental differences that distinguish virtual reality from augmented reality;

• How Charlie foresees augmented reality changing the workplace;

• What types of technology will provide the means to making augmented reality widespread;

• The ways in which VR is freeing artists to create in new dimensions;

• How the app works, that goes with Metaverse;

• Some of the biggest obstacles currently preventing the integration of AR, VR and mixed reality into daily life;

• What conclusions Charlie reached, from writing his book.