Spatial computing builds on the visionary idea of “The invisible computer”, a generic information appliance which meets specific user needs in an intuitive but non-invasive way. The appliance’s design becomes an integral part of the task, with hardware becoming almost imperceptible, and the Spatial Computing software layer left as the primary point of user interaction. Such a vision demands an immersive user experience that blends virtual compute interfaces into the physical world. It will use technologies like augmented and mixed reality but will take them to a more profound and comprehensive level for business applications.

Spatial computing is still in its early infancy, both from a technology and business application perspective. However, with some key-technologies already available (e.g. real-time spatial mapping, eye and hand gesture tracking, natural language processing, diffractive optic smart glasses), the journey has started.