Why Tilt Five May Be a More Attractive Model of Spatial Computing Over Apple Vision Pro

Good points from Martin K. on my thought that Jeri Ellsworth's low-ish cost Tilt Five AR device could be a viable Spatial Computing competitor against Apple Vision Pro:

I guess part of Apple's vision for Vision Pro is that it provides you with access to much of Apple's ecosystem (including your media library, e-mails, browser data, iCloud data, subscriptions, passwords, etc.). Tilt Five cannot provide this access and it isn't trying to; thus, I guess it isn't an actual alternative.

But I guess what you mean is that Tilt Five's low price shows that a peripheral XR device ("parasite system" according to Jesse Schell) might be an attractive alternative to an integrated, stand-alone XR device (like Apple Vision Pro or Meta Quest).

That's part of what I mean, but my core premise is that Apple's vision for the Vision Pro is fundamentally flawed: I think it's very unlikely many people actually always want to be in a Spatial Computing environment all the time, especially if it's just to interact with content that's fundamentally 2D. And instead, that more people will prefer only wearing an AR headset when they very specifically need/want to interact with 3D content. (Think design, prototyping, planning etc. in a shared 3D space, along with social gaming/chatting/etc.)

If that's right, then something like the Tilt Five will be more broadly appealing, especially at one-tenth the price -- and for a lightweight headset they're not expected to hear for eight-plus hours a day.

Comments

[seph]

Being limited to the area of the game board takes a big chunk of "spatial" out of it for me. The lack of VR is a big difference as well.

Given it can't match the very few compelling things the Vision Pro actually does well (dropping an iMax sized movie screen anywhere you are, previewing furniture in a room, viewing real estate panoramas in VR...) I'd say this is far from Apple's idea of spatial computing.

Square mat computing?

[Martin K.]

The most dedicated users actually put up a (relatively cheap) retroreflective backdrop to the gameboard. With a better tracking solution, one might use retroreflective wallpapers or a retroreflective curtain without having to have the gameboard in one's field of view.

It is a very neat technology, and a great match for professional and educational applications.