On June 5th, 2023, Apple unveiled its long-awaited Vision Pro. While the device is impressive, it represents just a part of a broader story—and perhaps not the most crucial part. The Vision Pro, essentially a VR headset with pass-through capabilities, follows in the footsteps of Meta’s Quest II, released in 2020. Though the Vision Pro’s quality is unmatched, the real innovation lies in how Apple has framed it—as a “Spatial Computing device,” introducing a new paradigm for brain-computer interfaces.
Apple’s promotional tagline, “When you put on Apple Vision Pro, you see your world and everything in it,” signals the beginning of a new era of contextual, spatially aware information merged seamlessly with our surroundings. No longer confined to 2D screens or fully virtual worlds, this blended visual reality presents a new way to interact with information. Meta followed suit with the Quest III, which offers a similar experience: “When you put on Quest 3, you see the physical room around you, only now it’s a digital canvas.”
This shift from Meta’s earlier focus on the Metaverse highlights the difference between fully virtual environments and the hybrid nature of Spatial Computing, where the physical world is enhanced with 3D content and information.
But what powers this Spatial Computing revolution? The first and most obvious factor is hardware: devices like mixed reality smart glasses, pass-through VR headsets, AR contact lenses, and even smartphones that blend physical reality with 3D content. These devices are evolving rapidly, but they need a second, critical component—Spatial Data. These devices must understand their location in space, which requires 3D maps. The race to create the most comprehensive global 3D maps is on.
These 3D maps function as Digital Twins of physical locations, allowing for remote exploration and enabling spatial computing experiences. Niantic pioneered this with data from Pokémon GO, but the maps were often inconsistent. To address this, Niantic acquired Scaniverse, enhancing its spatial computing capabilities.
However, Over the Reality, a Web3 Spatial Computing company, has emerged as a formidable competitor. Since launching its “Map the World” campaign in December 2023, OVER has generated over 60,000 3D maps of key locations globally, using a decentralized model known as DePIN (Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks). This approach rewards mappers for contributing data, challenging the Web2 model where users are typically unpaid.
In the coming months, OVER is set to launch a B2B program, enabling third-party software and communication agencies to tap into its extensive 3D mapping platform. This initiative will allow businesses to utilize OVER’s 3D maps and tech stack for their own applications, further solidifying OVER’s position as a leader in Spatial Computing.
What sets OVER apart from competitors like Niantic is its decentralized approach. Using the DePIN model, participants are economically rewarded for contributing data, unlike traditional Web2 models. This allows OVER to scale its global 3D mapping efforts rapidly, generating highly accurate digital twins of physical locations.
OVER’s end-to-end solution enables the creation and visualization of geo-localized 3D content, accessible via an app or simple QR codes. This makes it easier for businesses and developers to create immersive AR experiences grounded in real-world locations, offering a new level of interaction between digital content and the physical environment.
To learn more about Over the Reality’s cutting-edge advancements, visit their website or follow them on Twitter.
