The Who Can See What Matrix

Real Person in the Real World

A Real Person can see everything the same as we can normally, plus the following:

  • robots in the real world
  • avatars in the Now – via glasses – depending on what their visibility is set to
  • contextual information overlays in the Now – via glasses
  • virtual public transport in the Now – via glasses – but only if someone they know is on it
  • drones in the real world, plus information about them via glasses, primarily their permissions, owners and legality
  • things in the real world, with information about them via glasses

Real Person in the Then

This is basically a 3D version of Google maps, accessible via a virtual reality setup of glasses and treadmill. Everything you see is static and filmed in the past. There is no interactivity, and you have no presence.

Real Person in the Now = Avatar

Using a VR setup, you see the Now, and in the Now you are represented by your Avatar. The Now is the same as in the Then, but it has overlays and is interactive. You can see:

  • robots, represented as robot avatars
  • drones, represented as drone avatars
  • things, represented as thing avatars. To some degree these will be visible through solid objects
  • other avatars – depending on what their visibility is set to
  • contextual information overlays
  • virtual public transport in the Now – but only if someone they know is on it, or if you wait at a stop or station
  • additional imagery, from real time, via any cameras that you have permission from. These will be like business premises where you are having a meeting, restaurants or nightclubs on a date, or the cameras of the glasses of a friend and/or cameras on a telepresence robot that a friend is using

The additional imagery will make a huge difference to the Now. Software will use the images from multiple cameras, along with their location and direction data, and knowledge of the local spatial dimensions,  to create an accurate 3D world. As good as a first-person shooter game.

Robot – Autonomous / Drones

Whatever its cameras can see in the real world, it sees. If it is connected to the Now, it will also see whatever a real person in the real world wearing glasses can see – like avatars, hidden things and overlays.

It will guide itself via the Now and actual vision combined.

Robot – Human Controlled via VR

This is the same as travelling in the Now as an Avatar. Additional benefits are:

  • you have your own camera, so what you see is 100% real and not created by software
  • you have a physical presence in the real world
  • you will be seen by anyone, regardless of whether they are wearing special glasses