Feel Like Puking? Mark Zuckerberg Shows Off VR/AR Tech Inside a Moving Car
Meta is giving us another way to feel nauseous with VR: putting the technology in cars.
On Wednesday, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg unveiled the company’s curious plan to create VR and augmented reality experiences for next-generation vehicles. In a video introducing the research, Zuckerberg dons a Meta Quest headset while inside one such car.
According to him, the technology promises to “make the time we spend traveling more productive and just more fun,” since the AR and VR headsets can project virtual images and games while on a ride. However, we’re worried the technology will only make us want to puke.
That’s because motion sickness continues to be a problem holding back VR’s adoption. Sometimes, the VR images you see in the headset can feel out of sync with your physical positioning in the real world. This can trigger feelings of nausea—and that’s when you’re not in a moving car. Still, Zuckerberg is indicating at least some VR users want the technology.
“People often ask me if they can use Quest while they’re in a car,” Zuckerberg says in the video(Opens in a new window).
Outside of VR, it looks like the technology could play a crucial role in bringing more see-through augmented reality experiences to cars, which should be less stomach-wrenching. This means you’ll still be able to view your real-world surroundings as you wear the headset. Virtual objects, such as icons or animations, will simply fill part of the view, enabling you to play games or use a browser. (The Meta Quest headset also comes with this mixed reality "passthrough" capability.)
Meta says the research stems from a partnership the company struck(Opens in a new window) with BMW back in 2021 on developing AR glasses for drivers to help them better
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