“Most virtual meetings will move from 2D… to the metaverse” according to Gates.
Earlier this week, Microsoft founder Bill Gates took to his official blog GatesNotes to lend his thoughts on a variety of hop button topics from climate change and misinformation to COVID-19 and remote coworking. In regards to the ladder subject, Gates believes that the global pandemic, combined with the rise in telecommunication technology, will drastically change the future of coworking.
“Within the next two or three years, I predict most virtual meetings will move from 2D camera image grids—which I call the Hollywood Squares model, although I know that probably dates me—to the metaverse, a 3D space with digital avatars,” said Gates in the post. “Both Facebook and Microsoft recently unveiled their visions for this, which gave most people their first view of what it will look like”.
Last month, Microsoft unveiled plans to merge its Mesh collaborative platform with Microsoft Teams sometime next year in the first step towards establishing its own virtual metaverse. This includes new 3D avatars which can be used with or without a VR headset during virtual work meetings.
“The idea is that you will eventually use your avatar to meet with people in a virtual space that replicates the feeling of being in an actual room with them,” Gates added. “To do this, you’ll need something like VR goggles and motion capture gloves to accurately capture your expressions, body language, and the quality of your voice.”
“Most people don’t own these tools yet, which will slow adoption somewhat. (One of the things that enabled the rapid change to video meetings was the fact that many people already had PCs or phones with cameras.) Microsoft plans to roll out an interim version next year, which uses your webcam to animate an avatar that’s used in the current 2D setup.”
Gates’ thoughts on the metaverse and remote coworking account for just a small portion of his recent post. I recommend diving into his full thoughts for a better understanding of Microsoft’s current game plan.
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Feature Image Credit: Bill Gates
