With the domestic debut of the 3A game "Black Myth: Wukong" that has gone viral, a technology called "spatial computing" has gained attention and ignited the capital market, with related companies attracting market attention.
"Black Myth: Wukong" has garnered countless fans around the world, which would not have been possible without strong technological support. The game features monsters with distinct hair, lifelike statues of Buddhas, and a temple that feels like being there in person. The production team of "Black Myth: Wukong" used spatial computing and motion capture technology to replicate a vivid virtual world.
The creation of graphics and scenes that are almost as real as human beings is made possible by spatial computing technology.
As the hype grows, spatial computing is expected to enter a new stage.
Spatial computing is not a new concept, and its application prospects extend far beyond the gaming industry.
Spatial computing technology actually originates from the field of computer science, and it is a technology that intelligently perceives physical space, user behavior, and objects, and seamlessly integrates digital information into the physical environment to achieve a blend of the virtual and the real and enable natural interaction with users.
The launch of Apple Vision Pro in the US in February this year has brought a new round of dividends to the spatial computing field.
Apple CEO Tim Cook defined spatial computing as "the beginning of a new era of computing technology." He said, "Just as Mac brought us into the era of personal computing, iPhone brought us into the era of mobile computing, Apple Vision Pro will bring us into the era of spatial computing."
The spatial computing referred to by Apple is more related to AR, VR, and MR technologies, but many emerging fields such as autonomous driving and spatial remote sensing positioning are also part of spatial computing.
"Spatial computing technology is a huge revolution in three-dimensional spatial computing compared to two-dimensional plane movement computing," said Qiao Xiuquan, a professor at the National Laboratory of Network and Switching Technology at Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications and a Yangtze River Scholar of the Ministry of Education.
As the next generation of lightweight, intelligent XR glasses terminals mature, they will drive the transformation of As a subsidiary of Leyard focused on spatial computing, VirtualDot was established in 2017 and provided motion capture technology services for Black Legend: Wukong. According to the company's head, to ensure real-time interaction between virtual characters in the game, 1:1 motion capture was used to record real people's facial expressions, body postures, and movement details, and 2D images were quickly reconstructed into 3D models through motion capture. The system then outputs the center of mass data of the marked points through accurate recognition, and the feedback system drives the animated characters in real time through algorithm calculation.
"In the game space, spatial computing is mainly used to reproduce 'people, objects, and environments' categories," said Tian Feng, director of the Intelligent Industry Research Institute at SenseTime.
At present, domestic 3D technologies such as Leyard and SenseTime can collect 360-degree 2D photos through camera lenses and build 3D models. The modeling error of small objects is in millimeter precision, and the modeling precision error of large environments is in centimeter precision. For example, the subtle facial expression changes of a person are obtained through machine vision modeling.
Looking to the future, when enough human movement patterns and environment material libraries are accumulated, it will be possible to upgrade from real-person-driven game characters to AI-driven characters, further reducing the cost of game production.
As a deep interaction technology, spatial computing determines its wide range of applications. In addition to game production, it is also an important application direction in medicine, industry, and digital people, and it almost touches every industry.
In geographic information systems (GIS), spatial computing is used to analyze geographic data such as terrain, land use, and traffic networks, and provide decision support for urban planning.
Spatial computing also shows great potential in the intelligent transportation field. For example, autonomous vehicles use spatial computing to identify roads, traffic signals, and the positions of other vehicles, and achieve autonomous navigation.
In the AR/VR/MR field, spatial computing real-time perceives the user's location and actions, accurately stacks virtual objects onto the real world, and provides an immersive experience.
Qiao Xiuquan said that spatial computing connects the Policies have also been issued in Zhejiang and other places to promote the development of digital economy, smart cities, and the data factor market. Although these documents do not directly mention spatial computing technology, spatial computing, as one of the key supporting technologies for digital economy innovation, is expected to be further applied in the implementation of these policies.
Hong Yong, an expert from the think tank of the China Digital Integration of Physical and Digital Economy Forum, said that although there is no single policy document specifically targeting spatial computing technology, its progress has been included in the broader strategies for digital economy and smart city development. These policies not only provide directional guidance for technological innovation, but also create a good development environment for relevant enterprises and research institutions.
Shen Xukun, the dean of the School of New Media Art and Design at Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, who has been engaged in virtual reality technology research for more than 30 years, has a deep understanding of this.
"The combination of virtual and real technologies is always evolving. The development of technology should emphasize convenience of use, so that new usage scenarios can be created," he said. He believes that spatial computing is still developing, and in the future it is not ruled out that new intelligent interaction modes will emerge. However, the two key areas that need to be improved are the technological iteration and the convenience of terminal use.
From the perspective of technological trends, the era of spatial computing based on lightweight XR terminals is expected to come in the future. "6G will be the era when spatial computing shines, and immersive communication will become our mainstream service," Qiao Xiuquan said. In the future, "communication, perception, and computation" will be deeply integrated, truly realizing the seamless integration of digital information and physical space and natural interaction.
