Internet to Go 3D in Five Years, Intel Says

Though it wasn't all that popular until late last year, 3D picked up speed quite quickly as graphics processing and consumer interest rose. Over the past few months, IT companies, particularly display makers, have introduced a number of 3D-capable devices and there is even talk of impending 3D television broadcasts. However, according to Sean Koehl, a technology evangelist with Intel Labs, 3D might see a much wider adoption than people may imagine, even predicting that it would soon extend to the Internet.

Apparently, while people may be quite content with reading text, checking mail and doing other basic tasks in 2D, they will be quite receptive to emerging 3D Internet environments. As such, Koehl says that, while the Internet will probably never go fully 3D, such environments should become widely accessible in about five years, aided by the making of realistic, three-dimensional applications and the eventual bringing of the 3D technology to the mainstream. Such a rapid adoption is seen as likely based on the speed at which IT itself evolved over the past ten to 20 years, to the point where today's computing power, compared with that of machines two decades ago, is monumental. If this scientific evolution continues at the same rate, the way people interact with the web will probably become more sophisticated as well.

"The Internet may never go fully 3D, but making 3D environments broadly accessible is probably capable within five years," Koehl noted in an interview with Computerworld. "I think it remains to be seen but there are certain kinds of interactions people will want in two dimensions, like reading text. The things we'll do in three dimensions may be things that we don't do at all on the Internet today because it isn't feasible."

"I think our lives will be a lot different," he added. "Look at the trends of the last decade or two. Think about computers becoming widespread, and the Internet and these mobile devices. With the availability of all this computing power, we're only beginning to exploit it. Now we're adding more intelligence and more capability. Add that to 3D worlds and it could be very different than the sort of experiences that we have today."

Convenience and entertainment are only part of what such a dramatic shift would generate, however. With the opportunity to enjoy an event better online than on the site (with a level of realism on par with Hollywood CGI), people will be less inclined to travel by bus, air or train and won't have to endure crowds, which means that industries that rely on people's need to travel may suffer.

"As the technology gets better, users are going to have a lot more choices," Dan Olds, an analyst with The Gabriel Consulting Group, said. "Any game, anywhere, at any time. People are going to be able to do a lot more remotely. Companies could use this technology as a competitive weapon to give customers better service. A lot could shift because of this."