Chapter 356: Virtual Technology

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Within a few years, Xing Hai Technologies was going full throttle into the deserts. They had slowed down their investments and explorations in other scientific fields.

In fact, due to the rapid development of science and technology, the GDP growth rate of the Z nation had been above 8% for five consecutive years.

Many new industries had sprung up and numerous vents had erupted. Amongst the industries were “indoor stereoscopic agriculture”, “new energy”, “quantum computer”, “artificial intelligence and robots” and “virtual reality”. Amid these vents, Xing Hai Technologies only invested meager amounts in “indoor stereoscopic agriculture”, having decent technical capabilities in the field and occupying less than 5% of the industry’s total market shares.

They showed absolutely no interest in “virtual reality” and completely ignored any opportunities it may have presented.

“Virtual reality” was no longer considered a new industry but it had welcomed its second spring in the past couple of years.

Currently, VR games occupied 60% of the gaming market. VR social, VR education, VR shopping, VR streaming, VR concerts and various other VR applications sprouted like mushrooms after the rain. Its global market scale had exceeded a whopping one trillion dollars. In the future, the industry had hopes of breaking through three trillion dollars barrier or even making more than five trillion dollars. Many capitalists were increasing their investments in this industry.

In fact, the outbreak of the “VR industries” had certain conjunctions with Xing Hai Technologies.

Firstly, graphene chips had become widely used. Their performances were several or even dozens of times higher than that of traditional silicon chips, with their smaller volume and lower power consumption. They satisfied the requirements of running VR applications as the chips were able to provide the hardware basis.

Secondly, one of Xing Hai Technologies’s research centers had made a breakthrough in holographic projection technology. The size of the device could even be reduced to fit into a helmet. The image generated attained 8K HD standard and had totally knocked out the concept of frame rates. The reason was that there was no frame rate in holographic projection, or in other words, it had infinite frames per second. The imagery perceived was consistent with reality. This solved the problem where people were prone to dizziness after putting on a VR helmet.

Added to the completeness of other sensor technologies, the several obvious defects of VR devices had been entirely solved. Hence, the industry welcomed its second wave of popularity.

But Xing Hai Technologies had no interest in this field. The investment that Xing Hai Technologies placed in the field was almost zero. This had attracted the attention of many critics and professional netizens within the local technology circle.

“Strange! Xing Hai Technologies has absolutely no interest in doing investing in VR and has completely shut themselves out this vent.”

“Currently, high spec VR devices can be sold at more than 50,000 dollars on the market. Even the low spec ones are tagged at 10 thousand dollars and above. Even so, supply is still overwhelmed by demand. Global shipments have exceeded 10 million units in 20X7. This year, shipments should be able to exceed 15 million units. Everyone is desperately trying to profit from VR and Xing Hai Technologies is actually indifferent towards it.”

“Have they gotten the large-scale enterprise defect? Have they become conservative and lost the motivation to move forward?”

“I don’t get what are they thinking either. I’ve left a post on Chen Jin’s Weibo calling for him to get into VR. I’m a hardcore Xing fan and am already used to Xing Hai Technologies’s products. I always feel that Xing Hai Technologies provide the best product experience and make products of the highest quality. If Xing Hai Technologies does VR equipment as well, I believe that theirs will be the best among all.”

“True, an industry without Xing Hai Technologies feels a little immature and incomplete.”

“But the tycoon is all in environmental protection now. He didn’t even look at the trillion-dollar VR industry which will potentially bring him hundreds of billions of revenues every year.”

“Uhm, things aren’t necessarily as they seem.. I feel that Xing Hai Technologies might be holding on to something big. They might be in the process of inventing something even more advanced than the VR helmet. This is a future industry that could possibly eliminate the PC. It is impossible that Xing Hai Technologies would stay out of this,” some netizens analyzed.

…

Some netizens had really hit the mark.

A big move.

Xing Hai Technologies was indeed preparing to make a big move.

August of 20X8.

At Xing Hai sixth R & D Center, Chen Jin himself and some of the company’s executives came to have a look at one of their new products.

In the product test room, they got to witness the brand-new product by the name of “Fantasy 1st Gen.” The product consisted of a helmet with a whole lot of induction wires sticking on it, a metal chair and a capsule-shaped experience cabin.

Liu Yuankai, who was responsible for the development of this system, explained it to Chen Jin and others:

“Mr. Chen, Mr. Ling, everyone, the development of this device has taken us six long years!”

He picked up the helmet full of wires and sighed. “Such a device can simulate 40% pain, 55% touch, 14% smell, and 10% taste. It can use brain waves and eye movements to manipulate characters in the virtual world to perform permitted arbitrary actions.”

“Adding up with the 99% visual and 96% hearing simulation, the comprehensive simulation of this virtual helmet should be at 50%.”

“Its simulations are nowhere close to reality, but compared to other VR products on the market, it is definitely an era-defining leap. Before the Fantasy 1st Gen, those other products will have nothing that can compete.”

“Once the Fantasy 1st Gen is released, I believe that it will set off a storm and sweep all existing VR products into the trashcan of history. “This is the real future.”

As he spoke, Liu Yuankai felt that he had become fortune’s tool. He was not a programmer. He couldn’t even type a line of the so-called programming codes. He was a pure amateur in the programming field. However, the “Virtual Helmet” project had still been handed over to him. Xing Hai Technologies’s Ling Jundong had approached him numerous times and headhunted him, offering him a superb welfare package.

It wasn’t because he had some halo on him, but because he was the world’s top expert in human brain research.

In the project team, there were more human brain research experts like him than programmers. Moreover, the programmers had to obey their scheduling in entirety, seemingly only playing the role of a handyman.

The “Virtual Helmet” was all about the human brain. The human brain was extremely complicated and mystifying. Only human brain experts had some slight understanding of the connotations of brain waves and were able to decipher some of the brain’s mysteries. Hence, their knowledge was essential in developing a functional virtual helmet.

If this kind of work was left to the programmers or hardware engineers, they would find themselves at a loss right away. Therefore, in a strict sense, the “virtual helmet” was a product of human brain biology, not a simple digital product.

It was conceivable that, compared to a VR product that did not provide sensations such as pain, touch, smell, and taste, this “virtual helmet” could literally be deemed as a magical object.

Moreover, one could experience the virtual world by manipulating their characters through their minds. One did not have to get their feet on the VR treadmill, hold operating handles in their hands, or perform any physical movements. It was self-evident that their new product would provide a better user experience and convenience.

“Speaking of which Old Liu, what is the production cost of the Fantasy 1st Gen?” Chen Jin asked.

“Uhm, about it costs about a hundred grand per unit. It uses a lot of high-purity rare earth metals to improve the detection sensitivity of brain waves.”

“What if it were to be mass-produced? How much could it be reduced to?”

Liu Yuankai shook his head. “Not much. It would still cost above 70 or 80K. The number of rare earth metals in each helmet cannot be reduced. Otherwise, the simulation degree will drop below 50% and mind-controlling will become inaccurate…”

Ling Jundong frowned and said, “Not many people will be able to afford the cost if it is priced at 70 to 80k per unit. Could only the rich be entitled to our product?”

“Relax, there will be a way to reduce costs.” Chen Jin was not at all worried. “In about five years, its cost can be reduced to around 30 thousand and in 10 years, it will cost even less than ten thousand dollars.”

Everyone looked at him with doubts on their faces.

The reserves of rare earth elements on earth were very small. Both the cost of mining and refining them was staggering. With rare earth elements being a must for virtual helmets, where did their boss’s confidence that the cost price would reduce to a third and even a tenth come from? Could there be some new material or new technology that could reduce the usage of rare earth elements?

Liu Yuankai still shook his head. The effectiveness of the rare earth elements was absolutely the best. No material could ever replace it.

Chen Jin, however, gave off a mysterious smile. He lifted his head slightly. His lifted his eyes to the ceiling of the room as his mind roamed into the profoundness of outer space.

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