This note presents a non-associative algebraic framework for the representation and computation of information items in high - dimensional space. This framework is consistent with the principles of spatial computing and with the empirical findings in cognitive science about memory. Computations are performed through a process of multiplication-like binding and non-associative interference-like bundling. Models that rely on associative bundling typically lose order information, which necessitates the use of auxiliary order structures, such as position markers, to represent sequential information that is important for cognitive tasks. In contrast, the non-associative bundling proposed allows the construction of sparse representations of arbitrarily long sequences that maintain their temporal structure across arbitrary lengths. The non-associative nature of the proposed framework results in the representation of a single sequence by two distinct states. The L-state, generated through left-associative bundling, continuously updates and emphasises a recency effect, while the R-state, formed through right-associative bundling, encodes finite sequences or chunks, capturing a primacy effect. The construction of these states may be associated with activity in the prefrontal cortex in relation to short-term memory and hippocampal encoding in long-term memory, respectively. The accuracy of retrieval is contingent upon a decision-making process that is based on the mutual information between the memory states and the cue. The model is able to replicate the Serial Position Curve, which reflects the empirical recency and primacy effects observed in cognitive experiments. Keywords: Memory states, high-dimensional computing (VSA), nonassociative bundling, spatial computing, mutual information, Serial Position Curve T o appear in Neural Computation, V ol 37, Issue 6, June 2025 1 Introduction In essence, the perception of an object is initialised with the activation of a sensory pole. This sensory activation has a rapid decay and lasts for only a few milliseconds.

I've been eagerly awaiting the advent of spatial computing. My home office desk setup, with multiple screens and browser windows, helps me be very productive. But on the go, I'm relegated to a laptop's 13-inch screen (or packing a portable monitor), and I'm not as efficient. Spatial computing--usually driven by a mixed reality headset or smart glasses--lets you craft a multi-monitor virtual workspace, where you can place apps and browser windows around your periphery, to replicate the experience you have set up at home or the office. Or you can take it a step further because you're only limited by your imagination.

Apple's 3,500 Vision Pro sounds like a bargain compared to the price of a fresh, medical-grade cadaver. And some medical institutions have started practicing surgery using the spatial-computing headset, which doesn't require a physical human body. Replacing cadavers is just one example of how the Vision Pro has made its way into the medical field since it hit the market in February 2024. On January 30-31, 2025, Sharp Healthcare hosted the inaugural Spatial Computing Health Care Summit, where medical providers gathered to discuss their use of spatial computing, which embeds digital objects into a live feed of the real world. The same tech that allows people to play virtual Battleship with each other has moved into applications that include everything from training and education to full-fledged operations on human patients.

The Immersed Visor aims for spatial computing's sweet spot The $1,050 device has 4K per-eye resolution and weighs less than an iPhone 16 Pro. An Austin-based startup best known for its VR and mixed reality workspace software for other companies' headsets now has hardware of its own. The Immersed Visor appears to sit somewhere between a Vision Pro Lite and Xreal Plus: a lightweight head-worn device that creates a high-resolution spatial computing environment on the cheap (well, relatively speaking). Teased to death for months, Immersed founder Renji Bijoy finally unveiled the Visor at an Austin event on Thursday. The device, a bit more than glasses but much less than a full headset, gives each eye the equivalent of a 4K OLED screen.

If you ever worry that technology might be getting a little too intelligent and robots are poised to take over the world, I have a quick and easy way to deflate those fears: call up a company and try to ask them a simple question. You will be put through to an automated voice system and spend the next 10 minutes yelling NO, I DIDN'T SAY THAT! WHAT DO YOU MEAN'YOU DIDN'T QUITE CATCH THAT?' I DON'T WANT ANY OF THOSE OPTIONS! That was certainly my experience calling up Apple and trying to reconfirm my Vision Pro demo, which had been abruptly cancelled due to snow. But if my phone experience felt ancient, the Apple Vision Pro headset itself felt like a startling glimpse of the future. My expectations, I'll own, were fairly low.

In addition to showing you a view of the real world, you can also rotate the Vision Pro's Digital Crown to gradually immerse you into one of Apple's Environments, digital recreation of locations like Mt Hood, Yosemite and the aforementioned lunar surface. These locations are all gorgeously rendered, and they also have adjustable sound effects to help sell the illusion of being there. While they feel like baby steps into the world of VR, they're also a sign that Apple actually understands essential elements of immersion: Depth, scale and fidelity. You can only walk around three feet of an Environment before the Vision Pro breaks you out of it, but like its virtual windows, the immersive space persists in a specific location. If you visit the Moon in your living room, then head to the kitchen and grab a drink, you'll find yourself right back on the Moon when you return to your seat. Apple's boldest attempt at delivering full immersion in the Vision Pro is Encounter Dinosaurs, the same demo I previewed last year (and also the one that caused Engadget's Cherlynn Low to freak out when a butterfly landed on her finger).

I attended an Alicia Keys recording session, walked a tightrope and pet a dinosaur without leaving an Apple Store in New York City. The tech giant officially launched the new 3,500 Vision Pro in-store Friday and I was able to try out the headset this morning, along with dozens of others who waited patiently outside before the doors opened. But unlike the crowd, I was not expecting to enjoy the experience. I am somewhat of a Luddite and just could not imagine needing or wanting a mixed-reality headset - much less one that costs more than my month's rent in Brooklyn. However, each experience during the 20 minute demo felt shockingly intimate, vivid, and up close - I actually felt self-conscious about maybe having haphazardly stumbled my way into multiple dangerous or V.I.P. locations that I wasn't supposed to be in.

What Apple calls a spatial computer, some technologists call "mixed reality" -- or possibly "augmented reality," "holographic computing," "the metaverse" or "XR," which some people say is shorthand for "extended reality." Others say the letters don't stand for anything.

Apple stores across the US are seeing lines form on Friday with people waiting to purchase the new 3,499 Vision Pro that went on sale at 8am ET. Those waiting outside are set to receive one-on-one demonstrations with the device that features a single, thick band on the back of the head, connecting a large and sleek screen that sits over the eyes. Apple CEO Tim Cook arrived at the flagship Apple store in Manhattan for the launch and greeted early risers who were standing in line before the doors had opened. The Vision Pro is over five times as expensive as the rival Meta Quest 3, but Apple sold out pre-orders for the device on January 19 - 200,000 units were reserved. While the headset starts at nearly 3,500, customers can purchase upgrades like storage and 149 prescription inserts.

Spatial computing is a technological advancement that facilitates the seamless integration of devices into the physical environment, resulting in a more natural and intuitive digital world user experience. Spatial computing has the potential to become a significant advancement in the field of computing. From GPS and location-based services to healthcare, spatial computing technologies have influenced and improved our interactions with the digital world. The use of spatial computing in creating interactive digital environments has become increasingly popular and effective. This is explained by its increasing significance among researchers and industrial organisations, which motivated us to conduct this review. This review provides a detailed overview of spatial computing, including its enabling technologies and its impact on various applications. Projects related to spatial computing are also discussed. In this review, we also explored the potential challenges and limitations of spatial computing. Furthermore, we discuss potential solutions and future directions. Overall, this paper aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of spatial computing, its enabling technologies, their impact on various applications, emerging challenges, and potential solutions.