Thanks to videos and photos, anyone can capture the most precious moments of their life. Especially thanks to the sharpness and vivid colors of the latest devices, it is possible to relive memories, both good and bad, at any time. This, however, does not allow to enclose the true essence of those precious moments. For this reason it was born Knewa new app which aims to fill this gap. But how?
Wist, the app to relive memories in a three-dimensional way
Developed by Andrew R. McHughthe Wist app offers users a unique way to capture videos on their mobile phones and turn them into highly immersive three-dimensional memories. These memories can be experienced through augmented reality on mobile devices or with a virtual reality headset.
As CEO and co-founder of Wist, McHugh explains that the inspiration for this innovative app comes from the feeling of melancholy, a sense of longing and regret. With Wist, users can now relive their cherished memories in a whole new way that is more immersive and true to the moment that really happened.
Wist is able to achieve this through the 3D data collection from the original video, including depth, color, and audio information. Once processed, users can use their phone’s augmented reality feature or use a Quest VR headset to view the replayed memory.
Futuristic technology or Black Mirror-esque nightmarish bet?
At the moment, there are two lines of thought revolving around the Wist app. The first is enthusiastic and sees this technology as something special futuristic, capable of changing the future in a very positive way. The second, on the other hand, is very annoyed, because she sees in the app a dystopian shadow typical of an episode of Black Mirror.
Specifically, we refer to the bet The Entire History Of You, translated into Italian as Memories Dangerous. In this episode, a technological implant with Wist-like technology allows users to capture and replay their memories, leading to dire consequences. However, a recent Wist demonstration by McHugh demonstrated that memories can be experienced individually or shared with loved ones in an engaging and safe way.
Black Mirror why look at her tech princess
How the idea of Wist was born
Initially named Vivid, the Wist app came about because McHugh has always been involved in the world of virtual reality and augmented reality. With Michael Oder, CTO and co-founder of Wist, McHugh worked on the project and in late January 2023, the duo launched the first beta version of the app.
Although it promises well, the app for reliving memories has some limits. For example, it’s only compatible with the latest iOS iPhones and two Quest VR headsets. However, this is expected to change as the team is working hard to make the app work well across all devices.