VR possibilities at Google I/O 2016: Four things I'm hoping to see

 Google might be ready to launch a whole new vision of VR. And honestly, in a year filled with big VR hardware all over the place, I'm more interested to hear about what Google's got in the works than anyone else.

Google's I/O developer conference is just around the corner. There are a lot of VR-targeted developer sessions this year, including what looks like a big keynote-style presentation delivered by Google's new head of VR, Clay Bavor. Google I/O is, historically, where big ideas get announced: Android Wear, Google Glass and Google Cardboard.

Google Cardboard has been Google's little Trojan horse into virtual reality. In a landscape of expensive, somewhat closed-off rigs, Cardboard is the closest to "open" that exists: apps run on both iOS and Android across dozens of phones, and YouTube offers an increasing flow of 360-degree videos to watch. Most people will never get the chance to buy a virtual-reality headset, and many haven't tried one.

But Google Cardboard is foldable and cheap. It comes free with newspapers. You might get one at a concert. It's not perfect, but it's cool enough to keep around on my desk. And I definitely want to see what Google has in the works for a follow-up.

With that in mind, here's what I'm looking forward to most...assuming they actually happen.

Room-sensing with a next-gen headset

You might not be aware of what computer vision can achieve, or what Project Tango is. But first, know that depth-sensing 3D cameras have been in Google's prototype Project Tango tablets for years, enabling VR headsets to get a sense of advanced motion without needing a sensor bar or sensor boxes like PC-based VR rigs such as the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive use. You could wander a room with a wireless headset on, and it would know the size and layout of the room. Ever since I tried out Project Tango in VR a couple of years ago, I've thought about it sneaking its way into next-gen mobile VR headsets. Oculus is already working on these ideas, but Google will probably get there first.