HoloLens: Microsoft's Most Intriguing Reveal During Windows 10 Briefing

dgstorm

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There is something we missed in our reporting yesterday of Microsoft's Windows 10 briefing. The product wasn't actually directly related to Windows 10, so please forgive us for our oversight. Once you see this tech, (if you haven't already) you may have reason to be irritated with us for missing it.


After discussing Windows 10, Microsoft also announced an experimental new product which they have been working on for over 5 years. It's called HoloLens, and it's basically everything Google Glass wants to be and much, much more. In fact, HoloLens may just be the next "disruptive" tech device that shakes up the entire electronics industry. While those are obviously bold claims, if Microsoft can pull off what they have demonstrated in the videos we included with this story, then they could potentially change the way we use computers forever.

HoloLens basically merges several different computing interface concepts into one. It mixes elements from Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, Gesture-Based Controls, and Voice Based Commands into one cohesive computing device that will let us create, share, work, play and collaborate in ways never possible before.

The gist of it is that the HoloLens goggles overlays holograms into our field of vision, floating amidst our everyday world, and able to be interacted with and manipulated with our voice and gestures. The goggles create the holograms in our field of vision, and the built-in Kinect-like sensors allow us to manipulate them in real-time. It's basically like what we see in the Iron Man movies when Tony Stark is building or tweaking his Iron Man suits. The only difference is that the real thing will require these cool looking goggles.

What's really amazing is how far along they are with this technology. While we are unlikely to see a consumer retail version of HoloLens available by Christmas time this year, Microsoft is planning on sharing the tech with NASA as early as this summer. The HoloLens will allow scientists who are separated by distance to collaborate with projects in new and exciting ways based upon images and data sent from the Mars Rover. This is due to the built-in Skype functionality.

The video above may be your typical PR "pie-in-the-sky" representation of the HoloLens concept, but according to folks who have demoed it, the device is not too far from this is exact functionality. In fact, a writer from Wired magazine was given a personal demo of the HoloLens, and she came away very impressed.

Here's her writeup: Project HoloLens Our Exclusive Hands-On With Microsoft s Holographic Goggles WIRED
Here's Microsoft's landing page for more info: Microsoft HoloLens Official Site

It's awesome to see the Sci-Fi concept of holograms finally coming to fruition. Perhaps the folks in the office at Microsoft are walking around singing, "The future's so bright, I gotta wear HoloLens!" What do you think of Microsoft's vision of the future?
 
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dgstorm

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*Quick Addendum to my story - the big thing to take away from this is that Microsoft figured out the right application for this type of product. While Google was messing around trying to get us to like Google Glass while wandering around looking silly, Microsoft realizes that the key to making this tech work is to bring it into the office and home space. Not only will we be more comfortable wearing them at home or in the office while working, there are also far more practical applications to use something like in this venue.
 
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Ohyea!

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Will definitely be buying one on launch day!
 
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Ohyea!

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Unknown. Microsoft is suppose to be shipping developer kits soon. So, hopefully sometime later this year.
 

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What a move if old, slow and clunky MS is able to pull this off while Google and Apple flail away with similar tech.

Problem is those headsets look a bit awkward. I can the professional applications, but I don't see people wearing these most of the time at home and work after the novelty wears off. That's where Google Glass has a leg up.

When you can shrink this tech into normal eyewear (including compatibility with subscription lenses) then you have something.
 

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I can see it now...."here son, Merry Christmas....put on these glasses and let's head downstairs to open your virtual Christmas"
- "oh boy, dad, it's another hologram!

Interesting peak into the future, though...virtual reality will come to dominate kids toys and games. Amazing potential for experiential learning, which I think it the most powerful type of education.
 

cr6

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This & other Virtual Reality type headsets aren't meant to be used or worn the same way Google Glass is. Goggle Glass has never been advertised as VR. Though similar in that it's eyewear tech, it's still two completely different technologies.

S5 tap'n
 

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I can see it now...."here son, Merry Christmas....put on these glasses and let's head downstairs to open your virtual Christmas"
- "oh boy, dad, it's another hologram!"

"Honey, I know you wanted that new car, so I got it for you, parked right there in the driveway!"

Yeah, pretty funny. But not so farfetched. You WILL no doubt be buying virtual games and building sets like shown, all of which exist only in projection images on the inside of those curved lenses. It's ironic, vaporware is now real. But I can't wait to get that new 132" Quad HD 3D TV! Wonder how much Samsung is going to charge for the application to display such a TV in hologram!

Where this can really shine is in education. Virtual college courses 'in-holo'. Imagine being "in class" with the other students (while actually during at home or in a Starbucks), and with professor as he transforms the holo-class into the Grand Canyon or the inside of the space shuttle, or takes you transistor-level inside a microprocessor and shows you the actual paths of electrons as you watch the logic gates open and close. The possible are virtually endless.



Sent from my Droid Turbo on Tapatalk.
 
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