Early yesterday morning, Microsoft held an event to announce the customer preview of the upcoming Windows 10 and its features. Going into the 3rd quarter of the 2-plus hour event, Alex Kipman, the visionary behind Microsoft’s Kinect took over the stage. He then began to describe something that sounded even more impossible than what Kinect sounded like when it was first introduced. Alex wanted to place your digital content, right into your life and into the real world, in the form of holograms.
Introducing Microsoft HoloLens; the (soon to be) bridge between your real world and the technology that drives it:
Microsoft HoloLens is essentially an AR (augmented reality) headset and it presents a new way to work, learn, communicate, and to create. Microsoft calls it holographic computing and the device has no cords, no wires, and does not need to be tethered nor connected to any phones or PC. Just like a normal computer, the headset has a CPU and GPU but more than that, it also contains see-through HD lenses, advanced sensors, holographic processing unit (HPU) that Microsoft itself invented, and a spacial sound system to provide a precise location for a holographic object in the AR world. The headset is also lightweight and can be adjusted to fit any adult head size.
The headset blends high-definition holograms with physical spaces, as well as with the objects within them. Expressing ideas and sharing creative works take on a whole new form. Microsoft claims that this will be a more efficient way to teach and to learn. With HoloLens, gestures enable interaction with the surroundings, eyes are used for navigation and exploration, and voice commands allow for communications with apps. To create, Microsoft has built the HoloStudio system (which is kind of like the ‘Construct’ from the Matrix movies) for users to shape and make holographic objects. The creations can then move from the virtual space to the real life with the help of a 3D printer. As Alex Kipman aptly put it, ”Holograms are like print preview for 3D printing”.
One of the more exciting real life test of the system is being carried out by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The scientists there will soon be able to explore Mars using holograms created from images taken by Mars Rovers. One of the scientist even remarked that the team will be deploying the system onsite this summer and they hope to be controlling the rovers on Mars as early as July.
Although Alex had mentioned that the device would be available in the Windows 10 timeframe (which could mean anything up to 3 years or maybe more), it certainly does look like it will see real world usage in less than 6 months. Microsoft has invited other popular VR and AR developers, such as Oculus, Magic Leap and Google Glass, to work with it to create holograms for consumers. For all the things that could go wrong if this partnership does happen, I’m more excited to see what happens if it does take off.
What Microsoft has introduced to us could very well be the next evolution in computing. Microsoft HoloLens, or something similar to it, could probably be the only mobile device you’ll need to carry in the future for both work and play. Just hope that the BSOD issues don’t crop up with the Windows 10 that will be running on these devices.
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