Over the years, we’ve seen the communication landscape and meeting space evolve drastically. We’ve moved from phone to video, from email to instant messaging, and from conference rooms to huddle rooms. Throughout 2020, the acceleration of digital technology is moving faster than ever, driven largely by the rapidly increasing demand for remote work.
All the while, disruptive technologies are working in the background to influence the way that we connect. We’ve got AI and machine learning for amazing insights, IoT, to connect humans and machines, and even AR for mixed reality.
Now, there’s a new solution emerging in the virtual reality landscape, and it may be the most science fiction inspired product that we’ve seen so far: holograms.
What is Holopresence and Holoportation?
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Portl's David Nussbaum demonstrates the tech[/caption]
Tools like AR make it easier for us to connect with colleagues and loved ones from a distance. These solutions take video conferencing to the next level and place a digital avatar of you in another room. Now, business leaders are beginning to expand on that concept with things like holopresence and holoportation. These concepts use the technology of holograms to design engaging versions of people in another space.
Although holograms might seem like something we’re years away from building, many companies are already experimenting with this tech. We’ve already seen some of the most famous people in the world appearing in festivals and shows thanks to holographic technology.
In the past, this technology was understandably expensive and difficult to access, but that might not be the case soon. Innovators like David Nussbaum, the CEO of PORTL, are creating phone both sized holographic devices, available for anyone and everyone. The PORTL technology is just one example of how holopresence and holoportation is evolving.
These fully-contained machines can project images anywhere. Solutions like this are sure to be particularly popular in an age when live events and in-person interactions simply aren’t possible. While video conferencing calls are amazing, there is something missing when it comes to replicating face-to-face interactions. People aren’t always making eye contact in videos, and we’re often very aware that we’re all sitting in different rooms.
Holopresence and holoportation changes the conversation by placing the people you care about directly in front of you.
An Evolution of Meeting Technology
It’s not just pioneering startups like PORTL experimenting with holopresence and holoportation either. Leading tech brand, Microsoft is constantly pitching the benefits of mixed reality technology for the workplace. In one demonstration from July 2019, Microsoft demonstrated HoloBeam holographic telepresence from Valorem.
Since then, Microsoft is continuing to release regular updates. The company published a blog post and video about the recent research it has been doing into 3D capture, and making holoportation mobile. Microsoft believes that this new kind of 3D capture technology can bring people together like never before. Elsewhere, companies like OPTIP are moving in the same direction, promising holopresence opportunities for the medical and academic landscape.
This technology allows us to imagine a world where nurses and doctors can interact with patients and get a better look at the situation before offering treatment, even when patients are miles away. In the educational environment, holopresence and holoportation could open the door to an environment where teachers can connect more completely with their students.
