An innovator in the world of technology, Microsoft has long been on the cutting edge of everything from communication to entertainment. With the Microsoft HoloLens, the company brought together many of its different specialties, into a single solution for holographic, immersive and augmented reality.
The HoloLens is the key to a brand-new world for consumers and businesses alike, designed to help you to create your very own environments in a completely-customisable landscape. Today, we’re going to take a look at Microsoft HoloLens, what it can accomplish, and what it means to the future of your company.
What is Microsoft HoloLens
Advertised as the world’s first entirely-wireless and self-contained holographic computer available for today’s consumers, Microsoft HoloLens is a marvel of unique experiences. It projects images through over your visual field so that you can see them in the world around you like 3D holograms. With HoloLens, you can create new spaces, change the way you see a space, and more.
Microsoft’s device is first and foremost an augmented reality headset, but the company advertises it as a “mixed” reality service, similar to the Project Alloy headset. Unlike virtual reality, which consumes your entire vision, augmented reality builds on top of the world around you to make it more immersive and compelling.
When you receive your HoloLens, you’ll get a USB cable, a strap, a HoloLens “clicker,” and a nose piece.
The Features of Microsoft HoloLens
HoloLens consists of two rings – a thicker plastic ring that contains the essential hardware for the piece, and a thinner ring that helps to keep the HoloLens attached to your head. Because the device is pretty heavy, it’s not meant to sit on your nose, but you can use the nose guard if you need to anyway.
The headset comes with a set of holographic lenses, as well as a depth camera to provide you with an immersive all-around experience. There are speakers built-in, and a host of sensors connected to the headset that include an ambient light sensor and four different environment cameras that help to give you a complete overview of the world around you.
The Microsoft HoloLens also features an Intel 32-bit architecture, HPU, and GPU, backed by a 2GB RAM and a gigantic 64GB storage solution. In terms of picture quality and video quality, you get a really great experience, although the field of view can be problematic for some users.
What Can Microsoft HoloLens Do?
While most people assume that Microsoft HoloLens was designed for the gaming community, it was intended for the workplace. In fact, during presentations and events, the company has shown examples of how the system can be used in everything from health care, to provide patient analysis, to manufacturing, for help with design creation. It can even be used in the education environment to help students explore human anatomy in a more immersive format.
Although Microsoft certain has a market for the HoloLens in the game community, as we’ve seen at conferences like E3, there’s so much more that this device is capable of. For instance, you can use Windows 10 apps with your HoloLens device, to allow for greater productivity in the workplace. Just some of the best features of HoloLens include:
- Great user experience: Once you get used to the weight of the HoloLens, it provides a truly unforgettable experience. The device gives you a hands-free holographic experience unlike anything else, and it’s easy to use too. There are no remote controls or awkward wires holding you back. Users can simply dive in and explore
- Impressive quality: The resolution and video you’ll experience with the Microsoft HoloLens device are In fact, it’s so impressive that you do feel like you’re walking in another world.
- Spatial Sound: From an audio perspective, quality is also second to none. The spatial sound system helps to make your AR experience even more compelling
- Build quality: With Microsoft HoloLens, you’ll get access to headgear that might look a lot like the other AR systems on the market, but it’s genuinely more comfortable and easier to wear. It sits on your head without making your neck ache too quickly
Using Microsoft HoloLens from a Business Perspective
Microsoft HoloLens essentially opens the door to the next level experiences that we’re all searching for in today’s ever-changing work environment. As the boundaries between people continue to break down, and digital experiences become an essential part of our everyday lives, Microsoft is helping to bridge the gap between reality, and the virtual world. From a business perspective you can:
- View holograms and ideas created by your colleague, regardless of where they’re located in the world. You can even walk around in their augmented office space
- Collaborate on projects like never before. Show and tell becomes an unforgettable experience with the Microsoft HoloLens. Hands-free video calling, image sharing, and mixed reality annotations makes working together on next-level projects easier than ever
- Visualise designs: Don’t just sketch your next project, bring it to life in a range of different mediums with a mixed-reality holographic environment
- Access useful applications: HoloLens even comes with access to Microsoft Apps, like the Office 365 services, and support from intelligent assistant Cortana
Finishing Thoughts on Microsoft HoloLens
Ultimately, the Microsoft HoloLens device truly is a next-level experience for any business user. Of course, it’s probably not going to be something that you fit your entire contact centre with. After all, it costs a few thousand pounds to get one of these systems into your organisation, with the commercial suite coming in at a price tag of around £4,529. If you’re a developer, you can get the development edition for £2,719 instead.
According to Satya Nadella – the Microsoft CEO, we began a 5-year journey for HoloLens back in 2016. Personally, I can’t wait to see what the device can accomplish by the time we hit 2021.
Have you been lucky enough to try the Microsoft HoloLens yet? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
