The HoloLens demo at Microsoft Build 2015 blew everyone away with the device's capabilities and possibilities. And I want it so bad.
Microsoft originally announced HoloLens at their Windows 10 launch event in January, and it took our breath away. The company brought out their headset again during the keynote for the Microsoft Build developer conference yesterday, to show just what direction it's headed in.
Instead of virtual reality, Microsoft went with Augmented reality, something they've title "Holograms". The visor on the HoloLens lets you see your surroundings and places holographic objects in that space. This mean that you can wear the device and see your phone or desktop's apps as set pieces in your room. A weather app on as a virtual beach on your coffee table, a calendar app open on your door, a video player on your wall, even a virtual dog on the rug in the centre. And you can interact with all of this juts by pointing and clicking your finger in the air in front of you. The possibilities are endless. To give you a better idea of what we're talking about, check out the experience link on the Microsoft website here.
Speaking of possibilities, Microsoft suggested a couple at the dev con. Medical students typically have it tough, trying to study human anatomy from cadavers. But what if they could instead study from a 3D model in the room? One they can walk around to see different angles, zoom, and even strip away layers? What if they don't have to be limited by a corpse's inactivity but could instead study how a muscle moves in real time, or how blood pumps through the heart in split-section view?
Also read: Microsoft Build 2015: Of Spartans and Holograms
All the announcements from our live blog for the developer conference.
Another demo was for construction. Architects can, instead of huddling around a physical model in an office or poring over blueprints, can instead render holographic models that various collaborators can observe from around the world? It can allow them to just point and click to experiment with designs, look for building flaws, and even view their finished building from street-side.
But the best part about all this is that beyond just speculating, the technology to do all these things is here. And that has me very excited. Because, obviously, just imagine what this device could do for gaming. It's untethered, runs on batteries, and has built-sound. And, of course, you can fit your game screen anywhere; the wall in front of your sofa, the ceiling above your bed, the bathroom wall even (What?! Don't baulk, I know you have your phone in there too), so you can play anywhere you want to. I envision having my computer or Xbox running a shoot-em-up, while I actually play in my living room, Minecraft as a tabletop builder ala Lego, maybe even augmented reality treasure hunts around the city. What I'm sure of though, is that we're on the cusp of something huge, and it's a wonderful time to be alive. I want to stream a movie to my bedroom ceiling, I want to be able to physically click to snooze an alarm clock hologram on my bedside table, but most of all, I want to throw money at this and make the HoloLens mine. And hopefully, once Microsoft Build is done, there'll be plenty of developers with great ideas to make the HoloLens even better. Here's to great ideas!
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