Trying the first HoloLens for the first time was a captivating experience. In general, when you need to use most virtual reality headsets on your computer or laptop, Microsoft's AR vision clearly felt the future.
The company is back with HoloLens 2. The second-generation headset, originally announced at the Mobile World Congress, is officially available to customers for $ 3,500.
At that price, it's not something you can buy yourself. Instead, this headset was designed for business and has long been called Microsoft's "front line". They are not just sitting at the desk, they are always out. That's not the case, but after using HoloLens 2, I hope so.
Comfortable as glasses
When I first received HoloLens 2, the first thing that stood out was the new design. Microsoft has thought a lot in three ways: ergonomics, immersion, and what Microsoft calls "Time to Value."
Let's start with ergonomics first. Reaching out to HoloLens 2 and putting it on my head was a natural feeling. It's not like wearing a baseball cap that I'm used to wearing. I put it on my head and twisted the dial on the back, and HoloLens came to see my face. Padded brow pads and padded handles made them comfortable and comfortable to wear. The glasses could be hugged and the HoloLens 2 slipped right away. Originally this was not possible in HoloLens.
The headset is made of carbon fiber and the weight is more balanced. This is important for devices placed on the head. The camera and microphone are on the front of the headset, and the battery and hologram processing unit (HPU) are on the back.
That means no hardware intrusion into the mixed reality experience itself.
Digital meets physical
Unlike VR or AR, Mixed Reality brings digital and real worlds together in three dimensions. This is why HoloLens 2 is unique.
This was already present in HoloLens already, so I wondered how HoloLens 2 would take it to another level.
Well, the headset itself is twice the field of view compared to the original HoloLens. There is also a fully connected hand tracking as well as Windows Hello and Eye Tracking. The headset can even put your hands on a map to create 3D models in the real world.
After some calibration, you are ready to boot the intro demo. I turned my head and sat at the table in the room to see the 3D model of the wind farm. I grabbed the inside with both hands and made it bigger and smaller. I moved it around the room and rotated it. I didn't even have to learn how to do this. It's as natural as clicking the mouse on your computer, but it's more ready.
Words can't define what everything really feels like.
Then I moved to the second application called HoloLens Playground. The application was opened at the desk in the room with me. The hologram appeared as a 3D physical object, approaching and tapping the play button with your finger. I even sat in a chair and the hologram was as if it had been left on the table.
I stepped up to 30 meters across the room, and the hologram still appeared on the same table I was seeing when calibrating the headset. Words can't define what everything really feels like.
Windows 10 but for headset
You might be familiar with how Windows 10 works. Press the Start button and view the app. The same applies to HoloLens. To switch to the other apps and experiences available for HoloLens 2, Microsoft asked me to raise one hand and look inside the wrist.
When I did, the same Start Menu button Windows 10 appeared on my wrist. I knocked it out with the other hand, and the start menu appeared in front of me in the real world. Then I scrolled the list of apps over the real world with my finger.
I turned my attention back to the HoloLens Playground app and when I started it the hummingbird appeared in front of me. An almost accurate 3D version of the hand appeared temporarily in the virtual world, and the headset began to track the movement, and the bird followed every movement. I reached out and followed the room. I was surprised
The second part of the HoloLens Playground included different natural inputs. As I turned my head, I could see the diamond shape in the room. I shouted “pop!” And HoloLens realized he wanted the diamond to burst. Repeatedly, the diamonds disappeared magically.
Finally we started by launching Graffiti 3D from the Start menu. I could even fix it on the wall near the room in front of me. I dragged my finger and a 3D neon shape followed all the movements across the room. When it was over, I ran it, resized it, dropped it back on my table in the real world.
Microsoft says that this experience is reinforced by two factors. The hologram processing unit or HPU 2.0 handles all the hologram aspects of this experience and powers the hologram sensor and camera. The Snapdragon 850 SoC, on the other hand, handles the computing side and loads the app. The base layer is Windows 10 Holographic, a Windows 10 version designed for HoloLens 2.
Ideal for business, not home
At the end of the day, as cool as these experiences, but not suitable for the average consumer. Microsoft said it was designed for businesses. There are several use cases, including remote support, training and work instructions, collaborative visualizations, and contextual data access. Both partners get all of this to work with the app or service, and the “Time to Value” restarts.
I have experienced both of these offerings in HoloLens 2. Spatial is a computing platform for HoloLens 2 that can change the way you collaborate, communicate and share content at work. Basically, you can communicate with the virtual hologram version of a colleague wearing a HoloLens 2 headset.
You can also view virtual photo walls and PDFs in the real world space. While wearing the HoloLens 2, it's a very mind-blowing experience, as someone suddenly suddenly appeared in front of me in an office far away from me. I even gave her a virtual five.
The boundary between the physical and digital worlds has disappeared completely.
Then there is Natuzzi. Furniture companies are changing the future of retail. I saw a demonstration of how to create a creature in the real world and place it in a room with life-size objects. This is something that can actually change the way retail is done.
Take a few photos of the room, send them to Natuzzi, convert them to mixed reality, and experience them right in the store. The boundary between the physical and digital worlds has disappeared completely.
Headsets like the HoloLens 2 are just a preview of the power of AR and mixed reality. But whenever this technology becomes mainstream, it keeps getting excited.
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