Microsoft Amazes with Its Live HoloLens Simulator

Anyone can feel disappointed by the constant delays surrounding the Oculus Rift and other similar projects, but after seeing the spectacular demo of the HoloLens headset that Microsoft gave on the main stage of its BUILD conference, we can't do anything but imagine a bright future for this special combo made up of augmented reality and virtual reality.

Some members of the specialized press have said that the HoloLens project is more important than any of the other spells based on Windows 10. After seeing the spectacular progress that HoloLens has recorded since its official announcement, it becomes hard not to believe them. One of the big questions about virtual reality and augmented reality is how they will get along with the traditional computer. HoloLens eliminates that doubt at its root because it is a complete computer, contained in the form of a virtual headset. Even so, new rules are needed, and fundamentally new software, so that the user experience is as rich as possible. Access to HoloLens is still limited, but as a replacement, Microsoft prepared a kind of simulator on the main stage of the BUILD conference.

The idea of customizing a physical space with augmented elements may not be so surprising. In fact, we remember very well the demos that Microsoft Research did in the past, which placed a certain emphasis on that aspect. Something notable is that HoloLens has the function of turning different applications into accessories, such as the ornament on the table that presents weather information. Of course, that doesn't mean other traditional elements have disappeared. With a simple gesture, HoloLens will open its main menu, and the process of adding more apps is reduced to a virtual touch. The best part of the demonstration is when the video player follows the user. The verbal command "Follow me" is not exclusive to the player, but works with any universal app (that name again... we'll hear it very often).

In short: Impressive. If HoloLens does something like this in a home environment, imagine what could be achieved with a more professional goal, from engineering to architecture, through 3D design, medicine, and education. HoloLens not only exhibited the current state of its technology: It also confirmed that the mixture of both realities can go beyond consumption, and successfully enter the productive. Now, the unpleasant part: Waiting.

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