Windows Holographic:
Windows Holographic is an augmented reality platform developed by Microsoft which is to be introduced as a part of Windows 10 in 2015. With the relevant APIs already present in Windows 10 across all versions, universal Windows 10 apps can be easily converted into holographic apps. The operating system and universal apps can also be run in an augmented-reality operating environment using devices such Microsoft HoloLens. Microsoft announced Windows Holographic at its "Windows 10: The Next Chapter" press event on January 21, 2015.
The augmented reality operating environment for devices such as the Microsoft HoloLens carries over many of the concepts from the Windows desktop environment. Users can pull up a Holographic Start menu to launch programs. Windows in the Holographic environment feature a title bar with a close button on the right, and buttons labelled "organize" and "carry" in the middle. The windows can be dragged and resized. Elements can be selected via an "air tap" gesture akin to clicking an imaginary mouse, using the index finger with the hand in a "pointing up" position. Navigation throughout the user interface and communication with the device and commands given to it are mostly performed using hand gestures, voice commands and also by gaze tracking which senses the users perception and aligns the holographic apps accordingly.
A "home" command gesture is performed by opening one's hand upward with the palm facing up. Virtual elements such as application windows or menus can be "pinned" to locations, physical structures or objects within the environment; or can follow the user as they move around.
Microsoft HoloLens:
Microsoft HoloLens is where the powers and capabilities of Windows Holographic really perform and matter. Microsoft HoloLens is a smart glasses unit that is a cordless, self-contained Windows 10 computer. It uses advanced sensors, a high-definition 3D optical head-mounted display, and spatial sound to allow for augmented reality applications, with a natural user interface that the user interacts with through gaze, voice, and hand gestures. Codenamed "Project Baraboo," HoloLens had been in development for five years before its announcement in 2015, but was conceived earlier as the original pitch made in late 2007 for what would become the Kinect technology platform.
Applications showcased for Microsoft HoloLens include HoloStudio, a 3D modelling application which can produce output for 3D printers; Holobuilder, a demonstration inspired by the video game Minecraft; an implementation of the Skype telecommunications application; OnSight, a software tool developed in collaboration with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), and a proof of concept for architectural engineering software tools by Trimble Navigation,
OnSight integrates data from the Curiosity rover into a 3D simulation of the Martian environment, which scientists around the world can visualize, interact with, and collaborate in together using HoloLens devices. OnSight can be used in mission planning, with users able to program rover activities by looking at a target within the simulation, and using gestures to pull up and select menu commands. JPL plans to deploy OnSight in Curiosity mission operations, using it to control rover activities by July 2015.
Among the sensor types used in HoloLens is an energy-efficient depth camera with a 120°×120° field of view. Other capabilities provided by the sensors include head-tracking, video capture, and sound capture. In addition to a high-end CPU and GPU, HoloLens features a Holographic Processing Unit (HPU),a coprocessor which efficiently integrates data from the various sensors. The HPU allows the HoloLens to perform tasks such as spatial mapping, gesture recognition, and voice and speech recognition, while operating without cords or wires. According to HoloLens chief inventor Alex Kipman, the HPU processes "terabytes of information" from the HoloLens's sensors in real time.
Here's HoloLens in action:
What does it exactly mean to have holograms in Windows 10?
A hologram is an object like any other object in the real world, with only one difference: instead of being made of physical matter, a hologram is made entirely of light. Holographic objects can be viewed from different angles and distances, just like physical objects, but they do not offer any physical resistance when touched or pushed because they don’t have any mass. Holograms can be two-dimensional, like a piece of paper or a TV screen, or they can be three-dimensional, just like other physical objects in your real world. The holograms you’ll see with Microsoft HoloLens can appear life-like, and can move, be shaped, and change according to interaction with users or the physical environment in which they are visible.
Windows 10 is the first platform to support holographic computing with APIs that enable gaze, gesture, voice, and environmental understanding on an untethered device. With Windows 10, holograms are Windows universal apps, and all Windows universal apps can be made to work as holograms. Holograms in Windows 10 will lead to entirely new ways for us to communicate, create, and explore.
How can one see holograms implemented in real world?
Microsoft HoloLens generates a multi-dimensional image visible to the user so that he or she perceives holographic objects in the physical world. Holographic objects seen with Microsoft HoloLens can be pinned, or anchored, to physical locations you choose, move according to their own rules, or remain in a specific location within your field of view regardless of where you are or in which direction you are looking.
Keep in mind that the holograms created are only visible to the person wearing HoloLens and not anyone else.
How to interact with HoloLens?
The holograms you’ll see with Microsoft HoloLens can appear life-like, and can move, be shaped, and change according to interaction with you or the physical environment in which they are visible. There isn’t a screen to touch or a mouse to click. Use gestures to create, shape, and size holograms. Use your gaze to navigate and explore. Use your voice to communicate with your apps. Microsoft HoloLens understands your movements, gaze, and voice, enabling you to interact with content and information naturally. Using holograms, you can pin your digital content, such as apps, information, and even multi-dimensional videos, in the physical space around you, so you can interact with it.
Who is it for and why should I care?
Microsoft HoloLens unlocks infinite possibilities and a wide array of use-cases ranging from developers, commercial organizations, designers, creators, and those seeking a whole new way to be entertained.
Microsoft, together with developers and their commercial partners, will continue to help designers, creators, and all harness the power of holographic computing with Microsoft HoloLens.
There's a lot more about HoloLens. Be sure to check out more information about Microsoft HoloLens!
Thanks!
There's a lot more about HoloLens. Be sure to check out more information about Microsoft HoloLens!
Thanks!
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