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When R2-D2 projected a holographic Princess Leia on to Obi-Wan Kenobi’s table to beg for his help in Star Wars, it popularised the idea that one day we will all be looking at 3D holograms instead of flat 2D screens for our information.
But, almost 40 years later, the use of holograms, like lightsabers, has barely progressed beyond novelties such as arcade games.
This is set to change with Microsoft’s Hololens, which was launched last month for developers and industrial and commercial users. It makes holograms practical and useful for the first time.
But this device does have its limitations, mainly because of its limited “field of vision”. The first time you use it, you will be impressed. But then you realise that the holograms can only appear in a rectangle that takes up around a third of your view. The effect is so great, but limited, that you will want larger holograms.
Microsoft calls the Hololens a mixed reality (MR) device, as opposed to an augmented reality (AR) or a virtual reality (VR) device. It’s confusing. Whereas VR is totally immersive, both AR and MR put information and images over the user’s view of the world. AR inserts this data onto a screen, which can be a tablet computer or smartphone, or a transparent lens in glasses.
The key difference with MR and the Hololens, says Microsoft, is that it scans the user’s environment and then superimposes the information or media into an anchored place within it. The image appears as part of the real world, on
a table or on the floor. Microsoft calls this “world locking”.
The spatial mapping is achieved by the Hololens’ four cameras and a depth sensor. A built-in Windows computer equipped with a bespoke “holographic processing unit” handles the data and software.
Images are projected onto a transparent lens, which allows you to see information while being aware of your surroundings. Sound is also projected by speakers that sit above and behind your ears and provide a surprisingly effective audio experience.
Microsoft wants engineers and architects, even workers in factories, to use the Hololens for design and creativity, manufacturing, training and communication. It is working with an impressive roster of companies: Autodesk, Airbus and Thyssen Krupp.
The pitch is convincing. But it’s difficult to see how the Hololens in its current form will have the “transformative” effect on businesses that Microsoft claims.
Hololens will allow you to create a holographic Princess Leia or view 3D Deathstar plans on your coffee table. More importantly it is the first step towards a serious and useful tool for engineers. But it may be wise to wait for the next upgraded version.