Microsoft has been teasing fans with the HoloLens for a while. Now, the Redmond-based company has demoed the augmented reality goggles once again at Unite Boston 2015. The device is also expected to be used with Office 2016.
Minecraft has been used to demonstrate the HoloLens' capabilities in the past. However, the educational capabilities and potential of the AR goggles. Microsoft have taken a different route compared to other tech companies trying their hand at making goggles.
Instead of making a device for virtual reality (VR), Microsoft made the HoloLens for AR instead. This means that the goggles add another dimension to the real world, instead of immersing the user into another world like VR does.
Pete Moss, Unity Technologies Lead Engineer, demonstrated the gaming capabilities of the Microsoft HoloLens on Monday at the Unite Boston 2015. Unity is a free game developing engine. Moss demonstrated how the game could be locked-in in a real world position, International Business Times reported. The game shown was simple: a wolf is controlled to herd sheep into a shearing machine.
The Microsoft HoloLens was also used to demonstrate its gesture recognizer capabilities using the Unity game. Moss said that Unity's AR and VR support is still being developed.
Besides gaming, Microsoft HoloLens could also be used for Office 2016. PC Mag reported that the gadget can be used to view documents, presentations or spreadsheets.
However, the HoloLens might not be launched any time soon yet. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said that the development of the device is a "five-year journey". With the endless applications of Microsoft HoloLens, it's obvious that both consumers, businesses, academic institutions and science labs are interested. It's not just for gaming.
Nadella said that the development kit for the Microsoft HoloLens will be launched next year "for sure", according to CRN. This means that the launch could still be years ahead.
Microsoft HoloLens took a different approach. However, it has more applications than the VR googles such as the Oculus Rift or the HTC Vive. It already has a decent stand in gaming with Unity's support, but it also has uses for education and productivity with Office 2016.
Join the Conversation