Microsoft Hololens: One Year Later – What about Microsoft’s AR glasses?
One of last year’s most notable announcements was Microsoft’s Hololens. We had the chance to try out the augmented reality goggles during Build 2015 and were impressed with the state of Microsoft’s development of the product. A lot of work had been done from hardware to software, that was clear, but that doesn’t mean a good end product was already there. Much more work had to be done before entering the consumer market.
We are now a year further and Microsoft has now started delivering the Developer Edition of the Hololens to the first batch of developers. Every three months, a new batch of developers receives the glasses. For $3,000, the developers get a package that includes the goggles, a protective case, and the Clicker, a small remote control for the interface. Those who do not want to spend that money, but want to develop for the glasses, can run the Hololens emulator on their system.
During Build 2016, we got the chance to try out the Developer Edition of the Hololens. Just like in 2015, Microsoft let us participate in a ‘Holographic Academy’, to create our own apps with Unity and Visual Studio. Luckily we were allowed to take pictures this time. Microsoft is trying to get as many developers as possible to create apps for the glasses, so that a large amount of software is available with an upcoming consumer release.
When that release will take place and whether it will come, is not yet known. Nor is it known what the final consumer version will look like. In any case, Microsoft thinks the product in its current form is good enough to let developers get started with it. And apparently it has been for a year now, because hardware-wise, the Developer Edition looks pretty much identical to the model we set up last year.
This means that the biggest drawback is still present: the limited field of view for the 3D images. It seemed slightly improved over last year, but as Microsoft’s promo videos suggest, all but a few , you still only see the images through two lens windows integrated into the goggles. Those windows don’t take up nearly all of your field of view, and as a result the 3D images, or “holograms” as Microsoft calls them, often cut off halfway unless you step back. It is not known whether this problem can be solved, Microsoft has not released anything about it yet. It is clear that it is a problem; it seriously detracts from the experience of immersion and is therefore a stumbling block to success.
What has been adjusted is the eye measurement beforehand. This calibration by measuring the distance between the pupils is necessary to ensure that images match the eyes properly. Microsoft did that last year with an external device, but the calibration has now been integrated. When you use it for the first time, you follow a number of steps in which you have to hold a finger in front of each eye a number of times. The camera in the Hololens scans your finger and calibrates the display.
What we also did not see last time is the start menu of Windows Holographic, the software that runs the glasses. We could call up that menu with the Developer Edition by holding our hand in front of the glasses and opening them. The menu then follows you in the center of your field of vision; you can move a cursor over the menu by moving your head slightly and with a finger movement you make a choice. By default, the menu includes Cortana, the Edge browser, feedback, Photo, and the Store
The purpose of the session that Microsoft gave during Build was to share ‘holograms’. Six users had to connect their glasses together, using a laptop as a hub. Each user could then indicate to Unity that a common reference point could be established. All users could see a virtual object together in the same place and everyone had to be able to pick it up and put it somewhere. Finally, users could each choose an avatar, which had to be visible to the others on the user’s shoulder.
According to Microsoft, it opens up endless possibilities if users can see each other’s ‘holograms’ and if a group interacts with objects that the group members all see in the same place. However, in the demo session it did not work properly. Avatars floated randomly in space and the central virtual object was untraceable. According to the employees, we should map out the area better and not walk too much in each other’s field of view, but this offered little solace. In addition, on more than one occasion the Hololens performed actions based on movements and voice commands of others who happened to be in line of sight.
It remains an impressive experience to see the augmented reality images, to be able to walk around them, to view them from close by and from afar and to play with them. However, the session showed that Microsoft still has a lot to iron out before a flawless user experience is achieved.
The fact that Microsoft nevertheless wants to deliver the Hololens to developers as much as possible is not only to have many apps ready for a possible release, but also because the company hopes that third parties will come up with ideas that give the Hololens a right to exist. Microsoft admits that it is not yet really clear where it should go with the device. There are many companies and organizations around the world working on prototyping applications, from kitchen simulations , training programs for Saab and Japan Airlines, and anatomical education exercises to virtual showrooms for car manufacturers, architectural applications and 3D design with Autodesk.
More spectacular is the Mars walk that NASA lets you take and Microsoft itself impressed with the Minecraft demo at E3. Scott Erickson of new device marketing at Microsoft emphasized during an interview that the Hololens is not primarily a gaming device. The GPU is currently nowhere near powerful enough for that.
One of the most important projects that have been developed is also from Microsoft itself: Galaxy Explorer. The community that has since grown up around the Hololens voted for this project to be able to explore space with the Hololens. Microsoft has made the project’s source code available so that developers can build on the code and use parts of it.
There is no lack of beautiful videos about the Hololens and hard work is being done on applications, but then? According to Microsoft, there will eventually be a consumer release, but it is not known when and even a rough estimate is missing. Perhaps Microsoft is following a similar path to Oculus with the Rift, with a few more Developer Editions to follow, improving the hardware each time.
Greg Sullivan, communications manager of the Windows & Devices Group at Microsoft, wouldn’t mind either. “Hololens is a new category of device. Fortunately, we are in a position to invest in such a project over a long term.” According to him, the intention is that third parties will soon make their own versions of the Hololens, that an ecosystem of partners will be created that can benefit from Microsoft’s knowledge. “You saw that with the Surface too. Many traditional partners and even our competitors are now embracing our model for a 2-in-1. We hope that this will also happen with the Hololens.”
In any case, as it stands now, it would be better if it takes years before the glasses come out. On the one hand, Microsoft seems to be aware of this too, with comments that the company is just at the beginning of a long journey. On the other hand, the Redmond company, with its spectacular demonstrations and videos, gives the impression that the project is almost finished. It’s not yet and it’s a pity that Microsoft is misrepresenting it. The glasses certainly have potential and there is still no competition. Magic Leapis working on something very similar to the Hololens experience, but this company operates under the radar, which seems like a sensible move. If there’s one thing that could stand in the way of Hololens’ success, it’s that the public gets the idea that Microsoft can’t live up to the high expectations.