Along with their announcement of Windows 10 in January, Microsoft revealed their new wearable 3-D holographic glasses, which they call HoloLens.
Worn like a pair of wraparound goggles, the HoloLens has a clear lens that allows wearers to see their surrounding environment. In that respect, it’s like any other pair of glasses.
But HoloLens’s draw is obviously its use for “augmented reality” – 3-D digital holograms can be projected onto the the real world, and users can then interact with those holograms in a variety of ways.
The device features a built-in CPU and GPU, movement sensors, spacial sound, and a powerful Holographic Processing Unit, according to its official website.
What are its applications?
The obvious answer is gaming, reminiscent of the virtual reality offered by Oculus Rift. But while Microsoft isn’t shy about HoloLens’s gaming potential – their display in Redmond offered a demo for journalists to play Minecraft in a living room – they see a lot of industry and consumer potential as well.
One incredibly cool possibility is the ability to design a holographic 3-D model with your hands, then print it with a 3-D printer. They even have an application ready to roll for that specific feature called HoloStudio.
Education is another powerful possibility: Trade professionals can learn a craft from their living room using tips and guidelines displayed in the air right in front of them.
Microsoft has not announced a price yet, but stated that it will be available around the same time as Windows 10.
Would you buy one?
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