Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/639267
22 cgw j a n u a r y . f e b r u a r y 2 0 1 6 seen on paper, as no review units have been distributed. The big question, other than pricing, is when will the device ship? So far, the only indication is sometime this year, with a hint that it would be in the first half. However, we have heard projected dates for many of these HMDs already, only to be informed of a delay, so we'll have to wait and see. HOLOLENS FROM: Microso SHIPPING: Q1 2016 (Development Edition) PRICE: $3,000 (development kit) Microso's HoloLens is a dif- ferent animal from many of the other head-mounted displays shipping now or about to ship. It's an augmented-reality device, superimposing virtual text, images, and objects onto a person's real-world field of vision. As such, it does not ob- scure a person's entire view. So, the wearers can use their hands for input and selection. The device is more of a com- bination headband/glasses/ visor – in essence, a smart glasses headset – covered in cameras for head tracking. Essentially, it is a self-contained Windows 10 computer that fits on a person's head. And while HMDs like the Ri and Vive have high-res displays that fill a user's field of view, the project- ed images from the HoloLens are much smaller. While it is reasonable to expect that the HoloLens will be used for gaming (considering Microso's ownership of the popular Xbox console and cadre of game development facilities under its Microso Studios), at this time the company is touting more business-level capabilities in the areas of prod- uct design and development, medical applications, engineer- ing, and the like. Microso is calling the Holo- Lens the first holographic com- puter, integrating HD images with the real world via Windows 10. The device comprises an op- tical system that works in con- junction with advanced sensors. Transparent Holographic HD lenses use an advanced optical projection system, generating multi-dimensional, full-color images with very low latency. A custom holographic processing unit (HPU) from Microso analyzes and inte- grates data from the sensors for tasks such as spatial mapping, gesture recognition, and voice and speech recognition. While it crunches a large amount of data (terabytes of information) from the sensors, this occurs in real time. Most of the sensors are in the front of the headband, as is the related hardware, such as depth sensors, photo/video camera, and HPU. The HoloLens also contains a set of small stereo speakers, enabling the wearer to hear virtual sounds as well as real-world sounds. Like the usual HMDs, the HoloLens sports an inertial measurement unit comprising an accelerometer, gyroscope, and magnetometer. There are three layers of lenses (blue, green, and red), each with diffractive features. No wires, PC connection, phone, or external cameras are needed, so users are free (un- tethered) to explore their envi- ronment. HoloLens understands gestures and the direction the user looks, and maps the world around the person in real time. Currently, the HoloLens is available only for developers – and by invitation only. T H E T I P O F T H E I C E B E R G The race to fill the VR HMD space has been progressing at a frenzied pace for more than a year. While some deadlines came and went, we definitely appear to be on the verge of a new era that will surely bring VR to the masses, particularly the gaming masses. There are a number of other companies than those mentioned in this article that are poised to make a play for this market. PC maker Asus is talking to Microso about a HoloLens version of its own. Later in the year, Razer plans an OSVR Hacker Dev Kit that can be paired with a phone or PC for build-it-yourselfers. Those are but a few additional offerings we can expect in the next 12 months or so as VR and AR content become more preva- lent and whet our appetite for exciting new experiences. ■ Karen Moltenbrey is the chief editor of Computer Graphics World. THE HOLOLENS IS A SELF-CONTAINED WINDOWS 10 COMPUTER.