The Verge: Last week, Microsoft’s Alex Kipman, the inventor of Kinect and HoloLens, appeared in my living room to hand me jellyfish and sharks. That might sound like I had a weird dream, but it was a meeting made possible through Microsoft’s new Mesh platform. I donned a HoloLens 2 headset, joined a virtual meeting room, and Kipman immediately appeared next to my coffee table, ready to demonstrate Microsoft’s vision for the future of VR and AR — or as Microsoft calls it, mixed reality.
It all felt like a Microsoft Teams meeting set in the future.
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5 comments:
This is my first time hearing about Microsoft Mesh and holoLens but as a student that spends way too much time in zoom meetings, I would love to see this kind of technology integrated into the classroom setting. (For both virtual remote and when we return to fully in person.) This technology could offer a lot for classroom learning, especially in the science and engineering fields. When I first saw it I thought of elementary and middle school science classes and the potential for hands on and visual learning there. In particular, I feel like chemistry and biology would be much easier to learn aided by these visual methods. Mechanical construction would also be really interesting to view. While I understand that cost for holoLens will be an issue, with each set coming in around $3,500, it's such a promising and interesting possibility. I hope it becomes more accessible to average buyers. Or at least, I hope it gets picked up by institutions such as universities that allow their students to play and learn with this new tech.
This project could have interesting implications for online theatre. We know that in the future, something like COVID-19 may happen again, which means that our industry must be prepared for this scenario. Using this Microsoft product, we could create theatre which could completely be done virtually. This product could allow us to make our own virtual stages and set virtual lights and virtual costumes and the only costs associated with it would be labor and the price to use the app. This could really cut down on how much a live show would cost. Also, even if we never have a pandemic again, this could allow actors who live in completely different cities to rehearse together or even put on a show together. It could make it completely possible for a full scale production to happen in the virtual world. I am looking forward to seeing the progression of this project and what the first users create with it.
Yeah, Microsoft can stay out of my living room. I find VR experiences so disorienting that I am struggling to find much value in this VR Zoom that Microsoft is working on. I feel like this is a work from home boundary that is being completely leapt over. How much more productive is your business meeting going to be if you have a VR headset on? Can you look up documents or pull up presentations while remaining an active participant? And will it still feel like a professional and productive meeting if you're talking to cartoon avatars of your co workers? This feels like the beginning of a dystopian technology, especially if it is employed by large companies as a meeting platform or other means of communication. And also, this is so not conducive to any people that may be photosensitive or prone to migraines, or have any condition that makes it hard to concentrate or focus.
I am always fascinated by new developments in AR and VR technology. Unfortunately, my prediction is that this project likely will not catch that much speed, because of the requirement of the headset which would seem superfluous to groups that need to have these meetings. It is still an interesting invention, and almost seems like a step up from the Zoom meetings we are all having. I feel as though this product will find more success gearing its efforts toward gaming capabilities first, because those consumers are already used to the prospect of VR, and will likely find this invention fascinating. The end goal for the marketing of this product could be more serious companies or groups that have meetings once the product gains traction within the gaming industry. That is the only way I see this product somewhat succeeding. In conclusion, I am excited about this development, but I do not quite see it reaching any of the market goals the article discusses.
I don't really keep up with VR news all that often, but this article piqued my interest! I’ve only really seen either a VR headset that is completely immersive or an attempt at AR executed through a phone screen. This concept of an AR or “mixed reality” headset is completely new to me. The possibilities for seamlessly integrating digitally created forms into a real world space seems endless. I would love to be able to retire the zoom call format and switch to these HoloLens VR headsets. I wonder how this technology is going to be made to be cheaper and more accessible. Years ago, VR headsets were something the normal family had no hopes of ever owning. But now cheaper models like google cardboard make VR accessible to a much broader audience. I am curious to see what changes, if any, will be made to this product that allow for it to become more mainstream.
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