There's finally a way to prove HoloLens is as cool as you say it is
If you're wearing Microsoft HoloLens and no one else can see the mixed reality you're experiencing, is it really happening? And is it really as cool as you say it is?
When I experienced and wrote about HoloLens last year, that was a chief concern for me. I did my best to describe what it was like to wear the headset and see digital objects interacting with the real world and responding to my own actions. However, nothing was as convincing as the video that showed my view of the world through the HoloLens system.
HoloLens, in case you forgot, is a wearable Windows 10 PC. It presents mixed-reality versions of games, educational content, travelogues, how-tos and enterprise tasks in a virtual 25-inch screen that floats in front of the wearer's face. When you turn, that screen turns with you, which can create the illusion of a larger, mixed-reality space. The extensible system is currently in the hands of developers. Although there's no plan to bring HoloLens itself to consumers, a number of manufacturers will soon debut headsets compatible with the platform, Windows Holographic.
The ability to see what a HoloLens wearer is seeing, called Mixed Reality Capture, is built into the headset, but the eye-popping demos we've seen at Microsoft Build and in videos provided by Microsoft almost invariably show us both the HoloLens wearer and virtual objects in one HD video. The company has always used special rigs to capture this video and live feeds. Now, Microsoft announced on Monday, they're making the necessary tools available to developers.
Called Spectator View, this hardware and software setup will allow HoloLens developers to capture photos, videos and stream mixed reality presentations live.
The only catch -- and it is a big catch -- is that Spectator View requires both a second HoloLens and a DSLR camera with HDMI output. On top of that, you'll also need a tripod, a special aluminum HoloLens bracket and a custom 3D-printed adapter.
Keep in mind a single HoloLens Developer Edition headset costs $3,000. So using Spectator View will literally cost you thousands of additional of dollars. In addition, you need to have some familiarity with 3D printing and programming. Clearly, this is something only bigger organizations will be able to implement, but given Microsoft has mostly focused HoloLens on enterprise and education (Minecraft tricks notwithstanding), that isn't entirely a surprise.
Microsoft posted the instructions for Spectator View on GitHub on Monday.
When asked about when or if consumers would ever see a HoloLens consumer edition, Microsoft responded with this statement via email:
Our goal is to bring mixed reality to everyone. We developed Windows Mixed Reality as the most complete mixed reality platform across virtually any device type – from VR to AR and everything in between. While Microsoft HoloLens is focused on developers and enterprise scenarios today, we’re continuing to think about how we best reach consumers, and are excited about the possibilities for the platform in the future. At this time, we are working with our partners, including HP, Lenovo, Dell, Acer, ASUS and 3Glasses, to develop a broad range of devices that deliver mixed reality to a full spectrum of audiences.
While the cost and work necessary to use Spectator View are prohibitive to many, the result will probably help Microsoft sell even more people on the concept of mixed-reality systems. Seeing real people navigate virtual objects, environments and games in real-time, outside the relatively limited scope of the HoloLens view port, is compelling. It is, after all, how Microsoft captured our attention on the concept in the first place.
Topics Augmented Reality Microsoft
Lance Ulanoff was Chief Correspondent and Editor-at-Large of Mashable. Lance acted as a senior member of the editing team, with a focus on defining internal and curated opinion content. He also helped develop staff-wide alternative story-telling skills and implementation of social media tools during live events. Prior to joining Mashable in September 2011 Lance Ulanoff served as Editor in Chief of PCMag.com and Senior Vice President of Content for the Ziff Davis, Inc. While there, he guided the brand to a 100% digital existence and oversaw content strategy for all of Ziff Davis’ Web sites. His long-running column on PCMag.com earned him a Bronze award from the ASBPE. Winmag.com, HomePC.com and PCMag.com were all been honored under Lance’s guidance.He makes frequent appearances on national, international, and local news programs including Fox News, the Today Show, Good Morning America, Kelly and Michael, CNBC, CNN and the BBC.He has also offered commentary on National Public Radio and been interviewed by newspapers and radio stations around the country. Lance has been an invited guest speaker at numerous technology conferences including SXSW, Think Mobile, CEA Line Shows, Digital Life, RoboBusiness, RoboNexus, Business Foresight and Digital Media Wire’s Games and Mobile Forum.
