Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

You'll Soon Be Able To 'Holoport' Anywhere In the World With Microsoft VR Tech (thenextweb.com)

Posted by msmash on from the fascinating-world-of-ar dept.

An anonymous reader cites an article on The Next Web: Microsoft research manager Shahram Izadi is showing off the company's latest innovation using HoloLens: 'holoportation,' enabling him to appear as if he's there in real-time, anywhere in the world. His image is captured in 3D by cameras placed around the room. This is then stitched together, compressed and transmitted so someone else can see, hear and interact with him as though he's right there with them. You can even playback previous interactions, as though "walking into a living memory," and miniaturize the content to make it easier to consume. "Imagine being able to virtually teleport from one place to another," he says. Well, if you're the owner of a HoloLens, you soon could do. Microsoft's HoloLens is arguably the front-runner in the nascent, but fast-evolving, augmented reality space. The company's technology has previously been seen used by astronauts and scientists to "walk on the Mars surface" without stepping out of their office on Earth. It's fascinating to see how Microsoft continues to further innovate in this field.

6 of 54 comments (clear)

  1. Front runner? no. by JustNiz · · Score: 2, Insightful

    >> Microsoft's HoloLens is arguably the front-runner in the nascent, but fast-evolving, augmented reality space.

    No it isn't. It isn't anything other than made-up marketing hype until you can actually buy them.

  2. Well, if you're the owner of a HoloLens... by Tx · · Score: 3, Interesting

    "Well, if you're the owner of a HoloLens, you soon could do."

    You mean if you're the owner of a HoloLens ... and a bunch of 3D cameras (looked like about eight in the video) ... with hololens tracking systems attached ... and whatever rig is required to do the processing on the outputs from those cameras ...

    So no, if you're the owner of just a HoloLens (even if you could actually buy one yet), you will not be doing this any time soon, not for any definition of "soon" that I recognise.

    --
    Oh no... it's the future.
  3. So... by tnk1 · · Score: 2

    Am I the only one who thinks that holograms as communication would be really cool, but haven't quite figured out how talking to the image of someone else is somehow better than just talking to them on the phone. Even with video cameras I can sort of point it at my head so I can be videoconferencing in gym shorts and no one will care. What does someone get out of me standing there?

    1. Re:So... by ColdWetDog · · Score: 2, Insightful

      What does someone get out of me standing there?

      Body language, emotive expressions, a feel for your interest in conversation. That's why Skype is such a hit. Now, the big question is whether a grainy whole body image of you is better than a moderately high rez image of your face.

      For Carrie Fisher perhaps. For the rest of us, not so much.

      --
      Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
    2. Re:So... by wonkey_monkey · · Score: 2

      Body language, emotive expressions, a feel for your interest in conversation.

      Also boobs.

      --
      systemd is Roko's Basilisk.
  4. Re:Because ... by dlingman · · Score: 2

    Vader certainly didn't have a problem with that when talking to the emperor...