Augmented Reality Archives - Argyll Free Press

Microsoft Wants to Win VR Without Actually Releasing a VR Headset

June 1, 2016 By Deborah Campbell Leave a Comment

Even though virtual reality is upon us, the arrival of Microsoft’s HoloLens won’t be for a while longer.

Microsoft isn’t keen on building its own traditional VR headset, and it doesn’t have a release date for its magical augmented reality (AR) headgear. So until that happens, Microsoft has concocted a plan.

It wants to use the allure of VR and AR to sell VR headset manufacturers, developers, and users on its Windows 10 operating system. Microsoft announced on Wednesday that Windows Holographic won’t be simply a special version of Windows that connects to its HoloLens headset.

Sometime soon, Microsoft wants to bring all its features to the traditional versions of Windows 10, which means opening up the floodgates for VR headset makers to develop their own headsets for computers using Microsoft’s most recent OS.

But Microsoft grand vision needs all those headsets to play nice with Windows, too. If successful, the plan would allow people to work together from across different time zones as if they were in the same office, regardless of the headset each of them is using.

Even if one person would be using an HTC Vive and their colleague a HoloLens, Microsoft’s new platform would allow them to see each other and their surroundings so they could collaborate on their project.

This will be made possible with the help of the HoloLens’ sensors; as they scan the room, Microsoft’s platform can share that visual data with the HTC Vive user as well.

Of course, this unbelievable scenario only really works if at least one person has purchased a $3,000 HoloLens Development Kit – which hasn’t even made it to the shelves yet.

But Microsoft’s plan doesn’t have to wait some more years until a consumer-ready version of the HoloLens will arrive; before the idea of VR and AR collaboration will bear fruit, the company hopes to inspire as many developers as possible to create Universal Windows Applications for VR headsets right now.

The catch is that if they start using Microsoft’s standard, the applications they build now will work just as well on AR headsets like the HoloLens later.

Microsoft’s idea is simpler pitch than asking VR developers to build apps for the HoloLens itself, which might not be released yet for some years.
Image Source: Wired

Microsoft HoloLens Hopes to Revolutionize Watching NFL

February 3, 2016 By Cristopher Hall Leave a Comment

In its role as an NFL technology partner, Microsoft HoloLens hopes to revolutionize watching NFL games for the fans by employing augmented reality headsets. In theory, Microsoft hopes that the helmets would not only provide a personal view and projection of the game on various surfaces, but would also give the users complete control over what they watch, who they watch, or what kind of information regarding the game they can pull out.

This is not something that is planned only for the viewers, however, as coaches and even players could benefit from such a device. By seeing things the same way a fan would, teams could adjust and change the kind of game plan they are using, all thanks to a better overview of what is happening on the field.

A small attempt at integrating technology into the favorite sport of so many Americans has already been done through the Xbox One. Thanks to the sensors that are sewn into player jerseys that send RFID data directly into the app, which can then be used to create averages, records and numerous statistics regarding a particularly player’s performance, for example.

But the presentation video of how Microsoft actually sees the HoloLens playing a role in what NFL is concerned is actually a lot more impressive than anything tracking sensors could achieve by themselves. Starting with things such as a full-scale holographic player bursting out of your wall and immediately being surrounded by its personal statistics, hanging in midair and ending with downright watching the game on your coffee table, while also gaining full control of what and when you watch.

Manipulating the 3D video and the kind of information the HoloLens would display seems to be done through motion and gesture controls; at least that is what Microsoft hopes to be able to achieve. The information displayed about particular players, as shown in the video, could be split into two types, depending on who is using the AR application.

While fans could see just the player performance and full-scale holographic models of the players, coaches could gain insight on other details of the watched player, such as level of hydration, core body temperature or other types of information related to health factors of the player.

Image Source: 1

Garmin Varia Vision Is Like Google Glass, But For Cyclists

January 5, 2016 By Cristopher Hall Leave a Comment

Garmin Varia Vision is like Google Glass, but for cyclists – at least, at a first glance.

Garmin might just make this Google Glass lookalike popular, as it targets a demographic that is in need of this kind of gadgets. The Varia Vision can attach to any pair of glasses. It weighs about 30 grams, and its battery juice makes it run just shy of eight hours on a single charge.

The Varia Vision can be clipped on either side of the glasses. It provides a compact display at the right, or left, edge of a cyclist’s view so they don’t need to look down at the handlebars and away from oncoming traffic ahead.

The Varia Vision comes with a pretty hefty price tag of $400 – this converts to 270 pounds in the UK, and AU$555 in Australia; and it’s most certainly not for newcomers to the sport. It’s aimed at professionals who compete, train and for those who rely on their bikes for commuting in a traffic-riddled city.

The heads-up display provides turn by turn directions, distance, cadence, speed metrics and other performance data, and even notifications and messages if the user pairs it with a smartphone. Furthermore, we don’t really know the resolution of the display, or what it’s actually made out of, but the company has assured us that it will be clearly readable in all weather conditions.

Analysing it, we notice that it does about everything that Google’s Glass did – it even has a touch-sensitive strip on the side so you can easily navigate the UI. Garmin claims that it can be utilized if the individual even wears gloves or has wet hands.

The Varia Vision can also connect to Garmin’s Rearview Bike Radar – a device that notifies the user if a car is coming from behind in order to ensure that the cyclist doesn’t steer in front of its path.

The Varia Vision offers an augmented reality display, but considering that the AR tech is somehow still in its incipient development phase we are quite curious to see it how it functions in real-life.

The device will come out in Q1 of 2016 and it’s compatible with Android and iOS – there doesn’t seem to be any love for Windows mobile OS at the moment, but we are still hoping.

However, Garmin isn’t the only company developing augmented reality devices for athletes. Recon Instruments is the first that comes to mind. The company was recently bought by Intel, so we are foreseeing great things in AR for athletes in the near future.

The Garmin Varia Vision has been announced at this year’s CES, which takes places in Las Vegas.

Image Source: 1, 2

Steam Punk Augmented Reality Shooter From Magic Leap

May 5, 2015 By Deborah Campbell Leave a Comment

Google-backed Magic Leap is making the internet go crazy with their latest YouTube trailer titled – Just another day in the office at Magic Leap. Their augmented reality steam punk shooter is fresh, and crisp, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves and fall in the band wagon just yet. It’s not the first time we were promised a superb AR, or VR game only to be left outside in the rain – the only place where nobody can see you cry.

“This is a game we’re playing around the office right now (no robots were harmed in the making of this video),” said Magic Leap PR head Andy Fouché.

CEO Rony Abovitz was supposed to appear at a TED talk to speak about the game two months ago, but they pulled out unexpectedly – the reasons are still unknown to why the event was cancelled.

The video game bears Dr. Grordbort’s emblem – it’s a line of steam punk guns, comic books. It was created by an artist at the Weta Workshop, who is known to be a long-time partner of Magic Leap.

The whole game is basically a first person shooter where the player can use real steam punk weapons to fend off a swarm of crazy bloodthirsty robots that possibly want to enslave humanity. YOU are the only one standing in their way.

Pretty cool mechanics if you ask me – turning decorative guns into virtual weapons, and the virtual enemies are projected in into your physical space. Although this mean that you must buy the said decorative weapons from the Weta Workshop, and you’ll need a pretty big space for you to play in.

The prototype has been kept under a tight sealed lid, and nobody actually knows anything about its technological capabilities. What we know is that Google, Qualcomm, Andreessen Horowitz and Kleiner Perkins have invested $540 million.

At first glance, you can say that Magic Leap is trying to build Google Glass on steroids, but we all know how Google’s product resulted – a mediocre device that didn’t fulfil even the tinniest of promises.

A similar product is Microsoft’s HoloLens, and we’ve seen it in action at Microsoft Build 2015 – also, check out our article regarding the top announcements made at Microsoft Build 2015.

Here’s the YouTube trailer that involves having way too much fun at the office.

Besides just having mindless fun, you can see that Magic Leap’s gear can interact with Gmail and YouTube, and you can plaster the apps anywhere. Probably even make them follow you around.

Image Source: 1, 2, 3

Categories