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[Azih]

This headset doesn't do any of that obviously. This headset is basically at 3DS level AR.

Nah the headset is all you need so it needs to gesture track and eye track and take in input from your actions and process them and all of that stuff.

There's an insane amount of clever software and nifty sensors that MS had to code and build to get even the stage demo working.

AR cards are not even remotely the same thing. This thing has Kinect 3.0 kind of sensors in it to be able to do what it does.

 

[StudioTan]

This headset doesn't do any of that obviously. This headset is basically at 3DS level AR.

Doesn't the 3DS AR need cards? How is that the same thing as what this is doing?

 

[Kinitari]

3DS does that with AR cards and tracks your movement with gyros.

... I mean, there is no QR codes in play here. These sensors are objectifying, in 3D, your environment. Mapping it. And then the application of sophisticated (often physics based) software overlays that mapping. Tracking your eyes are integral to things like... depth recognition and object of focus recognition - so it knows, hey - you're looking at that plant over there - oh what kind of plant is it? It's a ficus. The ability to map and overlay your 3D modeled environment -removes- the need for physical cues like AR/QR codes. It's now more like "Wall A, Wall B, Chair A, Chair B" - and with a proper database, it will understand the correct software applications for their recognized objects. You can put a TV on a wall. You can sit an imaginary friend on a chair.

 

[Guy.brush]

Hmm so stereoscopic movies were labeled 3D, now this gets labeled holographic.
Weird marketing.
Holograms from typical understanding should be seeable by everyone without a VR device no?

 

[efyu_lemonardo]

At the very least it looks like they nailed markerless tracking. And then some of the software shown looks quite impressive in its own right.

Hmm so stereoscopic movies were labeled 3D, now this gets labeled holographic.
Weird marketing.
Holograms from typical understanding should be seeable by everyone without a VR device no?

The big difference between stereoscopic 3D and this is that the objects being projected onto the display here aren't a composite of two fixed images. Two people viewing the same object from different positions will see different images, unlike stereoscopic 3D.

edit: here's an image from the video demonstrating what I mean:

 

[Lionel Mandrake]

Back to the Future Part 2 redeemed.

 

[soundahfekz]

Game of War to reach 1 billion in sales

 

[jett]

At the very least it looks like they nailed markerless tracking. And the some of the software shown looks quite impressive in its own right.

The only thing they've really shown is the "quadcopter" demo. Everything else was CGI bollocks.

 

[efyu_lemonardo]

The only thing they've really shown is the "quadcopter" demo. Everything else was CGI bollocks.

even that demo, I was skeptical about it...

 

[GuitarAtomik]

Anyone link this article yet "Wired: Microsoft in the Age of Satya Nadella"? Pretty in depth.

The only thing they've really shown is the "quadcopter" demo. Everything else was CGI bollocks.

Pretty much all the hands on demos I'm reading had three demos: The one we saw on stage, An environmental one that sounds like the Mars set up in the promo vid, and platformer game played in the environment. The article I just linked also describes being demoed what sounds like the person coaching someone through Skype on how to fix a pipe in the promo vid.

 

[Fafalada]

Hmm so stereoscopic movies were labeled 3D, now this gets labeled holographic.

They look like common sci-fi rendition of holograms to the user (semi-transparent, non-corporeal, and floating in actual space) - so it's as good a term as any I guess.

 

[Guy.brush]

At the very least it looks like they nailed markerless tracking. And then some of the software shown looks quite impressive in its own right.



The big difference between stereoscopic 3D and this is that the objects being projected onto the display here aren't a composite of two fixed images. Two people viewing the same object from different positions will see different images, unlike stereoscopic 3D

I was just comparing using the word "holographic" when talking about a VR glasses devices is akin to calling stereoscopic movies 3D when they are really just fake 3D.
For me holographic is something you can see visibly with the naked eye, projected onto a stream of air/water using lasers or other techniques.

 

[Garrett 2U]

Anyone link this article yet "Wired: Microsoft in the Age of Satya Nadella"? Pretty in depth.

Pretty much 3DS level AR technology...

Spoiler

shakes head at the trolls

 

[jett]

even that demo, I was skeptical about it...

I'm def skeptical of perfect, no-hitches voice recognition. Reminds me of their Kinect stage demos which turned to be fake.

 

[Kinitari]

I'm def skeptical of perfect, no-hitches voice recognition. Reminds me of their Kinect stage demos which turned to be fake.

I'm not too skeptical, I think a lot of experts in the field are saying in the next few years voice recognition will be better than human voice recognition. As it is now, use some of the best voice recognition software and you might be really impressed.

 

[efyu_lemonardo]

I was just comparing using the word "holographic" when talking about a VR glasses devices is akin to calling stereoscopic movies 3D when they are really just fake 3D.
For me holographic is something you can see visibly with the naked eye, projected onto a stream of air/water using lasers or other techniques.

If you concede it has to be projected onto something in order to be visible, then it's not exactly visible to the naked eye, in the strictest sense. You're basically using the water or smoke as a screen.

I think the bigger differentiator is that the object can be viewed simultaneously from any position and orientation. That's the thing that sells the illusion to our brain that this is actually present in the environment.

In case you missed my edit:

You can't do this with regular stereoscopic 3D.

 

[Frog-fu]

I can't wait for this tech to become viable for everyday consumers.

 

[Vyer]

Augmented reality is innovative now? I think the word you're looking for is polished. They took something that has existed for decades and turned it into a well realized (presumably, if we trust them) consumer product.

innovation is not the same as invention.

If MS has taken the base technology and turned it into a well realized, useful product that they have improved on then yes, that is innovative.

 

[mrklaw]

This headset (or at least in it's product demos) has object recognition and eye tracking, and can read terabytes of sensor produced data at once. I don't want to sound insulted, because I have no part in this product - but if they can even get a digital to stay put on a wall, that is a monumental achievement and should not be downplayed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1PG2uSwEKs

if a Vita can do it in a basic sense, throwing significantly more sensor and processor power at the problem should be able to do it well.

We saw in the demo a floating object which doesn't require accurate tagging to a surface, and a person standing on a flat square surface which should be easy to track. I'm sure it is impressive but this is really building on things that have been increasing in capability over recent years.

 

[Effnine]

Possibilities with this seem fantastic ... more interested in this than VR ...

 

[Jzero]

Can't wait to work like Fitz & Simmons

 

[Guy.brush]

If you concede it has to be projected onto something in order to be visible, then it's not exactly visible to the naked eye, in the strictest sense. You're basically using the water or smoke as a screen.

I think the bigger differentiator is that the object can be viewed simultaneously from any position and orientation. That's the thing that sells the illusion to our brain that this is actually present in the environment.

In case you missed my edit:



You can't do this with regular stereoscopic 3D.

Didn't miss it. I get it. It just feels to me like it is still gimmicky and took the word "hologram" to appear more advanced than it actually is. It is AR based on real-time tracking which has been around for 10 years now.
You will still need your closed glasses for VR, your half-closed glasses for AR and your active/non-active 3D glasses for stereoscopic.
I think as long as you have this level of disconnect from "naked eye"/contact lens/implant, this stuff will never be fully mainstream. Proof is in the pudding of course, so we will see.
One big step would be to get unified VR/AR/3D movie glasses as light as possible, not heavier than normal ones.

 

[Oppo]

This headset (or at least in it's product demos) has object recognition and eye tracking, and can read terabytes of sensor produced data at once. I don't want to sound insulted, because I have no part in this product - but if they can even get a digital to stay put on a wall, that is a monumental achievement and should not be downplayed.

where are you getting terabytes of data?

this is a very promising demo and it looks like cool tech. surely this is the Fortaleza thing we've heard about for a while.

however the Milo Principle warns me to be cautious. I look forward to see if a shipping product, and not hopefully a thread on here in a year or so saying "sooo... what happened to holograms".

 

[God Dayumm]

Disappointed it is not actual hologram. But that would only be possible if we bend light in intricate patterns by arranging your moms around a projecting device

 

[Nerd_Incognito]

This is a fantastic step in the right direction, but as someone with poor eyesight and who has to wear glasses & contacts, I'll be much more interested in true room projection holograms like we've only seen in film / tv.

 

[Kinitari]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1PG2uSwEKs

if a Vita can do it in a basic sense, throwing significantly more sensor and processor power at the problem should be able to do it well.

We saw in the demo a floating object which doesn't require accurate tagging to a surface, and a person standing on a flat square surface which should be easy to track. I'm sure it is impressive but this is really building on things that have been increasing in capability over recent years.

Of course, and the nature of tech is iterative, and rarely explosive - it builds off a lot of technology. That being said, there are a few key differences (if the tech is to be believed) - this doesn't just look for a pointed at flat plane and create a simple surface, this models many objects in a perimeter and keeps object permanence. It seems significantly quicker at the markerless AR as well. I mean markerless AR has been around for a while, but it's functionality has been hampered by both processing constraints and user experience (AR with glasses >>>>> AR with a handheld device).

where are you getting terabytes of data?

this is a very promising demo and it looks like cool tech. surely this is the Fortaleza thing we've heard about for a while.

however the Milo Principle warns me to be cautious. I look forward to see if a shipping product, and not hopefully a thread on here in a year or so saying "sooo... what happened to holograms".

The second video at this link talks more about the hardware
http://www.theverge.com/2015/1/21/7867593/microsoft-announces-windows-holographic

 

[mrklaw]

Of course, and the nature of tech is iterative, and rarely explosive - it builds off a lot of technology. That being said, there are a few key differences (if the tech is to be believed) - this doesn't just look for a pointed at flat plane and create a simple surface, this models many objects in a perimeter and keeps object permanence. It seems significantly quicker at the markerless AR as well. I mean markerless AR has been around for a while, but it's functionality has been hampered by both processing constraints and user experience (AR with glasses >>>>> AR with a handheld device).

Richard Marx did a presentation (Which was the video I was looking for) where he shows the vita doing markerless AR in a complex environment, not just a flat surface.

but you're right of course on your overall point. I was just replying to someone who seemed to think it was a magical jump, when really it feels like a logical extension of what has been done so far - albeit things that maybe the wider public hasn't seen. Plus there seems to be a big gap between the demo on stage and the video 'target'. Although the wired hands-on sounded good.

 

[Kinitari]

Richard Marx did a presentation (Which was the video I was looking for) where he shows the vita doing markerless AR in a complex environment, not just a flat surface.

but you're right of course on your overall point. I was just replying to someone who seemed to think it was a magical jump, when really it feels like a logical extension of what has been done so far - albeit things that maybe the wider public hasn't seen. Plus there seems to be a big gap between the demo on stage and the video 'target'. Although the wired hands-on sounded good.

I think we're on the same page then - I hope you're at least a fraction as excited as me

 

[Zamorro]

Anyone link this article yet "Wired: Microsoft in the Age of Satya Nadella"?.

From the article:

By the time Project HoloLens comes to market toward the end of this year, it'll weigh about 400 grams, or about the same as a high-end bike helmet. Microsoft's new operating system, Windows 10, powers it, so any developer can program for it.

Is it really coming out this year? It seems weird that this information is hidden in the middle of some article.

 

[Thug Waffle]

How long until Minority Report?

 

[Kinitari]

From the article:


Is it really coming out this year? It seems weird that this information is hidden in the middle of some article.

They probably want to beat magic leap to market.

 

[Anton Sugar]

From the article:


Is it really coming out this year? It seems weird that this information is hidden in the middle of some article.

In the presentation, he said SOMETHING similar to "this will launch in the same timeframe as Windows 10". That's not EXACT, I can't remember the quote, but it sounded very much like they want it to be out this year or within the same year as the Windows 10 launch.

How long until Minority Report?

This is Minority Report

Spoiler

if everyone in Minority Report wore headsets.

 

[GuitarAtomik]

From the article:


Is it really coming out this year? It seems weird that this information is hidden in the middle of some article.

It sounds like a version will be available to devs this year for sure. I'm not sure if that's what they're referring to though or whether that will be available for anyone to buy ala the Rift.

 

[Sub_Level]

I can see application for this in cooking. You get handy prompts telling you measurements and countdowns that are more readily visible.

 

[efyu_lemonardo]

Didn't miss it. I get it. It just feels to me like it is still gimmicky and took the word "hologram" to appear more advanced than it actually is. It is AR based on real-time tracking which has been around for 10 years now.
You will still need your closed glasses for VR, your half-closed glasses for AR and your active/non-active 3D glasses for stereoscopic.
I think as long as you have this level of disconnect from "naked eye"/contact lens/implant, this stuff will never be fully mainstream. Proof is in the pudding of course, so we will see.
One big step would be to get unified VR/AR/3D movie glasses as light as possible, not heavier than normal ones.

If it works as well as the demo and promotional video suggest, it's not gimmicky at all. In fact it could be far less gimmicky than VR.
The fact that it doesn't obscure your normal visual field is a huge factor.

 

[Chittagong]

The way they've been actively hiding information it's hard to tell - but I thought ML was suggestively hinting at google-free holograms - which is what made all the fairy-dust PR stuff so hard to take seriously so far.

Their patents would suggest a headset

http://www.wired.com/2015/01/magic-leaps-vision-for-virtual-reality/

Magic Leap has been secretive about how their system works technically, but a plethora of disclosures in their filings provide the broad outline. A lightweight head-mounted device will house a tiny projector comprised of bespoke prisms and lenses that will beam images onto the user’s retinas creating a “dynamic digitized light field signal.” Apps, powered by mobile devices or body worn computers, will generate a steady stream of fantastic creatures and surreal tableaus delivered with stereo speakers and at 60 frames per second. Infrared positioning cameras, GPS modules, and multi-axis accelerometers will blend these otherworldly images with more banal surroundings of a basement man cave.

 

[Irishmantis]

OMG we are living the right age peeps

Google Earth Street view is gonna be a whole new level

cant wait till they find a perfect balance to blend AR and VR then i can die in peace

 

[Guevara]

Their patents would suggest a headset

http://www.wired.com/2015/01/magic-leaps-vision-for-virtual-reality/

That's too bad. I mean, I sort of realized it had to work like that, but the exciting thing about MagicLeap was maybe they were trying something different.

 

[John Kowalski]

i'm not wearing that thing on top of my glasses

 

[hal9001]

 

[Sylver]

Would be cool on contact lenses.

 

[Sesuadra]

Can you guys get Cortana model into HoloLens?

First they still have to fix MCC

 

[Gnome Scat]

Augmented Reality kicks ass.

 

[itxaka]

Heavy rain spoilers:

Spoiler

do you die if you use them too much

Heavy Rain spoilers:

Spoiler

JASOOOOOOON, JAAAAAAASOOOOOON

 

[Azulsky]

Brb rewatching Denno Coil

 

[Random Painted HIghway]

Looks really cool. I can guarantee that I will be wretching within moments of trying this out, though.

 

[The Cowboy]

Well i was expecting MS to announce something like Oculus or Morpheus, but this looks well just - WOW.

If they can pull this off, then god dam i cannot wait until i can get to use it.

 

[StudioTan]

Looks really cool. I can guarantee that I will be wretching within moments of trying this out, though.

No, likely not, not unless you generally throw up just by moving and walking around. This isn't VR, with this you will still see your surroundings, just additional stuff that isn't there will be added to what you see.

 

[Anton Sugar]

Aaaah, Skype as a collaborative tool for work with HoloLens makes much more sense than just standard Skyping.

 

[SigmasonicX]

This article by PC Magazine does make an interesting point, in that this would probably be far more palatable to the general public than Google Glass. The very fact that it is somewhat bulky and conspicuous, and that it may not necessarily have a long enough battery life to be carried around everywhere, means that there is less incentive to use it outside, thus restricting its uses to home and social situations where you can easily get permission for it to be used by everyone present. This means there's less likely to be outrage about this.