Hololens please explain!

[adamjoshuhill]

Hello everyone my name is Adam. I've been on the site now for a while but I never created an account until now because I'd like some feedback/explanation

Hololense... I will admit I don't get it (I understand the technology but don't understand how it'll be used in the real world)

This is my opinion on it (not a troll post), maybe I don't get it, if I don't feel free to explain it to me

I read a lot of people saying that it'll be useful in business and at home. I don't necessarily agree with this and I'll explain why:

Firstly in business, let's be honest here, no one really needs to view spreadsheets in 3D on hololens? I'm also hearing that it will be embraced by designers. I also disagree with that.
I work in an architectural firm in the design department (apparently the perfect candidates for the hololens). We most of the time work together in a team so there is a lot of collaborating between my peers and manager on ideas. One of the hololens vides showed a lady designing a motorbike in hololens, now that's all good an all but what happens when you want to show your model to someone? Well that person would have to have a hololens as well. And what if you need to show it to a second person? Well then that person would also need a hololens. It. And if you wanted to present your design to a group of people well then they'll all need hololens. It starts to become a very expensive exercise. We've already solved this dilemma however: monitors. Relatively cheap these days and no special hardware required for a lot of people to view content.

Secondly, hololens at home;
I'm was really wondering who the targeted demographic are but after some thought I think I know. Now my answer is going to offend people but here me out. I don't think Microsoft have realised this but I think the only people interested in using something like this at home are 17 - 35 single men. I say this because as 'cool' as the demos where at their conference there is no way my wife would let me wear that around the house, and honesty I wouldn't want to because I wouldn't want her wearing that around the house either. I can't imagine watching TV or even cooking wearing it. It's literally in your face. You can't communicate with anyone wearing it. Too intrusive. Funny thing I felt the exact way when Google showed the glass.

[Side note: same reaction to the Xbox One and Kinect. If you watch the launch videos even though they have women in them at the end when the actors are at home using the Kinect they are all alone, every single one of them, no kids, no spouse. It stuck out to me as this is how Microsoft expect the Kinect to be used!]

I may have completely missed the point of the hololens and so I'm asking for you guys to help me understand it. I hope we can be civil about it and I look forward to a productive discussion.

Adam

 

[N_LaRUE]

Like all technology, we don't fully have a 'need' for something until something comes along and shows us why it might be a good idea to have.

Take smartphones. You don't really need a smartphone. We were just fine before they came along. Now everyone wants one and feels they need it. Some people panic at the thought of not having theirs. Some people's whole lives are wrapped up in their smartphones. But yet, we don't really need one.

Hololens is a technology, like virtual reality (which never took off, but seems to be coming back), is something that will eventually find it's way into our lives. Maybe not the first revision but eventually as technology gets smaller.

I think there's a lot of things we don't know about Hololens that makes it difficult to see its benefits. There's suggestion of using it as a teaching tool for med students for example. Then there's the design aspect (I work in engineering so understand where you're coming from) but I think it's more conceptual design rather than practical. I think the finished design can be viewed on a regular computer.

As for the home thing, I sort of agree with you. Until the technology gets smaller or is different I can't see this being used by families or even couples. Then the question to ask do we want to live in a virtual world... well lots of people do already so next step?

Well Hololens be mainstream? For some it's the 'perfect' device they've been looking for. For others, it will be the question, 'why?'. Like all new tech. It will take time to make inroads.

Until it's released and being used we'll be left wondering where this is heading.

 

[grahamf]

It'll be another device that replaces the laptop or desktop for some (but not all) people. A programmer can fill his workspace with active files, debugging and compile windows, reference documents, and the almighty Google. A 3D or Autocad designer could use it to better visualize how their project will look like when brought to the real world. A gamer could have a virtual screen bigger and better than what he can current afford or fit into his current location. Someone with kids or who can't have a proper office could set up a secretary desk to stow/lock it in when not in use. Hell, cubicle workers could use it for sensitive work that they can't have someone peering over their shoulder at.

It doesn't work as well for groups unless everyone has one, but it works well for everything else.

 

[Witness]

It's just new tech. Using the Smartphone concept, did anyone really preconceive that one would use a phone to look for houses for sale, make fart noises, tap into IP video cameras, tap into other phones with cameras streaming live (Periscope), communicate with your watch, or train/track your runs? Pretty much no. This is no different, but many recognize that it could be a game changer.

At work for what you do, I can see it being helpful to see a 3D rendering of building you're working on where you can modify as if you're working with clay. Then, looking over at a "monitor" on the side, you'd see the numerical data change as you're working - that CAD software you may already be using. When it comes time to showing your work, it would still be in the traditional sense of monitors and paper. Having shared or individual Hololens would be great though so people can walk around your model and see it from different angles.

At home, I would probably use it while cooking. Dock a TV screen next to the stove and maybe a web browser next to it. Since it's Augmented Reality, I can still see what's going on in the pan. I already do this anyways with my Surface Pro3 to keep me entertained when it's my turn to cook. You mentioned that your wife would never let you wear it at home,but it's not like the Hololens shuts you out of the world like say Oculus Rift. You can still see through it and unless you're streaming something loud, you will still be able to hear her.

On a side note, the discussion of headmounted displays reminds me of this artwork found on DeviantArt.

Link: Reality 1920x1200 by EranFolio on DeviantArt

 

[adamjoshuhill]

Thanks for the reply. I noticed in the video that pretty much all the actions in controlling objects in the hololens world involved raising your arms and waving them around, I can't imagine doing that for 9 hours 5 days a week

 

[adamjoshuhill]

Thank for the reply. I'm beginning to think my attitude to this would be the complete lack of interaction between people when you're wearing it, no so much the technology. I just personally in my life I interact with people all the time and I don't think I'd be able to cope if everyone is basically wearing a crash helmet. I even find it hard to talk to people with sunglasses on (when indoors, outside I the sun is fine) so this amplifies the problem. I guess this is my issue with it.

 

[Johnny5point6]

I am a digital retoucher, and photographer and digital painter. Often I just have to spend time brainstorming about upcoming projects, and although the Surface has greatly improved what I can do for brainstorming and collecting data, I would love to be able to sprawl out my digital content and walk around through it in three dimensions to get a better understanding. I can hardly imagine how this will work, or even that it has the ability to multitask like this, but the very idea that we are going to get the first glimpse of this kind of tech blows my mind. It might be a lot of hype for something that is not that practical....for now. Until someone figures out that application that can only be viewed as a "hologram." Like other posters said, technology like the smart phone aren't something we "needed" in fact, it seemed downright stupid to me when I first heard of it. "Why would anyone need that much information at their finger tips...?!" Now, it is the most used piece of tech in my life.

 

[N_LaRUE]

Thank for the reply. I'm beginning to think my attitude to this would be the complete lack of interaction between people when you're wearing it, no so much the technology.

You could say the same thing is happening with smartphones already though I get where you're coming from. Technology is starting to become more and more a barrier to communication and interaction rather than complementary.

I just personally in my life I interact with people all the time and I don't think I'd be able to cope if everyone is basically wearing a crash helmet. I even find it hard to talk to people with sunglasses on (when indoors, outside I the sun is fine) so this amplifies the problem. I guess this is my issue with it.

At this point in time Hololens will be more personal than group unless everyone has one. It would appear that this particular technology is being geared towards certain games and more conceptual design thinking. Doesn't mean that won't change in time but that seems to be the starting point.

I don't see this being mainstream at this point but I wouldn't be surprised if 'virtual reality' has a second crack at things and we'll all have the ability to visit nice beaches without leaving our homes one day.

 

[adamjoshuhill]

Hey thanks for your reply, as you and others have stated hololens could work as a pre-vis tool where you can "get" into you're digital environment and see things from a different perspective, an issue with that is you'll need and fairly big dedicated empty space for it to work. If I did that in my work space I'll be forever crashing into desk/chairs/people.

In saying that I can imagine someone incorporating it with something like lazor tag, buying a massive warehouse/piece of land and creating a very intense game of Halo!

 

[Motor_Mouth]

I work in an architectural firm in the design department (apparently the perfect candidates for the hololens). We most of the time work together in a team so there is a lot of collaborating between my peers and manager on ideas. One of the hololens vides showed a lady designing a motorbike in hololens, now that's all good an all but what happens when you want to show your model to someone? Well that person would have to have a hololens as well.

Does everyone at work have their own workstation? Why then wouldn't everyone also have their own HoloLens? You work for architects, they can afford it.

And what if you need to show it to a second person? Well then that person would also need a hololens.

Or you could, I assume, stream it to a TV screen or PC monitor.

And if you wanted to present your design to a group of people well then they'll all need hololens.

Again, you would be able to stream it or pre-record the output and show them as a video. You have to remember that, first and foremost, it is a Windows 10 PC, so all the stuff you can do with your laptop or desktop should be possible with HoloLens, too, within the limits of its connectivity.

I don't think Microsoft have realised this but I think the only people interested in using something like this at home are 17 - 35 single men. I say this because as 'cool' as the demos where at their conference there is no way my wife would let me wear that around the house, and honesty I wouldn't want to because I wouldn't want her wearing that around the house either.

Why not? Do you not let each other sit in front of your computer, tablet and/or smartphone at home?

I can't imagine watching TV or even cooking wearing it. It's literally in your face. You can't communicate with anyone wearing it.

I communicate with people whilst wearing my mirrored sunglasses all the time. Why would this be any different?

Too intrusive.

In what way?

I may have completely missed the point of the hololens and so I'm asking for you guys to help me understand it. I hope we can be civil about it and I look forward to a productive discussion.

I expect my HoloLens to replace my tablet from the day I buy it. I expect it will be able to do all the things I do on my tablet to at least the same standard. Those things are mainly surfing the 'net, reading books, listening to music, creating music and doing a bit of desktop work with Adobe Creative Suite and other pro graphics apps.

In addition, I hope to be able to use it to watch streaming TV/film content from the likes of Netflix, something I'm not currently bothered with because it's too much hassle to get it running through my TV and it's too small to be enjoyable on my tablet or phone. I also expect it will be better at desktop applications than my tablet, given it's newer, faster processor and greatly improved graphics capability. Because it has headphones built in, it means it will replace my tablet and Sennheiser Momentums, which means it shouldn't be any bulkier to carry around, making it brilliant for listening to music on the go.

And this is just what I'll use it for that I do now. Who knows what I'll be using it for in a year or two. I remember in the mid-60s when we got the phone on at home. Most families didn't have one but they all got by fine without, as had we. But once we had one, we couldn't believe we ever managed without it. Then came mobile phones. Nobody needed those, either, until they got one. By the turn of the century we all wondered how we ever got by without. Now we all have smartphones and can't imagine we ever got through the day with the phones we had 5 or 6 years ago.

Interestingly, I don't think anyone feels that way about their iPad or other tablet, but it hasn't hurt sales of those things, has it?

Thanks for the reply. I noticed in the video that pretty much all the actions in controlling objects in the hololens world involved raising your arms and waving them around, I can't imagine doing that for 9 hours 5 days a week

In one of the videos they show someone using a mouse with HoloLens, too. Again, it is really just a Windows 10 PC and will work with all the same wireless peripherals.

Thank for the reply. I'm beginning to think my attitude to this would be the complete lack of interaction between people when you're wearing it, no so much the technology. I just personally in my life I interact with people all the time and I don't think I'd be able to cope if everyone is basically wearing a crash helmet. I even find it hard to talk to people with sunglasses on (when indoors, outside I the sun is fine) so this amplifies the problem. I guess this is my issue with it.

If it stops people trying to interact with me, then that's another big point in its favour.

 

[Loco5150]

One word: Porn

 

[Greywolf1967]

I find the Human Body demo from Build is a good example of what Hololens could become. As we go forward, schools are still having trouble in teaching the inner workings of the Human Body as less people donate their body to research and teaching.

This could free up what bodies they do have so that the advanced students can learn hands on, while the newer students get the basics with a virtual body.

Hololens right now is on par with AutoCAD in 3D render, simulation, and the ability to look in depth at a 3d Model. This could save design teams both time and money, before they ever move something to a scale model for display.....as some scale model displays can run into huge sums of money, as they are one off items.

As said before is this a must have item.......No, but it is an advancement to better things!!!

I am sure when the first version of AutoCAD came around Old school Designers said..."Blue Prints on Computers will never work, or catch on!"

Try and find an Old school hand drawn with a T square Blue Print.....everything comes from computers now.

 

[adamjoshuhill]

Does everyone at work have their own workstation? Why then wouldn't everyone also have their own HoloLens? You work for architects, they can afford it.

Everyone has their own work stations but we also have monitors, a current working solution to hololens, and it’s not a matter of if we can afford it’s if there is a need for it.

Again, you would be able to stream it or pre-record the output and show them as a video. You have to remember that, first and foremost, it is a Windows 10 PC, so all the stuff you can do with your laptop or desktop should be possible with HoloLens, too, within the limits of its connectivity.

Streaming to a TV or PC monitors also proves my point; you already gonna have monitors in your office so the point of also have hololens is…? Also if I want to show someone in my group something all they have to do it turn around and face my monitor, doesn’t get much easier than that

Funnily enough we had a HR get a consultant to come in and asses our workstation and how we sat, monitor and keyboard placement, chair height stuff like that. She also made a recommendation (which is now business wide) that we all take 5 minute breaks from our computers every 45 minutes to walk around the office, drink some water, go to the toilet. I can’t imagine the replicating that scenario with hololenses strapped to our heads.

Why not? Do you not let each other sit in front of your computer, tablet and/or smartphone at home?

Yes but there is also talking and (cough cough) activities (cough cough) and we're not quite at the 'mask wearing' stage yet :wink:

 

[rhapdog]

It is my opinion that it will be quite some time before it has reached the point to be useful in your everyday drafting situations.

However, there are a number of professions where the technology will be useful right away. The International Space Station is getting 2 right away, and will receive more later. Imagine an astronaut needing to effect a repair that he wasn't prepared for, as the system wasn't expected to malfunction. The astronaut dons the HoloLens, and someone on Earth can see what he sees, and use Skype to draw on objects in the environment around him using his HoloLens. Instructions can be given with augmented details.

The same can be true for a small hospital when a trauma patient comes in and there isn't the proper specialist needed available. By the time a specialist would arrive or by the time the patient could be air transported to the nearest trauma center, the patient could be dead. If the surgeon at the small hospital puts on a HoloLens, he can be stepped through the procedure and the patient can be saved. Imagine that.

There are many practical uses today. Pretty much any use for the home will be "bragging rights" for someone for a while, in my opinion. Nothing needed, but a lot of "cool" factor to show off with. If you're married, it won't really matter to you. If you need a virtual wife and virtual dog for company, then you might consider it... or consider therapy... or consider just getting out more so you can meet that girl.

As excited as I am about the HoloLens tech, I am excited about the things it can help mankind achieve through exploration and the quest for more knowledge, but not about owning one myself. It will, however, be a precursor of things to come. Someday, a holotable to project images above a table. Then, in a few hundred more years, maybe, we'll have holodecks like on Star Trek with fully interactive characters. I won't hold my breath for it being in my lifetime, but you never know.

 

[Somna]

You could say the same thing is happening with smartphones already though I get where you're coming from. Technology is starting to become more and more a barrier to communication and interaction rather than complementary.

What I think is such a game changer about the HoloLens is that it starts to bring reality back into our digital lives. Instead of staring at your phone/monitor/[other display device here] you will actually care about what else in in the room with you.

While I agree that the group dynamics of the HoloLens is a pricey proposition, I see it eventually replacing desktop computers, not to mention large display devices that would traditionally be used to present to a group. The price could balance out or be cheaper overall, depending on what it is priced at.

 

[Christian Erali]

So, is the consensus of this thread that currently HoloLens is a neat tool, something that might see niche application with certain peoples or occupations?

This is often the situation with most new technologies and I guess my additional question is, how long do we have to wait for it to become mainstream? Are we just waiting for that killer app? I have always been excited about the idea of augmented reality, the idea of a seamless bend between our digital lives and our normal lives seems like such a cool idea. Personally, I blame my enthusiasm thanks to games like Mass Effect and Deus Ex: Human Revolution. So, how far away are we from living in the future?

 

[taymur]

I think that's what people said about PCs, Smartphones, and any new tech that ever showed up before.

How about this game on hololens;

http://youtu.be/2sj2iQyBTQs

 

[astondg]

Does everyone at work have their own workstation? Why then wouldn't everyone also have their own HoloLens? You work for architects, they can afford it.

Everyone has their own work stations but we also have monitors, a current working solution to hololens, and it?s not a matter of if we can afford it?s if there is a need for it.

In my opinion HoloLens isn't supposed to be a replacement for a monitor/tv/etc. in every case. It's a tool that you can use, in a way like you might use a Wacom digitizer for example. So someone can design the motorbike wearing HoloLens but it will still just be a 3D model that someone else can then open on their monitor in 3DSMax or display on a T.V. or whatever.

At this stage very few people know what HoloLens can provide in the design space but I can imagine that being able to work and visualise fully in 3 dimensions might help with at least faster prototyping. So one use case might be someone wearing the HoloLens to quickly get a prototype put together and then returning to a monitor to fill out the details and get feedback from the team. Or HoloLens might be used at the other end of the process to add finishing touches to a design when you can easily visualise it.

And while HoloLens might not assist with collaboration on-site it opens up some opportunities for remote teams, or team members. In a simple example two people could collaborate on a 3D motorcycle design while in different cities with a Skype video call and the design right in front of them.

For a design, engineering or architecture firm HoloLens could also be a great way to show a design to a client, both on-site or remote. The put on the HoloLens and you walk them through their new home for example.

Anyway, like I said I don't think HoloLens is necessarily a replacement for other screens or for collaboration or anything really. I think it's a tool, like any other tech, and it's up to you to figure out how it can best assist you. I think it offers a lot of exciting opportunities.

 

[grahamf]

it all depends on the cost and capabilities. Initially I expect it to cost over $1,000, but it will be a must-have for anyone who works with 3D design. As a potential Machinist I could use one with MasterCAM to visualize how a pert will look when it's sent to a CNC mill and such.

As price comes down it can become a cheaper/competitive alternative to a multiple monitor setup, while providing a level of privacy that having your client's information plastered on 32" screens can't provide.

I can see a setup such as a compact (and closing) secratary desk with only a Hololens and keyboard sitting in the corner of a study or living room, while providing the experience of an intimidating gaming setup.