HoloLens 2 and Azure Kinect

Today, in Barcelona, ​​Microsoft has unveiled some very interesting products, with Azure Kinect and HoloLens 2. Microsoft is trying to find a place in the world of the Internet of Things with Azure Kinect, by exploiting their tools high-end and their security models for IoT with proprietary hardware, and HoloLens 2 updated extends the use cases and technical specifications, while enhancing the usability and comfort.

HoloLens 2

Almost four years ago we started using HoloLens. Even if the first-generation helmet had field of view problems, you could always see HoloLens use cases instantly. Over the next four years, Microsoft has continued to complete the stack of software for HoloLens, which runs on Windows 10, providing developers with new tools and new cases of use to customers.

HoloLens, especially in the first generation, has never been targeted at end users, but rather at companies where the ability to model quickly and dynamically in 3D, such as architecture, medicine and NASA, for example.

HoloLens 2 builds on the success of the first model, while updating it with much newer hardware, and solving some of the typical problems of a first-generation device in a whole new area.

During the speech, Microsoft stated that HoloLens is the only holographic device that can display 47 pixels per degree of field of view. This allows users to read 8-point fonts on web pages, which was the example used during the presentation. This means that for each degree of vertical and horizontal view, there are 2209 pixels available from the MEMS display. HoloLens 2 solves the biggest problem of the original model by maintaining the same resolution, but doubling the field of view, which means that the new model is just as neat but that it will be much more immersive.

The HoloLens team also made the new model a lot more comfortable to wear for long periods. They approached this in a number of ways. They have digitized in 3D the heads of thousands of people of different ages, sexes and ethnicities to design the new HoloLens 2, which will suit more people. They also shifted the center of gravity of the device backwards to prevent the front of the headset from lowering and fatiguing the user. In addition, the new model provides Windows Hello authentication with Iris scanning and accurate eye tracking.

Finally, Microsoft reorganized the interaction model for HoloLens. One of the biggest problems of a new computer model such as this one is that people who go there have no experience using the computer. ;apparatus. This limits certain use cases. The new instinctive model provides highly accurate user hand models to allow precise hand tracking, allowing the user to interact with holograms in a way that was never possible before . The buttons, instead of being an abstract gesture, can now be manipulated directly by tapping on it. The demonstration showed one of the HoloLens developers on stage playing a virtual piano, which is terribly impressive.

The use cases of HoloLens 2 are still business-centric and Microsoft is announcing a new software suite called Dynamics 365 Guides for HoloLens 2, which enables companies to document processes and procedures in a virtual way, enabling new businesses HoloLens 2 workers actually use mixed step-by-step procedures on new tasks, allowing for better and faster transfer of knowledge between workers. This is of course only a case of use, but it does not take much imagination to see how powerful this can be.

Microsoft has never praised HoloLens' hardware specifications, nor does this seem to be the case for the new model. The original was based on the Intel Atom x-series processor, which was ironically canceled by Intel shortly after the launch of the original model. Some leaks prior to this launch point to the new Snapdragon 850 powered, which makes perfect sense for the performance and battery life needs of a device like this one. We will try to confirm it. It looks like it's a Snapdragon 850 device with a second-generation version of the Holgraphics processing unit from Microsoft.

HoloLens 2 is priced at $ 3,500 US and will be available later this year.

Azure Kinect

The other product announced today was Azure Kinect, a development kit that enables IoT-based devices to use computer vision and speech models based on their Azure Sphere ecosystem announced in August 2018.

Azure Kinect will offer both wide-vision and narrow-vision cameras, as well as the ability to chain multiple cameras for a panoramic view. As a development tool, Microsoft of Course offers software development kits (SDKs) and documentation to provide quick and easy starting points, but as for use cases, they will be numerous . The IoT continues to be a driving force behind computation today and, although Microsoft has offered IoT support with Windows 10 and Azure Sphere, it's all about makes sense for them to get out of the first party material in order to guarantee the use of their platforms. .

Azure Kinect is available for pre-order today for $ 399.