Scott Erickson on Microsoft HoloLens | #ProductSF 2016 | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

Microsoft's Hololens is a fully untethered holographic computer that aims to change the paradigm of personal computing by allowing natural interaction, enhancing the world around us, and revolutionizing holographic experiences.

Key Insights

• 🌍 Hololens represents a paradigm shift in personal computing, focusing on natural interaction, enhancing the real world with digital elements, and revolutionizing holographic experiences.
• 👾 The device has applications in various industries, including space exploration, medicine, education, design, and entertainment.
• 😑 Microsoft views Hololens as a new medium for artistic expression and creation, with a vast potential for future development and innovation.
• 🎖️ The military, NASA, and companies like Lowe's and automotive manufacturers have already started utilizing Hololens for various purposes.
• 💦 Hololens is part of the evolution of computing, where technology has finally advanced enough to understand human interaction and work in accordance with our needs.
• 🎨 The device's untethered design, transparent lenses, powerful processing unit, and 3D positional audio contribute to a seamless and immersive mixed reality experience.
• 👻 Hololens utilizes gaze, gesture, and voice inputs, allowing for a more natural and intuitive interaction with the device.

Transcript

I'm excited to welcome Scott Erickson up to Sage he's a general manager of hololens at Microsoft which is what they call the world's first fully untethered holographic computer Scott has over 15 years of consumer brand marketing the designing experience he's been a Microsoft for a long time building products like Xbox and zune let's welcome Scott E... Read More

Questions & Answers

Q: How does Hololens differ from virtual reality and augmented reality?

While virtual reality creates a completely digital world and augmented reality overlays fixed digital elements onto the real world, Hololens offers a mixed reality experience that seamlessly blends the physical and virtual worlds, adapting to the user's environment.

Q: What are the inputs for interacting with Hololens?

Hololens supports gaze, gesture, and voice input. Users can use their eyes as a cursor, gesture with their hands for movement and selection, and utilize voice commands for various actions, providing a natural and intuitive way to interact with the device.

Q: What are some possible consumer applications for Hololens?

With advancements in technology and increasing consumer adoption, Hololens has the potential to be used in various aspects of daily life, such as home remodeling projects, immersive gaming experiences, entertainment, and even as a replacement for traditional computers.

Q: How did Microsoft decide to develop Hololens?

Microsoft's mission of empowering people through technology and the desire to redefine personal computing led to the development of Hololens. Learning from previous projects like Xbox and Kinect, Microsoft saw an opportunity to create a device that would change the way people interact with computers.

Summary

In this video, Scott Erickson, the General Manager of Hololens at Microsoft, introduces the world's first fully untethered holographic computer. He discusses the team's goal of evolving personal computing and changing the way we interact with technology. Erickson explains the concept of mixed reality, the capabilities of Hololens, and the potential impact on various industries. He shares examples of how the military, NASA, and businesses like Lowe's are already using Hololens. Erickson also discusses the future of this technology and its potential to become more mainstream.

Questions & Answers

Q: How did the telephone evolve from the string with tin cans concept?

The telephone evolved over the course of 200 years, with various improvements in materials and technology. It started with a simple string and tin cans setup, which allowed people to communicate over longer distances. As time went on, different materials were used for the string and cups, and there was even a revolutionary product release of a six-mile-long string. Eventually, new metals and improvements in electrical circuits were introduced, leading to the creation of the mobile phone in the mid-1970s. This shift in paradigm changed the way we communicate and led to the widespread adoption of mobile phones today.

Q: How does Hololens change the way we interact with computers?

Hololens aims to enhance the way we interact with computers by focusing on natural interaction. Instead of having to learn how to type or click a mouse, Hololens allows us to communicate with the computer in a way that it understands. We can speak to the device, move around, and gesture naturally, just like we do in our everyday lives. This shift in interaction makes technology more intuitive and empowers users to work more effectively with machines.

Q: What is the difference between virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality?

Virtual reality creates a digital world that obscures or obstructs the real world. Augmented reality, on the other hand, often refers to a fixed piece of information that is locked to the user and follows them around. Mixed reality, which is what Hololens offers, is a blend of virtual reality and augmented reality. It allows for the blending of the physical and virtual worlds, contextualizing the digital elements based on the user's environment. Mixed reality provides a unique and immersive experience that goes beyond virtual or augmented reality.

Q: How is Hololens being used by different industries?

Hololens has already been adopted by various industries. The military uses it for applications such as remote communication and training. NASA uses it to collaboratively analyze Mars rover information and provide virtual experiences to visitors. Lowe's, a home improvement store, uses Hololens to digitally overlay changes to their kitchen and bathroom displays, saving time and offering customers more options. These are just a few examples, and there is immense potential for Hololens to be used across different sectors, from education to entertainment.

Q: Will Hololens become more mainstream and widely used by consumers?

While Hololens is still in its early stages, the potential for it to become more mainstream is high. As the technology evolves, becoming smaller, lighter, more powerful, and with a wider range of applications, it is likely to become more appealing to regular consumers. Just like with previous technologies, such as cell phones and laptops, that were initially questioned for their practicality, Hololens has the potential to change the way we use technology and empower users in new ways.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Hololens is a wearable, lightweight, untethered holographic computer that combines elements of virtual reality and augmented reality to create a mixed reality experience.

• The device utilizes sensors, transparent lenses, a holographic processing unit, and 3D positional audio to immerse users in a world where digital assets are overlaid onto the real world.

• Hololens has various applications in fields like space exploration, medicine, education, and design, and has the potential to revolutionize the way we interact with technology.