- HoloLens 2
is an all-in-one unit and won’t need to be tethered to a PC.
- It uses the
new Azure Kinect sensor, 5-channel microphone array.
- The camera
offers 8 megapixel stills, with 1080p video at 30fps.
- Sensors
include an accelerometer, gyroscope and magnetometer.
- Connectivity
is via Bluetooth 5.0, 802.11ac Wi-Fi and USB-C for charging.
Eye
tracking sensors
Elsewhere
on the hardware front, we're getting eye tracking sensors, which app developers
will have access to, while Microsoft is also bringing better hand gesture
recognition to make interactions with holograms feel a little more special. On
the comfort front, there's now a flip up visor to make it more friendly for
glasses wearers and a lighter design. Battery life is said to be around 3
hours, which seems to be the norm for high end AR and MR headsets right now.
Mixed
reality
The first
HoloLens headset ushered in the concept of mixed reality, a form of augmented
reality that mixes the real world with virtual objects. It’s a pair of smart
glasses rather than a full-blown headset, but it was still a chunky device. The
headset has a wider viewable area in comparison to the first generation model,
as well as a more comfortable fit. Therefore it should be comfortable enough to
wear it for longer. It also fits over glasses and has a dial for size adjustment.
It retains the clear glasses element as that’s fundamental to the way HoloLens
works.
You can now
sign in with Microsoft Hello (superb) and there's also improved eye and
hand-tracking
The headset is passively cooled and gives you around two to three hours of use per charge. Microsoft showcased how people will be able to interact seamlessly with a the mixed reality environment, demonstratin virtual buttons, playing a pian and watching a hummingbird fly towards you.
Fortnite developer Epic Games also
confirmed that it will be supporting the HoloLens platform. It wouldn't be
drawn on whether it was about to announce a game or an AR strategy, but did
confirm that it would support HoloLens 2.
To create a
new level of detail, Microsoft has updated the display technology inside
HoloLens 2
What was
essentially 720p for each eye in the first-gen has been upgraded to 2K in the
second. This is while still expanding the size of the imagery you are looking
at. On the comfort side of things, the device is now lighter, as easy to put on
as a baseball cap, and is made with carbon fibre.See more holograms at once
through the greatly increased field of view. Read text and see intricate
details on 3D images more easily and comfortably with industry-leading
resolution.
Wear
HoloLens 2 longer and more comfortably with a dial-in fit system designed for
extended use
And keep
your glasses on—the headset slides right over them. When it's time to switch
tasks, flip the visor up to step out of mixed reality. Touch, grasp, and move
holograms in ways that feel natural—they respond a lot like real objects. Log
in to HoloLens 2 instantly and securely using just your eyes with Windows
Hello. And voice commands work even in noisy industrial environments through
smart microphones and natural language speech processing.
Move
freely, with no wires or external packs to get in your way
The HoloLens 2 headset is a self-contained computer with Wi-Fi connectivity, which means that everything you need goes with you while you work.Share what you see with employees in remote locations to collaborate with peers while staying hands-on with your work.
Bring employees in multiple locations together around a
real-time view of the problem to troubleshoot efficiently and reduce cost. Call
up schematics, diagrams, and work-order information to help solve the tasks at
hand faster and with fewer errors.