Microsoft is working with Volkswagen To bring augmented reality to cars through a new “moving platform” mode for Hololens 2.
Neither company goes into precise details about how this will work, but there are some pointers as to what to expect. For example, Microsoft said the “moving platform” could be used to train drivers to handle adverse road conditions.
It’s not about training everyday drivers. Instead, the focus, as with everything else in the HoloLens 2 class, is business and enterprise, which means the platform can be used for training, for example, fleet drivers.
Enhanced with 3D Models
Looking at the prototype images, the mod works by placing 3D models inside and outside the car. You can only see them wearing HoloLens 2 mixed reality headgear. For navigation, you’ll have a map for the route placed virtually at the top of the dashboard with an arrow pointing where you need to go.
HoloLens 2 will also display a holographic pedestrian warning at crosswalks to tell you people to beware. It will also tell you the temperature inside the car.
Microsoft tested a moving platform prototype developed by Volkswagen researchers by connecting one of its vehicles to the HoloLens. The Volkswagen team then worked with Microsoft to provide feedback on how to improve the HoloLens moving platform mode.
The update is based on the current rendering of Microsoft’s moving platform, which is meant to be used on ships at sea. Ocean waves can obstruct the HoloLen 2, so the mode stabilizes the device’s view.
Microsoft isn’t stopping with cars and boats. Its moving platform is referred to as “…lifts, trains, [and] other moving environments. ,
Rescue HoloLens
This new partnership with Volkswagen could be a way to breathe new life into the HoloLens project. It has gone through a tough time lately.
In early February 2022, HoloLens 3 was canceled. The problem was that no one knew what the headset was intended for, which is why some HoloLens 3 team members jumped ship for Meta to work on its Metaverse project.
However, with this moving platform Volkswagen partnership, Microsoft is solidifying the HoleLens 2’s purpose as a mixed reality tool for training and virtual information in a growing array of workplace scenarios. One can only hope that the HoloLens headset and moving platform will one day end up in high school driver’s education classrooms as well.
