MS Holoportation : Exploring virtual teleportation

Have you ever wished you could teleport yourself to another space? Though it may take science some time to come up with a solution, technology has already developed a fully functional one, all thanks to Microsoft. What was previously seen only in science fiction is now becoming a reality.
Come let’s explore this world of virtual teleportation with MS Holoportation technology!

What is Holoportation?

Holoportation is a kind of 3D capture technology that enables the creation of high quality 3D holograms in real-time which are then transmitted to anywhere in the world for live interactions. This technique combines VR, AR, and MR technologies. When used in conjunction with MR displays like the Microsoft Hololens, it enables users to have face-to-face communications with remote participants.

Although there are other companies that specialize in holoportation, such PORTL, Microsoft is the largest contributor with its signature technologies, like Mesh and Hololens 2.0. Microsoft Holoportation is a project under Microsoft Research that aims to provide real-time holographic communications with the help of Microsoft Hololens.

Microsoft describes MS Holoportation as “a new type of 3D capture technology that allows high-quality 3D models of people to be reconstructed, compressed and transmitted anywhere in the world in real time. This allows users wearing virtual or augmented reality displays to see, hear and interact with remote participants in 3D, almost as if they were present in the same physical space. From an audio-visual perspective, communicating and interacting with remote users edges closer to face-to-face communication.”

Image Source: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/project/holoportation-3/ 

How does it work?

The technique requires at least two cameras with the ability to capture detailed information required to produce a 3D image of an entity and transport its real-life hologram to any other site where the Holoportation technology is installed. The essential components of this tech include a 3D capture technology and an advanced mixed reality headset.

• A special kind of camera is used by the 3D capture technology to capture the people or objects required for 3D reconstruction. There should be at least two cameras for this process. The quality of the hologram projected on the opposite end increases with the number of cameras used. 
• In addition to this, the mixed reality headset reconstructs the image into a 3D hologram with close resemblance to the real-world entity. A HMD (head mounted display) like the Hololens or HTC Vive, allows users at one end to view the holoported image of the object and thereby see, hear and interact with it. Microsoft Holoportation makes use of their own MS Hololens for this function. 

Another interesting fact about MS Holoportation is that it can also be used for moving objects such as by a passenger in a moving vehicle since its bandwidth ranges from 30-50 Mbps. However, this can only be done so as long as both the users are within a feasible WiFi range. Currently Microsoft is devising ways to move this technology to cellular data.

Use Cases:

Gaming: Holoportation can be a big thing for an industry like gaming that is actively switching to more augmented reality methods for gamers worldwide. Gaming firms like Niantic have already expressed their interest in fusing Holoportation with their games.

Healthcare: The Telehealth industry is prepped and ready for Holoportation as its market size is estimated to reach $298.9 billion by 2028. While appointments, consultants and therapy sessions can already be conducted over online video conferencing platforms like Zoom, the holographic engagement brings in a human touch.

Business Communication: With Holoportation, your average Zoom meeting can be taken to the next level. Discussions, project presentations and casual conversations can be enriched with the realistic, face-to-face portrayal of entities. As more and more businesses start functioning remotely in the future, Holoportation can be their essential medium of communication. The education sector can be extremely benefited by this tech as it recreates virtual classrooms in a humanized way, with the additional advantage of overcoming geographic barriers.

MS Holoportation brings to users the next generation way to teleport themselves across borders. With Microsoft looking for ways to advance this technology, and businesses trying to move ahead in their game, the application of MS Holoportation can be expanded beyond their horizons. However, due to its high costs, this technology is currently inaccessible to average users. At present, it is only being used in large corporations or by governmental bodies.

How can Dexlock help?

We, at Dexlock, have a strong hold in VR-related fields, with our team of competent professionals constantly trying to update ourselves with the latest technologies in the market. We keep our space for learning active in order to implement next generation ideas to our projects. Metaverse is one such domain where we are currently expanding our expertise. Our mission is to help develop a futuristic world in collaboration with thinkers like us. Connect with us here for more!