All Mode
A HoloLens 2 user tests manipulable virtual objects. [Image: Microsoft Mixed Reality Studios]
A Hands-On AR Future
Published early May on Medium, an article by Microsoft Design’s Oscar Salandin discussed the myriad ways Microsoft’s Mixed Reality Studios has explored the expanding horizons of VR and AR. Noting that the most commonly asked question from HoloLens 2 users engaged in testing is some variation of “Can I flick it?” Salandin details many reasons why a user would want to touch a holographic or virtual object: ease of operation, no skill or learning barrier, intuitive use, and, well, other reasons left unmentioned that will become obvious shortly.
A HoloLens 2 user tests manipulable virtual objects. [Image: Microsoft Mixed Reality Studios]
Salandin’s post provides a video of a HoloLens 2 user handling, rotating, juggling, and placing down a glowing virtual cube. Multiple cubes collide on a table when prodded by the users’ hands. Glowing cubes are cool, but this tech surely has porn fans frothing over the more illicit and exciting possibilities.
Hard Light, Hard Users
Adult use of this tech may seem like something major VR porn studios would want to jump on pronto, but upon closer investigation, that may yet be a while off. Salandin notes in his Medium piece that true physical interactions are “two-way, with both objects influencing each other.” Trying to merge AR and real-world objects into one mutually malleable environment is a hefty task. “We cannot make virtual objects physically influence your hand through touch, but we can use light to show a relationship between the object and your hand.”
Imagine an experience like Holodexxx with touchable VR objects and characters. [Image: Holodexxx]
When this technology all comes to fruition I will probably never leave the house
Can’t keep my hands to myself.
Yeah, I’m a hands on kind of guy too.
Going to have my hands full.