Microsoft Mesh Brings Virtual Holographic Communication To Life

Bringing forward Microsoft’s futuristic vision of mixed reality to the real world.

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Microsoft Mesh is the company’s latest platform that is set to transform collaborative workspaces worldwide. The tech giant demonstrates its futuristic vision of a mixed reality that incorporates virtual and augmented reality.

Mesh is Microsoft’s collaborative platform that allows anyone to share a virtual experience across various devices. In a statement released by the company, Alex Kipman, Microsoft’s Technical Fellow explained, “You can actually feel like you’re in the same place with someone sharing content or you can teleport from different mixed reality devices and be present with people even when you’re not physically together.”

Mesh enables geographically distributed teams to have more engaging meetings including assisting others, learnings together, conducting virtual design sessions and even hosting virtual social meetups. Microsoft envisions a future where people can accurately express themselves as avatars through these shared virtual experiences. Over time, Microsoft foresees users to utilize holoportation to project themselves as their most photorealistic and lifelike selves.

The holographic technology allows enables users such as designers and engineers to work with 3D physical models, including everything from bicycles to jet engines to architectural landmarks. Users would be able to physically walk around the rendered models as if they were on the same factory floor.

Additionally, Microsoft Mesh announced a new app for HoloLens which allows team members to remotely work together and further explore the virtual and augmented reality ideals. Recently Niantic demonstrated a proof-of-concept Pokémon Go demo that runs on the latest HoloLens 2. The demonstration showcases Niantic’s mixed and augmented reality capabilities and features a shared mixed-reality Pokémon Go battle session. Niantic’s CEO John Hanke comments on the crossover stating, “This notion of bringing my virtual friends along with me as I go out and walk and explore the world — I just love that concept and I’m really interested to see what we can do with that.”

Those curious can take a look at how Microsoft Mesh operates above and the Pokémon Go experience below.