Microsoft Teams Up With VW To Make HoloLens Work In Cars (theverge.com) 18
Microsoft has officially announced a new "moving platform" feature for the HoloLens 2, which is designed to let the augmented reality headset work in places like cars. The Verge reports: It addresses a long-standing HoloLens issue of moving environments confusing the headset's sensors. The enhancement was developed in collaboration with Volkswagen, which has been experimenting with using the headset as a heads-up display in its vehicles. As Microsoft's blog post explains, its augmented reality headset tracks movement using a combination of camera sensors and an inertial measurement unit (which typically includes accelerometers and gyroscopes). But in a car, the readings from these two sensors can conflict; the headset senses movement but sees a static environment. In other words, it was getting car sick.
That's what VW discovered after it started investigating the use of augmented reality headsets to teach drivers how to get around a racetrack faster. It started collaborating with Microsoft to fix the sensor problem in 2018, and, eventually, the two developed a prototype system that allowed a car to display real-time information on a connected headset. The system allows virtual objects to be placed both inside and outside of the vehicle. One image released by Microsoft (above) shows the HoloLens 2 projecting a virtual map onto the dashboard of a car, with navigation arrows appearing ahead at key intersections. A second shows it alerting the driver to an upcoming pedestrian crossing.
That's what VW discovered after it started investigating the use of augmented reality headsets to teach drivers how to get around a racetrack faster. It started collaborating with Microsoft to fix the sensor problem in 2018, and, eventually, the two developed a prototype system that allowed a car to display real-time information on a connected headset. The system allows virtual objects to be placed both inside and outside of the vehicle. One image released by Microsoft (above) shows the HoloLens 2 projecting a virtual map onto the dashboard of a car, with navigation arrows appearing ahead at key intersections. A second shows it alerting the driver to an upcoming pedestrian crossing.
How sporting (Score:1)
> to teach drivers how to get around a racetrack faster.
Isn't that what the race car driver is supposed to figure out.
Re: How sporting (Score:2)
Anyone who's played a racing game for any period of time knows that you want to stay in the innermost part of your typical loop track for as long as possible.
AR Helmet + Glasses (Score:4, Interesting)
Re: (Score:1)
A heads-up display on the windshield/windscreen would probably solve the vision correction problem if one must wear glasses to drive.
That'd be fine as long as you use an external projector for the HUD. Turning the windshield into a monitor, OTOH, would be a bad idea. They get damaged/broken frequently and are expensive enough to replace already.
Re: AR Helmet + Glasses (Score:2)
You would use a standard projector and a windshield with a bit of transparent film designed to prevent the projected image from getting too washed out by the surrounding lighting.
And you want the AR elements to be as unobtrusive as possible.
Automobile HUDs have existed scince the 1980s; usually a basic copy of the info of what's on the instrument cluster that shows speed and other information that is most important to the driver.
Re: (Score:2)
Because the drive is always going to be sat in the same place, maybe they don't need glasses. If they could determine the position of the driver's eyes somehow they could project an image on the windscreen that accounts for the point of view.
Here's an example of someone doing it with off the shelf hardware, in this case a Wii remote and sensor bar: https://youtu.be/Jd3-eiid-Uw [youtu.be]
Eye tracking can be done with small (invisible) dots on your glasses, or perhaps with an IR dot field similar to how advanced facial
When your only tool is a hammer... (Score:3)
As Microsoft's blog post explains, its augmented reality headset tracks movement using a combination of camera sensors and an inertial measurement unit (which typically includes accelerometers and gyroscopes). But in a car, the readings from these two sensors can conflict; the headset senses movement but sees a static environment. In other words, it was getting car sick.
Then don't use accelerometers and gyroscopes to track the position of the headset.
Accelerometers and gyroscopes started to be used for that purpose to free the user from having to be within a physical frame of reference, and to alleviate the difficulty of reading positions / angles if that frame of reference is very large (like a room or a building).
But guess what: in a car, there is a frame of reference that's fixed, very close and very easy to use for positioning: it's called THE CAR.
I guess Microsoft and VW aren't so great at thinking outside of the box...
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:2)
Augmented reality in cars needs to keep track of two frames of reference - the car and the outside world - so it can place virtual objects in either. I guess you could track both with just cameras, but I would think using inertial measurement for tracking the outside world is a sensible thing to do.
The blog post [microsoft.com] says they connected a positioning system that tracks the location of the vehicle. If you subtract the movement of the vehicle relative to the world from the the movement of the hololens relative to
In other news... (Score:2)
In other news, HoloLens' nitrogen oxide emissions decreased by 54% overnight. Amazing teamwork guys!
Solution in search of a problem (Score:2)
Frankly the only thing I see these headsets standing a genuine chance of being adopted for is in order fulfillment warehouses - "go left, pick up the box in aisle 20, shelf C, time for a 5 minute power burn!, your performance is rated 3 stars fulfill faster to improve, 30 seconds until next fulfillment, next bathroom break opportunity in 28 minutes
What could possibly... (Score:3)
connect it with the entertainment system (Score:2)
Hololens + Entertainment System = MicroBlot
MB: Hey there user, I see you want information about your destination.
Poor User: Yes, I'd like to see the directions for how to get to Disney World, Florida.
MB: Awww, what do you want to go there for? I'd prefer it if you went to New Orleans.
PU: I just want to go to Disney World.
MB: Gee, I don't know. I'll need to know your sexual orientation first.
PU: What?
MB: Yep, we did a deal with the lunatic governor there, we need to know if you are coming to groom kids.
PU: I
Blue screen of death has a whole new meaning (Score:1)
now...
Re: Blue screen of death has a whole new meaning (Score:2)
Seriously, this or any malfunction that causes the headset to fill up with garbage blocking the driver's view will end VERY BADLY. Worse if the garbage flashes or cycles through patterns that can set off a siezure. This would be a vector for a deadly malware attack.
And this is why there needs to be a hardware interlock that will shut the headset down if too many pixels are displayed at once or the images change around too fast. I imagine that the more sensible and tech savvy lawmakers will require t
Microsoft Teams (Score:2)
Just keep the Microsoft Teams group away from this. I don't need more Teams inspired crashes in my life.