Two Microsoft HoloLens headsets will be sent to space, NASA confirmed on Thursday, June 25. The agency hopes for better communication and instruction relay using the said devices.
The Microsoft-developed holographic device allows users to operate in holograms. A holographic computer, it also functions with voice control and makes information, as Microsoft claims, "alive".
HoloLens is seen by NASA as an effective replacement for oral instructions. The holographic illustrations are thought to be better in presenting information versus verbal instruction. The device directly projects data, wherever the astronaut may be.
The 3D interface of the device is also noted by NASA. The feature allows close to reality access to conditions in a given environment. It is an added boost as to how the device can illustrate a situation for better understanding among the astronauts.
The NASA-Microsoft HoloLens team collaboration is called Project Sidekick. The first test of the HoloLens in space is scheduled on June 28, Sunday. It will be on a SpaceX resupply mission to the ISS. A second test, an underwater trial is set on July 21, where the device will be brought to Aquarius, the only undersea research facility in the world. The said tests will be running for two weeks.
"Sidekick is a prime example of an application for which we envisioned HoloLens being used - unlocking new potential for astronauts and giving us all new perspectives on what is possible with holographic computing," HoloLens designer Alex Kipman stated.
Microsoft HoloLens has been in rigid development since 2010, after it was first pitched in 2007. The device has been introduced in January 21 this year. It is expected to be marketed at around the same time as Windows 10. Pricing and other details have not yet been revealed.
The use of the device in space is a partnership project of NASA and Microsoft.
A footage that shows the Project Sidekick team with Kipman testing the HoloLens in NASA's Weightless Wonder C9 jet has been released recently. Watch this video:
