We’ve seen a lot of innovations in the AR field of late, Microsoft’s HoloLens one the biggest among them. Despite this, there’s little that comes close to the full Star Trek Holodeck experience.
However, that hasn’t stopped Microsoft from trying. A new patent application shows that the company is pushing for such a technology. The concept describes a projection that combines with glasses to provide a moving and interactive projection.
Field of View Distortion
Microsoft describes the project and its setup well in its patent application. Here’s a short summary of the project:
“In some implementations, multiple forms of complementary computer-generated content can be layered onto a real world scene. For example, the complementary content can include three-dimensional (3D) images (e.g., visualizations, projections). In another example, the complementary content can be spatially registered in the real world scene. Furthermore, in some implementations, the complementary content can be rendered from different perspectives. Different instances of the complementary computer-generated content can enhance each other. The complementary computer-generated content can extend an FOV, change the appearance of the real world scene (e.g., a room), mask objects in the real world scene, induce apparent motion, and/or display both public and private content, among other capabilities.”
The essential change in this experience is the ability to adjust to the user’s field of view. The HoloLens’ is limited, to say the least, and projections could extend the FOV of the headset.
For now, the project seems like less of a full-scale AR experience, and more of a test project. The expense and amount of hardware make it unlikely it will ever reach the market. Still, it’s great to see experimentation, and there’s potential for combination with other Microsoft projects.
You can view the filing for yourself at the US Patent and Trademark Office website.