New Tech Turning Virtual World Into Hands-On Experience For Remote Workers
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Millions of people have spent the past year working at home, and face-to-face meetings are now done on the camera. But new technology is changing how we interact online and turning the virtual world into a hands-on experience.
Virtual meetings can look a whole lot different with the Microsoft HoloLens 2.
CBS News correspondent Michael George gave them a try. He wore the glasses-like device while in New York and was able to talk to Microsoft's Greg Sullivan in the Seattle area.
Through the lens, George could see Sullivan's avatar in his apartment and vice versa. The company calls it Microsoft Mesh.
Sullivan said if you were brainstorming a new movie, you "could storyboard out this whole thing and collaborate in three dimensions."
Right now, Microsoft Mesh is being used by developers who are experimenting with how mixed reality can be used at home, at work, or in the classroom, using HoloLens 2, a mobile, tablet or PC. Eventually, Microsoft wants to upgrade from avatars to holoportation, projecting a lifelike image in a Mesh meeting.
Other companies offer similar technology. Google calls its Glass "a hands-free device for smarter and faster hands-on work." Google currently sells the Glass Enterprise Edition 2, allowing a mechanic to see instructions for a repair or helping doctors view patient records in real time.
Last year, surgeons at the UC Davis Health Children's Hospital used headsets from Magic Leap to prepare for an operation to separate conjoined twins. The devices helped doctors figure out how to detangle shared blood vessels.
