Microsoft launches augmented reality glasses at R$ 57 thousand – 03/21/2023 – Tech

Microsoft launched in Brazil the Hololens 2 glasses, capable of projecting interactive holograms. The device hits the shelves this Wednesday (22), at US$ 10,973 (R$ 57,540, at the current price) for the industrial version and US$ 7,729 (R$ 40,529) for the common one, with promises in the areas of industry, health and education.

The launch arrives in the country with four years of delay. The device has been available in the US since 2019 at prices starting at US$3,500 (over R$15,000).

In the country, it is possible to find the imported device, in marketplaces, for values ​​above R$ 34,900 for the common model.

According to Microsoft product director Marcondes Farias, the glasses were ready to launch in Brazil in 2021, but the pandemic delayed this announcement. “The device that we are going to sell here was made for the Brazilian market. Our team developed its own adapters for the electrical standard in Brazil, which only exists here”, he says.

The augmented reality lens will also arrive in Colombia and Mexico this week. The information was disclosed at an event at the headquarters of Microsoft Brazil this Tuesday (21). Big tech will provide local technical assistance to companies that acquire the product.

Virtual reality glasses for recreational use offered by Meta and Sony cost less than R$5,000 in Brazil.

The report tested the basic model of the Hololens 2. The holography is restricted to the central field of view, which limits immersion, but reduces exhaustion while using the device.

The learning curve for using the device is simple, and the interface is the same as Windows on personal computers. Interaction with finger projections reminds scenes from the movie Minority Report (2002). You can also select hands-free options by staring at a certain icon for five seconds.

Microsoft will also offer training for the use of the glasses to companies that acquire the product.

The industrial model of the device costs more due to adaptations for cleaning and decontamination required by certification 14.644-14. The device even has its own design and materials for work on the factory floor.

In the country, the technology is already used by Embraer for remote assistance. Video presented by the aerospace company showed employees receiving remote instructions to repair a plane’s turbine. The technician who assisted at a distance could see what was seen by the colleague, design manuals, draw arrows and maintain communication in real time.

“Engineers are concentrated in one headquarters, and the production line, in another. It was a solution that we adopted in the pandemic to meet health care and we ended up saving money with displacement”, says Embraer process development engineer Kleber Haure.

Microsoft claims on its website that the device can save up to $4,500 per specialist trip, considering travel and accommodation.

The startup specializing in telemedicine and training of health professionals PBSF uses Hololens 2 to remotely assist health professionals when children are born with a lack of oxygenation in the brain – a condition called perinatal asphyxia.

According to startup founder Gabriel Variane, less than 10% of doctors in the country are prepared to deal with this condition. Therefore, the company’s focus is to provide real-time information to health professionals and prevent complications. Perinatal asphyxia can leave sequelae: cerebral palsy, cognitive impairment and hearing and vision deficiencies.

In neonatal ICUs, it is not allowed to use a cell phone, due to the risk of contamination. The hands-free experience of the Hololens 2 ensures that the device can be used in this hospital environment.

To this end, the startup developed its own software, Neon Lens, with an interface to make predictions and receive guidance via videoconference from a PBSF professional. The system is already in use at Santa Casa de São Paulo.

Microsoft makes available claims to make more than 200 applications available for its virtual reality glasses. Big tech also has an open source software development environment, in case customers want to develop their own features.

“We publish code documentation to facilitate this process”, says Microsoft’s Marcondes. The material is available on this platform.

Although the layoff of 10,000 employees announced by Microsoft at the beginning of the year has affected the Hololens 2 sector, Marcondes claims that big tech remains fully focused on the device. “We’ve doubled down on our investments in the industrial metaverse”—an ecosystem of digital solutions for industry.

The executive says that the company will announce partnerships to implement the Hololens 2 on the production line with more companies in the coming weeks.

On the last 15th, Google discontinued its service of augmented reality lenses for the corporate world —Google Glass Enterprise Edition. The equipment will continue to function, but without factory support.

THE DEVICE

The common model of the Hololens 2 weighs 566 grams. The device’s lenses are about five centimeters from the eyes, which allows the use of corrective glasses without fogging them up. The sound system, at forehead height, delivers clear sound to the ears from a spatial wave distribution system.

Microsoft promises autonomy of about three hours for the batteries and allows you to connect a power bank to the device, to extend the period of use.

You can access Microsoft’s Dynamics 365 and Microsoft Azure enterprise suites with Hololens 2 for real-time assistance and guide building—similar to multimedia powerpoints.

With a QR Code next to a machine, for example, an employee can access all the documentation about that device, to make repairs or learn how to handle it.

Access to part of the software requires internet access via a wi-fi network. According to Microsoft, it is possible to adapt the production line with the production of guides for work disconnected from the network.

Big tech intends to add artificial intelligence applications, such as those available in the Bing search engine, to generate image, text and video to the Hololens 2 applications.

The national version of Hololens 2 will be distributed by Ingram and SMLIT throughout the country.