While most of the tech industry is pushing for Virtual Reality devices in the mold of the Oculus Rift and Sony's upcoming Morpheus headset, Microsoft has been championing Augmented Reality in the form of its prototype Hololens device.
Unlike VR, which creates fully rendered 3D worlds to immerse the user in, Augmented Reality's goal is to enhance the environments we already live in. Using high tech display technology and sensors, Hololens displays 3D images over what you normally see. The tech certainly has its merits, but getting that point across to consumers is no easy task, seeing as you have to actually wear the device to get a sense of what it does.
Microsoft is slowly trying to change that however. The tech giant just released an impressive new video which shows just one of the many real world scenarios Hololens could be used in.
The short two and a half minute clip focuses on real life doctors and medical professionals using the device to aid their work. We see futuristic 3D skeletons flying out to be viewed and cross sections of the human body being brought to life. The whole thing is very much a science fiction fantasy brought to life.
It's an effective way to showcase the device's strengths, and it does a good job of differentiating it from the aforementioned Oculus Rift.
Microsoft isn't just banking on Hololens as a learning or research tool however. The company is also heavily marketing the device as a full blown entertainment system that lets you play and experience video games in a whole new way.
Following their Minecraft stage demo at last month's Electronic Entertainment Expo, Microsoft let some members of the press get some hands on time with the game. Engadget just published a detailed breakdown of the experience.
