AR is going to go far

If you are invested in a company that provides a better key component to something that is going to grow this fast, you're well positioned.

Augmented Reality -- because of it's appeal in use cases like this, and because of the enthusiasm of gamers -- is going to grow much faster than most have predicted.


Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA)

Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) announced it has adopted Microsoft HoloLens, a mixed-reality technology that allows users to engage with digital content and holograms.

Microsoft HoloLens creates an end-to-end solution for DEWA energy plants with 3D representation of real data, offering a holographic and scenario-oriented view of the DEWA Smart Grid.
Business Review Europe -- more at the source

More than 24,000 thyssenkrupp engineers will be equipped with HoloLens, a mixed reality device that will allow them to visualise and identify problems with elevators ahead of a job and have remote, hands-free access to technical support when on site.

Given that a headset retails to American and Canadian consumers for $3,000 dollars, this is no small investment being made, although training 24,000 engineers will not be as daunting a task as some might think. A quick demonstration later, and even the less-technologically gifted attendees were online ordering spare parts from Germany via a few virtual nudges and points.

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“We have parts from Memphis, New York, Georgia, machines from Germany, equipment from Brazil, Canada, Italy, China and Korea,” Schierenbeck says. “That is a lot of complexity so you can imagine if you need to fix a German machine with the help of an expert in a different time zone, it can be time consuming.

“This is where HoloLens comes in. It is a completely new way for technicians to work faster, easier and safer. There are three major use cases. Firstly, remote support. You don’t have to fly in an engineer, you can connect over skype straight away and they can see what you are doing. The next element is training – the HoloLens will let you see the parts in 3D to help you understand and self-learn. The final part is preparation for the job, all hands free in augmented reality.”

All the signs so far are showing that this leads to one result – an increase in uptime. Microsoft HoloLens’s General Manager Sam George, having shown me how simple the device really is to use, goes into detail about the enormous scope of use cases and applications, which includes bringing live sporting events to life.