Alex Kipman – Page 2 – Augmented & Virtual Reality Confabulation

October 24, 2017

Microsoft Discuss Fall Creators Update For Windows Mixed Reality In New Video

When we began 2017 few would have likely predicted that Microsoft would have as busy a year in the field of immersive technology as they have had. Whilst their Hololens head mounted display (HMD) remains a highly expensive commodity for businesses and organisations and not one necessarily meant for the home that hasn’t stopped its target audience picking up the headset and using it in a number of creative ways, such as in sports and, as reported yesterday, the Hololens has been used in the medical sector so that surgeons across three continents could consult during a procedure.

Microsoft themselves have recently highlighted some of these other project, including videos from the Ford Motor Company showcasing how they are utilizing it when designing the cars of the future. As well as how police in the UK are using Hololens as the latest crime fighting tool.

The tech giant was also revealed as those responsible for securing the future of AltSpace VR, after a troubling Summer for the firm saw them set to close back in July.

The big continued developments have though been around Microsoft’s Mixed Reality (MR) platform and the array of HMD’s on offer to consumers. Including the recent reveal of the Samsung Odyssey, the Lenovo Explorer (which VRFocus was able to get an early hands-on with), as well as the likes of the DELL Visor and Acer’s MR HMD. With the release of many of the headsets – you can read our guide to everything Windows MR related here – being made earlier this month, Microsoft have also had to worry not just about the hardware but the software side as well.

The Windows 10 Fall Creators Update arrived at the same time as the product launch on October 17th, but what exactly can you do with it? A recently released video presented by Alex Kipman, Technical Fellow of the Operating System Group at Microsoft, goes through these new features for developers, including those who are already building MR apps for the HoloLens and the line of Windows Mixed Reality HMDs. With Microsoft seemingly eying the platforms becoming one.

You can see the video below. VRFocus will continue to bring you the news throughout the immersive technology sector. Check back regularly for the latest on the fields of virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and, of course MR.

August 28, 2017

“Future Halo experiences” Coming to Windows VR Headsets, Microsoft Says

Microsoft today announced that 343 Industries, the studio tasked with overseeing the Halo franchise, will be creating Halo-themed experiences for the company’s lineup of VR headsets.

The information, revealed by HoloLens’ chief inventor and ‘Mixed Reality’ project lead Alex Kipman, comes alongside the news that Microsoft’s VR headsets and controller bundles will be launching this holiday season for $399.

“…it’s my pleasure to let you know that we are working with 343 Industries to bring future Halo experiences into mixed reality. We are not providing specifics right now, but it is going to be a lot of fun to work with them,” said Kipman.

It’s uncertain at this time whether the Halo-themed VR experiences will be necessarily tied to the Windows Store, making them defacto exclusive to the Windows Mixed Reality platform. The company’s VR headsets will however have access to content published on Steam, allowing owners to download all supported VR titles, which thanks to the fairly standard button layout of the Windows VR motion controller may mean the full catalog of Vive/Rift games and experiences.

The post “Future Halo experiences” Coming to Windows VR Headsets, Microsoft Says appeared first on Road to VR.

May 11, 2017

Microsoft: “Holiday 2017 is Going to be Phenomenal”, E3 to See More Mixed Reality Announcements

Microsoft Technical Fellow and chief inventor of HoloLens, Alex Kipman, took the stage today at Microsoft Build 2017 to show off a number of upcoming mixed reality hardware and software streaming out of the company and its partners. Among the announcements—including pre-orders of Windows Holographic Headsets from Acer and HP and a new VR hand controller—was a teaser for more to come at E3 in June.

“Holiday 2017 is going to be phenomenal,” said Kipman. “We have a product lineup that customers really want. I hope you tune in to E3 to learn more about Windows Mixed Reality content story for this holiday.”

Many of the headsets taking part in the Windows Holographic program including Asus, Dell, 3Glasses and Lenovo have yet to receive a street date. There’s also no telling what bundle deals Microsoft will push to entice newcomers to their Universal Windows Platform-flavor of virtual interactions.

As it is, HP and Acer’s headsets are set to arrive to developers in August, which according to Kipman will be the exact same models shipping to consumers later in 2017.

The post Microsoft: “Holiday 2017 is Going to be Phenomenal”, E3 to See More Mixed Reality Announcements appeared first on Road to VR.

October 31, 2016

Microsoft’s VR Headsets Will Run on $500 PCs, More Info in December

Microsoft’s surprise new VR headsets, revealed last week and expected to ship next year, remain something of a mystery right now, but we should find out more about them in December.

Speaking to Polygon, Microsoft HoloLens chief Alex Kipman revealed that these headsets will be further detailed at two WinHEC events, one of which runs from December 8th – 9th in Shenzhen, China, the other held from December 14th – 15th in Taipei, Taiwan. According to Kipman, specs like field of view (FOV) and display resolution will be revealed at these shows. We’ve reached out to Microsoft to confirm that this is the case.

WinHEC shows are developer-focused, and these two events will be give “directional guidance for building PCs optimized for a variety of Windows Holographic HMDs and content.” We wouldn’t expect them to be livestreamed.

Kipman did tell the site that the devices, made by Dell, Lenovo, Asus, Acer and HP have a “high” FOV, though it’s impossible to know if Microsoft’s definition of the word matches the level seen in both the Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive. He also reiterated what we already knew; the devices are connected to PCs via a wire and each features inside-out six degrees of freedom (6DOF) tracking. As expected, he confirmed that this has been achieved with the same tech used in the HoloLens.

“Nobody in the world has this,” Kipman said. “This is HoloLens technology.”

The company has also lowered the spec requirements to use these headsets, with Kipman suggesting that $500 PCs will be able to run them. With the headsets starting at $299, you can expect the all-in cost to be around $800. Back at Connect, however, Oculus also revealed a $499 PC that would work with its Oculus Rift. These new headsets won’t support games that run on Rift and Vive out of the box, but porting those experiences over should require “minimal” effort.

As for possible support for Project Scorpio, Microsoft’s VR-ready upgraded Xbox One console? Microsoft still won’t give a definitive answer, but Kipman certainly makes it sound like a possibility. “At E3 this year we said that Scorpio is VR ready, that’s because it’s that same Windows platform, it has the same Windows Holographic bits,” he said. “Our vision for the longest time has been one operating system with a single universal store, with a single universal development platform.”