When Microsoft first unveiled the HoloLens mixed-reality headset nearly four years ago, skeptics wondered whether the floating holograms of the bulky headset could serve the design and construction industry as more than a display tool. But after working closely with industry partners Bentley Systems and Trimble, Microsoft has announced HoloLens 2, bringing a more powerful and lighter headset with versions for construction users.
The headset projects holographic images into the wearer’s field of view, and sensors allow the images to be mapped to surfaces and locations around the user. Unlike the previous model, HoloLens 2 features a wider field of view, a flip-up visor, and can fully track hand and finger movements for interactions. But industry users will probably be equally interested in the Synchro XR app from Bentley and the XR10 hardhat-ready HoloLens 2 from Trimble.