A new collaboration tool from Portland, Ore.-based startup Object Theory using Microsoft’s HoloLens augmented reality goggles could dramatically enhance the way remote teams work together, along with virtual participation in meetings.
Launched March 30 at the Microsoft Build Developer Conference in San Francisco, Object Theory’s Mixed Reality Collaboration service works with Microsoft’s HoloLens and Windows Holographic, allowing users to share 3D experiences from remote locations using life-size avatars.
“For large-scale meetings, it could mean bringing in remote speakers who can join holographically on stage, and could be represented to the audience through very large screens. They would show up as being physically on stage,” says Raven Zachary, founding partner at Object Theory. “Or imagine having teams or meeting groups who are distributed remotely being able to come together in the same physical space and being able to interact much better than [they would be able to through] a crackling speaker phone.”
Zachary says that in the future, meeting environments could be recorded and stored, allowing attendees to leave notes on a whiteboard or engage in other activities through an immersive replay functionality. And while the visual representation of avatars is currently a bit nondescript in the product, Zachary says the avatars’ look will improve over time, allowing for more accurate stand-ins.