The developer version of the Microsoft Hololens may cost $3,000, but a recent patent application filed by Microsoft seems to indicate that the headset device could one day switch between augmented reality and virtual reality, like the Oculus Rift or HTC Vive, seamlessly.
Titled, “Head-mounted Display With Electrochromic Dimming Module For Augmented And Virtual Reality Perception,” the patent describes how Microsoft plans to use a dimming module to control the opaqueness of the near-eye display (NED). This dimming module in the NED would allow “variable density dimming,” according to the patent, which in turn would allow the Hololens to choose where it lay on the spectrum of AR to VR, depending on its application at the time.
Microsoft’s Hololens is one of the the first augmented reality headsets to see serious resources poured into its development. Google Glass, the now discontinued optical head-mounted display, may have paved the way for AR devices such as the Hololens, but Microsoft’s device is taking the idea to the next level.
While VR devices like the Oculus Rift or the HTC Vive enclose the device for an immersive, theatrical experience, the magic of AR devices such as the Hololens comes from its capability to manipulate and project the virtual world onto the real world. For example, with the abilities of a device like the Hololens, you could“project” different TV channels and turn different walls into virtual TVs.
Microsoft has started accepting pre-orders for developer units of the Hololens. These developer units will be capable of up to three hours of active use before needing to be recharged and will weigh a little under 1.3 pounds. Hololens developer units are expected to ship March 30.
