I am excited about where Microsoft is moving with Mixed Reality. The Microsoft Business Applications Group has brought Mixed Reality under its umbrella as part of the Dynamics 365 Suite of products. We are moving into a very interesting time where we are able to interact with ideas using technology, as well as overlaying the physical world with digital information.

What is Mixed Reality and how is it different from Virtual Reality?

Virtual reality is a combination of goggles and other hardware to create an immersive visual experience without any view of the present world around you (think Ready Player One). You are completely transported to a virtual world.

Mixed reality is overlaying the physical world with data. For example, it enables holograms. Imagine a shared room where everybody can enter the same virtual holographic space where you can brainstorm, create ideas and just walk about the room. When you leave, all the information remains intact. Meaning people can re-enter to view the virtual whiteboard or move around virtual post-it notes from a design thinking session.

Microsoft's flagship Mixed reality product is the Microsoft HoloLens. In addition to this hardware they are releasing an Android app, and I hope that we will also see it on iOS soon.

HoloLens 2 has evolved since the inception of the original HoloLens four years ago, and it just keeps on getting better.

The day may come where it is as easy to wear as glasses, or maybe even contact lenses. Better still, I like what Elon Musk is considering with neural lace which would mean that we can to plug our brains directly into the internet to access all the world's information. But I digress.

HoloLens with Dynamics 365 Guides enables new ways to train staff, replacing the need for say instruction manuals, with the ability to learn and digitally interact with complex machinery.  I think this will lead to the possibility of validating hand-on skills in a virtual environment for industries that have typically had a high chance of physical injury. Like those that use complex appliances, have stringent health and safety training requirements, or require one-off machine maintenance activities.

Dynamics 365 Guides is an application that allows creating training content for use with Mixed Reality experience.

You can get started with a trial of Dynamics 365 Guides now. You will need to download a Microsoft Windows 10 app so you can start creating guides for use,  you will also need a HoloLens to get the full experience.  You can put your name down to pre-order.  A few decades ago, my first home PC cost me over $6,000, so to me it seems very reasonable at a price tag of $3,500.

Dynamics 365 Remote Assist allows a skilled specialist to be deployed remotely without anybody actually travelling to where the skills are needed.

I am reminded of  the following story:

A ship engine failed, no one could fix it.

Then they brought in a man with 40 years on the job. He inspected the engine carefully, top to bottom. After looking things over, the guy reached into his bag and pulled out a small hammer.

He gently tapped something. Instantly, the engine lurched into life. The engine was fixed! 7 Days later the owners got his bill for $10k. ‘What?!' the owners said ‘You hardly did anything. Send us an itemized bill.”

The guy replied:

“Tapping with a hammer. $2 Knowing where to tap? $9,998.”

Lesson: Don't Ever Underestimate Experience

There are many skilled people in many industries. Whether it be aircraft, small or large machinery, mining and drilling equipment, or oil terminals. They are remotely located all over the world, so using HoloLens and Dynamics 365 Remote Assist will massively reduce costs as well as risks.

Product ideation and iteration with the new Dynamics 365 Product Visualize. This opens up more scenarios.

A friend, Gayan Perera, is now working on a project with a former colleague in New Zealand. They have an architectural drawing of a house plugged into software and are able to visualize walking through it.

Dynamics 365 Product Visualize allows you to simulate how products will look and feel in the environment they are placed. Products will be able to be designed and validated before they are produced.  Interesting scenarios can be explored and developed when combining Product Visualize and 3D printing. Above all, this will also allow end users to interact with the concept even before it is being built. From designing children's toys to any physical thing which can be evolved to a much better product

Imagine being able to test and validate product ideas with the potential end user before anybody invests in physical prototyping, expensive tooling, or manufacturing.

Dynamics 365 Layoutsallows some interesting scenarios from an architectural perspective. From the redesign of office layouts, to choosing the interior of a super yacht, Dynamics 365 Layouts will allow you to mix the physical world with the art-of-the-possible digital world. Get early warning of potential problems in design before construction, understudy how objects fit within a space. Validate the Feng shui of your design before you purchase that expensive water feature.

Mixed Reality will allow us to eliminate transportation costs and the effect on our environment. I think it will open up many scenarios that allow great minds to come together and simulate various situations and applications in the future ahead.

If you want to do a collab with mixed reality, I would love to hear from you. My HoloLens 2 is on order. I am patiently waiting for it. Anyone want to move me up the queue, bring it on. 🙂

I think we're going to move into an exciting future with HoloLens, Mixed Reality, and Dynamics 365 suite of products.

What do you see a Mixed Reality future looks like? Let me know in the comments below.