Published , by TJ Denzer
Published , by TJ Denzer
As virtual reality and augmented reality continue to move forward in terms of technology and application, Microsoft had quite a few new things to show during its Microsoft Ignite presentation. Perhaps most notable was the introduction of Microsoft Mesh, a new “shared holographic experience” technology that allows various users to experience and interact with the same mixed reality application via the use of Microsoft’s Azure Cloud-based data system. What’s more, it could be available in about a year.
Microsoft Mesh was revealed by Microsoft Technical Fellow Alex Kipman during the Microsoft Ignite presentation on March 2, 2021. What is Microsoft Mesh? It’s a shared mixed reality experience technology that makes use of Microsoft’s Azure cloud data network to provide augmented reality and virtual reality experiences to multiple users at once. As shown in the video below, Microsoft Mesh can allow multiple users on individual AR/VR platforms to experience and interact with shared and customizable holographic experiences.
Microsoft Mesh has a wealth of applications, including presentation, design, engineering, and so much more. An assembly could host a virtual reality presentation, tourists at an aquarium could observe different facts about various sea life in realtime, and multiple engineers could observe and interact with holographic 3D designs and tweaks at the same time via Mesh, just to name a few examples. Moreover, Mesh has been confirmed for support via Microsoft’s HoloLens, the Oculus Quest 2 standalone VR headset, and other supported AR/VR HMDs. So it would seem Microsoft Mesh will also have the versatility to work across multiple platforms.
At current, Microsoft expects that Microsoft Mesh could be ready for use and distribution in as little as a year (so possibly early 2022), but no concrete date has been shared at this time. Stay tuned as we continue to follow this story for further details on Microsoft Mesh, including full platform availability, specs, release date, and more.