We are pleased to share an update on our research in 3D capture and algorithms. We took the technology out of the studio and into a car – making Holoportation truly mobile. To accomplish this, we reduced the bandwidth requirements by 97%, while still maintaining quality. This new mobile Holoportation system greatly increases the potential applications of real-time 3D capture and transmission.

Video: https://youtu.be/nTkFO2xNkIk

Frequently Asked Questions

Did you really get Holoportation to work in a moving vehicle?

Yes! The bandwidth required by Holoportation has been reduced to 30-50 Mbps. This allows us to use Holoportation in a moving vehicle, as long as we are within WiFi range. We will be moving to cellular data soon!

Importantly, this technology is to be used by a passenger in the back seat of a moving vehicle, with no interaction with the driver.

Why did you choose this scenario?

We chose this scenario for two reasons. First, the automobile is viewed more and more as a technology platform rather than simply a means of transportation. Second, this is a very challenging scenario. It requires solving many of the engineering hurdles encountered in building a volume consumer product.

How many cameras does your system require?

The system only requires two cameras capable of capturing depth information to create a 3D representation of an object. However, the more cameras we have, the better the quality of the 3D model.

What problems did you have to solve to make it mobile?

The greatest challenge was bandwidth, which we reduced by 97% using an innovative approach to compression. Other challenges included changing lighting and background, vibration, and reducing the compute footprint to fit in a vehicle.

How do I view remote participants in the Holoportation system?

Using a HMD (head mounted display) like the Hololens or HTC Vive, users can see, hear, and interact with their holoported counterparts in real-time.

For questions please contact us at holoportation@microsoft.com.

Previous Work

Holoportation is a new type of 3D capture technology that allows high-quality 3D models of people to be reconstructed, compressed and transmitted anywhere in the world in real time. When combined with mixed reality displays such as HoloLens, this technology allows users to see, hear, and interact with remote participants in 3D as if they are actually present in the same physical space. Communicating and interacting with remote users becomes as natural as face-to-face communication.

Video: http://youtu.be/7d59O6cfaM0

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