News: HoloLens Passes Protective Eyewear Tests for Use in the Workplace

Last week, Next Reality wrote about how the Microsoft HoloLens team is partnering with thyssenkrupp. Their mission? To bring mixed reality to the workplace. Now, Microsoft has just confirmed in a blog post that the HoloLens has passed the basic impact tests for protective eyewear in North America and Europe.

[The HoloLens] has been tested and found to conform to the basic impact protection requirements of ANSI Z87.1, CSA Z94.3 and EN 166, the most common protective glass certification standards. This opens the door for more companies to use HoloLens in innovative ways as part of their manufacturing process and for employees to unlock new personal potential, and we can't wait to see what they achieve in the future!

This is great news because now that the HoloLens has been approved as a safe form of eyewear, we might just start seeing the mixed reality headset in more offices very soon ... I mean, we did just get one in the office here today so ...

Which means I guess it's time to show you a dorky video of me trying to play with the HoloLens' hologram of a golden retriever, in case you were interested in watching something like that:

Currently — as I've discovered after playing around with the headset for most of the day — you can start playing games on it like RoboRaid, a game where you shoot at robots coming in through the walls. How workplace appropriate that is would be up to your boss. (Although there's a theory that having gaming equipment around the workplace is actually good for employees. So, take that, boss who doesn't like gaming!)

In terms of actual productivity though, you can also use the app HoloStudio to build and then print things in 3D. You can also use Skype, as well as a few other apps to pair with the HoloLens.

With the headset's current approval, soon enough the mixed reality headset won't only be a nice companion to your (my) workday distractions, but could also be a tool to help you increase productivity.

So how would Microsoft go about incorporating the MR headset into your workday routine? Well, the company has already started to implement the HoloLens into the educational, industrial, and commercial enterprises as an instructional device.

One possibility is that theHoloLens will be implemented in classrooms nationwide to augment education. For example, the HoloLens was recently used in a middle school in California to create 3D interactive lessons on science. Fun!

The headset was also used with Trimble, an architectural company, to bring 3D architectural designs to life for its engineers.

Compared to other certified headsets on the market such as Osterhout Design Group's R-7 Hazardous Location smartglasses, the HoloLens is seemingly the next in line to be implemented by companies looking to increase productivity within the workplace.

ODG's R-7HL smart glasses were the first to be certified for industrial environments, and now that the HoloLens has also been certified, it looks like the competition is becoming even stiffer for the MR headset market (though, the R7-HL won't be out until sometime near the end of the quarter).

Just as an FYI, though: while both the HoloLens and R-7HL will be able to assist reality by using features such as training videos, visualize data in 3D, and augment reality, the R-7HL is more equipped to withstand rugged environments within the coal, mining, oil, and gas industries.

We here at Next Reality are eagerly awaiting what the HoloLens will have the ability to do next. The possibilities are quite endless, I mean, if you're technically savvy enough, you could even create your own app for the HoloLens and start customizing the MR headset to meet your workday demands right now, so why wait?

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