Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Second version of HoloLens HPU will incorporate AI coprocessor

microsoft.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

61–70 of 93 posts

Re: Second version of HoloLens HPU will incorporate AI coprocessor

#61

Post by throwanem »

yellow_postit wrote: post #59
Balgair wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The use cases are pretty varied. We're using some for a medical study looking to see if the HL can help lessen pain through distraction (tested against normal distractions like iPads). The HL is nice, as it lessens incidents of simulator sickness. We're also trying to get the thing to be used to scan the homes and backyards of long-term stay patients so that they can 'go back home' for a little bit while hooked into…

The virtual home sounds more appropriate for VR than AR or am I missing something about the in hospital scenario - with AR you'd still see all the hospital just with some bright holograms trying to be "in front"

Turn the lights off?

Re: Second version of HoloLens HPU will incorporate AI coprocessor

#62

Post by clmckinley »

0xbear wrote: post #37

I hope it also contains a decent CPU. The first version has a ridiculously underpowered Atom with no vector capability of any kind. Not the kind of thing you would expect in a $3000 device.

I agree that you would expect more from a $3000 computer, but that is not what hololens is. Considering all of novel sensors and capabilities with the hololens, it is pretty amazing to me that the hololens is only $3000.

Re: Second version of HoloLens HPU will incorporate AI coprocessor

#63

Post by [deleted] »

erikpukinskis wrote: post #56
aantix wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What is it about the beta Skype app that is so compelling?

I haven't used it, but I feel fairly certain that the killer app for VR/AR is going to be eye contact. Skype with eye contact would be a major leap forward. Eye contact lets you negotiate speaking/listening handoff in a natural way, instead of using awkward procedural norms.

[deleted]

Re: Second version of HoloLens HPU will incorporate AI coprocessor

#65

Post by markingram »

Symmetry wrote: post #54
markingram wrote: post #49

For people who understand neural networks, this is HUGE! I have been dreaming for a custom chip for neural networks for 5 years! If they pull it off and deliver a product launch in a year or two, then they would smoke the competition again.

Google has had their TPU out for a while now. And the next generation of NVidia GPU is supposed to have neural network accelerating hardware.

But they don't have HoloLens ;)

Re: Second version of HoloLens HPU will incorporate AI coprocessor

#66

Post by 0xbear »

clmckinley wrote: post #62
0xbear wrote: post #37

I hope it also contains a decent CPU. The first version has a ridiculously underpowered Atom with no vector capability of any kind. Not the kind of thing you would expect in a $3000 device.

I agree that you would expect more from a $3000 computer, but that is not what hololens is. Considering all of novel sensors and capabilities with the hololens, it is pretty amazing to me that the hololens is only $3000.

Have you actually used it? I have it on my desk. It's garbage. Low res, narrow FoV display, graphics capabilities from 10 years ago. I wouldn't pay fifty bucks for it if I was spending my own money.

Re: Second version of HoloLens HPU will incorporate AI coprocessor

#67

Post by protomyth »

hatsunearu wrote: post #44
ratbr wrote: post #10

Serious question: what is an AI coprocessor technically? Some machine learnt models burned on a chip? Or some kind of a neural net with updatable weights?

A whole butt ton of GPU-style FMA and low precision float multiply ALUs would be my guess

How low precision can you get and still have it be useful?

Re: Second version of HoloLens HPU will incorporate AI coprocessor

#69

Post by lstamour »

ericfrederich wrote: post #68

I went to a Microsoft store in the mall and they are showing off Oculus Rift. They've been showing off HoloLens for a couple years now haven't they?... still can't buy it?

You can buy it. You just have to bring your own software: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/hololens/buy

Re: Second version of HoloLens HPU will incorporate AI coprocessor

#70

Post by dlp211 »

0xbear wrote: post #66
clmckinley wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree that you would expect more from a $3000 computer, but that is not what hololens is. Considering all of novel sensors and capabilities with the hololens, it is pretty amazing to me that the hololens is only $3000.

Have you actually used it? I have it on my desk. It's garbage. Low res, narrow FoV display, graphics capabilities from 10 years ago. I wouldn't pay fifty bucks for it if I was spending my own money.

I have used one and everything you said is valid. It is fairly low res and the graphics are mobile quality, but that isn't what you are paying for, and calling it garbage is pretty unfair. Show me another device that is doing AR right now at the fidelity levels of HL. Your criticism is the equivalent of comparing an iPhone with a full on desktop workstation. They are not trying to solve the same problem and therefore do not need to have the same visual fidelity.

That said, IMO, it really is prototype hardware with the intention to iterate on it until it finds a market segment. I doubt MSFT is making any money on the device.

Disclaimer: Work at MSFT, have nothing to do with HL.

Post reply on HN