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Lenovo launches HoloLens competitor

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Re: Lenovo launches HoloLens competitor

#41

Post by cameronbrown »

writimov wrote: post #2

I've used a Google Glass, Oculus Rift, Cardboard VR systems and seen a demo of Oculus Rift. Is the Lenovo ThinkReality a real competitor? The market hasn't picked up VR for gaming and AR has flopped so far. How about high end systems for engineering and design. There could be a case where engineering speed and collaboration could increase from using a few of these systems at any company doing hardware design.

VR is growing slowly, but exponentially[0], which is a good sign that the platform is healthy.

[0]https://www.roadtovr.com/monthly-connected-vr-headsets-on-st...

Re: Lenovo launches HoloLens competitor

#42

Post by yumraj »

taneq wrote: post #40

I wonder how this will play out with IP, given that Lenovo has been manufacturing a Windows Mixed Reality headset using Microsoft's VR/AR tech? They'd have to tread very carefully to avoid stepping on any MS patents etc. with inside-out tracking. Also, once again (as with Valve vs. HTC) we see the pattern playing out: 1) Platform owner develops new tech to be used on their platform, tries to foster an ecosystem 2) Th…

This is how it will play out:

1) MS will sue Lenovo.

2) China will threaten MS with consequences including no access to China market.

3) MS will withdraw the lawsuit and lick its wounds.

Re: Lenovo launches HoloLens competitor

#43

Post by matthewwiese »

jackbrookes wrote: post #10
dna_polymerase wrote: post #8

The only place I see such devices are highly polished demos to show the 'capabilities of AR/VR'. I've never seen such headsets used for anything even remotely useful (not considering gaming as extremely useful). I think the AR/VR craze is just here because we have nothing really new at the moment and investors want to pour money into something.

I run psychology experiments (motor control/spatial decision making) in VR and and its been a gamechanger in the last few years. Create your experiments completely in software to allow them to copied, modified, and distributed much more easily.

That is an absolutely fascinating application that I've never considered before. One could design all sorts of experiments, not just exclusively spatial reasoning.

Imagine allowing a class of undergraduate students to participate in a version of Zimbardo's Stanford Prison Experiment and draw their own conclusions as to potential flaws in its methodology.

Or, as a philosophy student: allow students to engage in a real life rendition of Searle's Chinese Room thought experiment, where a student "competes" against his or her classmates and various versions of text generation algorithms from simple Markov chain generators, to OpenAI's GPT-2 and beyond.

Re: Lenovo launches HoloLens competitor

#44

Post by ako »

sheep-a wrote: post #26
ako wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think AR has flopped so far, but when it's used well it's not perceived as AR. For example, my car has a rear camera, which overlays where you are going depending on the position of the steering wheel. This is reality augmented, but since it feels so natural, nobody thinks about this as AR.

I'm not convinced... to me AR is an environment you can interact with or it interacts with the environment. Some lines drawn on a screen. meh

You’re interacting: you have your controller, the steering wheel, and you are manipulating an object, the car, and the computer inside your car is using sensors to determine how you are performing inside your environment, and providing you with virtual information combined with real world information so you are better equipped to do your job, than without the additional information augmented to you reality.

Re: Lenovo launches HoloLens competitor

#45

Post by jjeaff »

yumraj wrote: post #42
taneq wrote: post #40

I wonder how this will play out with IP, given that Lenovo has been manufacturing a Windows Mixed Reality headset using Microsoft's VR/AR tech? They'd have to tread very carefully to avoid stepping on any MS patents etc. with inside-out tracking. Also, once again (as with Valve vs. HTC) we see the pattern playing out: 1) Platform owner develops new tech to be used on their platform, tries to foster an ecosystem 2) Th…

This is how it will play out: 1) MS will sue Lenovo. 2) China will threaten MS with consequences including no access to China market. 3) MS will withdraw the lawsuit and lick its wounds.

Maybe, but China makes up a very tiny fraction of msft revenue. The only reason they would give in to threats from China would be if they believe that in the future the piracy problem in China will go away for them.

Re: Lenovo launches HoloLens competitor

#46

Post by in3d »

writimov wrote: post #2

I've used a Google Glass, Oculus Rift, Cardboard VR systems and seen a demo of Oculus Rift. Is the Lenovo ThinkReality a real competitor? The market hasn't picked up VR for gaming and AR has flopped so far. How about high end systems for engineering and design. There could be a case where engineering speed and collaboration could increase from using a few of these systems at any company doing hardware design.

AR is essentially in beta. There are no consumer-oriented products and the improvements between generations are huge. Much, much too early to say it has failed.

Re: Lenovo launches HoloLens competitor

#47

Post by brandonjm »

germinalphrase wrote: post #17
andybak wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You've missed out something in between "games" and "useful". The arts. There's still a lot of interest (at least from where I'm standing) in VR etc as a creative medium. There's some really remarkable work being created.

Is there a good resource for finding such work? I recently experienced some VR art at the Walker Art Center (museum of modern art) in Minneapolis and was decidedly underwhelmed.

There are plenty of others but these are some that have stood out to me.

SIGGRAPH has a VR Theatre where they show short VR films [1].

EyeJack is a platform for AR art, though you may need to visit an exhibit to see the actual art. [2]

[1] https://s2018.siggraph.org/conference/conference-overview/co...

[2] https://eyejackapp.com

Re: Lenovo launches HoloLens competitor

#48

Post by strmpnk »

taneq wrote: post #40

I wonder how this will play out with IP, given that Lenovo has been manufacturing a Windows Mixed Reality headset using Microsoft's VR/AR tech? They'd have to tread very carefully to avoid stepping on any MS patents etc. with inside-out tracking. Also, once again (as with Valve vs. HTC) we see the pattern playing out: 1) Platform owner develops new tech to be used on their platform, tries to foster an ecosystem 2) Th…

What makes you think Microsoft intended to keep hololens-class devices manufacturing to themselves?

This could be a relationship just like PC OEMs like Lenovo already have, licensing things with a royalty. The prominence of the AR apps in windows (preinstalled in many cases) well before the hardware that Microsoft made themselves was ready for mass adoption makes it clear that they want Windows and that ecosystem to have a play in AR and VR.

We've seen hardware plays like this in the past with the Surface design which seems to have too odd of a cadence and release cycle to be purely motivated as a product offering. The design was meant to be an influence on the market, which helped windows machines remain relevant in a space where Apple sees devices like the iPad fitting.

Re: Lenovo launches HoloLens competitor

#49

Post by seanmcdirmid »

yumraj wrote: post #42
taneq wrote: post #40

I wonder how this will play out with IP, given that Lenovo has been manufacturing a Windows Mixed Reality headset using Microsoft's VR/AR tech? They'd have to tread very carefully to avoid stepping on any MS patents etc. with inside-out tracking. Also, once again (as with Valve vs. HTC) we see the pattern playing out: 1) Platform owner develops new tech to be used on their platform, tries to foster an ecosystem 2) Th…

This is how it will play out: 1) MS will sue Lenovo. 2) China will threaten MS with consequences including no access to China market. 3) MS will withdraw the lawsuit and lick its wounds.

From my 9 years working in Microsoft China, I think Lenovo, Microsoft, and China all have a very good relationship. I’d be very surprised if Microsoft took action against Lenovo, I would be astounded if they went anywhere near where the Chinese government would admonish them.

Re: Lenovo launches HoloLens competitor

#50

Post by jayd16 »

taneq wrote: post #40

I wonder how this will play out with IP, given that Lenovo has been manufacturing a Windows Mixed Reality headset using Microsoft's VR/AR tech? They'd have to tread very carefully to avoid stepping on any MS patents etc. with inside-out tracking. Also, once again (as with Valve vs. HTC) we see the pattern playing out: 1) Platform owner develops new tech to be used on their platform, tries to foster an ecosystem 2) Th…

Lenovo already makes the Mirage Solo and the Rift S 6Dof headsets. This isn't their first rodeo.
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