Holoportation, the virtual teleportation Microsoft weblog

Teleportation is actually, almost. We can not talk to physically transfer a person from one place to another, as happens in the best science fiction film, but if you want to teleport the limited activity to transfer a faithful virtual copy of an individual from one place to another, then it can be said that the project of Microsoft Research has made important steps forward in this respect.

It's called "holoportation" and is based on a new technology for the capture of 3D models of people, played with a high quality. The "virtual" models are then compressed and transmitted anywhere in the world in real time. When viewed with augmented reality viewers as Hololens, the models come to life in real space, giving the illusion that the people portrayed are really present.

The technology developed by Microsoft researchers allows users to watch, listen and interact with remote participants played in 3D, all as if they were physically present. An important communication tool that could improve in the future, remote communications, replicating the forms of interaction that usually have in the dialogue between two individuals who are face to face.

The demo video shows how the 3D model interacts with the real environment - it is not, then, a simple projection out of context - and how you can record the interaction between the user and holographic projections to review them below. The system uses a complex set of 3D video cameras and requires, probably, a considerable computing power. Early to hypothesize integration into a consumer product, but the road is drawn and part of research centers and Microsoft development.

It is still not know when and if systems for the transmission and the holographic projection of human figures will be usable by the user consumer, but research projects such as that described undoubtedly contribute to increase the hype for the arrival of the Hololens viewer, which in a few days, it will begin to reach the developers who chose to buy it at the price of $ 3,000.