Inputs for the HoloLens Can Be from Any Device... Even a Smartphone

We've highlighted the projects of Wavelength Studios a fewtimes over recent months for their work in the augmented and mixed reality space. Since receiving their HoloLens headsets, they've been hard at work on both development community projects as well as efforts for clients. This brings us to their latest work—a way to control holograms on the HoloLens with our pocket-based modern miracles, also know as smartphones.

"It is a part of our overarching framework called 'Hypervision' for placing holograms with precision," Kyle Gomboy, founder of Wavelength, told me in conversation. With multiple projects in the works that involve using many holograms throughout large facilities, he added, "We want it to be very easy to place holograms."

Ernesto Riestra, CTO at Wavelength and the lead programmer of the project, took a few moments in-between meetings with clients to answer few more of my questions. According to Riestra, they have not been able to get through the Bluetooth limitation of the HoloLens. Instead, Wavelength has used Unity Networking over a Wi-Fi connection to implement this new system of control.

After watching the demonstration, one can see that even the phone's orientation can be used as part of the control scheme. As I was told by Gomboy, they are using a combination of the gyroscope and swiping for the accurate level of control they need.

This is just one of the new technologies this team is working on, and while they have been pretty active in the development community, it is unsure if we will see a public release anytime soon. That said, Gomboy seems to think, given the right circumstances, we might see the release of a light version to the public sometime in the future.

He also hinted at some of the other cool ideas they have in the works for multiple types of applications in the holographic arena, including medical uses, training, as well as entertainment. The developer in me will definitely keep my eyes on where Wavelength is going and what they are doing.

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Cover image by Hologram Shirpa (Kyle Gomboy)/Facebook