Check out this next-gen office powered by Oculus’ Passthrough technology.
Earlier this week Facebook’s head of AR & VR Andrew “Boz” Bosworth showed off an experimental mixed reality workspace powered via prototype Oculus hardware.
In a video posted by Bosworth to Twitter, the Facebook executive can be seen navigating a combination VR and AR environment complete with multiple virtual monitors displaying various work-related documents. Touch gestures powered by Oculus hand tracking allow Bosworth to manipulate the positions of the digital display by pinching windows and tapping virtual buttons.
In addition to the virtual amenities, it appears as though this mixed reality prototype is able to digitally enhance real objects as shown by the holographic lettering floating above Bosworth’s keyboard. There also appears to be a small menu where he’s able to access various options and tools such as browser, console, Facebook’s new “Workplace” platform, and settings. Whereas many existing VR workspaces remove your ability to access real-world peripherals, this experimental alternative blends the virtual world with reality, allowing Bosworth to switch seamlessly between the two.
“As we think through supercharging remote work and productivity, we’ve been working on mixed reality concepts that builds on existing technologies like Passthrough to allow people to switch between real and virtual worlds”, states Bosworth in the tweet. “This is real footage using prototype headsets. We’re always experimenting with future concepts using different hardware configurations as part of our proof-of-experience process”.
As Bosworth states, this experimental workspace was powered using “prototype headsets”. While it’s unclear at this time what hardware Bosworth is referring to exactly, the exec could be teasing Facebook’s rumored follow-up to the Oculus Quest. Whatever the case, it’s exciting to see Facebook continue to develop on its already impressive Passthrough technology in addition to Oculus hand tracking.
Image Credit: Andrew Bosworth