Microsoft has added another HoloLens partner to their growing list: Lowe’s customers can now use the Microsoft HoloLens to design their kitchen holographically in mixed reality.
“The idea of using small samples and swatches to try and imagine what a room looks like seems very antiquated now,” Lowe’s Innovation Lab Executive Director Kyle Nel told USA Today.
Another big piece of news is the Microsoft HoloLen’s integration with the social network Pinterest. Pinterest is a hotbed of DIY crafts, food, and decor valued at $11 billion with over 100 million active users. It makes sense Microsoft wants people to take design inspiration from the network.
The new integration lets you bring up materials or appliances saved to your Pinterest account. Your selections are then matched with similar goods from Lowe’s and brought before you as holograms in a totally customizable showroom kitchen.
A Microsoft Surface tablet also displays the changes you make on the HoloLens to an instore designer or loved one. Another benefit of using the HoloLens is freeing up precious floor space in home improvement stores.
The Lowe’s-HoloLens partnership, still in its pilot stage, has also added three new unnamed stores offering the HoloLens — bringing the total to five. Also, the HoloLens service is only available on the weekend and you have to make an appointment.
But the end goal is to have customers use the HoloLens to design their kitchens from their house.
“What we’re ultimately aiming toward is having a couple be able to design their kitchen together in mixed reality from their own home,” Nel said.
When asked about the Pinteresting partnership a Microsoft media relations spokesperson told VRScout they “do not have statements to share about the partnership with Pinterest” at this time.
