Despite HoloLens being now almost two years old, Microsoft isn’t showing any signs of slowing down its plans for the AR headset. Today the company announced that the device is available in two more markets, with rental options rolling out, and a forthcoming hard hat solution to allow the headset to be used in more places.
HoloLens was first made available back in 2016 starting at $3,000 as a dev kit, and eventually offered at $5,000 as an enterprise package. It’s there in enterprise and commercial sectors where the headset seems to be seeing growing traction. Today the company has announced that they’re adding Singapore and the United Arab Emirates to the list of regions from which the device can be purchased, now totaling 41 countries.
Working with partner ABCOMRENTS, Microsoft is also now making HoloLens available as an enterprise equipment rental for companies who want to evaluate the device ahead of purchase or temporarily boost their inventory of headsets. Rentals are being offered initially in the US and Canada, and Microsoft says they’re working to bring the rental option to more markets in the months ahead.
Supporting the headset in industries which regularly require that workers wear hard hats—like construction sites, offshore facilities, and mining—Microsoft has worked with Trimble to create an ANSI-approved HoloLens hard hat solution which integrates the headset with industry standard head protection, while ensuring that the headset’s enterprise warranty remains valid. Trimble’s HoloLens hard hat is expected to be available in Q1, though pricing hasn’t been confirmed.
Trimble has also launched the Trimble Connect app which consolidates information for on-site access:
Trimble Connect for HoloLens utilizes mixed-reality technology to take your 3D content off the screen and into the real-world, providing project stakeholders with enhanced 3D design review, coordination, collaboration, and project management processes. Built on the cloud-hosted Trimble Connect collaboration platform, Trimble Connect for HoloLens supports a new way of working with AECO models throughout the building lifecycle, from design to demolition.
The app is said to feature auto-alignment of 3D models over the real-world project.