Since the release of Microsoft HoloLens. Microsoft and companies have been creative in ways they used HoloLens. Covid-19 has bought more ingenuity and the results are impressive. Discovery on new uses for HoloLens 2 happen every day. Whether to aid customer shopping online or to diagnose a patient. Here a few uses you may already know or not.

The first use case is one that you might not have thought about. Microsoft and Salvatore Ferragamo have bridged the gap between online and retail shopping. Due to Covid-19 shoppers are no longer able to walk into retail stores. In came the use of HoloLens. A virtual showroom with sales associates brings that personal touch traditional ecommerce misses. Sales associates assist customers in a similar and sometimes enhance experience. While a virtual shoe doesn’t replace the ability to try on a shoe. A virtual shoe allows customers to envision what they would look like.

Soldiers in the military are training with the use of HoloLens. The application goes far beyond trainings. In the early stages of the development. The U.S. Army and Marines has found navigation, thermal, and training capabilities. Future use will include usage on the battlefield. Key elements such as improve night vision will improve stealth and to see through smoke. A key ability that will make enemies “not want to engage us”.

Medical use is a key industry we see new HoloLens uses developed. Before Covid-19 universities began training/teaching students with HoloLens. Results speak for themselves. Visual learning has help “students score 50% better while learning faster and retaining more knowledge”. With Covid-19 universities have no other option than virtual learning.

Other medical application include use in surgery and medical procedures. HoloLens allows doctors to work and free. Instead of bouncing back and forth between screen and patient. Key vital signs such as heart rate create a futuristic field of view for surgeons. View image below for an example.

The last medical application is and has help hospitals reduce the risk of exposure to covid. Hospitals have adopted HoloLens and Remote Assist into how they diagnose patients. A single doctor or nurse wearing a HoloLens will meet patients in person. While all other doctors remain isolated in a separate ward. Remote Assist provides a video call between both ends and reduces the risk of exposure. This reduces a risk of an outbreak and maintain medical operations.

Finally, we have training applications. There are many different industries we see HoloLens training applications used. One of the main HoloLens training features is Dynamic 365 Guides. No matter the industry Guides trains employees via how to PowerPoint like steps. Anyone will be able to learn how to build a fuel pump or perform schedule maintenance on a machine with Guides. The beauty behind Guides is employees can train themselves at their own pace. If there are any issues, they can call a manager or supervisor for support.

Another popular HoloLens training feature is Dynamic 365 Remote Assist. Companies use Remote Assist for many different training applications. Companies can train employees with an expert from anywhere with internet access. A Remote Assist call allows anyone to view the HoloLens field of view as if they are there in person. This allows an expert to walk them through (teach) how to fix any issue. Or they can perform maintenance, walk the work site without being on location.

What was once designed for workers to show experts their field of view. Microsoft and companies have found experts could do the same and share their point of view. Virtual instructor led training are now done in the form of a webinar like call with Remote Assist. This has been great to continue trainings during Covid-19. Vilts (virtual instructor led training) will remain the go to training method even after Covid-19.

Microsoft HoloLens 2 has been a major part of the growing digital workplace. How else would you use HoloLens?