During the companies Build Developer Conference 2018, Microsoft revealed a new mixed reality (MR) application that is designed to bring people together to allow for improved workforce productivity.
The new application, Microsoft Remote Assist, gives Hololens users the ability to share their point of view with remote experts and co-workers, no matter their location, in order to allow for collaborative working and problem solving. With a strong aim at front-line workers, the goal is to reduce the downtime of products and production lines when a fault rises by giving the on-site team the power to connect to other members of their team in real time to assist with the problem.
The design process behind the application was, according to Microsoft, about asking themselves “How can we help Firstline Workers share what they see with an expert while staying hands-on to solve problems and complete tasks together, faster.” This made the foundation for the application and set the bare on what it needed to be able to do for users in order to help with problem solving.
The interface allows users to bring in video calling, which is made possible using Microsoft Teams, share images, and annotations and drawings within virtual space to help guide each other through the process or problem. In the video that showcases the application in use there is even a PDF displayed within the view of the user, meaning the application is near completely hands-free. All of these can be viewed by everyone involved in the call with views being optimized depending on the device being used.
One of the key points of Microsoft Remote Assist that the company wanted to make clear was that the application uses industry-leading identity and security measures to ensure a secure work environment even within virtual space. This is done thanks to Azure Active Directory login and Mobile Device Management, ensuring users can work with the peace of mind that security is covered.
Microsoft Remote Assist will be released on May 22nd as a free preview for a limited time. You can see a video of the application in motion below and for all the latest be sure to stay tuned to VRFocus.
via Mint VR