An acclaimed content management system (CMS) for holograms developed in Norway has recently launched a free AR toolkit for Android and iOS. Holopipe, the hologram CMS created by Pointmedia, has already received recognition. First, it was included in the top 30 apps by Android Police in December 2018, when it was launched. Also, Der Spiegel selected Holopipe among its recommended top 10 productive apps.
Now, the company has added a simple and effective augmented reality toolkit. Developers can use it to turn their 3D models into holograms. This tool promises to be a game changer in the way companies build their product models and share information with collaborators and clients.
What Does Holopipe Do?
Users who want to create AR holograms can access the Holopipe voxel creative tool through the app for free. If they register on the Holopipe website, they can also upload their own 3D projects. Then, almost instantly, they can use their smartphone to see the model as an AR hologram.
The AR toolkit allows users to see the hologram through an Android or iOS smartphone/tablet. Also, they can use the Microsoft HoloLens XR headset. Moreover, every project users are working on, is saved on a server cloud that uses Microsoft Azure cloud computing technology.
What Is Special About the New Holopipe AR Toolkit?
For the CTO of Pointmedia, Anders Horne, Holopipe is the answer to many demands from users who want to use AR tools even though they don’t know 3d modeling.
“We developed a free tool, as many know as voxels, to unleash your creativity and build in AR. Our users can even save and share their voxel creations to other users, who then can add changes and edit the creations even further,” he said in a press release.
This project benefits from Microsoft’s support, as it is undergoing implementation in Norway for the energy sector with HoloLens devices. The head of cloud services and artificial intelligence at Microsoft Norway, Christopher Frenning, said that Holopipe “makes it easier for people to use [augmented reality technology] in their business, and the cloud enables users to collaborate, share and exchange holograms across devices and platforms.”
How Holopipe Started Out
In the beginning, Pointmedia created Holopipe as a tool for the energy sector in Norway. The company tried to solve the challenge of testing prototypes before they are actually deployed. Also, energy companies wanted instruction manuals transposed in AR for the workers’ convenience.
The CMS for holograms they developed performed beyond expectations. Thus, the company decided to make the AR hologram building platform available for the broad public.
What Are the Key Benefits of Holopipe AR Toolkit?
The first and most obvious benefit is that Pointmedia’s AR toolkit is free to use. However, users will have to purchase credits for cloud storage space if they want to upload their own models.
Moving on to more specific benefits, Holopipe is a quick and effective tool for creating and sharing holographic models. For instance, an architect in the US can turn the 3D model of a building into a hologram and place it in a real world environment. In an instant, the architect can share this model with the client and with other collaborators. Thus, instead of spending days with email exchanges and explanations, the client can see how their project will actually look.
This means that Holopipe AR toolkit could be a true game changer in various industries, such as architecture, engineering, visual arts, entertainment and more. The communication gap between creators and clients closes, as both can look at a highly realistic looking AR model.
Looking Ahead to the Future?
For Pointmedia, the AR toolkit is just a new phase in their continuous work. They plan to improve and expand Holopipe and turn it into a comprehensive tool for voxel AR creation. As Horne explains:
“There is still a lot of development up the road. So on the roadmap, new feature as upvoting holograms and voxels, and even making comments on specific places on a hologram will be added soon.”
