Paving the Way for the XR Revolution

The HoloAnatomy® learning platform transforms learning outcomes and proves the XR model.

By Mark Day, AlensiaXR CEO

By all accounts, Extended Reality (XR) is a technological marvel that promises to transform whole industries. Devices like Microsoft's HoloLens, Magic Leap 2, and the newly released Apple Vision Pro (AVP) are lighting up the internet with tales of near-magical experiences with real-world results. Despite this potential, however, widespread acceptance remains elusive due to a lack of compelling content—it’s difficult to visualize how to put this technology to use.

XR is a catch-all category that encompasses virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR) (read more about the distinctions here). XR faces adoption hurdles due to its nascent development; consumers and businesses alike are grappling with concerns about cost, comfort, content, and compatibility, impeding the incorporation of XR into existing workflows and routines.

Despite these challenges, there are encouraging advancements that presage an XR surge as immersive experiences become increasingly commonplace. First, devices like the AVP make XR much more compelling for the average consumer. And while the AVP doesn’t help much with cost, it does advance an understanding of the category’s promise. Apple is a pioneer in developing new tech categories, as it has done with the iPod and iPhone. For the lay person, the AVP is essentially an extremely expensive beta test—but it’s a high-quality beta test that will help improve ergonomics and overall experience on the road to making XR ubiquitous, as has been promised by tech leaders ranging from Apple’s Tim Cook to Microsoft’s Satya Nadella.

The other advancement is that the tools required to create immersive content are getting easier to use. It was once dauntingly complex to build a shared holographic experience where everything worked reliably, but that has now become table stakes. From a software point of view, developer operating systems have evolved rapidly, reducing the complexity and time involved in creating XR content. This means it’s now possible to create immersive experiences that can be scaled to an unlimited number of users.

We’re innovating faster at AlensiaXR because we no longer have to do all that fundamental coding in-house. You no longer need advanced training in 3D coding—in fact we’ve already come to expect simple drag-and-drop operations that enable more people to create compelling XR experiences.

The technological barriers are coming down
and the results are going to be extraordinary.

What the human eye perceives as “real” is being streamlined with DevOps platforms that advance mesh deformation. That means more complex, powerful content can be created without impossible demands in terms of coding resources, and without blowing out device compute power to deliver these 3D experiences.

That creates a lot of excitement for us here at AlensiaXR, as it opens wide the doors of possibility. We’ve already proven how powerful immersive content can be with our HoloAnatomy® learning platform, which is transforming medical education around the world. Clinical studies reveal students are learning nearly twice as fast and retaining information much longer when learning anatomy using 3D holograms instead of cadavers.

We’re now able to deepen our educational content while making more room inside existing applications to do sophisticated things, like animations, simulations, and life-like technical illustrations. In our next chapter—thanks to simplified production tools—we’ll be empowering our customers with the ability to curate their own content. Not just in the classroom setting, but anywhere people require a fundamental understanding of the human body.

All these advancements enable AlensiaXR to empower instructors with a more compelling, immersive educational experience, improving upon the remarkable pedagogical outcomes we’ve already witnessed. What sets HoloAnatomy apart is its pioneering use of XR technology to transcend traditional learning methods; by harnessing the power of interactive holographic experiences, medical students can delve into the intricacies of human anatomy with unprecedented depth, clarity, and accuracy.

The transformative potential of HoloAnatomy lies not only in its ability to enhance understanding and retention, but also in its capacity to democratize access to quality medical education. By leveraging XR technology, HoloAnatomy transcends geographical barriers, enabling students from diverse backgrounds to engage in immersive learning experiences, regardless of their physical location.

It’s rewarding to participate in the front end of this evolution of human potential. This is one of the most important inventions in our lifetime!

Because we’ve managed to prove how powerful an XR experience can be, Microsoft showcases HoloAnatomy as proof of the promise inherent in its HoloLens device. In fact, Microsoft named AlensiaXR and Case Western Reserve University (which developed the original HoloAnatomy platform) its 2023 Mixed Reality Partner of the Year.

Mainstream acceptance will continue to face challenges, but the promise of XR lies in its ability to reshape the way we perceive and interact with the world around us. As innovators continue to push the boundaries of XR technology, platforms like HoloAnatomy serve as harbingers of a bright future in which immersive experiences are not only commonplace, but integral to learning and professional development.

Find out more at AlensiaXR.com and watch the Today in Tech podcast, where I’ll be discussing all this and more — tune in Thursday, April 25th.