The Microsoft Hololens 2 is on the market and Xella has recently acquired the latest version of mixed reality glasses too. But what advantages does the new Hololens actually have, what technological developments are there and above all: what do our customers get out of it?

The more precise technology and the applications that the Hololens 2 comes with are decisive: The most important update for use in construction projects is the optimized "Alignment Tool". It now allows a much more accurate positioning of the building model in the real world within minutes. The size of the virtual models, which are projected onto the glasses as a hologram, is also easier to adapt: The object can thus be projected directly in miniature format onto the desk during a meeting at the architect's office or can show the resulting object in real size to the construction manager on the construction site.

But Hololens 2 does not only offer further developed and new functionalities. Thanks to a special version for the construction industry, the Hololens 2 XR10 in the Trimble Edition comes with an integrated construction helmet. This makes it much more comfortable to wear on the construction site for several hours. In addition, the mixed reality glasses have become lighter and the control of the virtual models by gestures has been simplified.

"With these innovations, we are now perfectly positioned to develop further concrete use cases for our blue.sprint planning service and this technology," reports Andreas Radischewski, Digital Building Solutions and Transformation Manager at Xella. For example, in addition to digital planning and implementation of construction projects on the construction site with Hololens 2, other options are also imaginable: Whether it is quality control by the construction manager on the site, where construction errors are directly detected, or architects, who can use the Hololens to quickly gain an overview of the construction progress. It is also already possible to show house builders "their future dream house” directly on the building site. But the technology can also be used to make knowledge available quickly and easily. For example, training videos in the craft could be shown directly on construction sites using mixed reality. "In this way, we are also making craft professions more attractive, which could help us with the issue of skills shortages," explains Sebastian Kulle, Digital Building Solutions and Transformation Manager at Xella.

By the way: If you would like to experience the new technology live, you can do so from 11 to 13 February 2020 at the digitalBAU trade fair in Cologne – here Xella will present Hololens 2 and the blue.sprint planning service live at booth 516 in hall 7. If you are interested, please register under digital@xella.com.