Microsoft’s HoloLens has been used in many places before, but it is now heading to the football field. Indeed, a Maryland based start up, Mixed River, is bringing HoloLens to the NFL, helping the Baltimore Ravens better prepare for games (via Wareable.com)
While other NFL teams have indeed investigated using virtual reality technologies to simulate practice and other game experiences, Mixed River is taking things a step further. Built using Unity 3D, the start up has developed a Pre-Game Prep platform which uses HoloLens to give players holographic versions of practice.
In fact, Mixed River co-founder Jim Pietila tells Wareable that the Baltimore Ravens have signed a one year deal with Mixed river to use the technology.
“So we instead decided to focus on sports, and chose football as a primary subject within that. We looked at other sports, but we just felt that football fit best, and the fact the Baltimore Ravens are so close also made sense to market it for those guys..”
Unlike technologies being used by other teams, Mixed River’s solution focused on Mixed Reality and not virtual reality. The tech is able to capture the input of plays made on the field and bring it to life. This means that any player in any position can safely focus on the real world and open environment while wearing the HoloLens headset.
In the words of Mixed River co-founder Carlson Bull:
“We have a pretty extensive background in VR and mobile AR, but I think with VR and some of the executions that are out there right now, while there’s some use and validity in them, they’re closed off and it’s a single point of view… With what we’re doing within MR and Pre-Game Prep is allowing players in any position to experience this. So you could be the quarterback, a safety or a running back and still be experiencing these plays…”
Microsoft is already the official technology partner of the NFL. Many of their technologies, including Surface tablets, is already in use at the NFL across all teams. It will definitely be interesting to see if other teams will catch on with Mixed River’s technologies, though we’re not sure if new England Patriot’s coach Bill Belichick will appreciate it.
