Microsoft offering $500,000 in research grants for HoloLens | Alphr

The company put out a request for proposals Monday seeking projects that will help “to better understand the role and possible applications for holographic computing in society”. Today, a new company founded by a ex- member of the Microsoft HoloLens Studios team launches to start feeding the ecosystem with a range of apps it is describing not as virtual reality, or even augmented reality, but mixed reality.

The company emerged the day after Microsoft promised $500,000 to researchers and developers building apps for the headset.

Hololens had generated much hype for Microsoft and chief Satya Nadella had strongly backed the company’s investment in the technology.

The computing giant has sent out a request for academic research proposals for projects that will show off the power of its “mixed reality” device. Some of the examples given for HoloLens applications include data visualization, remote training, interactive art and experimental media as well as human-computer interactions. Object Theory was co-founded by Michael Hoffman, who left Microsoft this year after having been responsible for HoloLens’ showcase experiences such as the NASA “OnSight” partnership, and Raven Zachary, who originally set up iPhoneDevCamp back in 2007. All awards are in the form of unrestricted gifts, which are delivered directly to the universities for the goal of funding the winning proposals.

Microsoft expects its funding will serve as a seed for a larger project.

As for eligibility, this process seems to be open to anyone. All the submissions should come from accredited universities or non-profit research institutes based in the USA. Researchers must demonstrate in their proposal that their institution is capable of pulling off the proposed project.

VB’s research team is studying mobile user acquisition… The last time Microsoft made a play for the multi-use device against Sony’s laser-focused agenda, the results were below expectation for both the market and Microsoft.