Experimental app brings smart home controls into augmented reality with HoloLens

By Dan Thorp-Lancaster
published

As part of Microsoft's HoloLens hackathon held in San Francisco, one developer took on the task of creating a way to control your smart home devices in augmented reality. Called IoTxMR, the proof of concept application allows the user to simply look at a smart home device and control it using gestures. You can see the fruits of the project in the video below.

As shown in the video, not only does the application allow you to control devices and connect them together in unique ways, but it also includes what developer Ian Sterling calls a "virtual zen mode" that fills the space around you with calming light orbs and audio tones.

While only a proof of concept, IoTxMR is a pretty awesome look at the possibilities that AR platforms like HoloLens offer up for the future.

Dan Thorp-Lancaster
Dan Thorp-Lancaster

Dan Thorp-Lancaster is the former Editor-in-Chief of Windows Central. He began working with Windows Central, Android Central, and iMore as a news writer in 2014 and is obsessed with tech of all sorts. You can follow Dan on Twitter @DthorpL and Instagram @heyitsdtl. 

20 Comments
  • Coolest stuff is happening now, just hope they mainstream it in the next decade... I envy my children and all the cool stuff they'll grow up with. Little bastards. v10
  • Your parents probably thought the same of you when microwaves and compact discs came out.
  • And bigger computer storages! Even some things they didn't imagine would exist, like our smartphones today.
  • I want it, now
  • When he moved himself to right side, I remembered game Portal. It would be a good idea there to be this game on Hololens. Sorry my English.
  • People might end up running into walls thinking there was a portal.  Might get sued.
  • Just don't release in US ;)
  • Haha
  • Nice work
  • Nice work, horrible demo video! He just does not stop moving!
  • hololens and mixed reality could be the next big thing
  • Looks great!!
  • This app looks a premium one.
  • Wake me when there is something remarkable happens.
  • Wake up
  • Often hackaton are won by stupid ideas too :)
    I d definitively don't use a hololens at home, probably at work only (hololens is a business thing).
  • I will use it at home..watching a movie in a 50" is much more affordable with this.
  • Cool!
  • Insteon support please. Not to mention where is the w10uwp that was promised.
  • Insteon support please. Not to mention where is the w10uwp that was promised.