Mixed reality in production and logistics: Discussing the application potentials of Microsoft HoloLensTM

Abstract In 2016, Microsoft released the mixed reality (MR) head-mounted display (HMD) HoloLens TM . As augmented reality (AR) devices, the HoloLens TM can enrich the user’s perceived environment with virtual information. However, Microsoft does not consider the HoloLens TM as AR device, but as the first MR device, since it has some additional features compared to competing AR devices. Especially to mention is the possibility to interact with virtual objects and vice versa. This paper shall provide an insight about the application potentials of MR in the field of production and logistics. For this purpose, we present the findings of a literature review about the current state of research concerning the application of Microsoft HoloLens TM in the field of production and logistics. Furthermore, we present a small HoloLens TM application, which we have developed to evaluate the capabilities of the device. Several persons tested our application and gave us feedback concerning the utility and usability of the HoloLens TM . We provide an evaluation of the user experiences at the end of the paper.