Hologram stability evaluation for Microsoft HoloLens

Augmented reality (AR) has an increasing presence in the world of image-guided interventions which is amplified by the availability of consumer-grade head-mounted display (HMD) technology. The Microsoft ® HoloLens TM optical passthrough device is at the forefront of consumer technology, as it is the first un-tethered head mounted computer (HMC). It shows promise of effectiveness in guiding clinical interventions, however its accuracy and stability must still be evaluated for the clinical environment. We have developed an evaluative protocol for the HoloLens TM using an optical measurement device to digitize the perceived pose of the rendered hologram. This evaluates the ability of the HoloLens TM to maintain the hologram in its intended pose. The stability is measured when actions are performed that may cause a shift in the holograms’ pose due to errors in its simultaneous localization and mapping. An emphasis is placed on actions that are more likely to be performed in a clinical setting. This will be used to determine the most applicable use cases for this technology in the future and how to minimize errors when in use. Our results show promise of this device’s potential for intraoperative clinical use. Further analysis must be performed to evaluate other potential sources of hologram disruption.