Microsoft revealed that its next-generation Hololens will pack quite a punch. Scheduled for a 2019 release, the new gadget will arrive with an all-new, more powerful artificial intelligence (AI) chip.

Augmented reality (AR) technology has been steadily gaining ground in recent years. Among its most recent successes is in the gaming industry, where Niantic Lab’s AR mobile game Pokemon Go became a huge success, dominating the gaming charts in 2016.

However, Microsoft is betting that, aside from gaming, the AR technology will have more practical applications in the real world. Thus, the software giant introduced the Hololens, a pair of AR smart glasses that can be programmed to assist users in a variety of tasks such as guiding tourists who are unfamiliar with a city, fixing engines, and even surgical operations using visualization tools.

#Microsoft #HoloLens 2 will feature a dedicated #AI processor, https://t.co/mbhWpDju8O #artificialintelligence #tech pic.twitter.com/2cyvgeVc7K

— Logix Resourcing (@LogixResourcing) July 26, 2017

More Powerful Processor

At the heart of the Hololens 2 is a new AI chip that will power the new device. According to Time, the coprocessor’s main task is to run deep neural networks, a process that parallels how the actual human brain works. The more powerful processor enables the new device to handle large amounts of data that one can expect to come from an ever-changing world at lightning fast speeds.

No Lag Time

Users of this new device will benefit greatly from its upgraded AI chip. The dedicated processor will ensure that the upcoming gadget will process data in real time without any lag, a necessary quality especially in systems that require split-second decisions like driving.

HoloLens has been tested & found to conform to basic impact protection requirements of ANSI Z87.1, CSA Z94.3 EN 166 https://t.co/sRlMNonPKz pic.twitter.com/ShVdXR87X3

— Microsoft HoloLens (@HoloLens) June 28, 2017

Self-Contained System

According to ARN, another advantage is that with the new AI chip in place, the Hololens 2 can be self-contained. Simply put, since the device has its own CPU, it is basically untethered and will not have to depend on a PC or a cloud service to function.

This advantage is highlighted by Tirias Research’s Jim McGregor in a Seattle Times report. “For an autonomous car, you can’t afford the time to send it back to the cloud to make the decisions to avoid the crash, to avoid hitting a person.”

[Featured Image by Microsoft]