Today’s world has never become so connected in the past. The increased number of video conferencing solutions clarify this ongoing demand for connection since It allows users to see and listen each other but undoubtedly there is lack of interaction between them. A new technology is about to break this barrier. This brand new shiny gem of the technological breakthroughs is Holoportation, which is the next big thing for many industries and fields.


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What is Holoportation?
Holoporation is a combination of the words “hologram” and “teleportation”. Holoportation enables the user to see, hear and interact with remote participants, in 3d (holograms), as if they are actually present in the same physical space (teleportation).
Microsoft, being the brains behind the development, defines Holoportation as a 3D capture technology that allows high-quality 3D models of people to be reconstructed, compressed and transmitted anywhere in the world in real-time.

How Holoportation works?

The breakthrough is achieved through 3D capture technology and mixed reality headsets, such as Microsoft’s Hololens. Users must be in a room equipped with the capture technology, which reconstructs and transmits the user as a 3D model.
At the moment 3D cameras have to be present around the subject/object to create a hologram. The other user needs to have the similar kind of apparatus in order to communicate. Then, the 3D cameras create a hologram of the second person and transmit that to the first user who is seen interacting with the second person.

Educational affordances and advantages

Holoportation is an immersive and innovative form of tech that possesses great potential in transforming the learning environment. Imagine a scenario where different schools can interact and experience the same lessons together. Another scenario could even be students who attend lessons from the comfort of their home because the need for physical presence in the classroom diminishes. 
Finally, Holoportation can also revolutionise eLearning too. With such a technology available eLearning will benefit as well. After all Holoportation by itself is an electronic form of education which can be adopted by eLearning platforms and LMS’ with the appropriate adjustments.

Drawbacks for implementing Holoportation in schools

At the moment my main concern is that despite the fact that Microsoft’s developers are doing their best to overcome this issue, high-quality equipment is always costly. This may prevent organizations and schools from implementing Holoportation easily.
It should be noted though that this is just my personal point of view and one before  applying and using this technology in schools, should validate the effectiveness of the tool via academic research.

Conclusion

VR and AR technology revolutionized learning with the help of 3D representations of the study material. They are helpful in assisting people understand abstract concepts and provide a means of increasing students’ engagement and motivation. Holoportation on the other hand may take digital teaching to next level since educators, schools and organizations could provide classroom education from distant places to remote areas with the blink of an eye.