In this chapter, we further explore what it means to bring computing into the physical world, specifically looking at the opportunities for improving collaboration by unlocking digital content from behind the screen and placing it in a communal space. Along with this, we will also explore how we can use physical objects to interact with the digital world. Let's unpack each of these, starting with how MR can improve collaboration.

I would argue that screen-based consumption creates a silo experience, as it draws all of our attention away from everything and everybody else. This is true in the context of work, such as working on our computers, as well as many forms of entertainment. Of course, there are times this makes sense (coding being one that comes to mind) but there are plenty of other times when digital content should be shared and discussed collaboratively. A good example illustrating this is a group of friends watching a sports game; the current medium (the screen) requires each friend to sit side by side with his/her attention focused on the screen; their posture and focus discouraging any form of communication. This is nicely illustrated by one of Microsoft's concepts where an NFL game is visualized onto a tabletop in the center of the room; you can see this video here https://youtu.be/HvYj3_VmW6I?t=1m8s.

Another, more relevant to this chapters example, concept is shown in the following images, illustrating how designers can use the HoloLens to project their work into the real-world, giving an more accurate sense of scale and better opportunities to collaborate.   

Being able to bring the digital content into the real world allows peers to position themselves around a table, facing each other as you would during dinner; at a cafe, or around a camp fire. This organization of people naturally encourages social interaction, for good or bad. There are plenty of examples where this is applicable, in both a professional and personal capacity and this is really the core of this chapter.

Our next main topic centers around extending the interface into the real world; the concept of manipulating digital content using something physical (or tangible) is known as Tangible User Interfaces (TUIs), in part conceived by Hiroshi Ishii, a professor in the MIT Media Laboratory who heads the Tangible Media Group. TUIs (or, more broadly, Tangible Interaction) is concerned with interfaces that employ physical objects, surfaces, and spaces as tangible embodiments of digital information and processes. Consequently, the motivation for this was the dissatisfaction with screen-based interfaces (including VR), as they are seen as estranging people from the real world (seeing a trend here). HoloLens, and MR in general, provides us with the opportunity to not only integrate digital content into the physical world but also integrate the physical world with the digital.

In this chapter's example, we will explore these concepts by developing a hypothetical application for 3D designers; our task is to allow designers to pull their designs out from the screen and into the real world for better collaboration, to inspect and review their work with peers. We will further decouple the computer from the content by extending some controls into the physical world. By the end of this chapter, you will have learned the following:

• Export, share, and import WorldAnchor, allowing spaces to be shared across devices
• Manipulate digital content using physical objects using the Vuforia plugin
• Use spatial sound to assist the user in locating the hologram

Time to get started; we will start our journey with a quick explanation of the example we will be building upon before looking at integrating Vuforia, then sharing, and finally, adding spatial sound.