Review of Microsoft HoloLens Applications over the Past Five Years

TLDR

Since its 2016 debut, Microsoft HoloLens has been adopted across multiple industries. The study reviews academic papers on HoloLens applications across industries. The authors reviewed 44 papers from 2016–2020 to summarize results and outline research trends. The review classified HoloLens use into medical, surgical, educational, industrial, architectural, civil engineering, and other fields, and identified the visualization techniques and functions employed.

Abstract

Since Microsoft HoloLens first appeared in 2016, HoloLens has been used in various industries, over the past five years. This study aims to review academic papers on the applications of HoloLens in several industries. A review was performed to summarize the results of 44 papers (dated between January 2016 and December 2020) and to outline the research trends of applying HoloLens to different industries. This study determined that HoloLens is employed in medical and surgical aids and systems, medical education and simulation, industrial engineering, architecture, civil engineering and other engineering fields. The findings of this study contribute towards classifying the current uses of HoloLens in various industries and identifying the types of visualization techniques and functions.