Japan-Based Developer Unleashes Giant AR Gundam Robot on the Public via HoloLens 2

The future of the HoloLens 2, according to Microsoft, is all about enterprise use cases.

But that doesn't mean some of the more creative-minded HoloLens developers won't bend the top-tier augmented reality device to their own designs. The latest example of this trend comes from Japan.

• Don't Miss: Microsoft Japan Helps Godzilla Invade Real World Tokyo via HoloLens

If you've ever been to Tokyo, you may have seen the incredibly designed "Gundam building," which looks like a giant Gundam robot crouching among the normal buildings of the megalopolis. More recently, a life-sized Gundam was opened to visitors in Yokohama, Japan.

Now, Japan-based HoloLens developer Asahi Sakamoto (aka GeekHoloRanger) has taken the futuristic inspiration of the Gundam robots and moved it into the world of augmented reality.

Sakamoto created the model in the open source 3D graphic application Blender and then animated it ported it to the HoloLens 2.

Asahi Sakamoto/YouTube

But this isn't just a static model. Instead, Sakamoto actually designed an experience that makes the giant Gundam appear in the sky, after which it descends to the streets of Tokyo, standing at what looks like around the same 60-foot height as the giant Gundam robot in Yokohama (Sakamoto says his virtual Gundam is about 85 feet tall).

The timing for Sakamoto's experiment couldn't be better since a new Mobile Suit Gundam movie is coming to Japanese theaters this week.

The spectacle evokes memories of the official Godzilla and Microsoft collaboration a few years ago that led to the "king of all monsters" virtually stomping through the streets of Tokyo.

In this case, the Gundam is just an experiment, and most companies developing for the HoloLens 2 are focused on enterprise, but Sakamoto's sci-fi demo is impressive enough to possibly inspire entertainment studios to think again about possibly using the HoloLens 2 to bring the world of fiction into the real world via AR once again.

You can follow more of Sakamoto's HoloLens 2 work via his personal blog where he breaks down his process when creating a wide range of immersive experiences.

Cover image via Asahi Sakamoto/YouTube