Hololens Distance Support

Because flying an expert in is slower than calling one in.

This project at CQUniversity focused on reducing the distance between people and expertise by using Microsoft HoloLens and Dynamics 365 Remote Assist to support skill sharing across labs and campuses.

Within my role at CQUniversity, we explored a model where each lab technician could be equipped with a HoloLens headset. This enabled them to initiate a Teams-style call to a subject matter expert or support person, creating a shared visual context in real time. Experts could see either an through-the-eyes view of the situation as it unfolded, allowing them to understand context immediately rather than relying on verbal descriptions or photos sent after the fact.

Rather than stepping away from the task, technicians could remain fully engaged in their physical environment while receiving guidance directly in their field of view. Experts could place arrows, draw annotations, reference documentation, and bring in 3D assets to explain procedures, highlight risks, or clarify next steps—all anchored to what the technician was seeing in the real world.

I acted as the technical analyst and pipeline developer for the system. My role involved mapping and validating how HoloLens hardware, Dynamics 365 Remote Assist, and Teams-based communication workflows could be reliably integrated into everyday operations. This included analysing network requirements, connectivity constraints (Wi-Fi and mobile hotspotting), authentication flows, and content handoff to ensure the solution worked consistently across varied environments rather than as a one-off demonstration.

To make the system viable at scale, I worked closely with internal Digital Services teams to enable the supporting Microsoft infrastructure. This included configuring Microsoft Azure licensing and identity to support secure access, and implementing Intune device management so HoloLens headsets could be provisioned, updated, and maintained centrally. The result was a seamless end-user experience

This approach points toward a future where knowledge is mobilised, supporting scalable skill development across geographically dispersed environments.