Video Screen in Thin Air

Agent Provocateur writes "CNN has a story about inventions in advanced computer displays -- eliminating the screen altogether."Ever since the movie 'Star Wars' came out and there was a distress call from Princess Leia," -- generated in thin air by the robot R2D2 -- "people all over the world have been wanting one of these." While unlikely to replace the desktop computer monitor, so-called walk-through displays could eventually be put to use in product showrooms and museums."

Comments

Holodeck!

[Brahmastra]

Hope this develops ultimately into a holodeck. Playing quake in a holodeck will be a lot more fun

Re:Holodeck!

[narratorDan]

Not even close to Holodeck technology. The holodeck actually creates objects for its user to interact with using the same energy matter system that the transporter system moves objects from ship to planet and back. The only real difference between the two systems is that the transporter begins with matter then transforms it into energy which is then transmitted to a remote location for reconstruction, while the holodeck begins with energy which is configured in an "image matrix" to create the object within the confines of the holodeck or vacinity of a holodeck generator. Check out StNG episode 29, "Elementary, Dear Data" this covers some of the specs of the holodeck

NarratorDan

How?

[grub]

The machine modifies the air above a video projector

That tantalizing bit of information is all that is said about how it works. Does anyone know if it shoots a thin mist or fog to project the image on? One would imagine so, so using one of these displays in a room with active ventilation may screw up the image as the fog is blown around.

Re:How?

[electromaggot]

The article mentions two technologies. One is the fog screen (as seen at SIGGRAPH), where the fog unit hangs from the ceiling and its clearly-visible vapor flows downward.

This other technology seems to involve a "sit on your desk" unit, out of which some kind of vapor appears to blow upwards. They have three videos showing this on their website (IO2 Technology) although it's light on technical specifics. The vids are filmed from in front of the unit, which seems to have a more extensive projection system hiding back behind it -- which as the guy moves his hand into the image, you can see projecting bright light up onto his arm. The "sheet" of vapor is surprisingly transparent, but you can notice its "laminar flow" being disrupted by his hand movement.

I, too, have my questions: What the vapor is and if it's toxic or messy... and how he'll do 3D (which is implied as being the next step) because the technology I see is basically a 2D "screen" and a long way from 3D.

I can see where this is going

[sixteenraisins]

If these 3-D "images" can be manipulated by hand, this technology becomes infintely more valuable - after all, some cheesy videogames were using 3-D holo-type displays back in the 80's, but without the hand-manipulation ability.

I can see this being used for training surgeons, bomb squads, etc. - any type of high risk sort of profession where learning on a "screen" you can manipulate with your hands either poses a threat or isn't something you can easily reproduce in situ.

William

I remember

[Doesn't_Comment_Code]

I remember wanting a projector that could display in the air after I saw Star Wars.

I also wanted to make a light saber that would really turn on and off (not like those sissy plastic ones where the beam never really goes away.) At the time I really wanted one for halloween. Now I just want one because I do. I'm pretty sure the same technology could be used as long as you could produce A LOT of mist. Could somebody from ThinkGeek get on this?

Re:Primary use = advertising

[Anonymous Coward]

they are called billboards and they are "floating" nearly eveywhere you fucking look.

Disney's Water Screen

[cpopin]

This technique was used in the early 90s in Disneyland's Fantasma show. Characters from Fantasia performed on a stage on Tom Sawyer's Island across the river from the audience. In less than a second, they can hide the stage in a wall of water used as a projection screen for scenes from the movie Fantasia. Then turn off the water and projector for viewing the characters on stage, again within less than a second.

It was an awesome display. It only ran for a limited time and as far as I know they've never repeated it. I'm glad I lived in California at the time to experience it. The show rates a 10! If they ever bring this back and you have the opportunity, I highly recommend catching it.

Re:Disney's Water Screen

[VCAGuy]

You can now rent/buy these units. Aquatique Show among others makes them. I was a video tech at a show where they used these--it was 32 feet wide and rear projected with a Christie Digital Roadie X10 (10,000 ANSI lumen digital projector--Eidophor lovers, eat your heart out!) The staging guys installed the screen and catch box in about 4 hours--even on an electrically live stage (i.e. one with 120/208 going though it), there isn't really any concern of water--the catch boxes are very well designed to almost elminiate splashout.

Haunted Houses

[Esion Modnar]

Halloween is coming up. Imagine putting some of these in a "haunted" house and running spooky images, with sound of course.

Re:OSDN needs to hire real journalists

[setzman]

How can it be a news source when it doesn't have anyone out writing articles or doing research? They only get what people submit from 3rd parties. You are right in everything you say, just that the method of obtaining articles would have to change for the credibility level to increase.

I disagree and it's a 2D image!!

[spineboy]

I don't think this will be useful for surgeons. We learn the best way possible - you stick your hands right into the action (under the guidance of the attending surgeon, of course).

It's only a 2D image anyway, and it appears to me that it's main difference is that it doesn't need a screen. There is no surgeon in the world that I know of, that would obscure the surgical field with yet another thing to block their vision. So if applicable to learning surgery, it would have to be in a non-operative setting, and so not having a screen isn't very important at all.

There are many other things of much more importance to a budding surgeon - such as the organ texture, learning how to suture, trying to identify the diseased thing that you're holding in your hand, how things behave, etc. No one in the surgical field will bother with this, I don't think I would and I love computers/gadgets. Sorry.

My friend just told me about this:

[luckyguesser]

I showed the /. article to my friend and he mentioned that he remembers an old (1991 I think) Sony arcade game called Hologram Time Travelers.
In this game, the characters and landscape all floated in midair, there was no screen. He said he liked poking them while they walked around. Here's a couple links about the game:
first one
second one