The Future of Holograms

D3 writes "A Slate article talks about the failure of holograms to really catch on and the future of using computers to create true holographic video ala Princess Leia. The article covers some history such as the fact that holograms have been around since 1947. Lots of great geek-pop references as well."

Comments

Re:Holograms

[networkBoy]

I've long said if you give me a holodeck and replicator I'm never (ever) coming out. If you cut the power I will kill myself rather than facing the real world again.

Sadly I think this would actually happen to more people than just myself, which would eventually erode teh human specis into non-existance.
-nB

Here is a big hint

[John Sokol]

Most things labeled as holgrams are crappy 3D effects. Such as those lenticular sheet 3D effects on magazine covers and breakfast cerial boxes.

This word missuse has really discredited those who have real holograms.

Then there are still image holograms such as the cheap Mylar prints that aren't too bad if lit right, but most people can't or aren't willing to get up proper lighting to display them effectivly. The fact that I can't just put a nail in the wall and hang it is a large setback.

The glass plate holograms are very expensive but when done right are frightenly real. Like one a friend of mine made of his head with a pulsed ruby laser. I really looks like a decapitated head in a box, in almost any lighting. He was showing it at a fleamarket and people would call the cops, or completely go histerical in horror screaming and crying, thinking is was a real head in a box (except it was just a flat glass palate)

Here is the big hint now.

Did you know you can digitaly generate a hologram compulationaly and print it on a laser printer, photographicaly reduce it and have it work as a hologram!

A hologram is really just a black and white print of the light interferiance patterns (that are much larger then the wavelength of light used).

You can even display these interference patterns in realtime using a LCOS chip if it's illiminated correctly,(mono chrome only) and product true holographic image. Limited to 1 inch across through and $5000 at the moment.

So if it were possible to get an LCOS that was 14 inches across it would litteraly be like a red tinted glass porthole into another universe. Will all the detail and resolution of looking out side the window of your office!

There was some very interesting experiments we did with this a few years ago. Maybe someday I'll have the time to write these up in more detail.