Heliodisplay In Production

David writes "News of a 3D display that projects an interactive image into thin air, the Heliodisplay, is not exactly fresh. What is new however, is that this once far-fetched conceptual object is now real, working and being sold. For those of you who have forgotten, the Heliodisplay from company IO2Tech projects into the air (without a need for special screen) images fed to it from a variety of sources. In a way, it's a working version of R2D2s holographic projection system." A similar product, the Pocket Beamer was previously covered on Slashdot.

Comments

Damn that was quick.

[MrCopilot]

Karma, its not just for whoring anymore.

http://mirrordot.org/stories/0e4768d9cefb72835cc26 04c911d6919/index.html

Nifty Display though. Cost anyone?

Not 3D, 2D

[saddino]

In a way, it's a working version of R2D2s holographic projection system.

This is simply 2D projection onto a moving air stream, so "in a way" it's nothing like a hologrpahic projection system.

From their site: Although the HelioDisplay uses lasers, the images are not holographic

It is pretty nifty though.

Never mind...

[jpellino]

I'd asked how it was going to make an image with nothing to reflect off of - and it doesn't.
It's a fog screen - a really neat one that concentrates condensate out of the ambient air, but a fog screen nontheless. No pot of water, no Disney lagoon.
According to the patent, it relies on cold air condensate blown up in a laminar layer.
Good thing - had it relied on blowing *hot* air, they'd have been denied due to prior art from SCO.