Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

3D Animations In Mid-Air Using Plasma Balls

Posted by kdawson on from the what's-that-crackling-sound dept.

An anonymous reader clues us to research at Japan's National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology that has produced the ability to make animations by creating small plasma balls in mid-air. The technology doesn't use vapor or strange gases, just lasers to heat up oxygen and nitrogen molecules above the device: up to 1,000 brilliant dots per second, which makes smooth motion possible. When the tech improves it could be used for street signs or advertising.

4 of 234 comments (clear)

  1. "Street signs or advertising" by smclean · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Hah, who sees an amazing technology like this and immediately begins thinking about its potential use for advertising? To me, its use in advertising seems like the only downside to this technology..

    "Guys!! I just heard that they came up with a way to project images directly in to your brain! Awesome, think of the *commercials*!! "

    --

    "'Yrch!' said Legolas, falling into his own tongue."

  2. Street signs and advertising? I THINK NOT! by alta · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Forget it, that's not the early adopters.

    It'll be used for video games and pr0n. We all know who gets tech first. The problem I see is that it heats up they air to the point that when you get too excited and attempt to touch... You loose a hand or other appendage.

    --
    Do not meddle in the affairs of sysadmins, for they are subtle, and quick to anger.
  3. Lightsaber anyone? by Thansal · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Make me a portable version of this and I can finally have my friken LIGHTSABER!

    --
    Do Or Do Not, There Is No Spoon, There Is Only Zuul. Everything in the above post is probably opinion.
  4. Polluting? by Lazarian · · Score: 4, Insightful
    Wouldn't heating oxygen and nitrogen in air with lasers to the point of making glowing plasma also create ozone and nitric oxides? This sounds like it would be the same as having dozens of electric arcs going off in mid air.

    As much as I like the idea of being assailed with even more ads everywhere I look, this seems to be a very environmentally harmful idea. Along with harmful gases being produced by plasma discharges, it would be noisy as well, not to mention that displays like this would give off UV light as well, just like an electric arc. Bad idea.