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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.

21 of 234 comments (clear)

  1. Oblig... by band-aid-brand · · Score: 5, Funny

    I, for one, welcome our new lethally hot gas based advertisement overlords...

  2. pink tentacle? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    I'm not clicking that link.

  3. cool but Yikes! by Lumpy · · Score: 5, Funny

    It uses high power lasers to heat the air into a "plasma" when running it has the sounds of crackles as mini explosions occur.

    Oh yeah, that's a display I want. Instead of the cat blocking the screen, the cat bursts into flames. How the heck am I going to explain that one to the wife?

    --
    Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
    1. Re:cool but Yikes! by Bluesman · · Score: 5, Funny

      "How the heck am I going to explain that one to the wife?"

      I'd say this:

      Why do you keep talking about this cat, honey? For the millionth time, we NEVER HAD A CAT. I think you need to see a doctor.

      It's a pretty healthy way to help loved ones deal with loss.

      --
      If moderation could change anything, it would be illegal.
    2. Re:cool but Yikes! by megaditto · · Score: 5, Funny

      Instead of the cat blocking the screen, the cat bursts into flames. How the heck am I going to explain that one to the wife?
      Tell her that her pussy is smokin'-hot?

      sorry, sorry
      --
      Obama likes poor people so much, he wants to make more of them.
    3. Re:cool but Yikes! by tgd · · Score: 5, Funny

      Probably better than telling her that her pussy smells like burnt hair, I suppose.

    4. Re:cool but Yikes! by Loligo · · Score: 4, Funny


      Remember the time it fried her cat? And then you lied and said she never had a cat? Then why'd she have the litterbox, Bluesman? Why'd she have the litterbox?

        -l

  4. "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."

    1. Re:"Street signs or advertising" by HTH+NE1 · · Score: 4, Funny

      "Guys!! I just heard that they came up with a way to project images directly in to your brain! Awesome, think of the *commercials*!! " But not in our dreams. Only on TV and radio, and in magazines, and movies, and at ball games... and on buses and milk cartons and T-shirts, and bananas and written on the sky. But not in dreams, no siree.
      --
      Oh, say does that Star-Spangled Banner entwine / The myrtle of Venus with Bacchus's vine?
  5. Star Wars by JoeDuncan · · Score: 5, Funny

    So am I finally going to be able to play holo-chess against a wookie?

  6. 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.
  7. Re:Old news by jellomizer · · Score: 4, Funny

    I think I requested it to slashdot back then too... It got rejected. I think it was replaced with some story about a cool new case mod, perhaps a minor Linux kernel upgrade.

    --
    If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
  8. 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.
  9. 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.

    1. Re:Polluting? by StikyPad · · Score: 5, Funny

      That's why I'm working on my Laser Retinal Projector (patent pending) which aims the lasers directly at the retina. Since the eye is sealed system, there's virtually no danger of toxic gases! What's more, it offers a high degree of privacy, and if you're forgetful it can literally etch the images into your mind for life.*

      *Limit of one etch per mind.

      WARNING: Looking directly at the Laser Retinal Projector may cause minor explosions of the eye.

      --
      https://www.eff.org/https-everywhere
  10. Very cool, but not likely to be used... by Darlok · · Score: 4, Informative

    Well, first, this is sadly old news. The technology was actually exhibited at SIGGRAPH 2006 in Boston last July. It's pretty cool, but I'm not sure it would ever be put to practical use, at least in its current form.

    For one thing, it's loud! Every plasma ball makes a sizzling pop as it winks in and out of existence. Now magnify that by thousands of times as it scans out a 3D wireframe... the entire area for quite a distance surrounding fills with an ear-splitting sound of angry electric bees. There was talk of putting it on buildings to run electronic billboards in cities, but anyone within a few blocks would need ear protection to co-exist with it!

    Very cool stuff, but we're a loooong way from 3D open-air advertising.

    --
    Notice: Your mouse has been moved. Windows will now restart so this change can take effect.
  11. Some video by desideria · · Score: 5, Informative

    There's video of the projector in action here

  12. YouTube video... by CyberSnyder · · Score: 4, Informative

    http://youtube.com/watch?v=He2QTpelAjE

  13. Re:What the hell? by MajinBlayze · · Score: 4, Funny

    Photoshop? Don't give them that much credit; it looks like they made the picture using MS Word

    --
    "Hate is baggage. Life's too short to be pissed off all the time." Danny Vinyard -American History X
  14. Sharks? No. Mosquitos? YES! by Cpt_Kirks · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Growing up in a mosquito infested area, I often thought that someday, an anti-mosquito laser system could be developed.

    This technology could possibly do that. If it can focus a laser on a particular spot long enough to make plasma out of air, it can zap a skeeter!

    And you thought a bug-zapper was entertaining...

  15. Re:Sharks? No. Mosquitos? YES! by Bluesman · · Score: 5, Funny

    I like the way you think.

    But what we really need is a way to control mosquitos so that they can swarm to form advertisements. Then we'd get the laser bug zapper for free.

    --
    If moderation could change anything, it would be illegal.