Holocube brings 3D projection down to desktop size

After years of promises, it seems that holograms are finally starting to gain a little traction, although the applications for the technology so far have been fairly limited. At least one company thinks that's about to change, however, with it now touting its retro-styled Holocube as an all-purpose solution for company's to advertise their products "like never before." Measuring about 20-inches square, the Holocube packs a 40GB hard drive for storing up to 18 hours of compressed video, which can magically float at 1080i resolution within the cube at the flick of a switch. Of course, the fact the company is targeting the device solely as a means of advertising should tell you something about the price (which is on a need to know basis, it seems). Still, it's a start, and we're guessing there are at least a few folks out there that'll snag one of these to fully round out their Star Wars-inspired home theater no matter what the cost. Head on past the break for some video of it in action.

[Jason @ Feb 5th 2008 3:37PM]

Isn't that just a heads-up projection?

[Harkonian @ Feb 5th 2008 3:54PM]

I'd be interested to know what technology it uses. I saw a a projector at a Wired conference that wasn't anything more than a mirror rotating very quickly to make the laser images look 3D. Not very impressive.

[james @ Feb 5th 2008 3:59PM]

It is. If you go to the site and watch the video, you can see a 45 degree line in the side wall of the inside. So it definately looks like it's just a HUD. zzz. http://www.holocube.eu/

[Tai @ Feb 5th 2008 7:03PM]

yea, if it were really 3D they should have fixed the images and rotated the camera

[NovaLand @ Feb 6th 2008 1:14AM]

Actually heads-down. You have to keep your head down to see into that small cube.
When I'm onto it, why do they make commercials for TV-sets displaying the TV and how good image quality there is, when the limit for what the commercial can show is in your current TV.

...And why do ppl even bother showing 2D-images of screens showing 3D?

[ck @ Feb 6th 2008 4:43AM]

If the source image being reflected by the HUD is 3D, the reflection will also appear 3D. You don't know what's going on in the bottom of that unit, and the HUD might just be there to make it look cooler as it's all see-through.

Having said that, I'm just going to assume it's crappy 2D along with the rest of you.

[DaLa @ Feb 5th 2008 3:41PM]

Help me Obi-Wan Konobi, you're my only hope.

[Mike10010100 @ Feb 5th 2008 4:09PM]

Okay, now what button do i push?

[Kurtis @ Feb 5th 2008 4:47PM]

yep

[Maestro @ Feb 5th 2008 5:04PM]

There's just an hour glass...I'm just trying to make an MPEG!

[Blaktornado @ Feb 5th 2008 5:26PM]

Help me Obi-Wan Konobi, you're my only hope... of stopping R2 D2 from forcing me into saying that over and over again... PLEASE MAKE IT STOP!

[Cmmndr312 @ Feb 5th 2008 6:34PM]

It says I have to install real player!

[Curtis @ Feb 5th 2008 3:51PM]

The coolness of 3D gets lost in these videos...It's like I have to imagine it's 3D in my head, what we need are 3D monitors for watching these videos of 3D projectors.

[fischju @ Feb 5th 2008 4:23PM]

There is a pretty large market of 3D monitors that work well, but they carry a huge premium. And the video wasn't shot in 3D....


If only I could figure out what frequencies of light illuminate when they cross, I could be a billionaire...

[fischju @ Feb 5th 2008 4:24PM]

There is a pretty large market of 3D monitors that work well, but they carry a huge premium. And the video wasn't shot in 3D....


If only I could figure out what frequencies of light illuminate when they cross, I could be a billionaire...

[Peace @ Feb 5th 2008 5:35PM]

Yeah, or a still shot with the Holo Cube moving so we can see it in three dimensions.

[Curtis @ Feb 5th 2008 5:38PM]

Yes, a still shot would work good. It just doesn't seem that impressive when you can't actually see the main feature of it.

[NNTPgrip @ Feb 5th 2008 3:53PM]

Looks 60's Future (do they call it retrofuture?)

But in the event I don't want to just play some sort of 1080i sequel to that damn time traveler game from SEGA, is there an interface that they have a demo of, or do I just insert a crystal somewhere and put on a Wendy Carlos CD?

[james @ Feb 5th 2008 3:57PM]

I'm failing to see the "hologram" part of this device. Just because an object is spinning doesn't make it 3d (er, the image that is). Now, if the camera's perspective moved in the video, instead of being locked down.....

[Zeek @ Feb 5th 2008 4:06PM]

Though if Ann Coulter popped up in mine, it'd end up on the business end of a bat.

[Aaron @ Feb 5th 2008 4:14PM]

Actually cisco is on the verge of launching something MAJOR with holograms

http://www.eyeliner3d.com/cisco_telepresence_holographic_video_conferencing.html


So the comment that this is coming out of nowhere isn't very much new

[LesbianHam @ Feb 5th 2008 4:15PM]

How the fuck am I supposed to tell that that is actually 3D when the camera is staying completely still???

[ReggieXuk @ Feb 5th 2008 4:28PM]

exactly

[Alex R @ Feb 5th 2008 5:32PM]

HAHA! LesbianHam! The Mighty Boosh! Look deep into the Parka...

[DigiRaven @ Feb 5th 2008 4:25PM]

freaky

[George @ Feb 5th 2008 4:50PM]

nope

[Danny @ Feb 5th 2008 4:53PM]

As mentioned by another poster before, it's (sadly) just an image projected onto a tilted glass surface. No hoovering image, no 3d.

How nice it would be if it was for real..

[Hooverizer @ Feb 5th 2008 9:05PM]

I wanna see a hoovering image!

[marcelle @ Feb 5th 2008 5:27PM]

pr0n like never before!

[Alex @ Feb 5th 2008 5:34PM]

@Marcelle
I said a very similar thing in this post...
http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/06/miracube-g240s-ushers-in-new-generation-of-3d-displays/

[marcelle @ Feb 5th 2008 5:39PM]

great minds fantisize alike...lol...lmao

[Tom Oliveri @ Feb 5th 2008 8:23PM]

lol had to be said didnt it..

[Ricardo @ Feb 5th 2008 5:38PM]

I prefer that giant monster from Sony.

[Tom Oliveri @ Feb 5th 2008 8:24PM]

you mean Howard Stringer?

[techieguru16 @ Feb 5th 2008 5:55PM]

yawn!!!

[low tech @ Feb 5th 2008 7:26PM]

i lol'd at the related video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUkjeMYs5bQ

[chuck @ Feb 5th 2008 7:38PM]

A pack of Kents? That's what they end the demo with? Do they even make Kent smokes anymore?

[Clark H. @ Feb 5th 2008 10:32PM]

That's crazy. Call me when they've got em in 32" flavors.

[Eric @ Feb 5th 2008 10:47PM]

anybody else thinking about the opening seen of Dune when a certain someone put their hand in one of those? I wouldn't risk it..

[giftgadgetgateway @ Feb 6th 2008 4:10AM]

The first time I had actually seen a hologram was at KL Tower, Malaysia. It shows a full-size 3D projection of ex-Prime Minister, sitting on a chair, giving his speech. And that was years ago. It would be better to have projection out of the cube.

http://giftgadgetgateway.com

[ck @ Feb 6th 2008 4:36AM]

"Company's"?

:`(

[bah @ Feb 6th 2008 5:11AM]

this has nothing to do with holograms or holography. neither does the prince charles thing linked in the post.

holography: interference pattern of 2 lasers recorded onto special emulsion, when angle of exposure is reproduced with laser light or white light, object appears visible in full 3d space (including parallax). color, z axis depth and viewing condition required all vary based on the method of creation.

clearly you guys need to do some actual research.

[August @ Feb 7th 2008 7:42PM]

dude, u guys are being dumb. you just need to look at it correctly to see that its closer to us than the wall.

[Jan Vanriel @ Feb 8th 2008 5:54AM]

CONTEST WIN A HOLOCUBE WITH THE BEST GRAPHICS !

For people who want to make graphics:

Video settings

Frame width*height: 1024*768 Pixels (higher resolutions are supported)

Aspect ratio : 4:3

14Mbps is the maximum bit rates, lower than 4Mbps is not recommended

Frames per second: 25 and 30 are supported

For more information contact [e-mail]

Best and thanks in advance

[jman007 @ Nov 29th 2008 1:34PM]

I think some people are underestimating the significance of this product/technology. This is by far the greatest implementation of 3D and holographic emulation into a sell-able product. On top of that, it's a piece of art.

All of us tech weenies can say that we could build this cheaper etc...but there are a lot of technicalities that would prevent it from working as the holocube. Reflecting an image off of glass, while doing it in such a way to "suspend disbelieve" is no small task. Then try wrapping it up into a product that doesn't have a laptop strapped to it and 5 cords hanging out of it etc...

Hat's of to the Holocube innovators from Belgium. Consider me impressed!