Hologram -- Engadget

hologram posts

Molecular projector scatters the world's smallest letters

by Thomas Ricker posted Jan 26th 2009 at 9:05AM

1.5 nanometers: that's how small these letters are -- half a nanometer shorter than those inscribed by inferior brains back in October. Physicists at Stanford achieved the record (which ties Hitachi's work from 1991) by manipulating individual carbon monoxide molecules on a copper surface and then exciting the copper to bounce a holographic pattern off the CO. Software ensures that the molecules are positioned correctly to scatter electron waves into particular shapes, in this case an "S" and "U," before finishing with a "CK IT CAL," presumably. The work could ultimately lead to densely packed storage devices... or not. Just saying.

NICT researchers develop new method to make holography more practical

by Donald Melanson posted Nov 24th 2008 at 5:17PM

It's still not quite point-and-shoot, but it looks like some researchers at Japan's National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (or NICT) have gone some ways towards making holography a tiny bit more practical. As Tech-On reports, their method is based around a fly-eye lens that consists of a number of micro lenses, which allows for moving images to be captured in normal lighting conditions, and is also used to display the image after a computer works its magic on the raw images. There are still a few fairly significant drawbacks to the setup, however, as the image displayed is currently limited to one centimeter in size with a two degree viewing angle, although the researchers say they should be able to increase that to a four centimeters within the next three years. Check out an equally tiny image of an actual hologram captured with the system after the break.

Continue reading NICT researchers develop new method to make holography more practical

CNN's holographic freakout begins, seems totally bizarre and unnecessary

by Joshua Topolsky posted Nov 4th 2008 at 7:48PM

If you've been keeping your eyes fixed on CNN as this election unfolds, then by now you've seen Wolf Blitzer doing a "hologram" interview with Jessica Yellin. Not only does this technology seem completely creepy, but it's without a doubt one of the most useless and unnecessary pieces of phantasmagoric TV ever enacted. Enjoy some video and two more pics of the weirdness after the break.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Continue reading CNN's holographic freakout begins, seems totally bizarre and unnecessary

CNN's Wolf Blitzer to interview hologram strategists on election night

by Darren Murph posted Nov 4th 2008 at 4:24PM

As the news networks spend oodles of cash in order to one-up the other with whiz-bang visuals and mind-melting charts, CNN is looking to blow just about everyone else away. As election night officially kicks off in just a few hours, the network's Wolf Blitzer will be conducting interviews with faraway strategists not via the traditional two-pane window, but by hologram. Believe it or not, professionals in Chicago and Phoenix will be beamed live to CNN's New York studios in order to give viewers a look at Wolf and a ghostly counterpart. Granted, this is far from the first holographic / 3D interview we've seen, but it is rather impressive given the scenario. In related news, we're also told that FOX News will be touting a "giant wall with touch-screen technology [that] will provide electoral map results," which hopefully translates in geek speak to "Surface."

[Via Hack-A-Day]

RealFiction's Dreamoc 3D / holographic display demoed on video

by Darren Murph posted Oct 30th 2008 at 9:25AM

Retailers may be having a tough time moving inventory, but they're not using a Dreamoc to advertise. RealFiction's latest blend of holographic technology, 3D imagery and mind-blowing eye candy has resulted in the device you see above. Hailed as a 3D display system designed "especially for high profile brands in a competitive retail environment," this box possesses the innate ability to "mix free-floating animation and video images with physical objects." We can only imagine how lovely this would be if removed from that chamber and utilized as a tabletop HDTV, for instance, but until the company works that idea into its product line, have a look at the current incarnation (in video, no less) after the break.

Gallery: RealFiction's dreamoc 3D / holographic display demoed on video

Continue reading RealFiction's Dreamoc 3D / holographic display demoed on video

Obscura Digital projects multi-touch "hologram," blows all sorts of minds

by Joshua Topolsky posted Aug 5th 2008 at 12:25AM

The creative cats and kittens at Obscura Digital have put together a stunning piece of performance art / data manipulation demo which combines their proprietary multi-touch software with Musion's Eyeliner 3D holographic projection system. Like that BMW installation we saw recently, this is one of those odd combinations of technology and art which is best seen in action rather than described -- so check out the video after the break and see the work in all its mind-bending glory.

Continue reading Obscura Digital projects multi-touch "hologram," blows all sorts of minds

Infosys develops 3D cellphone cameras, projectors

by Nilay Patel posted Jun 21st 2008 at 8:52AM

We've seen a couple handheld 3D devices, but Infosys just announced that developed a chipset capable of capturing and projecting 3D holograms from ordinary cellphones, and that it hopes to take the tech mainstream by 2010. The system captures a series of 2D images from normal cameras and uses them to develop 3D holograms, projecting received images using a laser projector and micro optical elements. Infosys also had a patent granted on the system required to transmit 3D data over normal telecom networks without clogging them up -- the data is transmitted unprocessed, and the chipsets at either end do the heavy lifting. There's no word on what devices this stuff might appear in, but we're wondering what that laser system is supposed to project onto -- or if we'll have to take up smoking to get our 3D on.

[Thanks, Bucky]

Telstra shows off network capacity with live hologram beaming

by Darren Murph posted May 27th 2008 at 12:39AM

If we were betting souls, we'd say seeing a hologram of Bill Gates is still far more frightening than one of Telstra's CTO, but nevertheless, said exec was recently beamed from Melbourne to Adelaide via hologram in order to "speak at a major function for senior business executives." According to David Thodey, the live demonstration symbolized "what has become possible using the high data speed and capacity of [its] network" -- something the outfit is calling Next Dimension Working. The actual hologram was transmitted over the company's network using the Musion Eyeliner System, a "high-definition holographic video projection system that allows three-dimensional moving images to appear within a live stage setting." Telecommuting just took on a whole new meaning.

[Via News, thanks Brad]

Update: Video added after the jump!

Continue reading Telstra shows off network capacity with live hologram beaming

Holographic Bill Gates terrorizes Kuala Lumpur tech conference

by Joshua Fruhlinger posted May 20th 2008 at 9:48AM

See that 15-foot beam of glowing manhood? That's Bill Gates. While cohort Steve Ballmer was being pelted with eggs by angry Hungarians, Microsoft Chairman Gates was making a virtual appearance at the World Congress on Information Technology 2008 in Kuala Lumpur. The crowd cheered -- or screamed in terror -- as the giant 4.6-meter holographic specter assured them that technology is, in fact, the future. Said the chairman, "There are one billion people who have a personal computer each but there are five billion others who don't. Microsoft also wants to reach these people." We're hoping that Bill has recorded several hundred holographic speeches and will continue to grace conventions' presences for years, and years, and years to come.

[Thanks, alma]

Video: LM3Labs' AirStrike interactive holograms, because they can

by Thomas Ricker posted Apr 22nd 2008 at 8:27AM

We're not sure why they did it, but LM3Labs have a developed an interactive, gesture-controlled hologram technology called AirStrike. Presumably, the technology can be applied to advertising or as an event novelty. We imagine this is about as close to a God Complex as any of us non-surgeons will ever get. See what we mean in the video after the break.

[Via fresh creation]

Continue reading Video: LM3Labs' AirStrike interactive holograms, because they can

Dynamic holographic displays are finally here, a couple decades late

by Paul Miller posted Feb 6th 2008 at 7:28PM

Face it, the past few decades of flat holograms have been a sham. Baseball cards? Security logos? Software piracy protection? This isn't what sci-fi had in mind at all. Thankfully, some University of Arizona scientists are getting the technology back on track with a new three-dimensional holographic display. What makes this one special is that the display is dynamic -- it can be rewritten with an entirely new image in a few minutes. Obviously the refresh rate's going to need some work before we're all chugging along on a holographic workstation, but it's certainly a start. The current prototype is 4-inch by 4-inch, and only displays in red, but the researchers believe a full color display is feasible, and they're already at work on a 1-foot by 1-foot version.

Holocube brings 3D projection down to desktop size

by Donald Melanson posted Feb 5th 2008 at 3:28PM

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.

Continue reading Holocube brings 3D projection down to desktop size

Sony unleashes a holographic monster on Tokyo Bay

by Nilay Patel posted Feb 1st 2008 at 12:08AM

See, this is how you bust out a hologram -- unlike the mind-numbingly boring virtual Prince Charles we heard about the other day, Sony's invaded Tokyo Bay with a water-and-laser sea monster. The apparition is part of the promotion for a movie called "Water Horse: Legend of the Deep," but even with a title like that, we'll definitely check it out on import DVD when it arrives Stateside just to provide more incentive for stunts like this. Check out a video after the break.

Continue reading Sony unleashes a holographic monster on Tokyo Bay

Prince Charles delivers speech as hologram, still manages to bore

by Evan Blass posted Jan 22nd 2008 at 3:42AM

Proving once again that technology can only do so much to jazz up a boring presentation, a holographic version of Prince Charles recently delivered a pre-recorded speech on the environment to an Abu Dhabi audience, and no one seems interested enough to have taken a photo. Using only a single camera and projector, technicians from British firm Musion were able to employ a century-old trick known as "Pepper's ghost" to record the Prince of Wales speak at Highgrove last year and then rebroadcast the performance as a way to congratulate the Middle Eastern country on its plans to build a zero carbon city. Environmentalists note that this method reduces the amount of fuel wasted on transporting celebrities around the world, although until a critical mass of venues have installed the necessary equipment and personnel on site, it would seem that hauling the system's entire support staff and infrastructure around isn't really doing all that much to cut down on emissions.

[Thanks, Dirk L.]

Pioneer shows off a 3D gesture controller for cars at the Tokyo Motor Show

by Nilay Patel posted Oct 30th 2007 at 2:43PM

Apparently this rig was at CEATEC and we missed it, but Pioneer is showing off a triple-screened 3D gesture controller for cars at the Tokyo Motor Show, and it looks pretty amazing. The left screen shows GPS, while the far right screen shows potential overlays -- selecting an icon from the right screen allows you to "grab" it from the middle holographic section and put it on the left GPS screen. It sounds crazy and potentially distracting, but it's got that KITT vibe we love so much, and it's interesting to see gesture and 3D come together like this. Check the read link for lots more pics of this thing in action.

[Via Navigadget and Switched]