Holography or hologram technologies have made significant progress since its inception. Holograms are virtual 3D images owing to the interference of light beams that reflect physical objects. It preserves the parallax, depth, and additional properties that are present in the original item it is trying to project.
Holographic technology quite simply means the generation of 3D images of physical objects through interfering beams of light.
The first way to create a hologram is via the computer using AR (Augmented Reality glasses). And the second way is using physical objects to project them optically. Stereotypical Holograms and Realistic Holograms are the two types of holographic technology.
Stereotypical Holograms
Think Microsoft HoloLens and you get the perfect example of stereotypical holograms. Microsoft was the first one to introduce the HoloLens holographic glasses in the year 2015. This technology is quite common to create Augmented Reality for viewers.
Content creators take the help of HoloStudio software to create holograms. To create these 3D images, creators import models from third-party services or they create the 3D objects themselves using the app. Using HoloLens, one can create complex virtual objects which anyone can view by using virtual reality glasses. The objects are superimposed on the imagery of the surrounding world.
What viewers see is an image similar to Pokemon Go, however, instead of dinosaurs, you see a virtual workspace, a conference with colleagues, or even an educational office. How fantastic is that?
Wondering How is this possible? Simply by linking the AR objects with traditional computer programs. Software used for entertainment purposes or work can make it happen with ease.
Realistic Holograms
While working on an electron microscope, the Hungarian-British physicist Dennis Gabor developed what is known as modern hologram theory in the year 1947. However, this form of holographic technology known as optical holography only advanced after the advent of lasers in 1960. A laser is known to emit a potent burst of light that lasts a few nanoseconds. Human holograms using lasers were first created in 1967. This in turn led to numerous real-world applications of hologram technology.
This type of hologram is made possible by using a unique method of photography where a laser is used to record 3D objects. This is then precisely restored to match the original object. When it is illuminated via a laser, the holograms form a 3D clone that is exactly like that of the recorded object by duplicating its features.
Here Are A Few Mention-Worthy Real-World Applications Of Holographic Technology
1) Historical figures
Tupac Shakur coming as a real-life person using Holograms was path-breaking in 2012. Digital Domain Studio which specializes in VFX for de-aging was responsible for making it happen. They did this using an actor and a body double and created animations for the digital Tupac which were very lifelike. Making 3D models, animating their movements, and producing authentic voices to create digital avatars of individuals is no mean task.
This kind of technology can not only bring back people to life but it also has applications for educational projects for creating a virtual classroom or a virtual history museum. Producing such holograms requires precise planning and coordination.
2)Music shows
The French DJ, Eric Prydz’s name is synonymous with creating a unique and appealing atmosphere for all his shows. The ending of EPIC 5.0 show in London had a hologram of his face where over 300 lasers made a hologram of his head. Since then, laser-enabled holograms have been the signature of Eric Prydz’s shows.
3)Spatial navigation
The ingenuity of the human mind is unexplainable. One of the best real-world applications of the hologram was in 2017 by scientists from the Munich University of Technology. They managed to develop a method to obtain a 3D hologram using a Wi-Fi router. This technology allows creating copies of premises by displaying the objects around them.
How can one use this technology? To find and rescue victims stuck in situations like a building collapse, landslide, or an avalanche.
4)Telecommunications
Two companies in the USA and South Korea, Verizon and Korea Telecom respectively, made the world’s first holographic call by using 5G technology in the year 2017. This was made possible with the use of two holograms that were capable of conveying the user’s gestures and emotions.
5)Marketing & Direct Sales
Have you ever wished for a 3D view of items that you want to purchase? Well, consider your wish come true. With the help of this technology, you can zoom in and view the 3D copy of any product from all sides. This will benefit buyers who desire to view the product of their interest before making the purchase.
Going one step ahead, Barbie introduced a holographic robotic doll in 2017 that responds to voice commands. The Barbie doll gave answers about the weather or other topics.
6)Education
The hologram is making dreams a reality. One such real-world application of holographic technology was when Karl Wieman, professor of physics, at Stanford University and Nobel laureate, spoke at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore in 2015. If you thought he flew to Singapore from the United States, you are incorrect. The technology behind it was holograms.
Holograms that are capable of displaying the working organs of a human body were first introduced in 2013 at St George’s University of London. This is sensational for the medical field and for educational purposes too.
The Future Of Holographic Technology
AI, voice cloning, and digital human technology; therein lies the future of holography. Worldwide computing power allows us to create digital human models. As the pace of technology accelerates, telling apart holograms from reality will become tougher.
The natural evolution will naturally lead to increased availability and portability. Hopefully one day users can access it as streaming content in the form of holographic cinema, music shows, or a holographic theatre.
Very soon, the requirement for wearing special glasses for Augmented Reality will become obsolete. We’ve seen how pedestrian crossing and advertising using holograms works, now imagine the change in our lives and cities through the evolution of Holographic or Hologram Technology.