3D Holograms: Almost a Reality

Remember how amazing it was when R2D2 projected a 3D hologram of Princess Leia? That technology is a step closer to reality, thanks to University of Arizona researchers who have built a device that can record and display moving 3D images as holograms in near real-time, with no special glasses required.

Images are projected onto a photorefractive polymer gel and are rewritten every two seconds. It can only display in a single color right now, but efforts are already under way to produce a larger, multi-color device that can refresh even more rapidly. The system uses an array of 16 cameras to capture images from multiple directions and then uses intersecting laser beams to create the holograms. Suggested applications might include distance learning in areas like surgery, for example. Read the full article. (More hologram stories.)