3D holographic technology has been Hollywood’s sweetheart for decades; it made a splash back in 1977 with the first Star Wars release and continued on in more contemporary films such as Minority Report and The Hunger Games.

Image by Kris Krug via Flickr

Today the technology is making its way into the consumer mainstream through a handful of affordable technological solutions, however its roots date back to the 1940‘s.

What is Holographic Projection?

Holographic projection is best understood through its comparison to traditional photography.

Simply put, holography is built upon a technique which allows the light scattered from an object to be recorded and later reconstructed –much like an audio recording records audio, but with light instead of sound waves.

Holographic recordings also preserve the 3D information of its subject, and unlike a flat two-dimensional photograph, holograms are presented in such a way that is viewable from 360 degrees and without a traditional background required to view it.

3D holographic technology was first invented by a Hungarian-British physicist Dennis Gabor. The technology was discovered accidentally during the creation of early x-ray microscopy machines and was patented back in 1947. It’s taken an entire generation to get where it is today, and with a consumer-culture obsessed with the next technological wonder-widget, it looks like 3D holographic technology will only continue to surge in popularity.

Why is Holographic Projection Going to Be So Popular?

There are a number of reasons why holographic projection is gaining popularity among the masses. Here are just some of them.

• Complicated technologies get easier to produce year after year, which also means they are becoming less and less expensive for end users.
• Crowdfunding has empowered individuals to take the technology into their own hands to design, produce, and manufacture quickly with little overhead.
• Unlike popular 3D technologies which are popular in mainstream movie theatres, holographic technology does not require awkward-fitting glasses and the like; 3D holographic technology is completely gimmick-free.
• Images are life-like, life-size, and real life participants can engage with pre-recorded participants for a fuller visual experience.
• We’ve been spoon fed the dream of real-life holography for decades, and the interest in the technology has had time to mature.
• Combined with technologies such as Microsoft’s Kinect, three-dimensional images can be engaged with in real-time.

Why is Holographic Projection Useful?

Even without there being mainstream 3D holographic projection on the market at this time, there has already been some incredibly tactful uses of the technology.

Advertising

3D holographic technology is ideal for modern advertising campaigns; with the ability to serve up high-quality motion graphics, video, and graphical interfaces (think Minority Report) which can be interacted with in real-time, it is no surprise that advertisers will likely be the first to pioneer its use.

Computers and Smart Phones

Soon computer screens, track pads, physical touch screens, and desktop computer mice will seem archaic compared to holographs. Graphical elements will be easily manipulated in real time in the air, without the need for opaque surfaces as we use them today.

Movies and Entertainment

As movie goers continue to thirst for realism in big entertainment, 3D projection technology is ripe for venues such as movies, concerts, and so on for all of the reasons listed above.

Political Dissent

Yes, 3D holographic technology is revolutionary, although not only for all of the reasons we’ve covered. It appears that holograms can change the world while also keeping political dissenters out of jail.

One case that really stands out to this writer:

In Madrid, Spain there was a protest against a new law called the Spanish Citizens Security Law, which could fine protesters up to six hundred thousand Euros (absolutely insane by any measure). To rally against this law, citizens used holograms to project 2,000 protesters in front of a parliamentary building. The display appeared as any other protest, without participants needing to be present physically.