Related Sections: Future Tech
A real 3D display, with bonus plasma lasers
Scientists from Japan's National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) are developing a true three-dimensional display using lasers, bringing us ever closer to the nerdy dream of holographic entertainment. While most "3D" displays are really 2D and use an optical illusion of some kind, this creates actual floating three-dimensional renderings. The method uses lasers to create floating points of plasma in the air, creating 3D objects out of the points. I'm pretty sure those floating plasma dots are really, really hot, so reaching out and grabbing at that floating cube is probably a bad idea — this is for looking, not touching. It'll probably be some time before you're able to go pick up a floating plasma point laser display at Best Buy to watch Lost on, but it's pretty sweet to see that the technology for this sort of thing has gotten moving.
By taniith at 12:52 PM ON 08/08/06
This device is very cool when seen in person... very big and VERY loud though..... (yay for Siggraph)
By advent52 at 11:31 PM ON 08/19/06
Wow, that looks cool. I too am glad that we might actually have holograms someday, but I don't want them to burn me. :) It looks cool though.
By 7thcrystal at 11:31 AM ON 09/29/06
This technology has been around since at least the early 70s. It is a positive step towards holographic entertainment. I wish, though, that the author had not call holographers nerds. The term nerd often has a negative connotation. Without technology, we'd still be hunting our food and living in caves.
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7thcrystal:
This technology has been around since at least the early 70s. It is a positive step towards holographic entertainm...More »