Realistic holographic images using ‘holobricks’

cam.ac.uk

14 points·geox··6 comments

Holographic projection using spatial light modulators (SLMs) is unfortunately a dead end due to cost and complexity of manufacturing. There was a Cambridge startup a decade ago called 'light blue optics' (who have a promotional video narrated by Stephen Fry somewhere in the depths of the internet).

I don't think the technology ever got past military HUD for fighter pilots.

I do think that holographic projection is a feasible technology but it'll require a cheap method of introducing phase to thousands of pixels reliably. The computation requirements to generate the holograms is certainly something that can only become cheaper over time.

This was Disney research, so they may have a use for it as an installation at their theme parks. The budget for that would be pretty high I’d imagine.

Even if the tech isn’t going to end up in every home, I wouldn’t call that a “dead end”. Disney + military as potential customers sounds like a sustainable business (at least more than a specialized defense contractor)

Is this something where cost can be reduced over time, like computers and their displays have? Or is it tied to the complexity of manufacturing which doesn't appear reducable?

Are these actual holograms or yet another non hologram technology stealing the name?

Sounds like actual holograms to me.

How can you write an article about a holographic display and not include a video of it?

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