Holographic Technology: Applications and How it Works

Holography, often known as hologram technology, is a type of photography that records the light emitted by an object and then projects it as a three-dimensional (3D) object that can be seen without the use of any extra equipment. 

 

Several varieties of holograms have arisen, ranging from transmission holograms to rainbow holograms to the most recent 3D holograms. 

 

The intriguing characteristic of 3D holograms is that they allow apparently real objects or animations to appear to float in mid-air or stand on a nearby surface. It is also accessible from all sides, allowing the user to roam around the display and build a realistic-looking image.

 

 

What is Holographic Technology?

 

A hologram is an advanced photography technique. In layman's terms, a hologram is the technique of making a three-dimensional (3D) projection of any object using light or laser beams visible to human eyes. There is no need for glasses, a camera, or any other special equipment to see these 3D items.

 

The nicest part about a holographic display is that it appears to be an authentic item that may move and float in the air when a person rotates. We can view the thing from every angle. This technique has the potential to revolutionize digital presentation.

 

Holography, also known as hologram technology, is the next level of photography method that records the light dispersed from an item and then projects it as a three-dimensional (3D) object that can be seen without the use of any additional equipment. 

 

From transmission holograms to rainbow holograms to 3D holograms, several types of holograms have emerged. The fascinating aspect of 3D holograms is that they enable presumably genuine objects or animations to appear to hover in mid-air or stand on a nearby surface. 

 

Furthermore, it is viewable from all sides, allowing a user to wander around the display and construct a realistic-looking image. Holograms have been a dream of technology and entertainment corporations, as well as customers, since Jules Verne originally proposed the concept in 1893. 

 

However, the public desire for such gadgets peaked forty years ago, when Princess Leia emerged as a floating picture in Star Wars. Unfortunately, it appeared for many years that such things would be limited to the realms of science fiction. The difficulties of constructing a 3D picture out of thin air looked overwhelming. 

 

Also Read | Types of Virtual Reality

 

How Does Holographic Technology Work? 

 

A laser light beam is split into two identical beams, one of which is targeted at the item and the other is spread throughout the recording media (illumination beam or object beam). Using mirrors, the second beam (reference beam) is deflected onto the recording device without passing through the object. 

 

A common recording media is photographic plates. The two laser beams collide and interfere with each other at the recording medium. This interference pattern is captured on photographic plates.

 

A 3D picture reconstruction consists of three primary processes, which are as follows.

 

• Sequential recording from a varied angle or multi-camera capture

 

• The recorded data is transformed to a display-friendly format.

 

• Data from many SLMs is shown to increase the viewing angle.

 

For 3D projection in mid-air, a 3D object reconstruction device and aerial projection equipment are required. A three-dimensional holographic image is created by the reconstruction device. Furthermore, the aerial projection device generates a 3D hologram in mid-air.

 

Electro-holography can display 3D images from the air without the use of many projectors or mechanical processing. A revolving mirror system is also used to display a true 3D image. A high-speed video projector is directed at spinning mirrors, which reflect in all directions, allowing 3D graphics to be seen from any angle. 

 

A monochromatic hologram is made by capturing interference patterns with a single wavelength of light. A color hologram is created by recording several interference patterns with various wavelengths. Then, lasers are used by holographic projectors.

 

Electro-holography is capable of projecting 3D pictures from the air without the necessity of many projectors or mechanical processing. To display a genuine 3D image, a rotating mirror system is also employed. 

 

A high-speed video projector is directed at spinning mirrors that reflect in all directions, allowing visuals to be seen in 3D from any angle. A monochromatic hologram is created by recording interference patterns with single-wavelength light. 

 

A color hologram is created by recording several interference patterns with various wavelengths. Then, holographic projectors illuminate the matching interference patterns for their respective colors using lasers of different wavelengths.

 

Also Read | 3D Bioprinting

 

 

Applications of Holographic Technology

 

Holographic pictures maintain the depth and parallax of the original object, among other qualities. This is useful for communicating complicated technological topics that might otherwise be difficult to grasp. Holograms can be single-frame visuals or dynamic sequences of several projections.

 

There have been numerous instances for the use of Holographic technology. Let's take a look at each of these individually.

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Applications of Holographic Technology

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1. Promotion and Entertainment

 

Marketing executives utilize holograms to demonstrate a product's entire characteristics or details. Varied viewing angles provide different perspectives on the goods. In the entertainment industry, holograms are also used. 

 

For example, media corporations utilize holograms in concerts to give fans the impression that their favorite singers are performing posthumously. Hologram technology was utilized to promote Michael Jackson's Xscape album in 2014. 

 

Another well-known use of holograms was during BTS's performance at the Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA 2020), which included a hologram of wounded member Suga.

 

2. Imaging and Medicine

 

Hologram technology is poised to transform medicine. It is capable of producing a full-color 3D hologram of the human body. Three-dimensional representations of complicated organs such as the brain, heart, liver, lungs, nerves, and muscles may be viewed by students and professionals. 

 

This technology can also be used to aid with surgical planning. Before performing actual surgery, the surgeon may completely visualize the whole course of the procedure, increasing the chances of a favorable conclusion for the patients. 

 

Digital holographic microscopy enables cell counting and investigation of subcellular movements deep within live tissue. It also allows for simultaneous imaging at many depths.

 

3. Industry of Telecommunications

 

The telecoms industry has also been actively working on creating methods to provide a holographic video calling experience. The world's first live international holographic call was made in 2017 by Verizon, a US-based telecoms provider, and KT, a South Korean telecom operator. This demand was confined to a 3D display on a monitor, rather than the virtual projection shown in the movies.

 

Virtual projection technology became a reality in 2022. Portl, a digital startup located in the United States, is one of the early adopters attempting to take you nearly anywhere. The business has constructed eight-foot tall automated booths with glass fronts that can be positioned anywhere you want the hologram to appear. 

 

The booth is outfitted with speakers, microphones, and cameras. This allows the hologram to see, hear, and communicate with humans. The individual projecting their hologram requires the same tools as well as a simple background. 

 

4. Fan Type Holograms

 

You may have seen basic versions of this technology at theme parks or special events in the past. They operate by combining miniature propellers with high-tech RGB LEDs that can change colors in milliseconds. 

 

When spun at the proper speed, they may be utilized to form a 3D picture. A new gadget called The Hypervsn Wall has just surfaced that takes this technology to the next level, generating full HD pictures over 3 meters tall that appear to float in the air, all while consuming only 65 watts of electricity.

 

5. Holograms using Light Field Display

 

These are the kinds of holograms you might have seen in children's museums as a kid, but they're becoming better by the day. Researchers are now using LCD screen advancements to create machines like the HoloPlayer One, which sends 32 views of a given scene towards their designated directions simultaneously. 

 

This produces a "field of light" that a scene in the same physical volume would have produced. When combined with a depth-sensing camera, the hologram may be interacted with much like a real item or touchscreen

 

Also Read | What is Augmented Reality?

 

6. No-logram

 

This form of hologram technology has been available for years and has even been utilized extensively by magicians and filmmakers, but it took an artist to perfect it. 

 

Joanie Lemercier used 2D projections in conjunction with a motion sensor to create the illusion and functioning of a 3D picture that is extremely high-definition and lifelike in appearance. And, because it is monitoring the viewer's movements rather than a camera, no headset or screen is necessary.

 

7. Education

 

Hologram technology has the potential to significantly improve the educational environment. It has the potential to enable interactive digital instruction in schools. By merging digital and real-world data, this technology can potentially provide mixed reality. 

 

To better grasp complicated subjects, students can explore and interact with holographic pictures. In a history class, for example, pupils can view individual atomic particles and their behavior, or they might examine the remains of old cultural structures.

 

8. In the Military

 

Hologram technology is greatly assisting in the study map of the surgical location in the military. This technology makes it easy to research and settle on a plan. It aids in learning more about the criticality of the spot to enter and how to escape the surgical area when the surgery is completed

 

9. Storage of Data

 

A vast quantity of information may be stored inside high-density crystals or polymers using holographic data storage methods. The benefit of this type of data storage is that it makes use of the whole volume of the recording medium rather than just its surface. 

 

Researchers predict that using the correct polymers as a recording medium will allow for gigabit per second writing speed and one terabit per second reading. As a result, holographic storage has the potential to become the storage medium of the future.

 

10. Data Mining

 

Data mining is one such use. The technique of discovering patterns in massive volumes of data is known as data mining. Data mining is often utilized in huge databases that include probable patterns that, because of the massive volume of data, cannot be discerned by human eyes. 

 

Some existing computer systems support data mining, however the massive quantity of storage required strains current data storage systems. 

 

Holographic memory's numerous advances in access times and data storage capacity may outperform conventional storage and significantly accelerate data mining. This would result in more precisely located patterns in less time.

 

Also Read | A Guide to 3D Mapping

 

Conclusion 

 

The future of holographic memory seems bright. By adding additional dimension to stored data, holographic memory's page access will give a peek into next generation computers. 

 

However, finding holograms on home computers may be a bit more difficult. Small-scale systems based on holographic memory would be impracticable due to the high expense of high-tech optical equipment. Holographic memory will very certainly be utilized in next-generation supercomputers when cost is less of a concern.

 

Magnetic storage devices are still significantly less expensive than any other media on the market. It is realistic to expect magnetic storage to continue to advance as computer systems do. However, as previously stated, these enhancements are not done at the conceptual level. 

 

Current storage in a computer works on the same principles as the earliest magnetic data store devices. The parallel nature of holographic memory offers several potential advantages over serial storing systems. However, numerous breakthroughs in optical technology and photosensitive materials are required before holograms may be found in computer systems.