The magic of tomorrow.
Remember the fascination we had with Star Trek’s fantastic technology which could beam the starship enterprises’ officers anywhere? That imaginary world seemed real. Almost. That was decades ago. That reality is manifesting today. The impossible is suddenly seeming possible thanks to the rapid development of technology and the magic of design!
Star Trek and other sci-fi stories are not really the only source of the origin of this idea. People dreamt of holograms when Jules Verne first introduced the idea back in 1893! Tech and entertainment companies took up the challenge and the real gasp was in the theatres when the floating image of Princess Leah appeared on the screen in Star Wars. I think we all fell in love with the idea that day! Still, for years, it looked like such things were going to be forever relegated to the realms of sci-fi movies and books. The challenges of creating a 3D image in the thin air simply seemed insurmountable.
Now it looks like we are approaching the day when this is becoming a reality. Scientists are coming up with super ways to use lasers, motion sensing, digital processors and creating amazing holograms that will change the way we interact with media and with each other. The dictionary defines the hologram as “A three-dimensional image formed by the interference of light beams from a laser or other coherent light source. A photograph of an interference pattern which, when suitably illuminated, produces a three-dimensional image.” But what all can holograms do?
Three of the cool and more common areas where holograms are beginning to be used and links to understand each of them are below.
The Arial Burton 3D display in the air https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=4&v=GNoOiXkXmYQ
The MDH 2PAC Hologram is so realistic that it left everyone in tears at this show — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJE8pfPfVRo
The Volumetric Voxon VX1 hologram allows you to interact and looks amazing https://vimeo.com/189885807
On the 18th of July this year, Microsoft announced its Hologram technology where your personal hologram can actually be in another country and translate on the spot what You is saying in another language, say Japanese!!!
Do take a look here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auJJrHgG9Mc.
Whatsapp videos wowed people and this video went viral. Language, distance, connectivity all are not constraints any more. Anything is possible.
I am putting some wishes out there for the designers and scientists to invent — not to save the world but just for my pleasure — Actually, maybe they are being invented. I can’t wait.
I would love to have the Next Generation Hologram that can not only be where in the world I am needed. But the kind that I can send to where I want to be, do what I want to experience and which has the ability to communicate the experience back for me to savour fully.
Where would I send my Hologram self?
South America — I have always wanted to go but haven’t yet found enough time to take that break.
To eat at the best restaurants in the world, and actually to keep experimenting and eating all around the world. Imagine the satisfaction and yumminess that would give me — without putting on weight!!
To have breakfast with my parents every day — I would love the feeling of being able to visit my parents 2000 km away. Not just to check in on how they are but to actually feel the warmth and care of my childhood home
For a jog in the morning — jogging is one of the greatest pleasures I have experienced. But when you take a break it’s so very difficult to start again. My hologram would give me the feeling of exhaustion and exhilaration that a good jog provides and would help me to continue to be healthy on my off months
To the dentist — my hologram could also perform tasks that I hate!!
These may seem like odd wishes and trivial compared to the real things that we can make holograms do and work for the world. I’m certain that in the future we will be able to not only feed forward what we want the hologram to say and do in a different country and different language but be able to feedback from that experience the feelings and learnings into our lives and I wanted to put my personal pleasures on that wishlist!
That’s one for the Experience Designers and Technologists…..Can’t wait!
(This article was first published on Medium.com)
