Since the inception of holography in the 1940s, holographic technology has advanced to incredible levels, pushing the boundaries between ghosts in the machine and reality. Some people say that holograms are the future of entertainment, with concerts and sporting events featuring holographic performers that can sing, dance, and play just like the real thing.
But perhaps the most exciting possibility for holographic technology is its potential to revolutionise the way we communicate and connect with each other — in ways previously unimaginable. Imagine having a device that allows you to have a face-to-face conversation with someone on the other side of the world as if they were standing right in front of you.
Sounds pretty cool, right? Well, one company in-particular is attempting to do just that. Proto Inc, an American technology company, has developed the world’s first holographic communications platform with its own hardware, software and app ecosystem. The system allows anyone to “beam” themselves from a camera or phone to any Proto device anywhere in the world — in real time.
“We want to become a solution so incorporated to our daily lives, that life before Proto becomes hard to imagine. We want to be the leaders of the technology that changed the way we do business, keep in touch and conceive entertainment,” the company’s website says.
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Celebrities such as Logan Paul, Ellen Degeneres and P-Diddy have promoted the technology over the last couple of years, and their products are now ready for mass adoption, with the release of the new Proto “M.”
How do holograms work?
Holograms are like magic tricks for the modern world. But unlike magic tricks, which rely on deception and misdirection, holograms are based on solid scientific principles.
First developed by Hungarian-British physicist Dennis Gabor in the 1940s, holography was initially focused on improving the resolution of electron microscopes but was soon developed to create 3D images.
Gabor called his new invention “holography,” from the Greek words “holos,” meaning whole, and “graphein,” meaning to write or draw.
Using lasers and sophisticated software, modern holograms are created via a process which involves recording the light scattered from an object onto film or other media.
When the hologram is illuminated by a laser or other coherent light source, the light waves are diffracted by the hologram. This creates an interference pattern, which is a kind of 3D “fingerprint” of the object’s shape and surface features.
Holographic technology is used for a variety of purposes today that many are not aware of, including:
- Military training: Holograms can be used to create realistic training simulations for military personnel, allowing them to practice dangerous missions in a safe environment.
- Medical training: Holograms can be used to train doctors and other medical professionals, allowing them to practice procedures and techniques without the risk of harm to real patients.
- Advertising and marketing: Holograms are sometimes used in advertising and marketing to create eye-catching displays and draw attention to products or events.
- Security: Holograms are often used on credit cards, passports, and other documents to make them more difficult to forge.
- Architecture and design: Holographic projections can be used to create virtual models of buildings and other structures, allowing architects and designers to visualize and test their ideas before they are built.
There are many other uses for holograms as well, and as technology continues to advance, it is likely that we will see even more innovative and creative uses for holograms in the future.
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“Proto Hologram is betting that companies will view their 7-foot-tall holographic projection boxes as an alternative for in-person meetings,” Bloomberg reports. “At least a half-dozen startups and giants like Google and Microsoft already are.”
Accessibility
Holograms, lasers and innovative tech? Sounds expensive. Proto’s Epic model, sitting at 7-foot-tall and 4.5 feet wide, comes in at a minimum cost of $65,000 USD to buy brand new, according to the company’s website.
However, with the release of their new M model, Proto is expanding into the everyday consumer market as well, making holographic technology more accessible to everyone.
It is clear that holograms have the potential to revolutionise a wide range of industries and have a major impact on our lives. From art and communication to practical use cases, this technology is really just in its infancy. So who knows, maybe we will all one day have NFT holograms hanging on our walls after all — watch this space to find out.
