Projecting Video into Thin Air... Help Me Obi Wan Kenobi!

[Clint DeBoer]

<FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size=2><A href="http://www.audioholics.com/news/pressreleases/Heliodisplayprojectorair.php"><IMG style="WIDTH: 125px; HEIGHT: 99px" alt=[Heliodisplaycar1] hspace=10 src="http://www.audioholics.com/news/thumbs/Heliodisplaycar1_th.jpg" align=left border=0></A>In what can only be described as "Sci-Fi Meets Real Life" the technology used to project Princess Leia in the original Star Wars movie seems to have come to market in a new product by IO2 Technology which projects color video (up to 42" diagonal) into thin air. This revolutionary technology displays any video source in full, high-resolution color in free space, without need for a screen. Viewers can walk around, or even through, the floating image.&nbsp;After a year of development, the eagerly anticipated Heliodisplays went on the market today. Pricing has not yet been made public and only limited units are available, but you can be sure this technology will take off in commercial applications.

[<A href="http://www.audioholics.com/news/pressreleases/Heliodisplayprojectorair.php">Read More</A>]</FONT>

[Buckeyefan 1]

So is this technology a single dimension, or multi-dimensional? It appears the unit would need to project one type of a "screen beam" straight up in the air, and another projector to emit the source on the beam. Interesting.

[Spiffyfast]

very cool, I remeber this B-rate movie I watched one time, I think it was called My First Million Dollars and they made a computer monitor with a holographic type screen like that.

[Clint DeBoer]

So is this technology a single dimension, or multi-dimensional?Haha, well if it were single-dimensional you'd just see a dot. :)

It's flat (2-D), which is what I think you were getting at. The color also looks drab, though I think the technology itself makes pictures very difficult to take so I would not assume that we've seen how well this thing really works yet.

If they reduce th size of this thing (almost inevitable) I believe we will find that 3-D holograms are not too far away. These breakthrough products always pave way for the really cool, more useful products down the road.

[Tsunamii]

Very, Very ,Very cool. Just another step on the way to revolutionize TV :)

[diviet]

Does anyone know how much these displays cost?

[surveyor]

I'm blown away by this technology, to say the least!
I have a Bachellors Degree in Industrial Electronics but have no clue how this technology works?
:confused:

[BMXTRIX]

...we will find that 3-D holograms...
Wasn't aware that holography wasn't already a 3-D technology. ;)

I have been thinking about projection holography for years. Setting up a single beam as a reference of some sort and having another beam cross it precisely to create an interference pattern that is visible to the human eye.

Not a clue how to do it whatsoever. As I have been told, the ideas are the easy part, implementation is the difficult, and VERY pricey part.

I'm not sure how 2-D any image projected into a 3-D space is. That is, if the image could be made so you couldn't see through it easily, and does not exist within a single plane, then by walking to the other side, you would see the other side of the image.

Imagine car design where the layers of the vehicle could be pulled away in a cutaway view and every single component within the car could be viewed at full size.

Dang - just cool, and fun to talk about and imagine.

[Mort Corey]

If this thing gets off the ground it'll decimate the blow up doll industry :cool:

Mort

[racquetman]

If this thing gets off the ground it'll decimate the blow up doll industry :cool:

Mort

I don't care how cool this technology is, I'll never part with Peaches!! :p

[Cygnus]

haha alandamp.

Yeah, I always have thought that we would eventually have this. It'll be really cool!

However, i highly doubt that it'll be availible to the general public any time soon. But i could be wrong.

[mkossler]

Hmm. I'm pretty sure that holographic projections, that is 3D displays "in thin air" created by laser-based interference patterns, have been a reality for years. Actually, I'm really sure :)

As for blow-up dolls, unless you're really, really visually oriented, Peaches has no real competition. It's all about the feel, baby! :D

This reminds me of an article written by Douglas Adams asserting that Holodecks would be the end of humanity. He reasoned that once they were built, people would go in and never emerge - what would be the point of coming out, with your own endless supply of, umm, Peaches?

[Timidon]

There website is getting hit pretty hard, but I pulled this off...;

Wasn't aware that holography wasn't already a 3-D technology. ;)

Not a clue how to do it whatsoever. As I have been told, the ideas are the easy part, implementation is the difficult, and VERY pricey part.

I'm not sure how 2-D any image projected into a 3-D space is. That is, if the image could be made so you couldn't see through it easily, and does not exist within a single plane, then by walking to the other side, you would see the other side of the image.

Imagine car design where the layers of the vehicle could be pulled away in a cutaway view and every single component within the car could be viewed at full size.

Dang - just cool, and fun to talk about and imagine.

Overview

The Heliodisplay includes patent pending technology and proprietary trade secrets. In the absence of an executed Non-Disclosure Agreement, the following is all that we will disclose at this time.

The Heliodisplay requires a power outlet, and a computer, TV, DVD or alternate video source. The current version of the Heliodisplay projects a 22" diagonal image that floats above the device. The Heliodisplay system is backward compatible and accepts most 2D video sources (PC,TV, DVD, HDTV, Video game consoles). For connection to a computer, the Heliodisplay uses a standard monitor VGA connection; for TV or DVD viewing, it connects using a standard RGB video cable.

Heliodisplay images are easily viewed in an office environment. Like any computer monitor or TV, images appear brighter the lower the ambient light. Also, just like viewing any computer monitor or TV,viewing a Heliodisplay image in direct sunlight is almost impossible.

The Heliodisplay is interactive, like a virtual touchscreen. A hand or finger can act as a mouse. No special glove or pointing device is required. Just as you use a mouse to move the cursor on a traditional computer monitor, you can use your finger to move the cursor around the Heliodisplay image (see: Images & Videos).The Heliodisplay connects to a computer (at least: Pentium III 400MHZ;25MB free disk space;Win2000/XP) through a USB port.

Operating the device will not change a room`s environment, air quality or other conditions. Air comes into the device, is modified then ejected and illuminated to produce the image. Nothing is added to the air so there isn't any harmful gas or liquid emitted from the device. If a Heliodisplay were left running for a week in a hermetically sealed room, the only change to the room`s environment would be from the electricity used to run the device. Although the Heliodisplay uses lasers, the images are not holographic.

The image is display into two-dimensional space (i.e.planar). Heliodisplay images appear 3D when viewed from more than a few feet away because there is no physical depth reference. Images can be seen up to 75 degrees off aspect for a total viewing area of over 150 degrees- similar to an LCD screen. Viewing requires no special glasses or background/foreground screening.

oh and you want one of these! Here's the base price...

22" FREE-SPACE DISPLAY
The price is $18,400 plus shipping --$9,200 payable in advance to place an order; $9,200 upon shipping. To begin the process of sales a request, fill out information below.

** Still Cool...

[brian32672]

Yep right out of Star Wars and Minority Report....
Cool; technology seems to be heading for high strides this year...

[Polkfan]

Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi, your my only hope. Wow!! :cool:

[godless]

how much do these cost?

[brian32672]

how much do these cost?

Read the end of post #13. about 20K

[Clint DeBoer]

I would have to say that if the technology is sound, then figuring out how to make the image work in 3D space cannot be that far off. In addition, the box would inevitably get smaller, making it cheaper and more practical for non-industrial uses. This will never be used for high-quality viewing, but I bet it would make an awesome communications device.

[krzywica]

I'm suprised they did'nt have the "death star" on display for the demo.

[brian32672]

I'm suprised they did'nt have the "death star" on display for the demo.

Actually I was hoping for Carrie Fisher.

[krzywica]

Topless??????!!!!! :rolleyes:

[Spiffyfast]

Topless??????!!!!! :rolleyes:

I'll give you a chicklet even thought its entirely unappropriate, but I still like the idea.

[BMXTRIX]

I can actually see that product showing up in the lobby of a lot of high dollar corporate offices over here in the Washington DC metro area. I really could see integrating that within some of the control systems I have set up.

A nice corporate logo floating in mid-air above a fountain or something like that. Completely incomprehensible to most, yet totally awe inspriring. If I were to be looking for a tech company and saw something like that in their lobby, I would have a certain amount of respect for that company really staying on the cutting edge of what is possible.

Gotta make sure our guys at work know about this. Since many of our jobs fall in at $500K throwing a 42" model in wouldn't break the bank for most.

[John Campbell]

I was curious about how it works, so I did a quick search at the US Patent Office web site..... and found patent number EP1550103. It looks like they fill a volume of air with particulate matter and project the image on that.

[BMXTRIX]

I was curious about how it works, so I did a quick search at the US Patent Office web site..... and found patent number EP1550103. It looks like they fill a volume of air with particulate matter and project the image on that.
Smoke & Mirrors?

How boring.

[Rock&Roll Ninja]

It looks like they fill a volume of air with particulate matter and project the image on that.

Great, not only does it cost $18.500 to get it home, but you have to buy ammo for it too! :eek: