3D Holograms

Imagine seeing your friend projected in front of you in thin air while you chat on the phone, or being able to visualize how the lamp you found online will look sitting on top of your credenza. Thanks to new projector technology known as the Quantum Photonic Imager, this kind of virtual reality without headsets may be available to consumers within a couple of years.

The device combines an image processor with micro-LEDs and image rendering software to project images with a resolution of 5,000 dots per inch (dpi), all in a package that’s less than 0.5 cubic centimeters in size (about the size of a TicTac). When six of them are arranged in an array, three-dimensional objects can be beamed in mid-air, projecting a nearly solid image that appears consistent from any viewing angle.

The company is working with smartphone manufacturers to incorporate two-dimensional versions of the technology into their products as early as summer of 2015 at a cost of about $30 to the consumer. These devices will be capable of projecting up to 48-inch diagonal videos and images onto nearby surfaces. The second generation 3D versions will appear in smartphones shortly thereafter, followed by televisions, smart watches and perhaps even holographic tables.