Welcoming the 21st-Century Hologram Technology Company
The hologram is once again emerging as a technology of the future, and many a hologram technology company is putting its money and know-how to work unlocking the power of holograms for a 21st-century world. What started decades ago as an impressive foray into optics gave way to convincing renderings of three-dimensional images. In the modern era, hologram technology has made significant leaps forward in terms of dimensional fidelity. This increased realism in holographic content is ushered along by, and in combination with, advancements in parallel technology, including exponentially increasing data storage and processing, vast improvements in AI, and the network leaps of 5G. The results have greatly expanded the application possibilities and practices of holograms.
Every 21st-century hologram technology company must rely on innovative breakthroughs in hologram technology–that is a given–but they must also be able to think creatively about how this advancing technology can be applied in modern times. And, even beyond that, those companies that hope to remain successful will envision a grander scope of how the world will change in response to novel uses of hologram technology. There are many companies currently striving for pole position in the race for modern holography, each with a unique vision of how to build their holograms into the future.
The Companies & Their Hologram Technology
MICROSOFT MESH
Some of these companies are quite familiar, having established global recognition in other technological areas. For example, in March 2021 Microsoft Corp. debuted Microsoft Mesh, a mixed reality platform that will integrate into existing VR and AR headsets to allow users to interact with each other remotely or through augmented experiences in a single, shared location. Microsoft sees Microsoft Mesh as a tool to increase P2P collaboration. Headsets have long been a means to achieving immersive digital world experiences, particularly with relatively recent advancements in increased screen image quality and faster refresh rates. However, there are a number of companies pushing hologram technology away from the headsets and goggles typically associated with VR and AR.
GOOGLE’S PROJECT STARLINE
One such hologram technology company is Google, which premiered its closely followed Project Starline in May 2021. The internet giant’s hologram technology can be considered an evolution of its previous virtual-reality platform, Daydream, which required a headset and hand-held controller, and its ongoing efforts to revolutionize video conferencing. In its current state, Project Starline consists of a large video booth equipped with a high-resolution camera, depth sensors, and a 3D display. Intended as the next phase of video conferencing, Project Starline renders a 3D image of the booth user and, using real-time compression, reconstitutes the image for the recipient via its 3D display. The effect is a hyper-realistic video call that looks and–hopefully–feels like sitting across a table from a real-life human being.
ARHT’S HOLOPOD
ARHT Media Inc., while not the household name that Microsoft and Google are, has garnered recent attention for its hologram technology, termed the HoloPod. Like Google’s Project Starline, the HoloPod uses a large 3D holographic display to render full body-length holograms. ARHT is pitching the system as a device for two-way communication with applications spanning remote healthcare, stage performances, conference panels, and more intimate video calls.
THE TUAT METHOD
In the August 2020 issue of the journal Optics Express, the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology (TUAT) published their method for projecting 3D holographic images. TUAT’s process utilizes a helium-neon laser as its light source, which produces a reddish holographic image. The projection relies on nanometers-thin metasurfaces equipped with minute scales, which allow the laser to produce holograms that appear to exist in mid-air. The current glowing red image of TUAT’s holograms shows that the work is still in development and has a ways to go before regular application is viable, but the promise of the technology is there and the holographic community is watching closely to see how it evolves.
IKIN’S RYZ
The San Diego-based tech and business solutions company IKIN has been making waves through 2020 and 2021 in big part due to their RYZ holographic platform, which utilizes a much smaller display to visualize fully 3D volumetric holograms in vivid full-spectrum color. The RYZ, which is a fraction of the size of either Project Starline’s video booth or ARHT’s HoloPod, is little more than a rectangular glass addendum that can be paired with current mobile devices to visualize holographic content without the need for VR headsets or AR glasses. Utilizing the RYZ’s AI-driven SDK, developers can augment existing 2D content into 3D holograms or generate wholly original holographic content.
Real-World Holographic Applications
IKIN has identified several real-world applications for their developing hologram technology, including remote communications and healthcare, medical imaging, architecture and design, shopping, and distance learning, among others. In February 2021, IKIN secured a Department of Defense contract to bring their holographic tech into play via a smart warehouse. IKIN’s fully interactive volumetric holograms funnel the entirety of the smart warehouse’s supply and operations into a single, portable display, promising increased efficiency and productivity.
The 21st-century hologram technology company promises a brave new world of possibilities for business and consumers. Some are looking to build off established digital spaces to evolve, for example, current VR and AR practices into the future. Others are striving to conceptualize holograms from the ground up, as a unique technology capable of carving its own path forward. While technological approaches and foreseen applications vary, what is undeniable is that the time has finally come for holograms to impact the world in significant and public ways.
Welcoming the 21st-Century Hologram Technology Company
The hologram is once again emerging as a technology of the future, and many a hologram technology company is putting its money and know-how to work unlocking the power of holograms for a 21st-century world. What started decades ago as an impressive foray into optics gave way to convincing renderings of three-dimensional images. In the modern era, hologram technology has made significant leaps forward in terms of dimensional fidelity. This increased realism in holographic content is ushered along by, and in combination with, advancements in parallel technology, including exponentially increasing data storage and processing, vast improvements in AI, and the network leaps of 5G. The results have greatly expanded the application possibilities and practices of holograms.
Every 21st-century hologram technology company must rely on innovative breakthroughs in hologram technology–that is a given–but they must also be able to think creatively about how this advancing technology can be applied in modern times. And, even beyond that, those companies that hope to remain successful will envision a grander scope of how the world will change in response to novel uses of hologram technology. There are many companies currently striving for pole position in the race for modern holography, each with a unique vision of how to build their holograms into the future.
The Companies & Their Hologram Technology
MICROSOFT MESH
Some of these companies are quite familiar, having established global recognition in other technological areas. For example, in March 2021 Microsoft Corp. debuted Microsoft Mesh, a mixed reality platform that will integrate into existing VR and AR headsets to allow users to interact with each other remotely or through augmented experiences in a single, shared location. Microsoft sees Microsoft Mesh as a tool to increase P2P collaboration. Headsets have long been a means to achieving immersive digital world experiences, particularly with relatively recent advancements in increased screen image quality and faster refresh rates. However, there are a number of companies pushing hologram technology away from the headsets and goggles typically associated with VR and AR.
GOOGLE’S PROJECT STARLINE
One such hologram technology company is Google, which premiered its closely followed Project Starline in May 2021. The internet giant’s hologram technology can be considered an evolution of its previous virtual-reality platform, Daydream, which required a headset and hand-held controller, and its ongoing efforts to revolutionize video conferencing. In its current state, Project Starline consists of a large video booth equipped with a high-resolution camera, depth sensors, and a 3D display. Intended as the next phase of video conferencing, Project Starline renders a 3D image of the booth user and, using real-time compression, reconstitutes the image for the recipient via its 3D display. The effect is a hyper-realistic video call that looks and–hopefully–feels like sitting across a table from a real-life human being.
ARHT’S HOLOPOD
ARHT Media Inc., while not the household name that Microsoft and Google are, has garnered recent attention for its hologram technology, termed the HoloPod. Like Google’s Project Starline, the HoloPod uses a large 3D holographic display to render full body-length holograms. ARHT is pitching the system as a device for two-way communication with applications spanning remote healthcare, stage performances, conference panels, and more intimate video calls.
THE TUAT METHOD
In the August 2020 issue of the journal Optics Express, the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology (TUAT) published their method for projecting 3D holographic images. TUAT’s process utilizes a helium-neon laser as its light source, which produces a reddish holographic image. The projection relies on nanometers-thin metasurfaces equipped with minute scales, which allow the laser to produce holograms that appear to exist in mid-air. The current glowing red image of TUAT’s holograms shows that the work is still in development and has a ways to go before regular application is viable, but the promise of the technology is there and the holographic community is watching closely to see how it evolves.
IKIN’S RYZ
The San Diego-based tech and business solutions company IKIN has been making waves through 2020 and 2021 in big part due to their RYZ holographic platform, which utilizes a much smaller display to visualize fully 3D volumetric holograms in vivid full-spectrum color. The RYZ, which is a fraction of the size of either Project Starline’s video booth or ARHT’s HoloPod, is little more than a rectangular glass addendum that can be paired with current mobile devices to visualize holographic content without the need for VR headsets or AR glasses. Utilizing the RYZ’s AI-driven SDK, developers can augment existing 2D content into 3D holograms or generate wholly original holographic content.
Real-World Holographic Applications
IKIN has identified several real-world applications for their developing hologram technology, including remote communications and healthcare, medical imaging, architecture and design, shopping, and distance learning, among others. In February 2021, IKIN secured a Department of Defense contract to bring their holographic tech into play via a smart warehouse. IKIN’s fully interactive volumetric holograms funnel the entirety of the smart warehouse’s supply and operations into a single, portable display, promising increased efficiency and productivity.
The 21st-century hologram technology company promises a brave new world of possibilities for business and consumers. Some are looking to build off established digital spaces to evolve, for example, current VR and AR practices into the future. Others are striving to conceptualize holograms from the ground up, as a unique technology capable of carving its own path forward. While technological approaches and foreseen applications vary, what is undeniable is that the time has finally come for holograms to impact the world in significant and public ways.
