A Silicon Valley entrepreneur expects holographic displays to become standard in all areas of life.
David Fattal, founder and CEO of LEIA 3D – which originated in Hewlett Packard’s research division HP Labs – has begun looking at how to take holograms to the next level by making them tactile, so that users can physically interact with them.
He and his team were working on a project that used light as a way to transport bits of data inside computer chips; from there the idea evolved into combining 3D images on mobile devices with the nano-technology they were using.
Fattal believes that in only a couple of years from now holographic tech will be widespread, whether that’s as cutting-edge conferencing solutions for business, or as an option for the display screens of devices that we use today.
Any company that fails to get on board could look out of touch, he told BusinessCloud.
“The same way colour TV superseded its black and white counterpart, holographic displays will become a standard of imagery that will make flat image look old and incomplete,” he said.
“In time all displays in your pocket, your home, your office, your car, or public places will be holographic.”
Before this can happen though, technology needs to be at a point where it can support the generation, transmission and display of the large amounts of data involved.
Lloyd J. LaComb Jr, research professor at the College of Optical Sciences at the University of Arizona, believes that progress has been made in all areas, although it could be another decade before there’s a viable system in place for businesses.
For LaComb, holographic tech has emerged due to a lack of progress in other spaces, and could well be the future, especially as it doesn’t require glasses or headsets.
In his eyes, the technology’s ability to provide near life-like experiences could ultimately be what gives it the edge.
Dublin-based Accenture is already using holograms in some meetings.