Who amongst us did not watch Star Trek and dream of the day we could have our own Holodeck adventures? Though holographic technology has long been a staple of science fiction and superhero stories, our real-life capabilities have been sadly lacking. That is, until now.
Australian company Euclideon has developed the world’s first multi-user hologram table that allows up to four people to interact with the projected images simultaneously. The Hologram Table uses an algorithm called Unlimited Detail and motion-tracking glasses to create 3D images without the need for clunky AR headgear.
Unlimited Detail created quite a stir in the gaming community when it was first showcased in 2011. The UD engine is capable of rendering gigantic visual spaces in minute detail – for example, letting a user navigate a digital model of city with the ability to zoom down to a single blade of grass. Users can also pick up objects and move them around, or prepare holographic presentations to convey ideas.
Euclideon’s glasses track the position of your eyes and create a custom image for each. Microchips embedded in the glasses record the location of what the user is viewing, allowing the exact projection of light to be calculated and emitted. Using frequency separation crystal films in both the table surface and the glasses, up to eight separate images can be parsed from what looks to the naked eye like a jumble of coloured light.
One model has been created thus far, a 1.5 x 1.5-m prototype that has secured the company enough capital to go into production. Euclideon estimates that the full-scale production version will be available as early as February 2018, with a price tag of around AU$60,000 (US$47,000).
While you patiently await the ship date of the newest must-have man cave accessory, take a look at what the Hologram Table has in store in the video above.