Holograms will become more and more real in the future

Despite its promise, holograms still seem more like science fiction than everyday life. Telecommunications are improving rapidly: 5G will be able to retransmit data even more rapidly and in real time than it does now.

Holographic technology, therefore, is getting closer to becoming a form of communication like any other. In this article, we will tell you everything you need to know about holograms and the applications they have. Furthermore,ikininc.com reviews the most innovative technology projects in Spain and its future challenges.

Holograms are a new and exciting technology

A hologram is an image produced by holography, a laser illumination technique that produces three-dimensional color images. Even though holograms are relatively new, they have been around for more than 60 years: the physicist Dennis Gabor published his theory of holography in 1947, which earned him the Nobel Prize in physics.

Due to the invention of laser lighting fifteen years later, Emmett Leith and Juris Upatnieks were the first to create a hologram. Holograms have been developed by multiple research centers and companies until now, but the digital transformation and the increase in data traffic have allowed them to become an effective tool for real-time image projection.

Holograms: How do they work? 

Holograms can be understood once you have a basic understanding of holography, in which two beams of laser light interfere with each other when one reflects an object. The film in this object is photosensitive, meaning it is sensitive to light. Interactions between two beams of light generate a three-dimensional image when one of them departs from the trajectory.

Despite its complexity, the technology is similar to that of any image reproduction tool. With the exception of how the image is projected, motion picture registration can be done with a camera. Both live broadcasts and holographic broadcasts work the same way, but the holographic device replaces the two-dimensional screen in the latter.

It was until recently that holograms had a problem with data transmission due to the graphics requiring a very powerful network connection.

 Thanks to 5G technology, holograms will finally be used in everyday technology. Holographic images can be played back in a virtual way simultaneously, as if it were a live conversation, with a high-speed transmission of large amounts of data.

Development of the first holograms

Several companies have conducted different tests on the application of holographic technology due to advances in the technology, coupled with increased data and reduced latency. Holograms should be widely used in areas such as communication, tourism, parts manufacturing, and even medicine after the results have been consolidated.

Among the most promising holographic technology projects are:

• A number of holographic video call pilot tests have already been conducted. Augmented reality could replace video calls with holograms that can be interacted with like a physical conversation. It has already been achieved by KT Telecom in 2017 to make a holographic video call between Seoul and New Jersey.
• Holograms have already been used at concerts, which is one of the few practical applications we have already seen. Holography has already been used to create realistic experiences with celebrities such as Michael Jackson or the rapper 2Pac. Additionally, it can be used for live broadcasting of concerts at various locations.
• In the tourism field, holograms are already being used in a similar manner to concerts. A hologram of William Wallace greets visitors to Stirling Castle in Scotland, for instance.
• The use of holographic technology in the industrial sector will also help standardise processes. Holograms will be used to accelerate the assembly and manufacturing of metal parts in relocated factories.
• Automobiles: Holograms can add a variety of useful features to vehicles. This technology has already been installed in Jaguar cars, but Envisics hopes to add features such as three-dimensional representations of GPS addresses and pedestrian identification.
• By incorporating holographic tools into healthcare, patient safety can be enhanced. Holographic tools can improve patient safety in the healthcare field.