As large as life

 

Researchers have developed the ‘next wave’ of 3D holograms, allowing them to provide accurate holograms almost instantly.

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The technology, a report of which is published in Nature, allows users to experience the sensation of being ‘inside’ a film, but all without having to wear any additional glasses or lenses.

Central to the technique is a photorefractive polymer which was developed by Savas Tay and team at the University of Tucson, Arizona.

Holograms are made by blending laser light to create a static image, a process that is complicated and time consuming. The new technique allows images to be written to the polymer within minutes. These can then be wiped and re-used quickly.

Film and medicine

Commenting in Nature, Joseph Perry, an expert in materials and optical science at Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, said: "The technology still has some way to go to maturity but ultimately it's not just the cineastes that could benefit.

"Displays that provide realistic three-dimensional images with a wide angular viewing range might also be used in military or medical contexts, such as the simulation of field situations or the guidance of keyhole surgery."

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