In the collective imagination, when we think about the future we imagine ourselves holographic screenstherefore capable of “project” and reproduce a 3D image, in true science fiction movie style.
Clearly, things are not as easy as they seem and this technology is still beyond our possibilities and not because it does not yet exist, but simply because of the price too high.
To make a holographic screen, what you need are some laser emitters extremely complex and very, very expensive. However, researchers have found an interesting and much more feasible solution, simply using the touchscreen of a iPhone 14. Here’s what we know.
Create a holographic screen with an iPhone 14
The researchers who carried out this ambitious project have published the results of their research in the journal Optics Letters, confirming that they succeeded create 3D holographic displays realistic using only the touchscreen of an iPhone.
To demonstrate this thesis they created a two-layer optical reproduction of a three-dimensional color image and the result is extraordinary.
To do this they used a spatial light modulator and the screen borrowed from a iPhone 14. These two elements allowed the researchers to “merge” the images, creating a kind of holographic display with a very realistic appearance and which seems very similar to real holographic displays, those created using expensive laser systems.
Of course, the issue is much more complex than that and scientists had to succeed in this aim model an algorithm very carefully capable of coordinating in detail both the light coming from the screen of the Apple smartphone and that of the spatial light modulator.
Despite this complexity, however, the work has borne the desired results and this new intuition could (potentially) open the doors to new ideas for the creation of “commercial” holographic displaysdevising solutions much more convenient than the expensive laser systems mentioned above.
The applications could be many, from advanced visualization systems (both for entertainment and productivity) up to uses for virtual reality and augmented realitytwo sectors experiencing very strong growth and in which companies are investing heavily.
When holographic screens arrive
Clearly we are still far from the arrival of such a technology on the market, but this research has certainly given very interesting ideas to the entire sector.
Holograms, therefore, at the moment still remain something futuristic (and very expensive) so scientists will first of all have to try to make this technology even more accessible and clearly bring it to the market also for commercial purposes (possibly military) in order to increasingly contribute to its diffusion.
Once this is done, when prices are truly competitive, you can start thinking about a personal holographic screen, perhaps the size of a smartphone or notebook.
Of course, it will still take some time, but the experiment just described is a first and fundamental step towards the future.
To know more: Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality: what they are and how they can change our lives