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Holographic projections – from the past into the future

Although the term „holographic projections” is often associated with some sort of sensory sensation (mainly eyesight related) or with the classical holograms presented in si-fi movies, actual holographic projections can increasingly be found within museum exhibitions, regardless of their overall interactivity level.

Pepper ghost

A classical method of recreating a hologram is known as the Pepper’s Ghost Technology. Based on physics principles that have been known for centuries, it has been used to successfully fool the eyes of theatre audiences at some of the biggest stages. The first of such shows date back to the nineteenth century and all that was used to create the sought after effect was a well arranged light source and a reflective surface.

Holographic projections created using Pepper’s Ghost Technology make it possible to truly take advantage of large-scale exhibition surfaces, making a guest’s visit truly memorable. At Toucan Systems we specialise in providing materials tailored especially to holographic projections. The most common medium used for this purpose is holographic film (set at a 45 degree angle from the viewer) or holographic tulle. Both of these materials are invisible to the viewer, who can only see the actual content being displayed by extremely bright projectors.

Pepper’s Ghost Technology requires that the space be arranged in a given way, a scenography to be set and the multi-media elements to be positioned in a way that will make it possible for the viewer to see them only from one angle.

Holographic pyramid

A holographic pyramid makes it possible to present 3-dimensional content. It faithfully recreates a given model making it seem as if it was levitating inside the said pyramid. The biggest difference here compared to the Pepper’s Ghost Technology is the size of the presentation, which is limited to about 1,5 meters (4,9 feet) in width. Currently the functionalities available in the market allow for the image to be viewed from all 4 sides.

The advantage of both above mentioned holographic projection technologies is that they enable us to put a physical element in a given space (eg. car, product being advertised) and surround it with matching animation.

Fogscreen

The third solution commonly considered to be holographic is the use of so called fogscreens. This technology enables the user to move throughout the displayed content. They can also touch the projection surface and interact with it. And the projection surface in this case is steam generated by an overhanging device and propelled down in narrow streams creating an interesting (and perfectly safe) effect in itself. Fogscreens can be easily put together making it possible to create display sizes of one’s choosing going up to a few meters in width.

Summary

Holographic projection is a new and unique form of content delivery allowing creators to draw attention to all of those features that would have otherwise stayed unnoticed and the viewers to take a trip through a reality previously unknown to them. Although based on principles discovered centuries ago, holographic projections are currently a fresh and unconventional solution for exhibition and event spaces.


RADOSŁAW ZDUNEK

President of the Board