[translation mine] The holographic technology Aerial 3D, based on using laser-induced plasma, enables modifying air molecules to give the appearance of brilliant points of light, and thus creating pixels in suspension. However, the technology is dangerous because it can burn the skin.
Japanese researchers at the University of Tsukuba have augmented the speed of their lasers to create holograms, still based on plasma, but which can now be touched in complete safety.
In order to heat air molecules to make a pixel of light appear, the researchers fire ultra-short laser bursts on the order of femtoseconds (a millionth of a billionth of a second).
The ultra-short bursts cannot damage the skin. The holograms drawn in the air react in real time to touch and generate haptic feedback. For example, one can break the hologram with a touch and feel the shockwaves generated by plasma, as though the light had physical substance.
Disney imagineer Ivan Poupyrev presented a technique at Makers Faire a couple years ago that used directed puffs of air (vortices) to create haptic feedback.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by tibman on Thursday August 20 2015, @05:41PM
When i saw this technology before it was extremely loud. Just imagine the sound associated with creating that plasma! In the video they say the femtosecond lasers are quieter than nanosecond ones but i'm not believing it. The sound comes from the plasma being created, not the laser. Smaller "holograms" would obviously be quieter.
The haptic feedback is great! I wonder what it feels like?
SN won't survive on lurkers alone. Write comments.
(Score: 4, Funny) by AnonymousCowardNoMore on Thursday August 20 2015, @06:53PM
The haptic feedback is great! I wonder what it feels like?
Melanoma?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 20 2015, @07:02PM
I wonder what it smells like? Seems like making the plasma might also make ozone as a by-product, that nice fresh smell after a T-storm...which (so I've heard) also turns your lungs to leather if you breathe it too often.
(Score: 2) by jimshatt on Thursday August 20 2015, @07:10PM