Scientists at Spain’s Public University of Navarra have created the world’s first 3D holographic display that users can directly interact with. Looking like something out of a sci-fi film, the ‘FlexiVol’ is able to be touched by a user, who can then pinch, stretch, and rotate images with their fingers. The trick is the FlexiVol’s innovation of replacing a traditional diffuser material with elastic bands, which can be safely interacted with. The team, led by Dr. Elodie Bouzbib, did not divulge exactly what kind of elastic band was used, but did say a large number of different materials were tested not only for safety, but for their effectiveness at producing an optical hologram.
While the FlexiVol is still a proof-of-concept, the research team was able to determine via trials that directly interacting with the model produced more accurate and efficient results than interacting with the image indirectly, like with a computer mouse.
“Displays such as screens and mobile devices are present in our lives for working, learning, or entertainment. Having three-dimensional graphics that can be directly manipulated has applications in education — for instance, vizualising and assembling the parts of an engine. Moreover, multiple users can interact collaboratively without the need for virtual reality headsets. These displays could be particularly useful in museums, for example, where visitors can simply approach and interact with the content,” explains the research team.
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