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New “metaholograms” could transform AR/VR technologies by enabling crosstalk-free, high-fidelity image projection with vastly increased information capacity.

Researchers have developed a new type of holograms, known as “metaholograms,” capable of projecting multiple high-fidelity images free of crosstalk. This innovation opens doors to advanced applications in virtual and augmented reality (AR/VR) displays, data storage, and image encryption.

Metaholograms offer several advantages over traditional holograms, including broader operational bandwidth, higher imaging resolution, wider viewing angle, and more compact size. However, a major challenge for metaholograms has been their limited information capacity which only allows them to project a few independent images. Existing methods typically can provide a small number of display channels and often suffer from inter-channel crosstalk during image projections.

This innovation has the potential to significantly improve AR/VR displays by enabling the projection of more complex and realistic scenes. It also holds promise for applications in image encryption, where the information is encoded into multiple holographic channels for enhanced security.

The research is a significant step forward in developing high-performance metaholograms with a vastly increased information capacity. This study paves the way for exciting new possibilities in various fields, from advanced displays to information encryption and information storage.

This fun and innovative project employs a rotary encoder and Arduino to capture rotational data and translate it into car movements in VR.

Researchers at Aalto University were looking for better ways to instruct dance choreography in virtual reality. The new WAVE technique they developed will be presented in May at the CHI conference for human-computer interaction research.

Previous techniques have largely relied on pre-rehearsal and simplification.

Continue reading “Researchers develop a new way to instruct dance in virtual reality” »

The Facebook founder is letting other hardware-makers use his company’s virtual reality operating system.

Astronomers have produced the largest 3D map of the universe, which can be explored in an interactive VR video. In the process, they’ve uncovered some tantalizing hints that our understanding of physics, including the ultimate fate of the cosmos, could be wrong.

The Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) is a huge international project to map out the universe in three dimensions, which began collecting data in 2021. This early version of the map only includes data collected during the first year – 5.7 million galaxies and quasars out of the planned goal of 40 million. This data allows the scientists to peer as far as 11 billion light-years into deep space and time, providing a glimpse into the very early universe with an unprecedented precision of less than 1%.

Continue reading “Video: Largest 3D map of the universe reveals hints of new physics” »

Scientists have created a method to produce 3D full-color holographic images using smartphone screens instead of lasers. This innovative technique, with additional advancements, holds the potential for augmented or virtual reality displays.

Whether augmented and virtual reality displays are being used for gaming, education, or other applications, incorporating 3D displays can create a more realistic and interactive user experience.

“Although holography techniques can create a very real-looking 3D representation of objects, traditional approaches aren’t practical because they rely on laser sources,” said research team leader Ryoichi Horisaki, from The University of Tokyo in Japan. “Lasers emit coherent light that is easy to control, but they make the system complex, expensive, and potentially harmful to the eyes.”

Cornell University researchers have developed two technologies that track a person’s gaze and facial expressions through sonar-like sensing. The technology is small enough to fit on commercial smartglasses or virtual reality or augmented reality headsets yet consumes significantly less power than similar tools using cameras.

Researchers have developed a 3D full-color display method that uses a smartphone screen rather than a laser to create holographic images. With further development, the new approach could be useful for augmented or virtual reality displays.