Future of Communication: Holograms By: Yvan Lopez-Pino

What Holograms are  A three-dimensional image formed by the interference of light beams from a laser or other coherent light source.  Many different types of holograms.

Products right around the corner  Ostendo Technologies Inc., located in Carlsbad, California is working on projectors the size of Tic Tacs, powered by a computer chip that can control the color, brightness and angle of each beam of light across one million pixels.  Scheduled to release the 2-D version in  Leia Display Systems (named after the Star War’s heroine) is currently working on a fully functioning hologram-like calling device.  To make the image, the caller will sit in front of a specialized camera that has two lenses to create a single blended image. A hologram machine receives the image and will then beam it on to a water-vapor screen in 3D.  Planned to be released within the next five years.

What it offers to Society  A more immersive experience in a number of fields.  Video-calling, Job training, military training, video games, education, memoirs. All of these fields and many more will be affected by holographic technologies.

Possible Issues  Although immersive in its nature, it may be too immersive.  Addiction is a very high possibility.  Inability to tell virtual apart from reality will eventually become a mental illness.  Power consumption, along with an exponential increase in laziness may result in an economic and social downfall.

Solutions  Government regulation  Restrictions on time spent using such technology.  Who may use it.

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