Back in time, Star Wars (the movie) marked a new technology called Hologram. The Princess Leia scene was praised by a worldwide audience for its practical filming. Thanks to IWC CEO, recently Holograms came into the limelight again in the tech world. They are similar to 3-dimensional images that are visible through bare eyes.
Holograms are created by impeding light beams that can reflect actual objects. They are pretty impressive in displaying attractive products and technical notions. Recently, tech experts considered Holograms to be more efficient than video calling. While the technology is splendid, can it be a replacement for video calling?
Let’s find out.
The Story of IWC CEO
Nowadays, most technological innovation has some relation to the coronavirus, and Holograms are no exception. The sudden approach of the deadly pandemic caused travel restrictions. Thus, the IWC Ceo, Christoph Grainger-Herr, could not attend a global trade show in Shanghai, China. This was during the start of the pandemic, i.e. back in April. That’s when he came up with the idea of appearing through Hologram.
He attended the event as a 3D Hologram in 4K resolution. Through this technology, he could speak, listen, and see everyone in the event clearly. As per David Nussbaum, the boss of Portl (a US Hologram firm), he was connected to Shanghai from his office at Schaffhausen, Switzerland. Nussbaum said that Christoph Grainger-Herr had a chat with the executives. He also revealed a new watch during the event. Once everything was done, they disconnected him.
What are the Characteristics of Hologram Technology?
With a consistent pandemic of over two years, technologies like Hologram are, indeed, a useful addition. They are realistic, sensory, and immersive replacements to video calls. They may soon be the technology that can help recover Covid19. The Hologram firm Portl describes their portal to be about 2.5 m tall. It has computerised boxes with glass-fronted surfaces. The booths can fit a life-size Hologram of an individual.
For better interaction, it has in-built speakers, cameras, microphones, etc. All these inclusions help to see, hear, and speak with the people. An individual will require a camera, speakers, microphones, and backdrop to connect. Portl has an app-controlled software system that uses the internet to connect an individual to a location with portals. You can connect to multiple people at once. The technology of Portl is used by famous names like T-Mobile and Netflix. Their cost starts from $60,000. However, they claim a lesser amount for renting portals.
As per David Nussbaum, Holograms are soon going to be a standard mode of communication between offices. By 2027, the Holographic display global market is said to reach $5.6 billion.
Can Hologram Replace Video Calling?
So, could Hologram replace video calling? Well, that’s what the expert says! Gordon Wetzstein (a Stanford associate professor of electrical engineering and computer science) says Holograms are much more efficient than video calling. He considers them as a realistic innovation where one can make eye contact and interact precisely. Thus, these innovations, along with other 5G emerging technologies, can change our future.
Moving on, Portl boss David Nussbaum expects Hologram to be a replacement for standard video screens in video conferencing. He predicts this to happen in the upcoming five years. As per Nussbaum, Hologram will be an integral part of malls, lobbies, and businesses. However, let’s see what the future holds!