3D Holographic Projection Technology Projects Future of Screenless Display

3D holograms are ready to transform the way people access media content or share them, and so is the industry.

Gone are the times for wondering if holographic displays were the outcome of an outer space technology, seeded into fantasy by Star Wars. Whether Tony Stark, or not, individual consumers might be able to lay their hands on similar fascinating devices available in market. A much toned-down version of what motion pictures describe, is brought by manufacturers at a certain price. The screenless display market segment currently offers eyewear that create virtual reality through 3D holographic projections. More advanced options, of flaring up an entire responsive display system at the touch of a button, are yet to come. According to a report by Allied Market Research, analysts expect substantial rise in adoption and eventual growth of 3D hologram segment in recent future.

A 3D Printed Sundial Displays Time Like a Digital Clock

Using a clever mix of 3D printing and a few well-placed shadows, this sundial designed by Mojoptix projects the actual time as if displayed on a digital clock. The plastic component that casts the shadow called a gnomon is printed with extremely tiny holes that create pinpoint dots of light in the form of digits as the sun shines through during the day.

The sundial does have its limitations. The time only shows in 20 minute increments and it only works from 10am to 4pm during the day. Regardless, the results are no less miraculous when you see it in use in the video below (skip to around 13:00 to see it in motion).

The completed device is available for purchase here, or you can download the design files and print your own. (via My Modern Met)

MIT scientists devise way to 3D print hair

These days, it may seem as if 3-D printers can spit out just about anything, from a full-sized sports car, to edible food, to human skin. But some things have defied the technology, including hair, fur, and other dense arrays of extremely fine features, which require a huge amount of computational time and power to first design, then print.

Now researchers in MIT’s Media Lab have found a way to bypass a major design step in 3-D printing, to quickly and efficiently model and print thousands of hair-like structures. Instead of using conventional computer-aided design (CAD) software to draw thousands of individual hairs on a computer — a step that would take hours to compute — the team built a new software platform, called “Cilllia,” that lets users define the angle, thickness, density, and height of thousands of hairs, in just a few minutes.

Using the new software, the researchers designed arrays of hair-like structures with a resolution of 50 microns — about the width of a human hair. Playing with various dimensions, they designed and then printed arrays ranging from coarse bristles to fine fur, onto flat and also curved surfaces, using a conventional 3-D printer. They presented a paper detailing the results at the Association for Computing Machinery’s CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems in May.

Could the technology be used to print wigs and hair extensions? Possibly, say the researchers. But that’s not their end goal. Instead, they’re seeing how 3-D-printed hair could perform useful tasks such as sensing, adhesion, and actuation.

Wearable Technology to Operate Independently in Future

With an increasing demand for specific applications and eliminating dependability on smartphones, manufacturers aim to develop independent devices.

Wearable technology, also known as wearables, are accessories that incorporate computer and electronic technologies to perform various functions. A device consists of electronics, sensors, software, and connectivity to enable data exchange for personal as well as business use. These devices are generally used as fitness tracker, media devices, navigation tools, health issue monitor, communication tool, and others. Wearables are able to perform operations, such as real time data monitoring, logical calculations, network communication, and others. It is usually used in integration with smartphones to obtain better results. The wearable technology market will be shaped in the future depending on how consumers use it with smartphones or adopt it as an alternative.