Holographic Video conferencing is here: Hello Obi Wan!
December 22, 2008Paul Debevec, a research associate professor at the University of Southern California’s Institute for Creative Technologies, has helped develop a holographic videoconferencing system. We all remember the special effects in the Star Wars films. He demonstrated the science-fiction inspired system at the Army Science Conference in early December 2008.
The neat thing is, it uses uses off-the-shelf video projectors and a fast-spinning mirror to create the illusion of a 3-D image. View videos here.
Some discussion about the merits of learning already surrounds virtual learning tools such as on-line instruction and video-conferencing, but are we willing to accept it more now that the instructor is closer to a 3 dimensional shape than a flat 2D moving image?
The current technology is impressive, but the really impressive thing to see would be a large true-colour image seemingly floating in the air. That would be cool