How are 3D animted holograms created?

Question

I just read an article about how people in Japan created this 3D hologram which sings, moves, and gives concerts. It looks amazing. I have been looking at how to create holograms, and I found pretty good websites. The only problem is that this holograms do not move. How challenging is it to create a 3D animated hologram???? What kind of mathematics or computer softwatres or lasers (special technology) are required??I am completely new at this and I still have a hard time understanding this concept. I would appreciate any sugestions or personal experience with this type of technology.

Here is the hologram I am talking about:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UzuCVDZSv0&feature=related
And please don't say: "People in Japan are just smart'

Answer 1

That's easy. It's not a hologram. It's not even 3D. Most reporters(even tech reporters) wouldn't know the difference between a hologram and a reflection in a mirror...so you can't really trust everything you read.



HERE'S HOW IT WORKS:

There is a either a standard high def projector in the ceiling pointing down, or an LED TV hidden in the stage facing up. There is a thin transparent metalized film over this at a 45 degree angle over this. When you look through the screen(which is practically invisible) you also see the reflection of the TV. This causes a semi transparent image to appear to float on stage. The character may be a 3D computer generated image but it's still rendered and displayed as a flat 2D reflection. On closer inspection this would be obvious but because of the limited viewing angles of the stage it can be pretty convincing. In other words, it's just an illusion. They might call it a hologram but that's to get people to the concert. There is a company in the States doing the same thing called Musion Eyeliner. They also erroneously call it a hologram...for marketing purposes.



You could do the same thing with a sheet of glass. In fact, it's really just an updated version of an OLD stage illusion called Pepper's Ghost.



In reality, holograms can't do anything nearly as advanced as that. They can not be animated to that degree, they can't even be projected into the air as they are always shown in the movies and TV. That's simply not how the technology works. Holograms are still cool though and have something over these "tricks" trying to pass themselves off as holograms. Real holograms actually capture and display a 3D dimensional image onto a 2D surface. You can look at it from different angles and see the image from the correct angle appearing a full 3D image.

Answer 2

well there are holoGRAMS and holoGRAPHS holographs are those kool looking cards that when you move them the picuture moves as well. those are the cheap ones. the REAL holographs are the ones that use a lazer to burn an image of a 3D object onto a special piece of film... its like photography to the extreme. im not sure what its called nor how they do it. i remember seeing it on the science channel. now for the holoGRAM. you know those "smart" tops that when you spin they spell something out? well those tops have 8 LEDs. depending on how fast you spin it. it calibrates its RPM and times when the LEDs turn on and off to spell out the word. the hologram you say was probably something similar. i remember seeing it on the show Beyond Tomorrow on the science channel. they use it at universities and hospitials. basicly its a glass dome with a curved arm inside. it has LEDs on the arm and the arm spins at a high RPM. and the LEDs turn on and off to provide a "3D" image. could be wrong but thats what i saw on TV.

Answer 3

It's not something you're going to be able to do at home or something if that's what you're asking...not yet anyways, 10-15 years probably though.



Here's a little info I found

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_generated_holography