Imagine sitting down to watch the Super Bowl or any other long-awaited television event, and being able to view the entire thing presented holographically in the middle of your living a room. It may sound like some kind of sci-fi dream, but researchers say it is a real possibility.
3-D video technology has been around for some time, but unfortunately, it has required an enormous amount of computer processing power, along with a plethora of bulky hardware to achieve. But lately, there has been a breakthrough of sorts in the development of holographic video systems by scientists at the University of Arizona.
According to CNN.com, researchers at the University of Arizona have created a world’s first: a three-dimensional video display that is both updatable and uses onboard memory. The 3-D displays produced so far in the laboratory can be erased and rewritten in just a few minutes. In order to create 3-D television though, the display would need to be overwritten several times a second, something not yet achievable, though researchers believe it will be possible within the next decade.
The ability to erase and rewrite the 3-D projected image is a huge breakthrough in the field. The challenge now is to devise methods of continuously erasing and rewriting the image on an ongoing basis, just like regular TVs. Although the technology has a long way to go, it is now at least a real possibility.
Most researchers believe an eventual 3-D television would have a flat screen construction similar to modern day flat panel displays. The only difference is that the display would likely be located on the floor in the middle of the viewing room, similar to a coffee table. The holographic image would be projected above the “coffee table” display screen, and would be viewable in 360°.
But not all scientists are equally optimistic about the prospects for 3-D TV. Justin Lawrence, a professor of electronic engineering at Bangor University, believes that 3-D holograms hold great potential, but cannot conceive that holographic TV would be advanced enough to go to market in one decade, or perhaps even two.
It’s easy enough, of course, to demonstrate the potential for 3-D television in a laboratory setting, but it is another thing entirely to mass produce a 3-D TV device that is cheap enough to gain a following.
Another big stumbling block: in order to watch 3-D TV their would have to be 3-D TV programs (duh!). Creating even a cheap 30 minute sitcom in the 3-D hologram format would require a vast amount of technical expertise and expensive equipment. And it would take a serious commitment by the television networks to adopt the 3-D format — a much greater commitment than in converting to digital HDTV.
Still, if the technology is there, it’s bound to be put to good use sooner or later. 3-D TV might not be a reality within the next decade, but eventually we’ll get there.
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