Currently, the word “hologram” is increasingly used, and sometimes in the wrong contexts, which leads to conceptions about its definition. Holography already has half a century of history so it is not a recent technology, but there are still many myths about what it is and what it is not. Let’s demystify them.
“HOLOGRAMS ARE VERY EXPENSIVE”
With current holographic technology, it is already possible to produce high quality devices at an acceptable price, such as the 3D Holographic Fan, which is sought after by companies that want to highlight their brand and products at events in an impactful way, but also, discreet.
“I WANT A HOLOGRAM LIKE THE TUPAC”
In 2012, at the Coachella Valley Music and Artsfestival, the late Tupac Shakur reappeared and the audience thought they were in the presence of a hologram. The technique is old and it’s called Pepper’s Ghost. It consists of creating the look of the figure from the computer and an actor who is behind the close-up performing the movements. In other words, there is someone behind a glass playing a role, with a projector focusing on it. Even so, it is possible to convey a person’s presence through holograms as is the case with holographic miniatures.
“I NEED TO HAVE A HOLOGRAM IN MY HAND”
Getting a hologram in your hand is impossible because you always need a support that holds the hologram, whether it’s a fan or a box. The closest thing you can have in your hand is a junction of four pieces of transparent plastic glued together to create an inverted pyramid that you place on your cell phone screen. To create the illusion of a hologram, a video or an image is needed in which the figure must be represented four times in the same way, as if there were an invisible cross and each image would be filling the empty space between the lines. That is, it is not possible to have a hologram in one’s hand, but it is possible to hold it.
In the end, it’s simpler than it looks. Although it is a phenomenon explained by science and technology, it is still an experience that will always cause some kind of impact on the viewer given the illusory effect that is created.
