14 DAY TRIAL // Using commonly available components, a team of experts at Queen's University has recently developed a pod capable of displaying holographic representations of objects or persons that are somewhere else.
The system largely consists of a series of 6 Microsoft Kinect sensors, a 3D projection unit, a convex mirror and a 1.8-meter (6-foot) tall translucent acrylics cylinder. The motion sensors from Microsoft are used for interactions with the user.
The hologram depicting another participant in a conversation, for example, is displayed within the acrylic cylinder, as demonstrated in the video below. The team says that the pod can also be used as an education tool, for example in anatomy classes.
Dr. Roel Vertegaal, a researcher at the university, will present the system at CHI 2012, the leading international conference on human-computer interaction. The event will be held between May 5-10, in Austin, Texas.