Scientists Are Using Dust-sized Particles to Create 3D Images in Real Time

Scientists are coming close to realizing that iconic 3D hologram scene from the movie Star Wars, reported a Daily Mail article. And instead of projected light, they’re controlling dust-sized particles to make 3D imagery that promises to do one better than current holographic technology. Published in the science journal Nature, the study (aptly titled “The Princess Leia Project”) is akin to “printing something in space, just erasing it very quickly,” as explained by lead author Daniel Smalley. He and his research team demonstrated the efficacy of their newly developed technology. First, they generated the image of a tiny butterfly fluttering above a finger, followed by a colorful prism. The last image they created was a graduate student replicating Princess Leia’s famous holographic plea to Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars. Holographic technology is already in fairly widespread use. But this new technique is that much closer to the 3D holographic projections seen in Star Wars. Even competitors are impressed by the accomplishments of Smalley’s team. “The way they do it is really cool,” admitted Curtis Broadbent from the University of Rochester. “You can have a circle of people stand around it and each person would be able to see it from their own perspective,” he pointed out. “And that’s not possible with a hologram.” (Read more)

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