News in Brief

Powerful Laser May Lead to Cutting-Edge Hologram Technology

Chinese scientists have developed a powerful laser that could be the key to cutting-edge hologram technology, as reported by Interesting Engineering. The laser pen can write in the air to produce patterns.

To burn or write in the air, the pen emits high-intensity laser pulses to create ionised gas or plasma. In turn, this emits energy in the form of light. The laser has been created by researchers at the Hongtuo Joint Laboratory in Wuhan, China. The peak power of the laser pen can reach a million megawatts due to the incredibly brief pulse duration, which is comparable to the whole utility-scale electricity producing capacity of the US, but only for a few femtoseconds.

‘With the brand new device, we can draw in the air without using paper and ink,’ Cao Xiangdong, lead scientist at the Hongtuo Laboratory of Ultra-Fast Laser in Wuhan’s optics valley, told Science and Technology Daily, as reported by the South China Morning Post.

The scientists claim that they arranged pixels using 3D imaging to create Chinese characters in mid-air but, although pressed on the subject, they did not fully describe the method.

La Liga Uses Holopresence Technology

Back in 2021, Spanish football league LaLiga and media group MEDIAPRO incorporated a new state-of-the-art pitch-side camera into their broadcasts, providing viewers with an image quality similar to that of a film or a video game. At the time, it was described as an ‘ultra- realistic experience that makes you feel like you are actually in the stands or just a few metres away from the players on the field.’ 

But earlier this month, La Liga went one step further in bringing heightened realism to the post-match analysis of the game between Barcelona and Athletico Madrid. Barcelona’s manager, Xavi, was transported live from pitch-side into the studio, using holopresence technology to explain his thought process behind his team selection and tactics.

Its not the first time that holopresence technology has been used at a major sporting event. During the performance of the NFL Super Bowl half-time show in 2018, Justin Timberlake was seen singing alongside a hologram of the music legend Prince, who had passed away two years earlier (see HN February 2021).

What made this different to the theatre- based pre-recorded holopresence rendition of Prince is that Xavi is very much alive and was transmitted into the studio in real-time to answer unscripted questions from fans calling in by phone.

And what are the viewing public making of this increased use of technology? One fan commented: ‘Hologram Xavi has blown my mind before I’ve even had my first coffee of the day,’ while another wrote: ‘Hologram tactical interviews with managers/players along with 8K cameras and pitch-side reporters with live inputs during games. This is some great production value from the league.’

Editor’s prediction for 2023: Look out for holopresence adoption by the Premier League in England and Wales and the Bundesliga in Germany.

Look – No Glasses

Computer manufacturer, ASUS, has debuted what it claims to be the world’s first glasses-free 3D OLED display on two of its models.

ASUS calls its new display technology ‘Spatial Vision’ and it will be available first on the ProArt Studiobook 16 3D OLED (H7604) and the Zenbook Pro 16X OLED (UX7602BZ).

With Spatial Vision, users should be able to easily switch between 2D and 3D, with 3D imagery appearing to lift off the screen. The glasses-free (autostereoscopic) 3D OLED technology uses a lenticular lens and eye-tracking camera technology. This allows the display to create distinct images for each eye, which is what creates the 3D effect without the assistance of any wearables.

The OLED displays offer a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio, a 0.2ms response time, and a 120Hz refresh rate for seamless visuals. To help users get started with the displays, ASUS offers apps in the ASUS Spatial Vision Hub for watching 3D videos and movies, playing 3D games, and enjoying 3D model visualisation and content creation.

According to ASUS, the new technology has the potential to change creator workflows, as users will be able to see the details of 3D objects and effects directly on the screen without needing to review physical prototypes, which should make their workflow more efficient. Spatial Vision also provides development tools built on SR (Simulated Reality) from their partner Dimenco, with supporting materials and guidelines to equip developers with greater powers by covering gesture control, and interactive learning to build a visionary ecosystem around 3D technologies.

The glasses-free 3D display allows content creators and gamers to view 3D photos, videos and games – without cumbersome glasses or headsets. Creating 3D visual content is made faster and more intuitive, and ASUS Spatial Vision technology allows 2D visual content to be converted to immersive 3D in real time with the flick of a switch.

Holographic Security Company Spreads its Wings

Korean company RMG, which specialises in hologram security, is taking its e-authentication technology to the US market.

Having recently established a joint venture subsidiary in the US, the company plans to begin marketing its key patented product, SWEBS (which stands for Security Web Certification System), an authentication platform that integrates hologram- encrypted QR codes.

SWEBS syncs together hologram labels, an app, and a web authentication system, and encrypts a non-replicable QR code into a hologram to combat any attempted forgery or falsification. According to RMG, with the platform, clients can protect their brand by tracking the authentication status in real time, all while managing distribution, AS, and warranty. Moreover, the solution can be utilised as a marketing tool, based on accumulated data.

RMG’s US joint venture, SWEBS, is eponymous with its product name and was founded last September.

‘Holograms evolve through ongoing R&D so they’re difficult to replicate and offer strong security. This technology was patented for the first time in Korea by RMG, and is also patented in the US,’ said Alicia Heejung Kim, CEO of RMG.

RMG’s product offerings also include Secutech, an anti-tamper hologram, and Sealticker, a combination of a seal and a sticker which leaves a mark or message when it is removed, showing that the product has been opened.

RMG was founded in 2016, and claims that around 1,000 companies in industries such as pharmaceutical, cosmetics, as well as public institutions, are using its holograms. It was the first company in Korea to apply for a patent for the combination of hologram technology and encrypted IT technology, and has received the Republic of Korea Enterprise Grand Award for six consecutive years in the security solution sector (2016-2021).