DIY Holograms

Interested in making your own Star Wars style holograms similar to the hologram R2D2 projects in Episode 4: A New Hope?

There’s 2 methods.

Smartphone Hack

This is the easiest. You just need to create a plastic pyramid that is hollow at the top. Place it upside down on your phone screen and playback a special version of the video that reflects of each side of the pyramid.

Instructions to create this hologram:

 

Video you can test with this solution:

Video projection onto a veil of mist/fog

This slightly advanced method requires a number of accessories including  digital projector, a humidifier and a number of pocket fans (to create a buffer zone around the mist). The Pepper’s Ghost effect is a non-mist/fog version of this solution (it requires a thin plastic screen or glass to project onto).

Instructions to create this hologram:

Video you can test with this solution:

I’m guessing that we’ll see more commercial applications of this tech in the near future. Perhaps usage in an interactive holodeck  in the future?

Image Credit: Two Holograms: Rimmer and Leia by Surian Soosay under CC license 2.0