The SolidLight platform is capable of projecting realistic 3D “holograms” without the need for a dedicated headset.
Once considered science fiction, holographic technology has evolved at a rapid pace over the last several years. Whether it be a personalized system such as the Looking Glass Portrait or more advanced experiences such as Microsoft’s multi-lingual mixed reality hologram powered by the HoloLens 2, it’s clear we’re entering a new era in immersive technology. SolidLight, Light Field Lab’s new holographic platform, is only further evidence of this.
The turnkey solution, unveiled earlier this week by the company, promises next-level 3D visuals unlike anything currently available on the market. The system is powered by a combination of the company’s proprietary WaveTracer™ hardware and software. According to Light Field Lab, each 28-inch SolidLight Surface Panel can contribute up to 2.5 billion pixels to each 3D object. These displays project what the company refers to as SolidLight Objects, which move, reflect, and refract realistically in physical space. As you move about in a physical space, so too does your perspective of the image, just as it would if it would in the real world.
But here’s where things get interesting. While each panel is capable of working independently, they can also be combined to create 3D holographic displays of any size. Everyone from marketing companies to entertainment venues can create massive video walls featuring realistic 3D holograms which, according to the company, are nearly indistinguishable from real life.
Here’s what you can expect from the SolidLight platform (as provided by Light Field Lab):
- SolidLight Surface Panel – Bezel-less 28-inch building block that seamlessly enables nearly infinite scalability and customizability, contributing 2.5 billion pixels to the generated holographic object volume with an effective density of 10 billion pixels per square meter.
- SolidLight Relay – An additional featurethat allows the generated holographic object volume to be positioned within physical environments, incorporating real-world transparency/occlusion control.
- SolidLight WaveTracer™ – Proprietary real-time and offline rendering software and plugins for content development. Content may be created with any 3D scene in real-time, rendered offline or may leverage existing volumetric capture workflows or integrate with 2D converted assets.
- Computational Hardware – Includes the servers, GPUs, synchronization, and networking to seamlessly manage SolidLight Surface displays.
- Support & Maintenance – Service plans offer rapid on-site response, parts, labor and travel, and optional continuous support.
“SolidLightis unlike anything you have experienced before,” said Jon Karafin, CEO of Light Field Lab in an official release. “It’s only after you reach out to touch a SolidLight Object that you realize it’s not actually there. SolidLight redefines what is perceived as real, reshaping visual communications, audience engagement, and customer experiences forever.”
Applications for pre-orders are now live on the Light Field Lab website. The company states that pre-production units sold out almost immediately and are therefore being reserved for companies engaging in commercial applications over the next one to three years. Prices are dependent on a variety of factors, including size and application parameters.
Light Field Lab is based out of San Jose, California, and backed by partners such as Khosla Ventures, Samsung Ventures, Verizon Ventures, Comcast, Liberty Global Ventures, Bosch Ventures (RBVC), Taiwania Capital, NTT DOCOMO Ventures, HELLA Ventures, AVG, R7 Partners, and ACME Capital.
You can find a full breakdown of the specs here.
Feature Image Credit: Light Field Lab, Inc.