Scientists make touchable holograms a reality.

A new paper posted to the HAL open archive on March 6 explains how scientists have created a new form of holographic system that enables humans to manipulate 3D images suspended in the air directly. The holograms can now be touched, poked, and repositioned with the human hand without harming the system or the image. This breakthrough is based on incorporating elastic materials into a certain form of display known as a volumetric display.

Volumetric displays produce 3D images suspended in space by quickly displaying layers of 2D images at varying depths. The effect resembles a hologram you can walk around and see from many angles — no VR glasses needed.

What are holograms


Holograms are defined as volumetric graphics that can be seen from several angles. These graphics, previously static and mostly seen in virtual or augmented reality environments, are now becoming interactive and tactile. Holograms are not like conventional 3D displays, as they can be manipulated physically in mid-air without the use of VR headsets, controllers, or gloves. This revolutionary technology enables users to directly engage with hovering 3D images with only their hands, which gives the experience more natural and immersive.

Touchable holograms: How it works


Typically, these holographic displays employ a diffuser — a transparent sheet that vibrates back and forth at incredibly high speeds (oscillating), onto which images are shone. The human eye combines those rapid-moving layers into a 3D shape. Those diffusers have traditionally been brittle and rigid, meaning that to touch them would destroy the system or injure the user. So, it was not possible to touch holograms.