Current Products on the Market
Deepframe
Mainly focuses on proving massive augmented reality screens that lets users view holograms without the need of a headset or firing up a special app. There are several screen configuration sizes available as the displays are capable of creating life-sized projections that appear as if they are overlaid onto the world around you.
Created by Danish company RealFiction, the displays are surprisingly simple. Each one consists of a single piece of clear 64-inch glass that's made with specially designed optics that are able to reflect an image that's projected from a normal display, like a television or monitor. (Bell 2018)
DeepFrame isn't intended for your average consumer as RealFiction is focusing on selling DeepFrame to larger businesses as the displays don't come cheap; the starting price for a single DeepFrame starts at around $50,000, according to the company.
In terms of future development, Deepframe says its technology could be used with smaller devices, like tablets and phones, which would open up the potential for more academic and consumer-ready applications.
Verdict: 8/10
Might still be too expensive for widely implemented academic use, the potential is there but will probably be best to wait until prices are more consumer friendly.
HP Zvr
HP takes a different route with the display-based Zvr, a new platform for what the company calls blended reality, which it describes as a method to "help reduce the barriers between the digital and physical worlds. (Martinez 2015)
The HP Zvr Virtual Reality Display (pricing TBD) is a desktop monitor that, when paired with 3D glasses, can provide real-time virtual experiences. Built with four cameras that connect with sensors built into complementary 3D glasses and a stylus pen, the 23.6-inch full HD, stereoscopic monitor tracks your head and hand movements so you can manipulate on-screen content.
Users can rotate, navigate and zoom in and out of every detail of on-screen content by using the stylus in concert with head movements.
Specifically designed for architectural, computer-aided design, education, and scientific content, the Zvr display makes teaching, practicing and demoing more realistic than traditional 2D displays. HP says it envisions students learning how to dissect frogs on the machine without having to actually touch one in real life.
HP says you will be able to project your 3D models to a 2D screen for easy team collaboration. So when the aforementioned student moves the virtual frog's heart and kidneys (in his/her 3D virtual environment), the rest of the class will be able to watch the dissection in standard 2D.
Verdict: 7.5/10
This is a good option for academic use that's well designed for learners. While the image quality isn't as sharp compared to Deepframe's screens, HP's offering provides a higher degree of interactivity with holograms that allows users to not only view, but also manipulate it.
Holoplayer One
Holoplayer One is an interactive light field display. It consists of a device that unfolds from a shape similar to a laptop and projects a 3D image above a glass panel that anyone can use their hands to interact with. (Feltham 2017)
With Holoplayer, users will see a full 3D image without the need for any special glasses or headsets. The projected hologram hovers above the box with images presented in a resolution of 267-by-480 per view with 32 different views displayed simultaneously.
In terms of interaction, Holoplayer uses Intel’s Realsense depth camera to track the movement of fingertip inputs while relaying that information to create the appropriate responses to the gestures and movements your fingers make. Although the HoloPlayer One's screen has an acceptable resolution, users won't see a crisp, bright image on the device. Instead it's blurred and dim. (Carman 2017)
Verdict: 5/10
The image quality might be too low for effective academic use though Holoplayer One does have it's advantages of being portable and allows interaction with holographic objects. As a stepping stone into holographic learning it might have it's benefits though ultimately, the low image quality will dampen the experience.
Hydrogen One
The Hydrogen One is "supposed" to revolutionize smartphones with a “holographic” display and a camera system capable of recording in 3D formats. On paper it sounds like an exciting prospect, but it all comes crashing down because of one immense flaw: the holographic display just isn’t very good. It’s a novelty. (Kastrenakes 2018)
While this isn’t the first time someone has tried to build 3D into a phone, but there are a couple things special features which the Hydrogen One includes. For one, you don’t need glasses to see the holograms. Image quality varies but in most cases, the Hydogen One does not use normal stereoscopic 3D which involves two images, one for each eye. Instead it uses four images, so there’s more movement as users interact and look around.
Despite the fancy terminology, one particular issue is nothing really pops out at you in holographic mode, despite what the name would imply. Instead, it merely adds a bit of depth into the screen. The typical experience here is of a paper cutout being placed on top of a flat background. It creates some illusion of depth, but it’s very clearly artificial in most cases.
The bigger problem is that the screen is just blurry. It looks like the entire display has been smudged up when holographic mode kicks in. Any added realism you might get from the depth effect is more than taken away by the inability to clearly see what you’re looking at.
Verdict: 3/10
While ambitious, this reflects the current state of Mobile Technology and suggests that well developed holograms for smartphones aren't ready for consumer use yet and unlikely to fit the usability requirements of effective Mobile Education.
Project Starline
Project Starline is Google's ambitious experimental video communication method currently in development by Google that allows the user to see a 3D model of the person they are communicating with. Google announced the product at its 2021 I/O developer conference, saying that it will allow users to talk naturally, gesture and make eye contact by utilizing machine learning, spatial audio, computer vision and real-time compression to create the 3D effect without the user wearing typical virtual reality goggles. The goal is to make the user feel as if they are in the same room with the other user. (Goode 2021)
The phrase “video booth” really is the simplest way to describe Starline in its current form with it being constructed with wood panels and partly encased in gray fabric, with a built-in bench on one side and a 65-inch display on the other.
Verdict: 9/10
I can see massive and immense potential for this form of holographic technology to grow and be applied to Educational settings. The image quality takes focus as Google has placed particular emphasis to ensure that it feels like a person or object sitting across from you are literally right there. (Bavor 2021)
