Last week researchers at Japan's National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) joined with their counterparts at Kobe University and successfully demonstrated the first 3D image representation in thin air without the use of holograms.

"This device renders transparent, reflected images. Unlike holography, the device needs no special optical system other than itself and features color image production," said a spokesperson at the demonstration.

The TechOn reporter who viewed the demonstration describe what they saw:

This device was set above a small ball (Japanese craft ball) measuring about 2 cm in diameter. When looked sideways from above, the ball, which was supposed to be under the device, looked as if it was floating in the air above the device. No evident change was seen in the 3D image of the ball even when we moderately changed the angle and distance of our viewing position.

The device is rather simple in its design. A 100 micron-meter thick (roughly the width of a human hair) layer of nickel is placed on top of a piece of glass that simply acts as a substrate for the nickel. Diamond-shaped holes are sequentially punched in the nickel to allow light through. Mirrors are applied at a 90 degree angle to two opposing sides of the walls that make up any given diamond hole . When light passes through these reflective holes, a three-dimensional representation of the image shows up floating above the glass/nickel reflective surface.

The spokesman adds the, "mechanism of this image production is the same as that of mirror reflection. It can be explained with geometric optics and requires no expertise in wave engineering like holography."

The implications for many industries, including telepresence, are profound if such a device can be brought to market at an affordable price. Time will tell.

Via [TechOn!]