Thread: Why hasn't more progress been made in holography yet?

I'm not sure if this would be better put in the Engineering or Technology forum. I'm just wondering why the field of optics seems to be taking so long to make significant progress. Maybe I've just missed something, but when are we going to see 3-D holographic movies and television? And what about holographic memories that were supposed to have so much more capacity than conventional memories? I've seen lots of holographic art. And I've heard of a company a while ago (Holotronics?) that was producing a device for transmitting holograms electronically, but what's become of this? It seems like the next big breakthrough in display technology after HDTV would be 3DTV. Does anyone have any more information about this than I do? I would be interested in hearing about this.
Thanks.

The problem with holography entertainment is that it is created from interfering wavefronts of light. This is a problem because if the wavefronts move just a little then the whole thing is destroyed. If you want a better explanation or one that is in more depth the check out this site.

http://www.holo.com/holo//book/book.html

Originally Posted by DSR

I'm just wondering why the field of optics seems to be taking so long to make significant progress. Maybe I've just missed something, but when are we going to see 3-D holographic movies and television? And what about holographic memories that were supposed to have so much more capacity than conventional memories? I've seen lots of holographic art. And I've heard of a company a while ago (Holotronics?) that was producing a device for transmitting holograms electronically, but what's become of this? It seems like the next big breakthrough in display technology after HDTV would be 3DTV. Does anyone have any more information about this than I do? I would be interested in hearing about this.
Thanks.

Where can I start?

Understand that there is a chicken-and-egg problem. Unless there are clear huge commercial markets, equipment and materials manufacturers won't make the huge R&D investments to create a viable holographic imaging infrastructure. Without that costly infrastructure, the quality and cost of useful holography for information storage or entertainment won't occur, and so there isn't a commercial market.

entertainment:
First, holography is film-based. Not digital. Strike a big blow against it.
Second, holography has great problems creating good color images (cheaply). Requires R&D
Third, films are not optimized very well for the imaging wavelengths used for holography. Requires R&D.
Fourth, technical difficulties in filming big sets (including vibration control) are huge.
Fifth, technical difficulties and high costs in projecting big images. Requires R&D

information storage:
First, there is the very cheap and proven alternative of magentic media storage, which gets better and cheaper every year. Don't bet against magnetic!
Second, there is the very cheap and proven alternative of flash memory, which gets better and cheaper every year. Don't bet against silicon!
Third, creating holographic storage requires expensive memory writers. These are in infancy and require R&D to improve capability, reliability and cost.
Fourth, reading holographic storage requires expensive tools. These are in infancy and require R&D to improve capability, reliability and cost.
Fifth, the holographic storage media itself is low sensitivity, low contrast, defect ridden, expensive and lacks adequate permanence. Requires extensive chemistry R&D.

Hope this summary helps.

Thanks for the replies. It doesn't look like I'll see much advancement in this area too soon. But, "silylene" (what does that mean?), you say there is a "chicken & egg" problem; that there can't be much progress without a need in the first place. Well wasn't there the same situation when television was new? How did that get going?

Originally Posted by DSR

Thanks for the replies. It doesn't look like I'll see much advancement in this area too soon. But, "silylene" (what does that mean?), you say there is a "chicken & egg" problem; that there can't be much progress without a need in the first place. Well wasn't there the same situation when television was new? How did that get going?

TV is much, much simpler, and the technology needed for black-and-white TV sets was already being used in other settings.

As to the commercialisation, that's a story you wouldn't believe: People bought the TV sets before there was any signal to view. Just to have one. It was a status symbol. Naturally, having a TV without programs got old really fast, so people started to demand that somebody come up with something to view on those screens.

Eventually we'll probably see holotechnology deployed in other areas of life (I'm thinking surgery) in which there is a readily appearent advantage and a government budget to support the groundbreaking research.

Did not the Japanese succesfully create a true hologram? And from what I remember, they used the Princess Liea imagry from the first starwars as the example. I could be wrong.

the problem with holography is that things would have to be recorded in 3D to be viewed in 3D. that means alot of cameras showing the same thing. and also how would you view all the sides at once? it isnt feasible. if you want 3D, just use the current method of wearing glasses.

I'm a few years late into this, but I was going to ask the same thing.

You know, I saw some holograms recently, and I still think there is potential. But I also notice that the images look very "cartoony", as in not real life images, especially those that were floating in mid air.

As for holograms being film, I think they can be digital too, unless I'm mistaken. But there will be a huge R&D hurdle to overcome.

Wasn’t it a president’s or kings 3d image transmitted and shown as he spoke at a ceremony? It may have been Prince Charles, though I’m not sure.

I once read of a company that sells a product for data backup. It uses a holographic disc that can store up to 500GB, but with much more potential. Can't remember many specifics though.

Holographic data storage has become the norm for data backup; there was a CNN news coverage where the reporter was shown as a hologram, but that was just a special effect - she wasn't really there, and the computer effects people just put her into the film so she looked as if she was talking to Wolf Blitzer.