We’ve fantasized about holograms for decades only to watch the big tech companies bet mostly on VR or AR. Today, however, a startup called Looking Glass is officially unveiling its idea for a hologram viewing device: the HoloPlayer One. Looking Glass previously announced a different volumetric display, called Volume, but pivoted its efforts to HoloPlayer One when Volume didn’t take off like the company hoped it would.
This new development kit and its SDK allow users to display and interact with 3D creations. The company built two versions — one that requires an HDMI hookup to a computer and another with an Intel Core i7 processor inside that works independently from a PC. The HDMI-reliant version costs $750 while the premium computer version costs $3,000.
Both models rely on the same hardware to produce the holograms. They reflect the content from a 2560 x 1600 LCD display. A depth-sensing camera, like the one used in a Microsoft Kinect or iPhone X, is mounted on top to assist with interaction. Strangely, the cheaper device is powered over USB-C while the more premium version relies on MicroUSB. People can view content so long as they’re within a range of 50 degrees from the device.
By Ashley Carman
Source: https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2017/11/21/16681580/holoplayer-one-looking-glass-holograms