Tag Archives: holographic display

Futuristic indoor pot concept turns your plant into a virtual pet

Posted on by

We all know that plants are living things, but we also often just treat them as objects simply because they don’t behave like animals and humans. It’s almost hard for us to wrap our heads around the fact that the mostly stationary creatures in pots are alive until they show signs of withering and dying. We’d probably have a completely different attitude if those plants started to show expressions or visibly react to changes in the environment and human interaction. That’s the kind of paradigm shift that this smart plant pot concept is trying to develop by creating a holographic representation of the plant that makes you feel like you’re taking care of a pet instead of just a succulent.

Designers: Dingyu Xiao, Bouyan Pan, Jianshen Yuan, “me me” (Suosi Design)

Plants are like pets with very stoic personalities. They don’t immediately react to the way you take care of them but the effects reveal themselves sooner or later, whether they’re good or bad. The delayed feedback might sometimes make us also slow to respond, sometimes leading to a detached and impersonal relationship that could lead to the plant’s untimely demise. Of course, we could just use one of those smart, self-watering planters, but that widens the gap even further.

Planpet is a smart plant pot concept that tries to create a more personal connection between humans and plants by giving the plant a face and changing the way we see it. There’s a glass cube standing on one end of the box-shaped pot, right beside where the actual hole for the plant is. This cube isn’t just some extraneous embellishment, however, and is actually a holographic display that shows a miniature 3D representation of the plant with one big difference: it actually has an expressive face.

The idea is that the user will select a virtual character that best resembles the type of plant being put in the pot. But more than just a passive face, this virtual plant will change its facial expressions based on real-time soil and environment analysis. It will react when you give it enough light, when you water it, or even when forget to take care of it.

Planpet is pretty much like Tamagotchi for plants but with more significant consequences in the real world. Rather than waiting for the plant to dry up and die before you get a clue, seeing the expressions the “plant pet” makes gives more immediate feedback and warnings when things aren’t going well for the plant. It still won’t be able to dynamically respond to your actions or commands unless you add a pinch of AI, but just having a face that can express some emotions is enough to really make the plant feel more alive, driving home the responsibility of raising a plant just as you would a dog or a cat.

The post Futuristic indoor pot concept turns your plant into a virtual pet first appeared on Yanko Design.

Holobox hologram-in-a-box could supercharge meetings and presentations

Posted on by

Video meetings are becoming more and more common as time passes, even without travel restrictions. Work arrangements are changing and the world is suddenly a much bigger place, with people spread out all over. Those remote interactions, however, don’t just have the same effect as in-person meetings, especially when you lose certain contexts from body language. It just feels less personal and has less impact, especially if you’ll be using an avatar that looks more like a cartoon than a real representation of yourself. In science fiction, holograms try to bridge the gap between people across planets or even galaxies, but that kind of technology is actually available today in a less flashy but still mind-blowing way.

Designer: Holoconnects

Holograms are nothing new, but it has traditionally been difficult to implement them on a large, human-sized scale. Trying to project floating three-dimensional images of people is still a bit of a pipe dream, but if you’re fine with putting them in a box, then that dream has already become reality with Holoconnects’ Holobox. It is what its name sounds like, a way to have a holographic version of yourself or someone else projected inside a large box.

What makes the Holobox special beyond its amazing image fidelity is its ease of use. It needs only a power source and an Internet connection to operate because everything is built into the box. Of course, that’s only for actually projecting and playing the hologram. You’ll need a different set of equipment for actually capturing the video of a human, whether pre-recorded or in real-time. And it doesn’t even have to be human either since you can project anything that can fit inside the box’s 86-inch display. Actually, you can even connect several boxes together so that it can show a much bigger object, like a car, for example.

But what really is the point of having a life-sized hologram anyway? For one, it offers a new level of remote communication where you can fully see the person in 3D as if they were standing in front of you. It can also give a more personal touch to presentations, training, advertising, and more. Basically, anywhere that your real presence would have an impact, the Holobox can offer a stand-in that is both effective and human. Plus, it looks awesome to boot!

The post Holobox hologram-in-a-box could supercharge meetings and presentations first appeared on Yanko Design.

This holographic display could be how you do video calls in the Metaverse

Posted on by



Not everyone will be keen on wearing even glasses to experience this metaverse thing. Fortunately, you might not have to, especially if this hologram-in-a-box can deliver the next best thing.

The metaverse is being hyped as the logical evolution of virtual reality, blending the physical and the digital in a single space. Most of the discussions and implementations, however, involve placing ourselves in a virtual space, often with the use of mixed reality equipment like headsets. The metaverse can also work the other way around and bring the digital into our physical realm, most likely through holograms. We’re still ways off from the holograms of sci-fi, but this new holographic display is trying to bridge the gap until that perfect time.

Designer: PORTL

Click Here to Buy Now!

Imagine trying to keep in touch with family members in a future where the metaverse has become our world. You’d expect that we’d don glasses or headgear that would seemingly teleport us to a common space, maybe in a virtual house bought with your NFTs, but that can be cumbersome to set up for a brief call. What if you could just bring that person virtually into your house instead? That’s where holograms come in, but we’re not quite there yet when it comes to simply project people in just about any physical space.

Startup PORTL, not to be confused by Meta’s Portal video conferencing device, envisions installing cabinet-sized holographic displays in places where they might be of use, like in stores, meeting rooms, or even classrooms. Not everyone will be able to afford these PORTL EPIC boxes, though, which is why the company revealed its desktop, the PORTL M. Again, not to be confused with Facebook Portal, but the associations are really hard to avoid, especially given the design.

PORTL M is what the very first Facebook Portal would be if it were extruded into a box form to accommodate a holographic display inside. The box can be set up in either landscape or portrait orientation, depending on the content you want to display. The device itself lacks some charm, looking like a nondescript plastic box with rounded corners and a curved back. The magic, of course, is in how it will try to make people and things really look like the three-dimensional objects that they are. Or at least that’s the idea.

The PORTL M is intended to be used for full-body video chats, browsing and examining products before you buy, or even for serious work in industrial and medical fields. And, of course, you can also use these boxes to display your NFTs, at least if you have around $2,000 to spare for one.

The post This holographic display could be how you do video calls in the Metaverse first appeared on Yanko Design.

This holographic display concept makes your NFT art buy look more interesting

Posted on by

If you are diving into NFTs and the digital media that comes along with them, you might as well have something that proudly displays that piece of NFT art you just bought.

If you thought cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum were already controversial, try throwing the word “NFT” around and see the debates explode like a long-dormant volcano. While discussions for and against the use of NFTs in the digital art industry continue to rage, there are already people that have accepted them as part of the future, especially with the Metaverse being pushed by companies and media. When that day comes, you’ll probably want a way to show off those NFT purchases, and this holographic cube definitely fits the theme.

Designer: ChenKai Zhang

Although NFTs can be used for anything digital, the biggest conversations revolve around their use in digital art. For some people, NFT-purchased art or videos have become something like a bragging right, not that different from the feeling you get when owning a piece from the great Masters of the trade. You can’t hang an NFT on a wall, of course, but the Holocube gives you a way to display these digital artworks in a way that matches the almost futuristic nature of NFTs.

Nothing says “the future” like holograms, and the Holocube makes it even more futuristic by having the hologram displayed inside a glass cube that rises from the box when activated. LEDs in the eight corners light up to add to this futuristic motif, though it doesn’t seem to be configurable to match the art being displayed. The idea behind the concept is to allow NFT owners to upload their purchases from their phones and have as many of these on display at home or in the office.

It’s definitely a visually interesting way to proudly proclaim being an NFT owner, though it might not work for all kinds of digital art or videos. Then again, holograms might have sufficiently advanced by then as well, presuming NFTs are still a thing. As forward-looking as these decentralized digital ledgers might be, NFTs, in particular, are also heavily criticized for their impact on the environment, making at least the current implementation controversial from a sustainability perspective. That said, there is also the possibility of blockchains like NFTs and bitcoin to advance in a way that retains their advantages while also reducing their carbon footprint.

The post This holographic display concept makes your NFT art buy look more interesting first appeared on Yanko Design.

Remember those moving, 3D portraits from Harry Potter? They’re a real thing now!

Posted on by

I’m a firm believer in the fact that sci-fi movies help mold culture, and that in turn helps define innovation. If it hadn’t been for Back To The Future, hoverboards and self-tying shoes wouldn’t be a thing… not to mention the multitude of objects that are direct descendants of the Star Trek and Star Wars franchises (including the world’s first cellphone, which was inspired by Captain Kirk’s communicator). In that very vein, looking at the Looking Glass Portrait should almost instantly remind you of a cult reference from the Harry Potter series. I am, of course, talking about the famous interactive paintings found in Hogwarts and the rest of the Potterverse.

The Looking Glass Portrait is a 7.9-inch photo frame that does much more than just displaying memories… it brings depth and life to them. The holographic display lets you showcase pictures in stunning 3D, letting you view them from different angles without needing glasses. While the holographic tech is itself amazing to look at all day, the Looking Glass Portrait focuses more on the experience, with the ability to add 3D photos from your phone using its portrait mode, or create 3D images using multiple camera pictures stitched together, or even display actual 3D models. Moreover, to give the frame its Potter-esque appeal, you can record 3D videos too, using hardware like the Kinect Depth Camera, or hook a Leap Motion Controller to the frame to make your videos interactive. The display, as magical as it is to look at, is just half the product… its experience is what makes the Looking Glass Portrait so magical. From capturing 3D selfies to recording 3D videos of your friends or your pets, to even converting your 3D artwork into interactive view-pieces, the Looking Glass Portrait works as a standalone holographic photo frame that injects life into your otherwise 2-dimensional images, just how Harry Potter’s paintings come to life when you approach them.

The holographic display comes with all the hardware and software chops needed to bring your vision and visuals to life. You can either directly upload portrait photos from your iPhone, or meticulously take panning shots or turntable images using your DSLR. The Looking Glass Portrait accepts 3D files too, allowing you to upload scenes directly from Blender or Maya, and if you’re really interested in pushing it to its limits, you can even create interactive art pieces using Unreal Engine or Unity. The Looking Glass Portrait works in standalone mode, as a magical picture frame, or even in desktop mode, as a secondary display for your computer, letting you create, upload, and edit holographic media using the accompanying HoloPlay Studio software. Integrated HDMI and USB-C ports allow you to input and output data as well as charge the screen, while left/right, play, and pause buttons let you either cycle through content, or play/pause looped 3D captured videos. A 3.5mm audio jack lets you hook the display to a set of speakers for added magic (after all, what is a hologram without some sound?!), and the display’s native 1538px X 2048px resolution makes the Looking Glass Portrait perhaps the most high-definition holographic display currently available!

Designer: Shawn Frayne of Looking Glass Factory

Click Here to Buy Now: $249 $349 ($100 off). Hurry, only 84/550 left! Raised over $2,250,000.

Looking Glass Portrait

The Looking Glass Portrait is your first personal holographic display. For people, real and imagined. Designed for the millions of people that work or play in 3D in any way: Artists, Designers, Developers, Filmmakers, Photographers, and those of you who are just starting to explore three-dimensional capture and creation. Even phones can now capture holograms.

Easy to Create

That’s how you can get started. But the Looking Glass Portrait can do much more.

Expands With Your Imagination & Skills

Shoot super-realistic light field photographs, record holographic video messages. You can share high quality production depth video and create unity and unreal interactive applications. Bring 3D characters to life (Maya, Blender, Sketchfab).

Two Modes of Operations

1000 Holograms On Your Desk – Looking Glass Portrait will run a reel of demos out of the box in Standalone Mode when plugged into power. Then, when a user wants to generate their own content or run an interactive application, Looking Glass Portrait can also be used in Desktop Mode.

Holographic Photographs

Depth Photos from Phones – The easiest way to make a hologram is to take a Portrait mode photo with your phone. Believe it or not, those Portrait mode photos you’ve been taking have depth information hidden behind them. This is normally used to generate bokeh effect, and now the software that comes with every Looking Glass Portrait can use that same depth info to generate a three-dimensional hologram with a single click.

Light Field Capture – Use any camera to capture super-realistic holograms. If you’re looking to push the limits of holographic capture even further, Looking Glass Portrait can also display light field photos. This is a fancy term for a series of images taken from different perspectives. You can now capture these advanced three-dimensional photographs with conventional panning shot techniques using the camera you already own and display them in Looking Glass Portrait.

3D Scans with Photogrammetry & LiDar – Photogrammetry-based 3D scans and the newest LiDAR scanning with the iPhone 12 Pro and iPad Pro can be played back in the Looking Glass Portrait with ease. The advantage of these techniques is both aesthetic and practical — this is the easiest way to take and display 360° captures of people, places, and objects.

Holographic Video

Make Holographic Video Recordings with a Single Click – For most of us that have long dreamed of a holographic future, the ultimate goal has been to be able to record a holographic message and send that to someone across the world (or in a galaxy far, far away). Imagine sending a holographic birthday message, or saying hello as a hologram to your great-great-great-granddaughter. Now you can!

The Looking Glass Portrait comes with access to Depth Recorder, a PC and Mac compatible app that lets anyone with a Microsoft Azure Kinect, Intel RealSense depth camera, or iPhone X/11/12 record, send and play back 10-second holographic messages in their Looking Glass Portrait.

Depth Video Production – For professionals working with volumetric video production tools like Depthkit and Depthkit Cinema, you can now easily import your work into the Looking Glass Portrait. This media can be played back in Desktop mode or in Standalone mode. This means you can now send someone a holographic display preloaded with your volumetric video content that will run right on power-up.

Whether you’re a 3D designer, just starting to learn 3D modeling or someone who is exploring the world of 3D creations on platforms like Sketchfab, you can easily bring people, both real and imagined, into your Looking Glass Portrait.

Use Looking Glass plugins for Maya and Blender for both live and rendered out scenes or import animated models with the 3D Model Importer.

Interactive Applications

Unity and Unreal Plugins – They have developed and refined powerful Unity and Unreal plugins for the Looking Glass lineup. Now these plugins can be used with the Looking Glass Portrait to create holographic apps of your own.

Peripherals for Interaction – Looking Glass Portrait works with a wide variety of peripherals in Desktop mode, allowing for advanced interaction with holograms. This includes VR controllers, various sensors for environmental inputs, tactile feedback systems, as well as hand-sensing devices like the Leap Motion Controller.

Click Here to Buy Now: $249 $349 ($100 off). Hurry, only 84/550 left! Raised over $2,250,000.