Microsoft Research Reveals Holograph

The future of 3D holographic interactive user interfaces that people see in sci-fi movies and TV shows are finally getting closer to reality. Microsoft Research recently shown off a new project known as Holograph, an interactive 3D data visualization research platform that can render static and dynamic data in a way that it looks like it is being projected above a display.

Holograph’s team leader Curtis Wong shared on how this particular project is able to deliver a way to create visuals with data that is put within, such as Excel. He continued, “That enables anybody with any kind of data, like location or time, to easily plot that data onto a map or globe. If you select ‘date,’ and you have date or time information, you’ll be able to watch that data play out over time.”

“If you have 3D data, you could move your head around and look at things as if they were physically there,” Wong said. “That’s a natural way of observing something. If you want to reach in and select something that’s interesting, you could find out more information. Sure, you could do that on a flat screen, but on really complex, non-two-dimensional data, it becomes more of a challenge.”

The video has some fun in showing off how Holograph can make the dreams of sci-fi fans come true, including the famous Princess Leia hologram in “Star Wars” where she was projected by R2-D2, saying, “You’re my only hope.” Perhaps the whole 3D chess game in that same movie could be the next project for Microsoft Research.

Source: Neowin