Based in San Jose, California, Light Field Lab is a tech startup backed by Comcast, Samsung Ventures, Verizon Ventures, Bosch Ventures (RBVC), and multiple other high-profile partners. The company has just introduced next-generation holographic display, SolidLight Surface, and all available pre-production units are already sold out.
According to Light Field Lab, SolidLight combines high resolution and density to project dimensional wavefronts as a way to form objects that appear as if they were located outside the display, whether hovering in the air or blending in with their surrounding environment.
“SolidLight is unlike anything you have experienced before. It’s only after you reach out to touch a SolidLight Object that you realize it’s not actually there,” said Jon Karafin, CEO of Light Field Lab in an official release. “SolidLight redefines what is perceived as real, reshaping visual communications, audience engagement, and customer experiences forever.”
If you’re already looking forward to projecting your own miniature version of Princess Leia Organa on your desk to keep you company while you work, we have bad news for you: SolidLight is aimed at enterprise customers—not the consumer market segment.
The complete system consists of SolidLight Surface modular video wall panels, computational hardware (including servers, GPUs, synchronization, & networking), and proprietary real-time rendering software called WaveTracer. As part of the deal, Light Field Lab also provides support and maintenance services.
As such, you’re most likely to encounter the new holographic display technology in places such as large international airports, headquarters of multinational corporations, theme parks and other entertainment venues, and shopping malls in affluent areas, just to give you some examples.
Light Field Lab is selling the SolidLight Surface in multiple sizes and accepting orders for custom-made panels. The largest panels on offer cost several million dollars, but the company is confident that the technology will keep getting more and more affordable. Perhaps it won’t take much time before regular consumers will be able to entertain themselves with holographic projections and schools educate their students with the help of truly 3D visualizations.
