Laser-powered, mid-air 3D image projector

We first got wind of this from, of all things, the dotmatrix news board in a Tokyo taxi last night; last time we rely on one of them for our latest tech news, as we see that Pink Tentacle has the details up already. Shame on us.

The National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) has built a system that projects 3D images in mid-air; as PT explains,

Until now, projected three-dimensional imagery has been “artificial” — optical illusions that appear 3D due to the parallax difference between the eyes of the observer. Prolonged viewing of this conventional sort of 3D imagery can cause physical discomfort.

The newly developed device, however, creates “real” 3D images by using laser light, which is focused through a lens at points in space above the device, to create plasma emissions from the nitrogen and oxygen in the air at the point of focus. Because plasma emission continues for a short period of time, the device is able to create 3D images by moving the point of focus.

Ideas for uses include floating adverts and pyrotechnics; no news on when the tabletop version is coming out, though.

[Via Pink Tentacle]