Thanks to researchers at Tokyo University, it appears that touchable holograms are now a reality.
Researchers used two Wiimotes from Nintendo’s Wii gaming system to track a user’s hand as well as software that uses ultrasonic waves to create pressure on the user’s hand touching the projected hologram.
Professor Hiroyuki Shinoda from Tokyo University says:
“Up until now, holography has been for the eyes only, and if you’d try to touch it, your hand would go right through. But now we have a technology that also adds the sensation of touch to holograms.”
Watch video here:
Japanese Scientists Create Touchable Holograms
(via NTD Television)
Tags: Science & Tech





Wow SOOOO cool!!!! I didn’t know that you could touch a hologram. My mom told me that scientists were working on a hologram but I didn’t think that you’d be able to touch them. Soon we won’t make a phone call but a hologram message! H.M.s!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thats amazing, but space age
Thank you for sharing. Movie producers nowadays believe 3D is the way to go, but holographic cinematography will be the wave of the future. I’d be blown away by a Star Wars hologram movie!
Star Wars becoming a reality.
THAT’S SO COOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
FIRST ONE TO POST!!!!!!! OH YEA!!!!!!!
Asians…..you gotta love em
WOW!! japan has some cool technology!!
i need one of those!!
This is by far an amazing achievement. I look forward to hearing more and more on holography as I believe holography is the next “big step” in technological history.
ok, this cannot be real………
i always had known it would come some day next step skips then blasters and then of corse LIGHTSABERS. Oh yea
SOOOOO COOOL i want one
THAT IS AWESOME!!!! I WANT ONE!!!
but it is probably too expensive…
I hope they can put this to work for a (starwars) videogame
Next stop: Hollodeck
SSSSSSSSSSSSSSOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL
I LOVE WII! I LOVE MANGA! NOW I LOVE HOLOGRAMS!
P.S. Japan makes everything first
yes – but just think, with the development of such a thing, It will be in time possible to be able to simulate much more than just, ‘the feel’ of something.. Imagine a more realistic fighting game? Or being able to remotely touch a significant other. Or telemotely train someone from afar that used to be a process you had to be in the same room for? all kinds of applications , it will be applied to. It will doubtlessly in time become an extension of the internet preprietaries we enjoy now. Its just a matter of time.
just shows the exponential rate of technological advancement. Would anyone have even imagined this 100 years ago?
WOW!! Can you imagine what possibilities you can have while playing games with hologram enemies? that would be so cool to fight with lightsaber Wii remote and hologram enemies
AMAZING!!!!!!!! I didnt even think normal holograms were possible!!!!!
heck no [@trent] , 100 years ago they where barely used to the concept of the ‘kitty hawk’ flyer… That thing barely whent a football feild – but was the first powered flight. but could you imagine the 2.0 version of SWG or SWTOR – or at least some variation of it, with that kind of movement support? Wow! can you imagine a tele-remote op’s package that would let you train someone half a world away without having to leave your home, much less the country? Lol,- I cant wait to see the day the tech is commoditiezed and affordable! Ya!
THIS IS AWSOME!!! whats next hovercars
Awesome, Star Wars is slowly becoming a reality.
THAT IS SWEEET!
@ChratisHelv- Lol, just wait, in ten years, they’ll be available at every Walmart, and every 7 year old will have one.
)
That’s cool to find out how they work and how they were made. I love it
Who knows? 20 years and everyone could be using this!
Cooooooool!!!Awesoooooome!!!I really think we ARE begining STAR WARS , we have dorids , we have lasers , and now we have holograms!!!!
this is awsome. welcome to the space age
Awesome!
Star Wars is slowly becoming a reality.
Next up: Lightsabers!
it works!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Finally the wii remote is useful this time around. the media and gaming of the future is coming soon with the help with holograms and able to touch it too is even more amazing. no more microsoft kentic and sony’s move please.
Interesting. In how many years will these be on the market?
Step one: touchable holograms, step two: a real Holodeck?
now all we need is a working light saber!!!!DIBS ON THE PURPLE!!!
yess.now we just need blasters starships cruisers and droids.and clones.
This is EPIC! The Japanese are awesome!
I WWAAAAANNNNTTTT OOONNNNEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That’s really cool. Japan must have some really advanced technology. Do you think they’d share it with us?
pwnage!!
How awesome! Pretty soon we’ll have civilian spaceships! Hopefully at least.
OMG! What next Death stars?!?!?!? LOL
HOLY FORCE, THIS IS SO COOL!!! I DIDN’T EVEN KNOW THEY HAD HOLOGRAMS, MUCH LESS TOUCHABLE ONES!!!
May the Force be with you from Hawai’i!!
~Katia
This is some awesome advances in technology and not in a galaxy far, far away = )
droids,lasers,holograms…lightsabers? when a lightsaber is available for sale, i will be the first person to buy one! maybe by the time i am old enough to drive, starships will be for sale, if so i will buy a
I want to become an technological inventor when I graduate college, and this is the kind of thing that urges me even more to follow my dream. I am imagining the kind of things we will have to invent if this kind of complex stuff has already been invented!