How Do Holograms Work?

Holograms are used in all manner of things today. From quirky pictures to promote items through to security measures for a wide range of different uses, they can be simultaneously fun, awe-inspiring and extremely useful. But just how does holographic projection really work?

The 3D images we see and know as holograms can be made in many different ways, and ultimately it depends on their use as to how they are in turn viewed. The ones we see on bank notes and credit cards are created by splitting and then re-converging the light from a laser and passing one half through an object en route.

However, it is holographic projection that is much more impressive these days, no longer a mere staple of science fiction, but instead a fully fledged industry and one that has many potential benefits and uses.Using projectors and any manner of materials from glass to even simple mesh, depending on the effect you want to create, the holographic images are created using simple pre-recorded images bounced onto specific surfaces. It creates a real 3D image without the need for the funny glasses.

Modern technology has meant that the projections that we can use are not only clearer and more realistic, but also larger and far more effective. In turn, the uses for them have advanced dramatically, and a hologram can be used in everything from entertainment, creating the ability for real people to seemingly materialise in front of people’s eyes, through to extremely effective marketing campaigns. Even now, the potential for it to replace standard 3D in people’s homes is being investigated and even put into action.

So, whilst it is actually a surprisingly simple notion, its potential is huge and in turn we are almost certainly going to see more and more people turn to it, not only to help them advance in the modern world, but also because if they don’t, they will almost certainly be left behind.