Inside February 22, 2005's Issue

Not considered your 'average' FC student

Dudley Salley supports study abroad program

Holographic technology now available

By Dustin Taylor
[email protected]
Staff Writer

Many science fiction innovations have become reality in the last 50 years.

One of these is Io2 Technology's Heliodisplay. Conceived by Chad Dyner, the Heliodisplay is described by Io2's website as "the world's first free-space display from which digital information can be viewed and manipulated."

The Heliodisplay allows users to look at a projected image that floats in mid air. Users may also select and manipulate graphic information without the aid of a mouse or keyboard. Users are also able to physically drag and drop digital information as if it existed in front of them.

It would be inaccurate to call this a touch-screen monitor because it doesn't involve a monitor at all. According to Io2 Technology's official website, "There are no special gloves, or pointing devices, just as you use a mouse to move the cursor on a traditional computer monitor, you can use your finger to move the cursor around the Heliodisplay image."

The Heliodisplay projects multiple two-dimensional images that simulate three-dimensional objects . It is backwards compatible with most two-dimensional video sources including TV, DVD, HDTV and video game consoles. Additionally, this will work with virtually any Pentium III or higher computer.

Weighing in at 28 pounds, the Heliodisplay is not likely to replace flat screen computer monitors anytime soon. "It's not the weight that people will be concerned with," said Dr. Jimmy Barnes, associate professor of math and computer science at Georgia Highlands College. "In the end, the price is what people really care about."

At $18,600, the Heliodisplay costs four times more than a high end plasma TV. "When the technology is more affordable," said Barnes, "people will be much more willing to buy one."

But Io2 Technology contends that their product has many other, non-consumer-based applications. Among those are heads-up displays for surgeons, virtual privacy scans and collaborative decision making in air-traffic control, military command and engineering design.

More information on the Heliodisplay is avaliable at www.io2technology.com.

Editor's note:

Dr. H. Lynn Cundiff, former president of Georgia Highlands College, is CEO of a company called 3dh, which is marketing 3D Holoprojection as a tool of classroom use. According to the Nov. 11 online version of the "Chronicle of Higher Education," Cundiff has been demonstrating the technology to educators as a learning enhancement tool.

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