Holography: The Future of Telecommunication

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al gore hologram - live earth tokyo '07

Al Gore launched Live Earth Tokyo in a high-tech, virtual way – as a hologram using Musion Eyeliner Holographic Projection. After a stirring introduction by Lumi, the virtual-reality singer of Genki Rockets, a head-to-toe-likeness of the former U.S. Vice President materialized on stage.

He shared urgent yet hopeful words to the crowd gathered at Makuhari Messe. The holographic Gore had an expression of amazement as he delivered the following words:
What an amazing world we live in – I love it that I can stand here on this stage in Tokyo and speak to you in holographic form. It is astounding that in just these recent few decades we have invented technologies that enable us to connect and instantly communicate our ideas and intentions with people on the other side of the globe.

Because of the communication channels and technologies now available to us, this venue is, at this moment, connected to the entire world. You are all communicating to well over 2 billion people right now – including all the Live Earth audiences in Sydney, Shanghai, Johannesburg, Hamburg, London, Rio de Janeiro and New York and the broadcast audience who will be watching on television and the Internet in over 100 countries.

musion eyeliner 3d technical

Musion Eyeliner System incorporates some very simple video principles and all equipment used is readily available in both the American and European rental markets.

The primary components of a Eyeliner set up are:

• A video projector, preferably DLP with an HD card/minimum native resolution of 1280 x 1024 and brightness of 5000+ lumens.
• For smaller cabinet installations, a high quality TFT Plasma or LCD screen can also be used.
• A hard-disc player with 1920 x 1080i HD graphics card, Apple or PC video server, DVD player.
• Musion Eyeliner Foil + 3D set/drapes enclosing 3 sides
• Lighting and audio as required
• Show controller (on site or remote)

Subjects are filmed in HDTV and broadcast on to the foil through HDTV projection systems, driven by HD Mpeg2 digital hard disc players, or uncompressed full HDTV video/Beta-Cam players.

The setup is erected in either a bespoke cabinet or a self contained four legged ground support. Alternatively, the foil can be stretched into a truss framework and flown from its own hanging points.

In either configuration, Eyeliner allows for a full working stage or set to be constructed behind the foil. In so doing live actors or performers, as well as virtual images are able to interact with other projected images in such a way that it appears to the watching audience that all of the objects they are seeing are in stage.

It is therefore quite conceivable to have a live performer sing a duet with a ‘virtual’ partner, a cartoon character or even his/hers projected double.

All the images used on an Eyeliner system are three-dimensional images, but projected as two-dimensional images (2D/3D) into a 3D stage set. The mind of the audience created the 3D illusion. This means that production costs are minimal, needing only the single camera lens for filming and a single projector for the playback – hence the phrase ‘Glasses-free viewing’.