[Phys.org]

The term “hologram”, (“holos” meaning “complete” and “gram” meaning “message”) has long been used to refer to both the technique of wavefront reconstruction (by interference, diffraction and reflection) and an image genre – a virtual encounter between an immaterial, usually-3D image of an absent human and living humans.

By contrast, the technologically advanced HD video rendition of Tupac, created by Musion Systems Ltd., employed the principals of something known in the trade as Pepper’s Ghost. By employing this technique – which dates back to the 16th century – Musion reframed the holographic genre in real-time for a live audience.

But holograms and related technologies are used for much more than just films and live performances.

Beyond Tupac

Tupac’s performance came a week after the release, by Zebra Imaging, of a public web interface for uploading 3D data to produce full-colour, 360-degree ZSCAPE 3D holographic prints.

Unlike Tupac’s performance, Zebra Imaging’s ZSCAPE™ 3D prints are actually holograms. They combine 3D imaging concepts and methods developed over the past century, with processes of synthetic hologram generation developed by the Spatial Imaging Group at MIT.

These hologram prints are made from arrays of holographic pixels know as hogels, which contain three-dimensional information about how the scene should appear from a range of perspectives. …

As these can be displayed horizontally and viewed from above, they lend themselves to applications which require spatial precision, such as:

— geo-seismic and terrain modelling 
— scientific visualisation of abstract data sets 
— medical pre-visualisation, and 
— architectural models. …

Read the full story here: http://phys.org/news/2012-04-tupac-future-hologram-technology.html