Arizona Scientists Perfecting Leia-Like 3-D Holograms

(Nov. 3) -- The flickering three-dimensional image of Princess Leia begging for help in "Star Wars" is moving out of the realm of Hollywood special effects and into reality.

Scientists report today -- though not without controversy -- that they have created the first 3-D images like the holograms in the movies: depth-filled images of moving objects that are actually located elsewhere. The new technology allows something to be filmed at one site and then appear, almost instantly, in all of its seemingly solid glory, at another site.

The researchers concede that the hologram displays only herky-jerky movement rather than the smooth, continuous motion viewers see on their TV screens. And they emphasize that they need to perfect the technology. But they say their accomplishments so far offer proof that the hologram as shown in the movies is within reach.

Such wizardry "is no longer something that is science fiction," research leader Nasser Peyghambarian of the University of Arizona told reporters during a telephone briefing. "It is something that you can do today."

In a video showcasing the new hologram system's capabilities, a 3-D image of one of the researchers shows him slowly moving his arms and hands. The scientists also figured out how to color their holograms, but they're still working on enlarging the images. Their biggest hologram to date measures roughly 17 inches, about the same as the figure of Princess Leia projected by R2-D2.

Once perfected, such images could be used by surgeons to offer advice on an operation taking place thousands of miles away. Auto engineers from around the world could make swift changes to a model engine using the technology, Peyghambarian said.

The technology relies on lasers to "write" the 3-D image on a panel made of a new kind of high-tech material, co-author Pierre-Alexandre Blanche of the University of Arizona told AOL News. Viewers could then sit around the panel to view the object or person in question.

Peyghambarian concedes that he and his colleagues have a lot of work to do before they can equal the popular conception of a hologram. The images they've produced move every two seconds -- faster than their previous holograms but not truly in real time. They also need to tinker with the colors, resolution and power consumption of their hologram machine.

The new material that forms the "screen" of the hologram machine is "a very slow material. It requires lots of energy to write into it," said Michael Klug, co-founder of Zebra Imaging, which produces commercial hologram equipment. That means the new system is of "limited practicality." Klug also says that Zebra already has technology for generating 3-D holograms that move at "near-video" rate. He disputes that Peyghambarian's system is really a first, though he concedes that Zebra's technology hasn't been written up in the scientific literature.

Blanche says he knows that Zebra has been working on a similar system, but doesn't know much about it because it's proprietary information.

The image "looks beautiful" and is "exciting," said MIT's Michael Bove, who is helping the Arizona scientists improve their computer software. But "it's important that it not be overhyped into something it isn't. ... This is not Princess Leia and the holodeck."

The new development is reported in Thursday's issue of the scientific journal Nature.