Holograms Essay, Research Paper

I have chosen to do my MIS paper on holograms. I have chosen this topic because it is a technology that has been around for sometime now, but has become increasingly more popular in recent years. Holograms are now found in virtually all types of products. These products consist of currencies, checks, stock certificates, credit cards, passports, ID cards, computer software, audio/visual tapes and CD ROMs, aircraft, software, electrical/electronic appliances, building materials, food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, food, building materials, branded fashion wear, tickets for performances and major sporting events, textbooks, toys, the list goes on.

Although the possibility of holography was suggested as early as 1947, it could not be demonstrated until a pure coherent light source, the laser became available in 1963.

The techniques of holograms are also applicable to sound, and bats may navigate by ultrasonic holography. Holographic techniques also have applications in storing dental records, detecting stresses and stains on construction and retail goods, detecting forged paintings and documents, and producing three-dimensional body scans.

Holography is a method of producing three-dimensional images by means of laser light. Holography uses photographic techniques involving the splitting of two beams apart.

So you may be wondering, what exactly is a hologram? The easiest way to describe it is a three dimensional picture. Like if you had a picture of a big marble, and had a smaller marble behind it you would not be able to look around the big marble to see the little one.

Holography though, has very little to do with photography. A photograph is an actual image; a snapshot taken in a seconds time to preserve a memory. “A hologram contains information about size, shape, brightness, and contrast of the object being recorded.” (www.holoworld.com/holo/quest2) “The information is stored in a very microscopic and complex pattern of interference. The interference pattern is made possible by the properties of light generated by a LASER.” (www.holoworld.com/holo/quest2)

In order to have a hologram be effective and accurate it needs two things:

1. Light needs to be highly directional

2. One color

If it is done correctly your eyes and brain perceives the object as being in front of you. Basically it is a mind trick.

Earlier I mentioned holography. This is a method that allows the “recording and playback of true-three dimensional images.” (www.holoworld.com/holo/quest1) Holograms posses an effect unlike other 3D images. This is known as “parallax.” “Parallax allows the viewer to move back and forth, up and down, and see different perspectives”(www.holoworld.com/holo/quest1)

Dr. Dennis Gabor, Imperial College of London invented holography. In 1971 he received the Nobel Prize in physics for holography. Although, round the world, holographic images and techniques are constantly being improved upon. Still holography has proved to be the most accurate interpretation of three-dimensional images in the world.

Holograms are made be using a LASER light. Did you know that LASER is actually an acronym that stands for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emissions of Radiation? Anyway, a LASER is a special source of light that was invented in the early 60’s. Generally, A laser is a very thin glass tube, about the size of a straw that you use to drink a soda. In the glass tube there is gas, most commonly it is Helium and Neon. There are several different sizes, brands, and types of LASERS. LASERS are used in a variety of fields such as medical, scientists, jewelry makers, appliances, etc

“Laser’s produce light that has very special characteristics: first the light is monochromic, or a single wavelength/color. Second, the light from a LASER is coherent, which means it has all of its waves traveling in sync with one another.” (www.holoworld.com/holo/quest4) I said earlier that there are several different types of Laser’s. The one the works best for holograms are LASER diode, which costs about $14-15.00. Some people may argue that the HeNe LASER is far more accurate, however it costs between $800-900.00. I guess it really just depends on how much money you want to spend and how involved you are with holograms.

By now you are probably interested in how exactly holograms are made. The holograms that are typically for sale in shops are made in a professional holography laboratory. “A typical lab consists of a LASER, a vibration-isolated optical table, lenses, mirrors, optical holders and other assorted equipment. You will also find a dark-room for processing of the hologram.” (www.holoworld.com/holo/quest/4) With the inexpensive diode laser, it is now easier for more people to become involved with this new technology.

Right now we still need laser’s to produce holograms. But we do not need them to view a hologram.

As for viewing the hologram, well it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure it out, but I will suggest a few tips. If you have purchased your hologram from a store, it was more than likely produced using “white-light reflection.” These are popular because the may be framed and hung on a wall. You should place it at a reasonable height for both adults and children to view, have it at a starting angle of about 45*, and adjust the angle until you get the best view of the hologram. The best bulb to is to use a clear halogen bulb, avoid any fluorescent lighting because it will blur the image.

Looking at a hologram is just like looking at something that is really right in front of your eyes. In fact, some holograms are so real that you want to take your hand and touch it—but your hand goes right through it.

Now I would like to draw your attention back to my opening paragraph. I mentioned many of the different types of uses for holograms. Now I am going to give you specific examples where you may find such items. As you now they have many uses in the arts, science, and technology fields. Medical fields are able to use images, such as a “CAT scan and have the final image as a three-dimensional hologram.” (www.holoworld.com/holo/quest6) Engineers use holograms to test for fractures in quality control during manufacturing. The testing of strains is of widespread application. It involves making two different holograms of an object being stressed between exposures. If the object has distorted during stressing, the hologram will be greatly changed.

They are used in airplanes so the pilot can have critical information while looking through the cockpit windows. This is known as “heads-up display.” This feature is also available in some automobiles. Holograms are used in monetary features try and eliminate counterfeiting activities. Artists use it to display artistic expression that was not possible with the “traditional” media. Even one day “photons will be traveling through your computer circuits the way electrons do now. When that day comes, holograms will be used to store the information. This is called holographic data storage. With HDS, you can store the entire contents of the Library of Congress in the area the size of a sugar cube.” (www.holoworld.com/holo/quest/6)

“Counterfeiting is one of the fastest growing economic crimes worldwide. Such crimes account for about 5% of world trade, representing about 250 billion dollars annually.” (Counterfeiting Intelligence chamber of commerce.) Products of well-known brands, which sell, are the prime targets of counterfeiters. They erode your investments and rightful market shares. In addition, since the replicated fakes carry your brand name but are inferior in content and performance the counterfeits also destroy your brand name image. For example, fake pharmaceutical products, not only fail to cure but have also caused deaths.

Holograms can protect your products by authenticating them with a security labels, films, and foil. These products will immediately distinguish the true product from a fake. These types of holograms are being used worldwide in markets such as government, card companies, manufactures, software agents, etc.

“The North American Products can extract the sonic DNA—a virtual map of the physical locations of sound objects captured during recording and buried deep in the audio signal.”(Poptronics) This map can be read by the “H-CAT(holographic-cloning Amplifier Technology) Nan processor”(Poptronics) and used to project original sounds objects back to their relative positions in the context of a Three-Dimensional Acoustic Hologram. These are similar to optical holograms that rely on ruby laser to capture finite phase angles of a virtual scene; H-CAT uses ADPS to program the main amplifier engine in a purely analog mode.

Holograms also are widely used in hospitals. Surgeons are using a digital holography system developed by Voxel Inc. of Laguna Hills, California. “These create transparent, life-size 3D images of the skull of children who suffer from cranisynostosis, a condition which the skull of closes prematurely.”(Mahoney, Diana Phillips) The holographic images plan and guide them through the complicated reconstructive procedure, which entails cutting the misshapen part of the skull into segments.

The Voxel system uses three elements, a laser driven optical camera, a special light box, and special film used to produce 3Dimages. Voxgrams are fundamentally different than conventional holograms. “The latter made by splitting laser beam in half and shining one part onto the holographic film and directing the other to reflect off the object to be reproduced.”(Mahoney, Diana Phillips) Information about the object’s appearance and position are recorder when the beams intersect on film.

New technology eventually gets boring. Have you ever watched an old movie on TV? Perhaps it was in black and white. Perhaps looking at it slow and boring. When you see something new on television, it is usually made with the help of computers and is very fast and exciting. But everything gets old. Even those big screens TV’s that seem so hi-tech will one day be very boring.

Someday everything we look at will be holographic images. Even those 3D images you see in the movies the special effects will someday be something to laugh at. In the future holographic images will be sent into our homes and we will see all the action as if it is taking place right in our own living rooms. (Multipedia 1995) We don’t see that now because we are not as advanced in science and technology as we something think we are.

The most recent project I have read about was the Titanic Holography project. It is to produce a three dimensional laser holograms of the wreck of the Titanic. It will use three dimensional laser holograms from archival film footage; utilizing high-powered visible semiconductor lasers. You will see the same images, but three-dimensional. You will be able to view it as if you were right there. The size and shape will take on a new meaning. (DeFreitas, Frank)

In time, you will see these images we know as holograms more often. Someday you will be sitting in the movie theaters watching a movie using holographic images. This old, but more advanced technology is already becoming more readily available and more frequently found on consumer products you see everyday without even realizing. Look around I would assume you come in contact with at least four different forms of holograms if not more.

The other new creation with holograms is they will soon be edible. Dimensional Foods in Boston has found a way to put holograms on candy. “They are created by a series of grooves a few hundred-thousandths of an inch high, pressed into the candy’s surface.”(Discover, 1992) They are made using the same lasers and splitting images in two.

“Here are a few tips on checking to see if you have a counterfeited product:

1. Poor print quality on the package

2. Smudged letters on misspelling in the package’s text

3. Documentation that’s incomplete or missing altogether

4. Blurred or off-center artwork on the box/case

5. No holographic seal.”(Counterfeiting, PC World 1996)

I hope you learned something new on my research of holograms. I know that I have learned a great deal, maybe even more than I ever even wanted to know, it may make an interesting dinner table conversation though!

1. American Bank Note sees secure future Westchester County Business Journal July 7, 2000 Volume 39. Issue 28 pg. 9

2. AMPLIFIERS HOLOGRAPHY, Poptronics, March 2000, Vol 1 Issue 3, pg10

3. http://www.enter.net/~holostudio/holonews.html

4. ELECTRONIC holography, Electronic Engineering Times, 12/15/97 Issue 985, pg33.

4. Foilmark Plans $5 million expansion for holographic unit. Converting Magazine, March 2000 Volume 18. Issue 3 pg.22

5. www.holoworld.com

6. www.holograms.bc

7. Holograms Are for Real Machine Design February 25, 1999 Volume 71 Issue 4 pg.48

8. Hologram Maker Reviews problems in Accounting Khasru, B.Z. Westchester County Business Journal February 8, 1999. Volume 6 pg. 5

9. HOLOGRAPHY-Technological innovations VOXEL Inc., Computer Graphics World, Nov 96, Vol.19, Issue 11, pg20

10. www.members.eunet.at/lexlechz/hologram

11. Multipedia, 1995

12. http://www.oldcoloradocity.com/magictown/

13. Optics Industry Report Laser Focus World January 2000 Volume 36 Issue 1, pg.69

14. Protecting the right image. Modern Power systems. November 1999 Volume 19. Issue 11 pg. 59

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. American Bank Note sees secure future Westchester County Business Journal July 7, 2000 Volume 39. Issue 28 pg. 9

2. AMPLIFIERS HOLOGRAPHY, Poptronics, March 2000, Vol 1 Issue 3, pg10

3. http://www.enter.net/~holostudio/holonews.html

4. ELECTRONIC holography, Electronic Engineering Times, 12/15/97 Issue 985, pg33.

4. Foilmark Plans $5 million expansion for holographic unit. Converting Magazine, March 2000 Volume 18. Issue 3 pg.22

5. www.holoworld.com

6. www.holograms.bc

7. Holograms Are for Real Machine Design February 25, 1999 Volume 71 Issue 4 pg.48

8. Hologram Maker Reviews problems in Accounting Khasru, B.Z. Westchester County Business Journal February 8, 1999. Volume 6 pg. 5

9. HOLOGRAPHY-Technological innovations VOXEL Inc., Computer Graphics World, Nov 96, Vol.19, Issue 11, pg20

10. www.members.eunet.at/lexlechz/hologram

11. Multipedia, 1995

12. http://www.oldcoloradocity.com/magictown/

13. Optics Industry Report Laser Focus World January 2000 Volume 36 Issue 1, pg.69

14. Protecting the right image. Modern Power systems. November 1999 Volume 19. Issue 11 pg. 59