Apple has patented a new 3D hologram technology, that also includes gesture input in the mix. The concept is based on the mirror box type design, working with digital images instead of physical objects.
The 3D display is able to project a hologram-like image above a light source. For that task it uses a combo of two parabolic mirrors, joined like an UFO. The projected image can be manipulated and interacted with by an user. Also the touch based input will be detected via lasers built into the display device.
These lasers relay data about when and where the laser’s path is broken and this gets processed into interaction data. The 3D hologram displays aren’t a new concept, since Microsoft for example has been working on it a while ago, as shown below. Of course, a patent doesn’t guarantee we’ll see a real 3D product, but seeing Amazon’s approach to the smartphone experience, it may well happen…
