Technology trumps common sense in holographic demo

January 24, 2011 by Dave Haynes

Engadget has a piece this morning about the Belgian company holocube and its holographic projection capabilities.

We’ve seen this stuff from a few companies – in various forms – for a few years now and it can be quite striking when done well. In this case, this is a video for the Belgian telecoms company Belgacom in its innovations lounge. It shows what’s possible on a 70-inch projection.

I’m not entirely sure where the projection part of this is, and it is nice that there is not a glowing white spot in the rear from the lamp. But here’s the thing – the content says nothing, does nothing.

If you are going to demo your technology’s capabilities, or talk about your telecom company’s innovations, do something more than throw some random green-screen and 3D graphics clips on the screen that were lying around. A little girl dancing???

This is a classic example of the triumph of technology over common sense, one we see way too much. Belgacom and holocube expended the resources and time to put this together, and at some point fairly late in the process, someone probably asked … “So, what are we putting on this screen?”

The point of showcases is to demonstrate the possibilities of the technology, NOT the technology.

Makes me crazy.

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