A German company has developed a unique “holocamera” that can turn any glass surface into a screen for communication
The German optical company Zeiss has developed a holographic video camera that can be placed, for example, in the middle of a glass window.
The company will showcase its new Multifunctional Smart Glass technology, which includes other features besides the video camera function, at the international CES exhibition, which opens in Las Vegas on January 9, according to New Atlas.
The technology is based on a thin polymer film that “can turn any glass surface into a screen for communications” (building windows, transparent screens, car side windows). The company claims that the film provides over 92% transparency, has “ultra-precise optics,” and combines projection, detection, illumination, and filtering functions.
A so-called holographic camera uses connecting, separating, and light guiding elements to redirect incident light to a hidden sensor.
This allows you to avoid making holes in the surface to place the camera and sensor there, as well as to place video cameras in the center of the display with “minimal impact on the brightness of the reproduced image.”
The system can also be expanded to collect environmental data such as air pollution and UV exposure.
Other features of the new technology include floating switches that activate holographic controls on a flat surface in a car or smart home with gestures or voice commands. Window panes can serve as adjustable ambient lighting, and the micro-optical layer in the glass surfaces can collect sunlight and direct it to a hidden solar cell for energy production.
Zeiss does not intend to bring finished products to the market on its own, but acts as a system supplier for OEMs “who want to improve their products and give them new functions.”
