"Fairy Lights in Femtoseconds" made fairies to be exposed to the air by reflecting the plasma of the air by laser with the laser

University of Tsukuba Library Information Media CourseYoshiki OchiaiA research team led by Assistant Professor is studying to draw 3D images in the air "Fairy Lights in FemtosecondsWe announced. For femtosecond lasers, those who have never scratched their science, they can display small 3D images that can be touched using technologies of unknown names.

Fairy Lights in Femtoseconds: Aerial and Volumetric Graphics Rendered by Focused Femtosecond Laser Combined with Computational Holographic Fields
http://arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/papers/1506/1506.06668.pdf

Fairy Lights in Femtoseconds - Digital Nature Group
http://digitalnature.slis.tsukuba.ac.jp/2015/06/fairy-lights-in-femtoseconds/

It is easy to understand what the technology to display 3D images using femtosecond lasers is with the following movie.

Fairy Lights in Femtoseconds: Tangible Holographic Plasma (SIGGRAPH) - YouTube


A small light floating in the air like a circle.


When the finger touches the light ...


Although it is a moment, the shape of the light has changed.


When you let go of the light, it is restored.


This time the heart shaped light is reflected in the air.


Touching with a finger ... ....


Broken Heart is divided into two hearts.


Next time you touch the stars shown in the air.


The touched star changed to "LV (LOVE)".


A blue dot floating in the air.


I changed the shape when touched with a finger, but I do not know well because it is too small.


You can see that when you expand it the blue light was shaped like a fairy.


The small light that changes shape as you touch it is the 3D image projected by the femtosecond laser. A pulse laser with a short time width of 1000 trillionths of a second is irradiated to one point of the air, and the air molecule is converted into a plasma to display a 3D image.


In the conventional system in which 2D images are irradiated, light emitted from the light source is irradiated onto the screen through the liquid crystal display and the lens, and the reflected light of the light is captured by the eye as an image.


In the past, Keio University and Industrial Technology Research Institute, Barton Co.,Developed a device that displays 3D images in nothing spaceI used a nanosecond laser that emits pulsed light with a longer time width than a femtosecond laser. Nanosecond laser has a long duration, so there is a danger that the skin will be damaged if you touch the laser.


It is a technique that Ochiai and his colleagues announced to generate a hologram through a spatial light modulator outputted and scanning it with a galvanometer mirror to display 3D images. The advantage of this technology using femtosecond lasers is that the safety and video resolution are higher and the change is attached to the image by touching with fingers. Also, even if the finger touches the laser, it will not be hurt, it is different from the conventional technique to display the laser in the air.


Touching the checkbox floating in the air with your finger ...


I was able to put a check. Even if it touches for a short time, it does not do burns and so it is possible to touch 3D images. Also, I can get a sense of touching 3D video.


In experiments that show 3D images in the air with a femtosecond laser, use nine optical instruments, including lenses. Although the size of the image that can be projected using such a device is only about 1 cm square, it is said that research on how to display larger images toward practical use is under study.


Proposals for practical use are AR, which displays a wristwatch on the arm, displays flowers on nothing boxes, touching such as checking the projected checkbox Interface that brings about changes in.


It also makes things like big artwork touches possible.


It seems to be investigating a medium which becomes a display which displays 3D image besides in the air, and by the present time fluorescent solution and ...


Fluorescent plate ...


It seems that it succeeded in projecting 3D images with water etc.