True 3 Dimensional Images Float In Mid Air

Every single 3D display of images typically has to have a screen or some such medium to project onto in order for the viewer to see the 3 dimensional effect. There are many different formats that exist, such as 3D TV's that require active shutter glasses to view the images presented to the right and left eye on the LCD or plasma screen. Then there are special projectors at IMAX where you need passive polarized glasses to see the amazing effects that offer incredible depth of field, so much so you feel you could reachout and touch some images. Some images are projected onto a fine curtain of fog. There is even a TV format being developed that doesn't require any cumbersome glasses to view the 3D images. They all have one thing in common, that being the need for a screen to display the images. If you ever saw the first episode of Star Wars where Luke Skywalker sees the holographic 3D message from princess Lea, you might have wondered if this would ever be possible. Well, we have the technology to display images that float in mid-air without the need for a screen to see the 3d effect. It is accomplished by using a high power CO2 "carbon dioxide" laser to ionize the atmospheric gases that generates a visible plasma. A pulsed high power CO2 laser beam is scanned in mid air using galvanometers and the focus is controlled in three axes X,Y and Z , in order to create an image. This is spooky stuff, you wouldn't want to reachout and touch these images or risk receiving laser burns. Cool technology, none the less.