Do-It-Yourself Holograms - From Hobby Kit to Science Toy

Article Written By: PaulChristie

Holograms have been making a big stir lately. From CNNs hologram coverage of the Obama/McCain 2008 Presidential election to the rumored possibilities of Michael Jackson completing posthumous tour dates in holographic form, the world of holography has been getting a lot of attention. And so, it is no surprise that the field of do-it-yourself (DIY) holograms is also moving forward, with new hologram-making kits that are more cool science gadget than mad scientist.

In the 60's and 70's, corporations spent millions on the difficult task of taming holography, purchasing sophisticated lasers and delicate vibration-isolation equipment. Later, new techniques and technologies developed that allowed home hobbyists to make their own holograms in basements or garage labs for a smaller investment of only $1000's of dollars and 100's of hours. Almost every amateur holographer at the time could tell stories of stealing large quantities of sand from a nearby beach to build a homebuilt sand table, a critical component for dampening minute vibrations that destroy holograms.

These early hologram-making techniques still held a great deal of difficulty, often requiring the religious dedication of a zealot and the darkroom chemical-mixing abilities of a chemistry professor. Two relatively new technologies have changed all this, the laser diode and a unique self-developing hologram film, making holograms accessible to not just the dedicated hobbyist but also classrooms and homes everywhere.

Dramatic leaps in the development of laser diodes have created some very cheap but high-quality lasers that are perfect for DIY holograms. In addition, a company named Liti Holographics recently began producing a special self-developing film (think Polaroid film for holograms) that has completely removed the time-consuming film processing and hazardous chemicals from the hologram-making process. The unique film is simply exposed to the laser light for the correct amount of time, and then is ready to be viewed.

The results of these two new technology developments mean that making holograms can now be affordable and easy, and well within the reach of casual technology tinkerers, grade school geeks, and serious science classrooms.

If you are a regular gadget geek, the hologram kit lets you skip straight to the quick-start instructions, or if you prefer the detailed approach you can follow the step-by-step instructions that lead you from initial set up to finished holograms. Either way, you could be viewing your first holograms in less than an hour.

The science of holograms has not yet caught up to the science fiction of movies like Star Wars and Star Trek, but it is impacting our lives more and more everyday. And while you still can't create a holodeck in your living room with a hologram kit, it holds the key to breeding the next generation of holographic innovations and holographic scientists by making the technology easily accessible to bright, creative minds. Perhaps the headline in the near future will read, Hologram Science Toy Leads to Hologram Breakthrough.

About the Author

Check at LitiHolo for more hologram information and how you can make your own holograms.

You Can Link Directly to "Do-It-Yourself Holograms - From Hobby Kit to Science Toy" by using the url:
http://www.allbestarticles.com//technology/holograms/do-it-yourself-holograms-from-hobby-kit-to-science-toy.html

This Article Has Been Published on Tue, 21 Jul 2009 and Read 1134 Times

Find All Best Articles at http://www.allbestarticles.com

Rating: Not yet rated

Comments

No comments posted.