Fogscreen creeps into 3D presentation industry
Fogscreen has produced a technology that displays 3D images on fog that you can walk through, useful for nightclubs, but also in other applications.
Here’s how it works, in a nutshell: A translucent veil of dry fog composed of very tiny water molecules cascades down from a sprayer on a ceiling. Lasers then display images on the descending molecules. All you need is a water source and the company’s $100,000 device to emit the ultrasonic laser waves.
The technology was developed by two Finnish researchers, and has a wide range of uses, including as an interactive computer (handheld presentation laser required). But casinos, nightclubs, malls, conferences and other places that want grandiose exhibitions appear to be the most lucrative customers. (Poor Powerpoint presentations already feel fog-like, so why put it on a transclucent screen to fill out the experience?)
We can also see many venues, like sports bars, preferring other presentation options — such as high-definition flat screen TVs mounted on walls.
Still, Fogscreen is appearing all over the world. Here’s an excited blogger in Singapore with screenshots. More examples here.
The product is is available in two models, the Inia (79″ wide by 59″ ) and the One (”39 wide, but can be linked together like in squares or cubes to form a projector of much larger size. It can also be rented for $3,500 a day.
The company is funded by a mix of private investors and founders.
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About the Author, Eric Eldon
Eric currently covers digital media technology and business news, especially what's happening on social networks and their platforms. He also writes and edits stories about venture capital, and lots of other stuff, too. He started at VentureBeat in the spring of 2007, half a year or so after Matt Marshall left his reporting job at the San Jose Mercury News to found the site. Eric previously cofounded a startup called Writewith, that was building editorial software for newspapers and other groups of writers. The startup didn't work out, but he learned a lot.