3D Animations In Mid-Air Using Plasma Balls

An anonymous reader clues us to research at Japan's National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology that has produced the ability to make animations by creating small plasma balls in mid-air. The technology doesn't use vapor or strange gases, just lasers to heat up oxygen and nitrogen molecules above the device: up to 1,000 brilliant dots per second, which makes smooth motion possible. When the tech improves it could be used for street signs or advertising.

Oblig...

[band-aid-brand (1068196)]

I, for one, welcome our new lethally hot gas based advertisement overlords...

Sharks? No. Mosquitos? YES!

[Cpt_Kirks (37296)]

Growing up in a mosquito infested area, I often thought that someday, an anti-mosquito laser system could be developed.

This technology could possibly do that. If it can focus a laser on a particular spot long enough to make plasma out of air, it can zap a skeeter!

And you thought a bug-zapper was entertaining...

Re:Sharks? No. Mosquitos? YES!

[Bluesman (104513)]

I like the way you think.

But what we really need is a way to control mosquitos so that they can swarm to form advertisements. Then we'd get the laser bug zapper for free.

Re:

[fractoid (1076465)]

I always wanted to make one of these! Passive sonar to locate the bug, and then a laser tracking system to set the little bugger on fire. :) Never got past the safety aspect though - I mean, we're talking about using a laser strong enough to punch a hole in a mozzie, being aimed around the room and fired by a system that could well just decide based on a strange echo to pop you in the eye. I'll take itchy over permanent blindness, tyvm. :/

Other ideas were the same tracking system attached to a nerf gun, a

Re:

[Nossie (753694)]

not going to happen... they'd rather use the tech to pound you with advertising than actually doing something useful.

Re:Sharks? No. Mosquitos? YES!

[ShieldW0lf (601553)]

Can you imagine the crazy pyrotechnics that could be achieved with this sort of thing?

Heh... it would be fun to take one of these things and set it up near a village of primitives. You could be the face of God :P

Re:

[Plutonite (999141)]

And you could initiate mating festivals by playing pr0n. Pr0n from the heavens! You know you like it..

Re:

[by Anonymous Coward]

No need to try to track and shoot the things...

If we don't actively track and kill mosquitoes with laser beams, then the terrorists have won

Not just a vacuum cleaner

[CustomDesigned (250089)]

The propane tank is used to generate CO2 (queue global warming rants here). Mosquitos are attracted to CO2 because that is how they locate their prey. When they fly close enough, then the vacuum cleaner comes into play. Zapping them is no good because they don't like ozone (so the plasma ball suggested elsewhere would not attract mosquitos - it would kill lots of moths, however). To be effective in protecting your event, the CO2 generator needs to be upwind. Mosquitos follow CO2 plumes upwind toward their victims using biotech similar to lobsters (compare the concentration detected between two antenna and turn toward the stronger, the greater the difference, the greater the adjustment - simple and effective). Those downwind of the BBQ will likely head toward that instead, so put the BBQ off to one side relative to the breeze.

pink tentacle?

[by Anonymous Coward]

I'm not clicking that link.

Old news

[Oddscurity (1035974)]

Here's the press release [aist.go.jp] it links to. Sadly both the article and the press release are from February 2006...

Re:Old news

[jellomizer (103300)]

I think I requested it to slashdot back then too... It got rejected. I think it was replaced with some story about a cool new case mod, perhaps a minor Linux kernel upgrade.

Re:

[include($dysmas) (729935)]

slashdot gets it wrong again ... current story is here

http://www.pinktentacle.com/2007/07/aist-improves- 3d-projector/ [pinktentacle.com]

cool but Yikes!

[Lumpy (12016)]

It uses high power lasers to heat the air into a "plasma" when running it has the sounds of crackles as mini explosions occur.

Oh yeah, that's a display I want. Instead of the cat blocking the screen, the cat bursts into flames. How the heck am I going to explain that one to the wife?

Re:cool but Yikes!

[Bluesman (104513)]

"How the heck am I going to explain that one to the wife?"

I'd say this:

Why do you keep talking about this cat, honey? For the millionth time, we NEVER HAD A CAT. I think you need to see a doctor.

It's a pretty healthy way to help loved ones deal with loss.

Re:cool but Yikes!

[treeves (963993)]

Informative? You people are sick. And I mean that in a good way.

Re:cool but Yikes!

[Loligo (12021)]

Remember the time it fried her cat? And then you lied and said she never had a cat? Then why'd she have the litterbox, Bluesman? Why'd she have the litterbox?

  -l

Re:cool but Yikes!

[Minwee (522556)]

I really think you're going to have to come up with a better explanation than that, Dr. Schrödinger.

Re:cool but Yikes!

[megaditto (982598)]

Instead of the cat blocking the screen, the cat bursts into flames. How the heck am I going to explain that one to the wife?

Tell her that her pussy is smokin'-hot?

sorry, sorry

Re:cool but Yikes!

[tgd (2822)]

Probably better than telling her that her pussy smells like burnt hair, I suppose.

"Street signs or advertising"

[smclean (521851)]

Hah, who sees an amazing technology like this and immediately begins thinking about its potential use for advertising? To me, its use in advertising seems like the only downside to this technology..

"Guys!! I just heard that they came up with a way to project images directly in to your brain! Awesome, think of the *commercials*!! "

Re:"Street signs or advertising"

[HTH NE1 (675604)]

"Guys!! I just heard that they came up with a way to project images directly in to your brain! Awesome, think of the *commercials*!! "

But not in our dreams. Only on TV and radio, and in magazines, and movies, and at ball games... and on buses and milk cartons and T-shirts, and bananas and written on the sky. But not in dreams, no siree.

Re:

[Rob T Firefly (844560)]

I for one can't wait until this hits advertising. The prospect of insanely expensive, bleeding-edge display tech that even my social conscience thinks I should steal excites me greatly.

Re:

[marcosdumay (620877)]

That will be HOT!!

What the hell?

[east coast (590680)]

While it's at least mildly interesting I had a real problem with one of the linked sources. Not the linked source itself but the obviously photoshopped cruise liner [burton-jp.com].

What the hell is that all about? I know that it may be able to swing this in the future but let's not get out of hand. Not to mention that my 12 year old nephew is a better photoshop hacker.

Re:What the hell?

[MajinBlayze (942250)]

Photoshop? Don't give them that much credit; it looks like they made the picture using MS Word

Re:

[pimpimpim (811140)]

Simple psychology: by showing that they are crap in photoshopping, you are more inclined to believe the other other pics that don't look photoshopped will probably be real. Do we need to explain everything out here! ;)

Star Wars

[JoeDuncan (874519)]

So am I finally going to be able to play holo-chess against a wookie?

Re:Star Wars

[jimstapleton (999106)]

ppft, screw holo-chess, I want an authentic looking light saber!

Actually, it probably *WILL* burn whatever it hits too!

Re:Star Wars

[freeweed (309734)]

Yes, but he'll tear your arms out of their sockets if he loses.

Re:

[BlackCobra43 (596714)]

I like how you seem to be mostly concerned about your supply of adequate holo-chess equiment and not of giant furry humanoids from the planet Kashyyyk.

Back to the Future then?

[roman_mir (125474)]

So a giant holo-shark appearing in the air abouve you and then twisting above you and closing its jaws right on you can be created in the air with lasers? I need a Delorean and a 1955 sports almanac. Also I am going to a corner drug store to get some plutonium unless Mr. Fusion is in business already.

Street signs and advertising? I THINK NOT!

[alta (1263)]

Forget it, that's not the early adopters.

It'll be used for video games and pr0n. We all know who gets tech first. The problem I see is that it heats up they air to the point that when you get too excited and attempt to touch... You loose a hand or other appendage.

Lightsaber anyone?

[Thansal (999464)]

Make me a portable version of this and I can finally have my friken LIGHTSABER!

Polluting?

[Lazarian (906722)]

Wouldn't heating oxygen and nitrogen in air with lasers to the point of making glowing plasma also create ozone and nitric oxides? This sounds like it would be the same as having dozens of electric arcs going off in mid air.

As much as I like the idea of being assailed with even more ads everywhere I look, this seems to be a very environmentally harmful idea. Along with harmful gases being produced by plasma discharges, it would be noisy as well, not to mention that displays like this would give off UV light as well, just like an electric arc. Bad idea.

Re:Polluting?

[mikael (484)]

As long as they put the device in a sealed box, this would not be a problem. Maybe they could use neon/argon gas as they do with ordinary tubes, thus eliminating the danger of creating oxides.

Re:

[P3NIS_CLEAVER (860022)]

Lightning from thunderstorms do this on a grand scale every day. Probably won't be an issue outdoors, or in a confined area with ventilation.

Re:Polluting?

[StikyPad (445176)]

That's why I'm working on my Laser Retinal Projector (patent pending) which aims the lasers directly at the retina. Since the eye is sealed system, there's virtually no danger of toxic gases! What's more, it offers a high degree of privacy, and if you're forgetful it can literally etch the images into your mind for life.*

*Limit of one etch per mind.

WARNING: Looking directly at the Laser Retinal Projector may cause minor explosions of the eye.

Very cool, but not likely to be used...

[Darlok (131116)]

Well, first, this is sadly old news. The technology was actually exhibited at SIGGRAPH 2006 [siggraph.org] in Boston last July. It's pretty cool, but I'm not sure it would ever be put to practical use, at least in its current form.

For one thing, it's loud! Every plasma ball makes a sizzling pop as it winks in and out of existence. Now magnify that by thousands of times as it scans out a 3D wireframe... the entire area for quite a distance surrounding fills with an ear-splitting sound of angry electric bees. There was talk of putting it on buildings to run electronic billboards in cities, but anyone within a few blocks would need ear protection to co-exist with it!

Very cool stuff, but we're a loooong way from 3D open-air advertising.

Some video

[desideria (140436)]

There's video of the projector in action here [youtube.com]

YouTube video...

[CyberSnyder (8122)]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=He2QTpelAjE [youtube.com]

If I'm not mistaken...

[thatskinnyguy (1129515)]

...plasma balls in mid-air is one of the things needed for a fusion reactor.

That's true

[Poromenos1 (830658)]

And space is one of the things needed for a space elevator!

Unintended side effects

[Caerdwyn (829058)]

Interesting stuff. However, I'd be concerned about unintended side effects... specifically, nitrous oxide and ozone.

When you heat up an oxygen-nitrogen gas mix to those temperatures, you will get nitrous oxide and ozone. This is not just a problem with cool little sparky devices. Hydrogen-oxygen fuel systems (think: Saturn V) may produce only water vapor, but at such a high temperature from the exhaust, the oxygen-nitrogen atmosphere does its thing and... nothing you'd want to breathe.

And ozone, while very nice for blocking UV rays, is a carcinogen when inhaled.

THE WORLD WILL KILL YOU! film at eleven, Jim Cummings narration.

That being said, I'd certainly love to see a demo. If they can somehow deal with the ozone/NO2 hazard, this could be a blast. "Help me, Obi-Wan, you're my only hope"

up to 1,000 brilliant dots per second

[noidentity (188756)]

Come on, 640 brilliant dots per second should be enough for anybody!

here's a youtube video of it in action

[jollyreaper (513215)]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=He2QTpelAjE [youtube.com]

Kind of hard to see what they're doing at first, you might think it's just projected onto the wall, but then the camera pans around and you now see the lights against an open window. Yup, 3D. About at the level of pong right now, monochromatic voxels doing simple stuff, but you can easily extrapolate where they're going to go with it. Return of the Jedi Death Star display within 10 years? I think so. :)

Re:

[Himring (646324)]

Yea, I saw this, like, a year ago. It took all of 2 seconds to scroll down and find a date going back over a year and a half ago.

Time for my first ever usage of ye ol' russian joke: On /. news breaks you!

Re:Short on Information

[griffjon (14945)]

It seems that the light is coming from the plasma, not the laser, so changing colors might not work. Also, you have to have one laser per pixel. I'd imagine to have two balls, one directly above another, you'd have to be able to tilt another laser to focus its beam at that location (if that makes any sense)

Also - the current display can make 1000 balls? meh. That's a 10px x 10px x 10px display. It's awesome, sure, but the photoshop jobs they're showing are a LONG way off; right now we're looking more at led scroller type displays.

Re:

[querist (97166)]

If my memory serves (and this is not my area of expertise), eye protection is standard operating procedure for anything that could be considered a high-power laser. This is sort of like when they use tethers for testing things that go above the ground. It is a "safety" precaution required more by insurance companies than reality. (Such as when testing a new elevator design, a "home-built" helicopter that has already passed the FAA inspections for the current phase, etc.)

I suspect that these people are smart

Re:

[puppet10 (84610)]

Eye protection is required for high power lasers because depending on the power (and wavelength) even diffuse (non-specular) reflections off a surface can be hazardous.

They are also important since it is possible the beam path could suddenly change from a bumped mirror or malfunctioning controller and present the beam to an eye. You couldn't close your eyes fast enough to prevent damage with a high power laser (high enough power and the eye lid won't even help obviously).

The pain in the ass thing about las