Original post by dustin hyde on August 5, 2018
A week or so ago I was listening to favourite podcast of mine on the CBC called Under the Influence by Terry O’Reilly. This particular episode focused on Dead Celebrities and their ability to make money via advertisements for for various companies. pDead celebrities have very little to do with Mobile Technology, however, Terry spent a bit of time discussing the use of Holograms to recreate and essentially digitally reincarnate dead celebrities – in this case Tupac Shakur. Given that it was a podcast, I couldn’t see the hologram so I went to the Internet to find the video of Tupac’s hologram. I strongly recommend checking it out. I won’t post it here because the video takes place at a music concert in 2012 where Tupac’s hologram appears on stage alongside Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre and as you can imagine, has many profanities. Tupac’s hologram however, was amazing! It was life like fully created from scratch meaning that the hologram was not a composition of Tupac’s previously recored conversations, songs, sayings, etc. It was completely created digitally — new actions, sayings, dance moves etc. Check out the article / podcast here: http://www.cbc.ca/radio/undertheinfluence/a-list-of-the-top-earning-dead-celebrities-1.4758724
This got me thinking about the educational potential of holograms. I teach BC First Nations studies and thought about all sorts of different applications for that particular course. Imagine (in any course) having a hologram of a key historical figure offering authentic perspective right in the middle of the classroom. Or a hologram of the entire volcanic process, an author reading a book in English class, or really anything! Again moving to the Internet I did a quick search to see of holograms are currently being used or forecasted for the use of education. I came across a few interesting articles discussing the use of holograms in education. There is a school in Australia for example is piloting a hologram program with the use of Microsoft Hololens (created through Pearson [of course!]) right now where students are experiencing and learning via holographic lessons. Check out the article here: https://nypost.com/2017/05/02/students-in-australia-are-learning-through-holograms/
To me, using holograms in education is like a step up from using AR. The video below shows an example of how AR is used to examine 3D models. Holograms could potentially replace such AR programs because special eye wear would no longer be required. Being able to manipulate, zoom in on, and gain information about specific features of a model would lead to a more interactive form of learning where curiosity drives students’ engagement. This creates students to have a more individualist approach to students’ learning.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AjxGqzqQ54&list=PLHkwqBUIhfIYoFO–w5Iac84ZjYDjXS5d
Original reply by kmonkman on Jan 21, 2018
After experiencing Microsoft Hololens personally, engaging with a holographic human brain, I have no doubt about the wonderful opportunities this emerging technology can offer. Some may align holographic tech, AR, MR and even VR with novelty technologies like active shutter and stereoscopic 3D media, but I point to several affordances that MR tech like Hololens offers, that set it apart. First, it is immersive beyond a static image that has been artificially given depth. Models are 3 dimensional, but exists in real space, and can be manipulated via small gestures. This immersion ventures into the realm of situated cognition as the context becomes ever important. Imagine Biology students being able to individually overlay a holographic cadaver on a table, not just in a lab, but in any classroom, home, or even coffee shop. They could lean in to get a closer look at a heart, pinch zoom the image, and change the image to display any body system on the fly and with ease. Nothing can truly replicate an actual physical cadaver, but Hololens can do a pretty good job of simulating one, and at the same time, eliminate many of the spatial, ethical, and economic concerns. Yes this emergent technology is costly, like VR in its infancy, but also like VR, the cost will likely drop as more people adopt. I am excited to see where educators and designers take this technology in the future. Check out the demo of Hololens in an anatomy context. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hL4XTsg894
Original reply by Marc Tavares on Jan 23, 2018
I’m spooked, but also fascinated by the potential holograms could offer in when projected in a real space like a classroom. Imagine inviting a guest speaker to appear via a holographic conference. Queens University began working on teleconference holographic technology called Telehuman 2 with the goal of capturing subtle emotional cues and body language (non-verbal communication) that you don’t always get in video conferences. Volumetric video (3D holographic video capture) in AR/VR/MR is getting incredibly capable and clear, but still requires sophisticated motion capture studios. Real human holograms in AR/VR/MR is an incredible way of learning since you can move around the person as if they were there, especially if they’re demonstrating something physical like a dance move or golf swing. The Tupac hologram on the other end does have some ethical implications since it was digitally created and the use of this technology could have some negative implications in a learning context. I can’t help but think of Deepfakes when I think of realistic, computer generated holograms. The video teleconferencing application on the other hand opens up a ton of opportunity. Queens University Telehuman 2: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/queens-university-hologram-chat-video-1.4634494