I guess what I mean would be creating a 3D grid of 'voxels' out of 'something.'

This has been tried for along time, one big area is lattice gases...using lasers or some kind of electrical impulse or microwave to light up a node.

Another approch is metamolocules floating in the air itself.

All these with the exception of the last have the same problem LCDs have, to light up a pixel in the middle of the screen the impluse has to pass thru the pixels inbetween.

creating artifacts.

I did not mean to sound unsupportive.

I was just trying to predict the path it takes, I submit it will not be like CRTs but that we will use holographics to 'add' objects to our enviroment, a kind of active HUD that add VR objects to everyday spaces and uses local wireless micronets to share them and stuff.

Another use is of course faking the 'second comming' or an 'ET whitehouse' landing...

what about direct laser projection of a 3D movie on retina? Has anyone know what happend with this project?

Yes, sort of...one of the big places they were working on this was at the University of Washington, which is local to me.

Bill Gates and Co. were big supporters of this project.

They demoed a system that seemed Really promissing.

I don't know what the current status is but I have assumed that they had entered an implementation phase, or there were implmentation issues that slowed them down.

Using fiber optics they were able to generate a full color image directly in the eye.

The 'Glasses' were in fact very light weight, but the way it was implemented was with a fiber connection to the uni super-computer.

What I am assuming is that the research was handed off to a priv. venture which is on going.

Where are the virtual gloves that come with the holographic display is what i ask. There isn't much to such device... it would definitely include the long excluded sculptors into the digital art world.

Just look to our world...it's the best holographic design there is.

RA makes a good point, we are surrounded by the most advanced computer system we could ever ever want and we treat it has if its just random deadness, because I think we are scared, no, TERRIFIED that we might not be the top of the food chain.

Here is a partial list of interesting University and Industry Research Center resources on holographics -- in alphabetical order by organization. Also interesting to note that one of this year's Nobel Prize winners talks about the possibility of holographic television. Perhaps it is not as "out there" as one might think?

http://www.bell-labs.com/org/physicalscien...ts/hdhds/1.html (Physical Sciences -Holographic Data Storage -Intro): Bell Labs: Physical Sciences Research Division of Lucent Technologies. Holographic Data Storage.

http://www.bu.edu/photonics (The Photonics Center at Boston University): Boston University: Technologies based on light.

http://www.optofluidics.caltech.edu (Optofluidics): CalTech: Optofluidics research

http://www.optics.caltech.edu/research.htm (Optical Information Processing, California Institute of Technology): CalTech: Optical information systems including memories, computers, sensors, and communications -- Optofluidics. Colloidal solutions of nanoparticles.

http://www.cambridgelasers.com (Cambridge Lasers Laboratories, Inc.): Cambridge Lasers Laboratories: Laser systems.

http://www.ece.cmu.edu/research/dssc/research/index.php (Data Storage Systems Center (DSSC) is an interdisciplinary research and educational organization within Carnegie Mellon University ): Carnegie Mellon University: Data Storage Systems Center (DSSC) is an interdisciplinary research and educational organization within Carnegie Mellon University.

http://www.ece.cmu.edu/research/dssc/resea...ct_list/show/71 (Coding and Signal Processing for Holographic Data Storage): Carnegie Mellon University: Holographic Data Storage.

http://www.icmm.csic.es/cefe (Welcome to the Photonic Crystals Group Homepage ): CSIC Photonic Crystals Group Homepage: Photonic crystals research.

http://www.solid.phys.ethz.ch/ott/staff/beeli.html (Dr. Conradin Beeli): ETH Zurich: Off-axis electron holography

http://www.holo3.com (Holo 3: Applied Optical Measurements): Holo3: Technology transfer center. Imaging optical techniques.

http://www.holographics.com (Holographics.com): Holographics.com: Jeff Allen. Cutting-edge holographic technology.

http://www.almaden.ibm.com/st/data_storage...rism/?materials (Holographic Data Storage Materials): IBM: Almaden Research Center. Materials science. Holographic data storage.

http://www.almaden.ibm.com/st/data_storage/nrt/holography (IBM Almaden Research Center, Holographic Storage): IBM: Almaden Research Center. Hlographic data storage. Introduction.

http://www.inphase-technologies.com (InPhase Technologies): InPhase Technologies: Founded in December 2000 as a Lucent Technologies venture, spun out of Bell Labs. Holographic data storage.

http://www.ipam.ucla.edu/programs/pecs-iv (PECS-IV: International Workshop on Photonic and Electromagnetic Crystal Structures): International Workshop on Photonic and Electromagnetic Crystal Structures: Photonic bandgap structure. High-bandwidth communication networks. University of California Los Angeles.

http://www.public.iastate.edu/~cmpexp/groups/ho/pbg.html (The Photonic Band Gap): Iowa State University: Research on Photonic Band Gap (PBG) structures). Possible applications include lasers, antennas, wave devices, solar cells, more.

http://www.laser-cooling.com (Laser cooling technology): Laser Cooling Technology: Lsers can produce ultra-cold samples of neutral and charged atoms.

http://ab-initio.mit.edu/photons (Photonic Crystal Research): MIT: Research on photonic crystals (photonic band-gap materials).

http://mit-pbg.mit.edu (Photonic Bandgap Fibers & Devices Group): MIT: Photonic badgap fibers and devices research. High data-rate quantum communication.

http://web.mit.edu/museum/lightforest/glos...html#holography (Glossary of holography terms): MIT: Glossary of holography terms.

http://www.media.mit.edu/spi/holoVideoAll.htm (The holographic video project): MIT: Holographic video project: Real-time display of computer generated holograms.

http://xenia.media.mit.edu/~lucente/holo/holovideo.html (Electronic Holography: "Holovideo"): MIT: Holovideo: MIT spatial imaging group created realistic 3-D holographic images in real time.

http://www.media.mit.edu/people/lucente/holo/holovideo.html (HoloVideo Page): MIT: HoloVideo: MIT Spatial Imaging Group. Electro-holography. 3-D holographic images in real time.

http://www.media.mit.edu/spi (MIT Spatial Imaging Lab): MIT: pro: No longer active. Hologram formats, electro-holographic displays, etc.

http://www.ncla.ie (National Centre for Laser Applications): National University of Ireland, Galway: Excellence in laser technology.

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial...ys_nobel_agenda (Norway's Nobel agenda): Nobel: Quantum theory applied to light.

http://www.abc.net.au/science/news/stories/s1475194.htm (Nobel physicists see the light): Nobel: Nobel prize winners work on quantum optics and laser spectroscopy. May one day lead to holographic television.

http://www.abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=1182306 (Trio win physics Nobel for shedding light on optics): Nobel: Research may be used in deep space travel or three-dimensional holographic television.

http://www.columbiatribune.com/2005/Oct/20051004News017.asp (German, Americans share physics Nobel): Nobel: Quantum physics applied to optics. Laser-based precision spectroscopy.

http://www.oaglabs.com (OAG Laboratories, Inc.): OAG Laboratories: Scientific consulting and laboratory services. Laser technologies, nanofabrication. Medical, telecom, microelectronics, other applications.

http://www.physics.ohio-state.edu/~kagan/holography (Department of Art/Department of Physics, The Ohio State University): Ohio State University: Introduction to holography.

http://www.ece.odu.edu/~adharams (Laser Sensors and Research): Old Dominion University: Laser Applications Laboratory.

http://www.osa.org/homepage.html (Optical Society of America): Optical Society of America: Increase and disseminate knowledge of optics and photonics.

http://nanonet.rice.edu/research/holo_res.html (Holographic Data-Storage Materials): Rice University: Resarch to improve the data-storage capacity of polymer-based holographic materials.

http://www.stanford.edu/~matteoja/hologram.html (Holography and Holovideo): Stanford University: Spatial 3D displays. Electroholographic holovideo.

http://www.stanford.edu/dept/news/relaged/940804Arc4171.html (Stanford team builds first digital holographic video/data storage): Stanford University: Digital holographic video/data storage system using crystal block of lithium niobate.

http://www-leland.stanford.edu/group/holography (Holography and Optical Data Storage Group): Stanford University: Photorefractive materials. Information recording in glasses. Optical tomography.

http://www.iop.org (The Institute of Physics): The Institute of Physics: International professional body and learned society

http://www.bath.ac.uk/physics/groups/ppmg (Photonics & Photonic Materials Group, Department of Physics, University of Bath): University of Bath: pro: Research on photonic crystals, other optics.

http://www.ils.uec.ac.jp (Institute for Laser Science (ILS)): University of Electro-Communications: pro: Electro-communications.

http://www.lasers.org.uk (Laser Engineering at the University of Liverpool): University of Liverpool: UK's largest University based research group in laser materials processing.

http://www.eecs.umich.edu/CUOS (Center for Ultrafast Optical Science): University of Michigan : Center for Ultrafast Optical Science. Ultrashort and ultrahigh-peak-power light pulses.

http://www.wemif.pwr.wroc.pl/photonicsgroup (Photonics group, Wroclaw Unversity of Technology, Poland): Wroclaw University of Technology: Photonics group. Microsystems electronics and photonics.

I stumbled a while ago on this Russian site, claiming to have invented the 3d television already and I assume it is meant holographic television, as that is where the site deals about.

http://www.holocinema.com/

This professor Komar and the NIFKI laboratory are real which are mentioned in the site of the URL above. He claims to have a breakthrough both in cinema and digital television!
But for the rest it seems like a con scheme asking for money to invest in it, instead of building actually a holographic television device.