Hologram technology company Looking Glass has launched the Block, a new format for photography that uses parallax to add 3D perspective to objects in 2D space. Here’s how it works, its benefits, and its potential for new creative uses.
What Is Parallax, and How Does It Work?
To understand how a Looking Glass Block works, you first need to understand how parallax works. Simply put, parallax describes the perceived shift in space of an object created from changes of viewing angles.
In photography, for example, the lens of a camera and the viewfinder are in different locations looking at an object from slightly different perspectives. As a result, what’s seen through the viewfinder can be slightly different from the actual picture being taken.
An easy way to see parallax in real life is by placing one of your fingers at arm’s length away from your face and alternating closing one eye. It'll look as though your finger is moving even though it's staying in the same place.
The idea behind holograms like the Looking Glass Block is to show an object as it actually exists in 3D space by creating perspectives with images taken from multiple angles. The company does this by using their proprietary light field technology that generates between 45-100 images totaling between 2MB-50MB per Block file.
When manipulated, either by mouse or another interactive method, different angles of the object are shown that corresponds to the input it received—move the cursor to the right and the image shifts to show what it would look like from that angle. But, besides looking cool, why does the Looking Glass Block matter, and what are its benefits?
The New Looking Glass Block Format and Its Benefits
Holograms are nothing new in the world of photography. Basketball cards and magic eye books have used them in the past and in the Fire Phone, Amazon even built an entire smartphone built on 3D parallax features. Though they were novel and entertaining, the idea of holograms never really caught on.
So, what’s the difference today? There are a couple of major benefits that make the Block stand out from previous attempts at popularizing holograms, such as the ease of sharing as well as compatibility with up-and-coming technologies.
The Ease of Sharing Online
The Looking Glass Block, as announced in a post on the Looking Glass Blog, is built on top of open web standards, the most prominent of which is one called WebXR. Building the Block on web standards offers several benefits, one of which is the ability to easily create embed codes and links for sharing online.
Though it may not seem significant, easy shareability is often key in establishing a standard and wide adoption. GIFs, for example, have been around for more than three decades but only became a cultural phenomenon after people started using them to share memes.
Use in VR/AR Space
Apart from easy shareability, the Block also has other benefits like uses in VR and AR. For creators, this means the ability to create assets for digitally immersive worlds hosted by tech giants like Meta, Apple, and Google. As more companies join in developing VR/AR for entertainment and occupational uses, the Block will grow in potential as well. In fact, using hologram technology like a Block could prove to be useful in a lot of different fields that are dependent on imaging and videography.
Potential Uses in Other Fields
By its nature, a Looking Glass Block provides more details about an object than traditional 2D images because it’s showing perspective information that otherwise would not be visible.
In medicine, X-rays and MRIs could be converted into interactive images providing more details like relative size and shape patient body parts. In design, architects, engineers, and interior decorators could create models that provide a more accurate look at how structural objects or furniture would fit in a given space.
Of course, we’ve already seen the use of the parallax holograms in entertainment, but with the advent of the NFT (Non-Fungible Token), the introduction of the Block could create the potential for artist to create in new ways.
Building Blocks for New Perspectives
Currently, creators can create holograms using plugins for popular 3D software such as Blender, Unity, and Unreal Engine, but Looking Glass says that it will be working to add support for more software in the future. Using a Block online is still currently only available by invite. Looking Glass' dedicated microsite has more information on how you can start creating your own Block.
The Looking Glass Block has the potential to change the way we create and share holograms online. Offering people easy ways to embed and share links, compatibility with up-and-coming technologies, as well as the potential for use in image and video based industries sets the Block apart from past attempts at mass 3D adoption.
As it advances, we should be able to see all the potentials parallax-effect holograms can offer.