“Visitors can operate the first interactive hologram display themselves”
‘We’ll take you on a journey through time’: that is the promise made by Tijdlab in Deventer. They create digital presentations for the cultural heritage sector, such as online games, virtual reality and 3D prints. And… together with SDB, they have also created the first interactive hologram display. “Visitors to the WW2 Information Centre in Nijmegen can operate it themselves,” says Thomas Verhoeven of Tijdlab.
To explain the technology behind the hologram display case, Thomas immediately fulfils Tijdlab’s promise. He takes you on a journey to the nineteenth century. “We’re using Pepper’s Ghost: a time-honoured illusion technique to make an object appear and disappear using glass plates and lighting,” he explains. “John Henry Pepper, a London professor of chemistry, created the first practical version for the stage in 1862.”
Live feed of a 3D model
Years later, this illusion was captured in a hologram display case, to which Tijdlab in turn added a clever piece of technology. “A live feed of a 3D model, allowing users to manipulate the model,” says Thomas. “They decide for themselves from which angle they view the object and how far they zoom in and out. At the WWII Information Centre, they can ‘play’ with a German helmet, an iconic pram and a wine glass melted by bombing, amongst other things. Do they want more information? Then that’s available on an extra screen.”
“The combination of SDB’s craftsmanship and our technology has produced the ultimate hologram display case”
Added value
The idea is one thing, the execution another. And for that, Thomas needed a display case builder. Due to the pandemic, he didn’t end up in China this time, but in Rosmalen. “SDB has added a great deal of value to the design,” says the Tijdlab owner with satisfaction. “For instance, the prism gets all the attention thanks to the slim profiles. Furthermore, we’ve thought through every detail down to the last detail: from the accessibility of the computer to the ideal thickness of the glass and the reflective finish. In this way, the combination of SDB’s craftsmanship and our technology has delivered the ultimate hologram display case.”
Almost like friends
Nothing more to do. That is Thomas’s conclusion. Unless… “If a client really wants to go one step further, I’m open to innovation. Yes, preferably with SDB. I now know what they’re capable of, what they can offer me, and that they’re always open to experimentation. What’s more, the collaboration is very pleasant and personal. So whether or not there’s an improved version of the hologram display case: there are bound to be new projects together!”
If you’d like to see the display case in action, click here: Hologram display case Tijdlab
