Visual learners better get excited because Holovect Industries created an exciting, futuristic gadget.  

The Holovect Mk II is a display system that can sit right at your workbench with the capability of using light to draw 3D images in the air. This device can be used for educational purposes or be hooked directly to a 3D printer.

The images aren’t exactly holograms per se, but rather volumetric vector images which are projected into the space around us. According to their Kickstarter campaign, “A hologram is a recording of interference patterns on film or glass plates that contains three-dimensional information about an object.” The images produced by the Holovect are classified as “holographic” 3D projections.

The minds behind this device have invented a box-shaped region which controls the air to modify the refractive index (RI) of materials to specifically reflect and refract a laser beam. Having authority of a modified column of air as well as the laser beam’s direction, a volumetric pixel is produced by a computer in a 3D capacity.   

This tool houses a great deal of potential. Whether it helps visualize complex ideas for educational clarity and insight, or helps envision CAD models before 3D printing, this technology can definitely prove its worth. This laser-based device might allow for future thinkers to interact with designs and innovations in a new, exciting way.