Seemingly tangible

The room into which we are led for the presentation of the true-colour holograms is almost dark, and on the table is a five-millimetre-thin black plate. Nothing else. HoloDimensions Managing Director Eike Hinrichs responds to our questioning glances by switching on a powerful LED light installed directly above the plate. Immediately and as if by magic, an apparently three-dimensional yacht model appears, rising from the waterline upwards out of the acrylic panel. We are not wearing 3D glasses, and yet the 75 metre long yacht concept "Undine", designed by the Kiel-based engineering firm D & L, appears vividly real.

Our amazement is clear to see, as Eike Hinrichs promptly explains: "To produce these true-colour holograms, we process complex information from 3D programs supplied to us by the design and construction offices." Each digital hologram consists of many thousands of so-called holopixels, which are imaged into a photoactive polymer film using powerful lasers and then laminated onto an acrylic carrier layer. "This exposure technique enables us to create realistic holograms even from aerial and satellite images," adds Hinrichs. The same technology is also used by the US military to plan ground operations. The rendered 3D models are exposed in such a way that the holograms can be experienced from all sides.

We turn the "Undine" yacht model on the table and are impressed: a 360-degree view of the virtual concept is possible in detail, and depending on the angle of view, three different three-dimensional views of the interior also open up. "For this hologram, we exposed four different renderings, each visible from different directions," explains the company boss. Depending on where you are, you can see details from the owner's suite, the tender garage and the galley.

According to HoloDimensions, these 3D models offer numerous advantages for shipyards, designers and engineers: they are lightweight, easy to handle, durable, very close to reality in terms of colour and offer a fascinating visual experience as a light sculpture. At around 5,000 euros for the initial hologram known as the Master, the models are also attractively priced. In addition, copies can be produced quickly and cost-effectively for customers or investors.