Pioneer Releases Briefcase-Sized 3D Color Hologram Printer

3D printing, where a box-like contraption churns out three-dimensional objects of some sort or another, is quickly becoming a trend, even though we wouldn't have been surprised if it had taken another year for commercially-available devices to debut.

The latest move on the market segment comes from Pioneer Corporation, whose researchers and inventors have built a compact, full-color printer that uses stereo hologram technology.

As explained by the company, a Lippman hologram is a hologram in which the object and reference beams are emitted from opposing side to the front and back of the recording material.

Color holograms, which are created using three colors of recording light source lasers, can be rendered as a clear and 3-dimensional image if exposed to white light.

Normally, producing a Lippman hologram needs real models photographed and a darkened room with vibration dampeners.

The new system from Pioneer requires neither. A sort of briefcase-shaped product, it only needs users to run a 3D CAD file and press the print button.

As long as the hologram isn't larger than 75.6 x 50.4 mm (2.97 x 1.98 inches), it can be constructed out of the print media that has yet to be revealed or priced.

Speaking of which, the Pioneer 3D printer hasn't been given a price either, which is a shame. Hopefully, the company won't leave us hanging for too long, even though we have no plans of buying one just yet.

For those technically minded enough to find interest in such things, the Recording Wavelength of the printer is Blue 473nm, Green 532nm, Red 633nm.

Commemorative goods, high-class trademarks and original cards should all be possible to create with the device, and it should be simple to use the printer itself as an output device for 3D data relayed by computers and measuring devices.

Via: Pioneer Releases Briefcase-Sized 3D Color Hologram Printer