We don’t yet have an iPhone that can project a 3D hologram above the screen, although we’re sure Apple is working on it. In the meantime, though, you can use a classic magic trick and four prisms to create floating, 3D art.
Called “Luminogeist,” for obvious reasons, a specific layout of four prisms on an iPhone creates a neat light effect. See for yourself:
How does this work? Through a trick called “Pepper’s Ghost,” which will be familiar to fans of the Haunted Mansion.
Pepper’s Ghost is essentially a trick of the light. The prisms create the exact same image, but at different angles. So, as you look at it, certain parts of the image can be altered, shifting what you see. You can even stick your finger in the middle of the prisms, and the illusion will still work.
Granted, it’s a long way from pulling out a phone and having a holographic head appear to answer questions. But at the very least, it’s pretty neat, and a great bar stunt. Just don’t try to do a shot out of the middle.
Luminogeist [Designboom]