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Holographic imaging is the process of recording the light field and displaying it in the form of a fully 3Dimensional image which can be seen without the help of any special glasses or any other intermediary objects. When suitably lit the recorded information in a hologram diffracts light to reproduce the original signal thus reproducing a 3Dimensional image of the original object exhibiting visual depth and perspective that change when viewed from different positions. This is like displaying recorded images on a screen except it is a realistic reproduction using laser light like the object itself in the real world.

Under optimal conditions the holograms can be indistinguishable from the object itself when placed in same position and lighting conditions. In common practice, however, major compromises need to be made in order to reduce the use of high pulsed laser beams greatly reducing the image quality or in some cases having to resort to non-holographic intermediate imaging procedures.

Although the practice of this technology is still quite rare in the real world applications ,it could have enormous impact on the way we communicate , imagine & display things. Holograms can now be entirely computer generated with the ability to display things like never before. Holography finds its applications in various fields like 3D medical or scientific imaging to simulate 3D environments that cannot be properly generated using standard imaging. Its applications are also being found for non-destructive testing purposes and in the future it could be applied in military aircrafts and automobiles so the pilot/driver could keep his eye on a distant object while the real information is being relayed through the windshield. Other applications could include some common uses like holographic scanners to read bar codes in supermarkets or a holographic computer memory system called the ‘Holostore’ aimed to replace the disk drive having much more capacity and no mechanical rotations hence reducing processing time.

One of the major breakthroughs in communication made possible with the use of holograms is the process called tele-immersion. Tele-immersion combines cameras and internet telephony to achieve a central videoconferencing environment which is simulated so it allows the participants to come together in a virtually created room without anyone of them having to leave their physical locations.