COSMOS MAGAZINE
Spanish engineers have developed the world’s first touchable and interactive holograms, using elastic materials and advanced image correction to enable natural 3D manipulation.
A 3D car is grabbed and rotated by a user. Credit: Iñigo Ezcurdia 2025.
Unlike existing volumetric displays, which can only be viewed but not touched, this innovation allows users to interact with floating 3D graphics using their fingers.
Credit: UpnaLab Youtube
The engineers made this possible by predicting and adjusting for image distortion caused by elastic diffusers in real time.
Credit: UpnaLab Youtube
This technology has broad potential applications, including education, museums, and collaborative workspaces, without the need for VR headsets.
Credit: UpnaLab Youtube