Holodeck: Immersive 3D Displays Using Swarms of Flying Light Specks [Extended Abstract]

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have moved beyond a platform for hobbyists to enable environmental monitoring, journalism, film industry, search and rescue, package delivery, and entertainment. This paper describes 3D displays using swarms of flying light specks, FLSs. An FLS is a small (hundreds of micrometers in size) UAV with one or more light sources to generate different colors and textures with adjustable brightness. A synchronized swarm of FLSs renders an illumination in a pre-specified 3D volume, an FLS display. An FLS display provides true depth, enabling a user to perceive a scene more completely by analyzing its illumination from different angles. An FLS display may either be non-immersive or immersive. Both will support 3D acoustics. Non-immersive FLS displays may be the size of a 1980’s computer monitor, enabling a surgical team to observe and control micro robots performing heart surgery inside a patient’s body. Immersive FLS displays may be the size of a room, enabling users to interact with objects, e.g., a rock, a teapot. An object with behavior will be constructed using FLS-matters. FLS-matter will enable a user to touch and manipulate an object, e.g., a user may pick up a teapot or throw a rock. An immersive and interactive FLS display will approximate Star Trek’s holodeck. A successful realization of the research ideas presented in this paper will provide fundamental insights into implementing a holodeck using swarms of FLSs. A holodeck will transform the future of human communication and perception, and how we interact with information and data. It will revolutionize the future of how we work, learn, play and entertain, receive medical care, and socialize.