Help me Obi Wan Kenobi you're the future of TV

3D TVs may be the next big TV technology for the home, but this week scientists at the University of Arizona have created the first transmission of a "holographic 3-dimensional telepresence".  As reported in the FT the system works without the need for awkward 3D glasses.

Often called "Star Wars technology" because of the scene in Star Wars where a message is relayed using a projected 3D image, the new technology captures the 3D image using a number of cameras at different angles. 

Key to 3D imaging is the concept of the 'hogel' which is the equivalent of a 3-dimensional pixel.  Once the image is captured is is encoded in a fast pulsing lase beam that creates hogels that are displayed on a new type of polymer that allows the image to be viewed from any angle. 

The initial test transmissions are of a small monochromatic image that refreshes every 2 seconds - but expect the first holographic sets for home use within the next 7 to 10 years.