Korean researchers develop a processor for real-time hologram generation

Korean researchers have developed a digital holography processor that converts two-dimensional (2D) movies into real-time three-dimensional (3D) holograms. This expertise is anticipated to play a key position in the way forward for holography, because it allows the instantaneous transformation of peculiar 2D movies into 3D holograms.

The Electronics and Telecommunications Analysis Institute (ETRI) has introduced the event of a programmable semiconductor-based digital holographic media processor (RHP) utilizing Area Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) expertise. This processor can convert 2D video into 3D holograms in real-time.

The real-time holography processor is the world’s first to make the most of high-bandwidth reminiscence (HBM) to generate real-time, full-color 3D holograms from 2D video. Notably, all of the {hardware} required for hologram generation is built-in into a single system-on-chip (SoC).

The real-time holography processor (RHP) extracts the three main colours (purple, inexperienced, and blue) and depth data from 2D video, then reconstructs holographic video data at 4K decision with a latency of simply 30 milliseconds (ms). It’s able to rendering holograms at a processing pace of as much as 30 frames per second (FPS), positioning it among the many most superior holography processors on the planet.

This processor performs advanced numerical calculations for wave propagation to transform 2D data into 3D holograms. Notably, by using high-performance HBM reminiscence as an alternative of DDR reminiscence, the processor allows high-speed processing of large-scale complex-number holographic computations.

This breakthrough achieves excessive processing speeds and efficiency dozens of instances quicker than standard software-based hologram generation on commonplace computer systems, whereas additionally considerably decreasing energy consumption.

In a demonstration utilizing the real-time holographic media processor, the researchers confirmed that any video displayed on a laptop display—together with YouTube/Netflix content material, video calls, and extra—might be transformed into 3D holographic video at once.

Via this analysis, ETRI has developed a core holographic media expertise that permits real-time rendering of ultra-high-resolution holograms utilizing devoted {hardware}. Transferring ahead, the researchers plan to reinforce this expertise by integrating direct acquisition of pure light-based holograms and high-definition hologram rendering methods.

ETRI researchers defined that they achieved this technological breakthrough after three years of analysis and improvement. The expertise was showcased on the 2023 SID Show Week I-Zone exhibition and at SID Show Week 2024 in San Jose, U.S., the place it obtained an enthusiastic response from guests.

Their analysis findings had been additionally offered at SIGGRAPH Asia 2024 in Tokyo, Japan, final December, the place they garnered vital consideration. These achievements display that ETRI’s holographic processor expertise has established itself as a groundbreaking innovation on the worldwide stage.

Kwon Received Okay, the principal researcher at ETRI’s Digital Holography Analysis Part, said, “Our purpose is to develop a devoted holographic media processor chip (ASIC) for general-purpose holographic shows by incorporating hardware-based holographic picture enhancement expertise sooner or later.”

Hong Kee Hoon, the director of ETRI’s Digital Holography Analysis Part, added, “The event of the holography processor will allow the creation of real-time holograms with low energy consumption and a compact kind issue, marking a vital step towards the sensible software of holography expertise.”