About
One mans quest for holograms
Like so many others, my fascination with holograms started as a kid watching sci-fi movies. So, when I found out about the "Peppers ghost" principle (the 150-year old theatrical technique used for bringing both Tupac and Michael Jackson back to life), and realised it was very suitable for smartphones, I set out to manifest my childhood dream product. We'll almost. We're talking €10 here so it's not a laser cutting air particles or something super flashy, but a postcard that turns into a hologram display is still pretty cool.
I thought that I would have a prototype done within a week. Boy, was I wrong. After months of drawing, calculating and cutting over one hundred prototypes with a scalpel out of millimetre thick plastic with even finer precision, I was done. I had a working prototype that actually displayed holograms and worked with all but the biggest smartphones. During all of this I was exploring ways to manufacture the Holocard.
The fact that it had to be done in clear plastic eliminated innovative solutions like laser cutting, 3D-printing and even moulding. So I needed a cutting tool. After being in contact with about a dozen plastic companies, I finally found one that put me in contact with a Lithuanian factory that ended up creating a special cutting tool just for cutting the Holocard.
In 2021 the idea turned reality, holograms turned into postcards and vice versa, and now you can buy your own slice of the future. I truly hope you enjoy your Holocard, and please let us know how you would like to see Holocard develop!
Amandus Papoulidis
Creator
P.S. Don't forget to watch the foldings instructions video.