A Holobox creates a life size holographic projection by placing a transparent LCD in front of a custom-engineered light box. The LCD displays processed video with depth cues so the subject reads as three-dimensional to the naked eye, no headset, no glasses, and no reflective foil.
The core mechanism
A Holobox is a self contained unit around two metres tall. Inside are two working elements:
- A transparent LCD, a display panel you can see through when it’s off. When rendered content is playing, the panel shows the subject (a person, product, or animation) at full life size scale, and the viewer can still perceive the depth behind the display.
- A custom-engineered light box behind the panel. This is the piece most vendors don’t get right. It provides the luminance, directionality, and back-lighting behaviour that make the subject read as three-dimensional rather than as a flat image on glass.
The combination is what viewers experience as a hologram. Sub-consciously the brain reads depth cues (edge lighting, occlusion, perceived scale) and treats the projected subject as physically present in the room. That’s why first-time viewers often approach the Holobox and try to shake hands.
Live mode vs pre recorded mode
A Holobox can play either live or recorded content.
Live mode connects two Holoboxes across a network. A person standing in front of a Holobox in one location, say, our Culemborg studio , is captured, transmitted, and rendered life size on the Holobox at the destination location. Latency is low enough for two way conversation. This is how a single concierge can serve multiple hotels simultaneously, or how a doctor at a partner hospital consults with patients in a remote region.
Pre recorded mode plays a captured performance on demand. Content is recorded at the Holoconnects Recording Station, converted into the Holobox format, and played back locally. This is how a CEO’s launch keynote runs on 20 trade-show stands simultaneously without the CEO having to travel.
The content pipeline
What goes on a Holobox needs to be captured in a specific way, a standard green-screen video won’t reproduce the depth-cue behaviour. Content flows through three stages:
- Capture. In our studio (or at a customer location with a mobile capture rig), the talent performs against a controlled backdrop. Multi angle capture ensures the projection reads correctly from the viewing angles the Holobox will be placed at.
- Process. The captured footage is converted into the display format the Holobox renders. Depth cues, edge treatment, and background isolation are done here.
- Deploy. The finished content ships with the Holobox (for pre recorded playback) or is streamed live (for two way sessions). Content updates are handled remotely.
Custom content production is a service Holoconnects offers end to end you bring the talent, message, and creative direction; the studio handles the technical side. See our support FAQ for what a typical timeline looks like.
On site requirements
A Holobox is designed to be enterprise-grade drop-in hardware. The minimum requirements are:
- Power. Standard 230V mains.
- Internet (live mode). A wired connection with at least 10 Mbps up and 10 Mbps down. Specific ports need to be opened for the live-connection protocol. Full network requirements are shared during project planning.
- Floor / stage load. If the Holobox will be placed on a stage, the stage must support at least 350 kg. Depending on stage height, a high lifting pallet jack or similar may be needed to load it.
- Physical access. Our project managers inspect the route from unloading point to installation site in advance, doorways, elevators, steps, and ceiling height all matter. In practice we can deploy at almost any venue if we plan the route.
Transport and installation
Because the Holobox is a fragile precision instrument, Holoconnects manages transport with our own installers. Within the Netherlands and Europe this is typically road transport; intercontinental deployments (Crescent Regional in Texas, CIC Hospitality across Scandinavia, Smart Mission in the UAE) involve air freight, customs coordination, and staged installation.
Delivery, installation and on site support are quoted separately, per site. For a rental, pickup is a separate line too, and live technical support during the event is optional and quoted separately. First-time deployments typically take a half-day for setup plus a run-through before doors open.
Related reading
- What is a hologram?, the definitional overview, including how the Holobox class of display differs from interference-based holograms and stage illusions.
- Holobox vs LED wall, a side by side comparison for anyone weighing hologram displays against traditional signage.
- Holobox product page, full specifications and pricing.
- Support FAQ, the twelve questions we get most often about deploying and operating a Holobox.
See a Holobox in operation.
The technology reads on paper, but stands or falls with what you experience in the room. Book a demo and walk around one.
346 customers rate us 9.5/10. From the first US hologram hospital to hotels across Europe.
346 customers rate us with a 9.5/10