The HoloNet is not entirely out of grasp.

Prince Charles becomes first Royal Hologram

The Prince of Wales has made his first appearance as a hologram in a bid to reduce the royal carbon footprint, and silence critics who accuse him of failing to live by his green principles.

His Royal Highness, who once generated nearly 15 tonnes of carbon waste when he and his entourage took a private jet 7000 miles to New York and Philadelphia to accept an environmentalist award, chose to address the World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi using the 3-D technology.

He is the first member of the Royal family to make a public address in virtual form. As a result, the Prince could be seen in two places at once this morning – addressing the challenges of climate change on stage in Abu Dhabi, while also visiting the site of a former colliery in Ayrshire.

The Prince was said to be reluctant to attend the energy summit in person because flights for him and his entourage would have generated nearly 20 tons of carbon waste. Instead, the larger-than-life projection left roughly the same amount as a light bulb.

However, royal flesh and blood was not entirely absent from the event. The Duke of York – dubbed “Air Miles Andy” because of his jet-set lifestyle – attended as a UK representative for trade.

Prince Charle’s six-minute address was recorded in the drawing room of Clarence House last November.

“He was very impressive and professional. It only took one take,” said Sean Reel, Commercial Director for Connecta Group, which produced the hologram.

“He was keen on using the hologram to show his commitment to reducing his own carbon footprint,” added Mr Reel.

“He is walking back and forth, and gesturing with his hands. It looks as though he is right there,” he said.

The prince was dressed in a dark suit, with a white flower worn in his lapel. Editors spliced in an image of a lectern.

The hologram was only slightly more expensive to produce than a traditional video link.

Former US Vice-President Al Gore used similar technology to appear as a hologram in Tokyo at the beginning of the Live Earth concerts earlier this year.

The idea to invite Prince Charles to appear by hologram came from organisers of the Abu Dhabi energy conference, attended by some of the Gulf’s most prominent industrial leaders, which is being billed as a “carbon-neutral” event.

It is the first major summit since the UN conference on climate change in Bali.

The prince was heavily critisised last year for flying to the US with an entourage of 20 staff to collect an award honoring him as an environmentalist from Harvard Medical School.

Last summer, he published details of his own carbon footprint and set targets to reduce the carbon emissions of the royal household in an effort to highlight environmental issues.

However, independent audits concluded the prince’s environmental practices were wanting.

Prince Charles’ pre-taped address was converted into a hologram image using a technique that dates back to music halls productions where “ghosts” would appear onstage.

A high-definition projector beams the video onto a holographic film set at a 45-degree angle, which reflects a 3D image of Prince Charles onstage.

The only complication arose over whether Royal protocol should apply to holographic image, with much debate over whether Prince Andrew, who is also attending the summit, should stand on the same stage as Prince Charles’s hologram.

“It’s a delicate area,” explained Mr Reel.

Energy Summit organisers say they hope the Prince’s holographic appearance will inspire others to cut their carbon emissions.

“We are looking into using the same technology for musicians so they can appear at multiple events at the same time,” said Mr Reel.

“Just think, Kylie could appear at five venues at once,” he said.

(Source: Times Online, 21 January 2008)

Ok, so he was beaten to the punch by Al Gore, but as far as dynastic use of holograms this is quite an achievement. How useful in the future depends on how quickly these productions can be made, whether there is a method of instantaneously producing the results or the cost of producing and transmitting data on such a scale.

It does come with the bonus that it can reduce travel and offer further options for entertainment. For example, a comedian could do a stand-up show with gigs in four places at once, or lectures by noted authorities could be carried out in multiple universities at once.

The company Dimensional Studios currently offers 3D holographic displays for events, with the Musion Eyeliner3D service, where they set up a specific set of equipment to project images on to, a 3D version of PowerPoint almost.

It’s not as impressive as free-floating holograms, but even projections can be a nifty effect and a show of wealth and power. ]]> http://www.rogues.1me.net/blog/2008/prince-chaz-becomes-emperor-for-a-day/feed/ 0