A Holographic Bill Gates

This is what happens when you watch way to much Star Trek and Star Wars and build too many LEGO sets....I envision a day when most presentations will be given this way, and CEO's will have the size of their hologram defined by their market capitalization.

Bill Gates addressed a 400-person audience at the World Congress of Information 2008 in Kuala Lumpur, Bill Gates appeared using a 15.1-foot holographic projection.



Although this technology is impressive, the word "hologram" is being used very cavalierly. It is actually a version of the "Pepper's Ghost" effect, most commonly know from Disneyland's Haunted Mansion.
In this case, a 1080p high definition video image (from a Sony F900R) is projected on a screen on the floor in front of the stage.



A stage-sized sheet of mylar film, hung at a 45 degree angle hangs between the projection and the stage. People can walk on stage, behind the projection, and interact (by means of hidden cameras in the wings and audience) with the person in the projection. Take a look here: