A Zebra hologram is built from a 3D model that can be based on a digitized scan of a physical object or on an original CG image created by an artist. Until now, the time needed to create a Zebra was approximately one day per two-foot tile. This year, however, Zebra has introduced a duplicating process by which each tile can be reproduced in a matter of minutes. So the holograms, once created, can now be more quickly shared and distributed.
Though many of Zebra's customers to date have used the holograms for advertising or promotion, there are also scientific and technical applications for the technology. Seismic and other geophysical data, for example, can be viewed in large-scale 3D without special glasses or headgear. The Zebra technology can also handle very short (300-frame) animations.
The cost of producing a Zebra hologram depends on size and application, with prices starting at $7000 per tile. The resulting duplicates cost between $250 and $500 apiece. (Zebra Imaging; Austin, TX; 512-251-5100; www.zebraimaging.com) -JD