Virtual reality is gradually becoming a… reality. So what’s next? A 3D printed hologram pyramid for your smartphone? Short answer: YES.

Gianluca Pugliese is a maker based in Italy. His specialty is working with light and related 3D printing projects but, he tells 3ders, “for some reason I never share those creations online”.

He made an exception when posting plans for his 3D printed hologram pyramid to Thingiverse, and the excitement has been spreading like wildfire. The contraption projects 3D holographic images and videos on your smartphone without any modification or 3D goggles.

It began when Pugliese found instructions for a transparent pyramid that creates 3D effects in a dark room. He took this idea a step further. By 3D printing the pyramid, the same effect could be realized on a standard touchscreen found on any smartphone or tablet.

The big problem? Printing something perfectly transparent. Without real transparency, a holographic effect can’t be fully achieved. The image ends up fuzzy, distorted and distracting.

After numerous tweaks and tests, he perfected the recipe. An ABS print finished with a Smooth-on product. To try it yourself, check out the instructions on Thingiverse.

Once the pyramid is printed, it’s ready to use. No special apps or downloads required. Hologram-ready videos can easily be found on YouTube (usually with stirring inspirational background music).

Pugliese is already excited about the possibilities of the little Holo Pyramid.

“The next step would be create an openscad file in order to make the pyramid parametric and able to be adapted to bigger screens. Then you can create an app which reproduces kaleidoscopic videos displayed as holograms.”

While that may take some work, it’s only a matter of time until an avid printer posts their own full-size hologram pyramid tutorial for the rest of the world to play with. Come on, internet! You’re our only hope for readily-available holograms! (Via: 3ders.org)