4K displays, virtual reality, augmented reality, and holography are completely changing the way our eyes receive content. Still, these four solutions rely on the digital realm. What would happen if pixels were transformed into voxels and fabricated from a material like polystyrene? The result is JOLED, a display prototype developed by the universities of Sussex and Bristol, which controls a grid of 7 by 6 floating voxels using ultrasonic technology.
Pixels vs. Voxels
Ultra HD panels have a resolution of 3,840 by 2,160 pixels, which translates to 8.3 megapixels. That's a staggering number of dots per frame, but it's slowly becoming a global standard. Of course, all that content is still played in 2D. Whether we use a VR headset, a stereoscopic trick, or curved displays, the pixel lacks depth by nature. Now, if we want a 3D element, we must enter the realm of the voxel. Many games have used voxels, including the wonderful Alpha Centauri, Outcast, and, if memory serves, two titles in the Command & Conquer series. Still, we continue to depend on a surface. So, what if voxels were physical and floated in front of our eyes?
JOLED: The Ultrasonic Screen
That is exactly what the universities of Sussex and Bristol are working on. The result is JOLED, an "ultrasonic screen" that controls a 7 by 6 grid of spheres. The spheres are manipulated by sound waves generated with the help of small speakers located at the top and bottom of the screen. By modifying these sound waves, JOLED can move the spheres in three-dimensional space. But there's more. Each voxel (or, according to the documentation, "Janus object") is covered with titanium dioxide, which gives it an electrostatic charge. Thanks to that charge, the spheres rotate on their axis and change color.
The Next Steps
In summary: polystyrene spheres, ultrasonic speakers, acoustic levitation, 3D positioning, and many theories about possible applications. What's next? Increase the density of the spheres and the number of colors they can show. I imagine that will require increasing their size, and if we add higher resolution, the JOLED displays of the future could be quite large...
