Ailias: Breathing Life into History with 3D Holograms
Imagine hosting a dinner party with Aristotle, Beethoven, or Julius Caesar as your guests of honour. This fantasy scenario is now a step closer to reality, thanks to a cutting-edge Surrey-based company, Ailias. The firm has developed a unique service, offering interactive 3D hologram avatars of notable historical and current figures. These avatars, which come delivered in a box, can engage in conversation and even perform physical activities. This innovative technology has the potential to revolutionise events, exhibitions, and even education.
How Does Ailias Stand Out?
Although holography technology is not new – with life-sized hologram displays available for events and physicist Dennis Gabor having won the 1971 Nobel Prize for his pioneering work in this field – Ailias has a unique approach. The company focuses on what it terms “ultra character creation”, aiming to animate deceased personalities into realistic conversational holograms. Unlike other holograms designed primarily for visual spectacle, Ailias’ holograms can juggle, squat, or even breakdance, adding a new level of interactivity and fun to any event.
The Man in the Box
Ailias provides customised solutions for its clients, with costs varying based on whether customers rent or purchase the hologram, and whether they require customised characters and activation. Adrian Broadway, the director of Ailias, stated that the minimum weekly rental would be in the thousands of pounds, inclusive of software subscriptions, delivery, and installation costs.
The company boasts a roster of over 70 characters that can be featured in their custom-made boxes, including historic figures like Henry VIII, Beethoven, Julius Caesar, and even a rather glamorous Cleopatra. While the selection of historical figures is ideal for educational institutions or museum exhibitions, it’s also a clever way to navigate around copyright laws. In the UK, using someone’s identity for commercial purposes is treated as a trademark, meaning that to use a living celebrity or well-known figure could potentially land the company in legal hot water. However, long-deceased historical figures like Henry VIII are unlikely to cause such issues.
When it comes to creating a realistic interaction, Ailias has managed to impress. The company has successfully addressed copyright concerns for a 7-foot-tall Albert Einstein AI avatar. Conversations with the Einstein hologram span a wide range of topics, from science and music to his thoughts on Elon Musk. The hologram responds in less than two seconds, ensuring a seamless conversation.
Bringing Education to Life
Ailias’ holograms offer a unique opportunity for educational engagement. Conversations with these interactive holograms are often more like quizzes than one-sided lectures. For example, when talking to the Einstein hologram, users might find themselves answering more questions than they ask. This engaging style of conversation is made possible by Ailias’ use of open-source AI and third-party generative videos. This novel approach to education could be a game-changer, breathing new life into history and making learning an immersive, interactive experience.
For more information about Ailias and its innovative 3D hologram avatars, check out the original article here.
