Digital photo frames are meant to display entire galleries in one frame, but a new arrival to the space brings 3D holographic images to homes. Creator Looking Glass says Musubi is the first consumer photographic photo and video frame.
The Musubi turns any photo – as well as video clips up to 30 seconds long – into a 3D hologram for display. The frame works by using Hololumiscnet Display or HLD technology, which is a 2D display with a holographic background built into the layers. That allows for high-resolution images with depth, without 3D glasses.
Machine-learning software converts images and short video clips, building the depth information required for that holographic look without requiring specialty cameras. The desktop-based software converts any image in a few clicks, the company says. Those images are stored on the device itself using a wired USB-C connection, not the cloud, which means the frame doesn’t require a subscription, and images aren’t used to train the machine learning, according to Looking Glass.
Above: See the Musubi frame in action
The frame and software support holograms with the background removed, or holograms with the background left intact. The frame plays an automatic loop of any holograms uploaded to the frame, though buttons on the back will allow users to look through the different images.
The frame itself is a 7-inch display (measured diagonally) with a 9:16 vertical aspect ratio. The holographic photo frame can run for up to three hours on battery, while the included cord provides a constant looping of photos. The built-in storage can hold up to 1,000 holograms.
While the company says the frame is the first consumer-oriented frame of its kind, Looking Glass, which was founded in 2014, has previously built Hololuminescent Displays (HLD) like the Looking Glass Go and Portrait.
The Looking Glass Musubi is launching on Kickstarter and is expected to begin shipping to the first backers in June. The campaign has a first-day launch special for $99 for the first 24 hours only, where the frame is expected to retail for $149, which doesn’t include shipping. The frame will also ship outside of the US, with that early backers special translating to about £74 / AU$139 / CA$135, excluding shipping and import taxes.
All Kickstarter projects carry some level of risk, but the frame has already met its goal, with the company expecting full-scale production between March and May.
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