iPad + Duct Tape + Plastic Wrap = Budget-Friendly Hologram
I’ve spent the past week attending Constructing Modern Knowledge, where like-minded educators have gathered to collaborate on a creative project utilizing new technologies. The group I’ve been working with has been pulling together an interactive ecosystem exhibit using Little Bits electronics components, Makey Makey, Kibo robots, WeDo Robots and more. It will take me several posts to cover all of the amazing ideas our collective imaginations have been bringing to life this week! One of the simplest and innovative ideas we’ve incorporated was the brainchild of Nancy Otero. She had the idea of using a reflective surface to project a video clip from an ipad into a dark box that would result in the video appearing as a hologram.
After many hours and failed attempts, Nancy with the help of team member Jason Epstein were able to come up with a winning formula that makes this hologram on a budget totally doable for any classroom! Materials use in the construction of our hologram box were:
- Cardboard box (approximately 10″ x 12″)
- Black felt
- Duct Take
- Clear Plastic Wrap
- iPad
- Video Clip
- Cut a box at a 45 degree angle.
- Line the inside of the box with black felt or construction paper
- Tightly pull and secure clear plastic wrap over the box opening. Note: If your box is not strong enough, try reinforcing the sides with duct tape to give it added strength to withstand the tension from the plastic wrap. See side view of set up below:
- Select a video clip that you would like to play for the hologram source. Tip: Choose a high contrast video (dark background with light images) for best results.
- Loop the video using an iPad App such as CWG’s Video Looper.
- Mount the iPad facing downward with the video image pointed parallel to the floor.
- Minimize ambient lighting by placing set up inside a larger box. View hologram by looking into box at eye level towards the back of the angled box.
Our hologram set up was placed inside a cardboard “cactus” as part of an ecosystem display. Visitors to the display could peek inside the cut out and would see an actual orange foam flower that was place in front of the hologram box and reflected off the box surface was a video showing a bat pollinating a flower. Check out the video clip below to see the end result.
