360 Degree Holographic Display

I think "holographic" is a bit of a misnomer. But that's splitting hairs -- it's still frikkin' dope.

That said, they've had a holographic video display sitting in the basement of the MIT Media Lab for close to two decades. I never understood why the world wasn't more excited about it. Guess it was a bit ahead of its time.

The holographic lathe was the coolest: http://www.media.mit.edu/spi/HHlathe.htm . You'd use this pen to shape a hologram of a cylinder, in real-time. The pen was a haptic interface, so you'd feel resistance as you "carved." Basically, you'd sculpt with light. Then you'd send your creation down the hall to the 3D printer.

I had the privilege of working in that lab for a little while. It was like living in the future.