A team of Japanese scientists has created touchable holograms, three dimensional virtual objects that can be manipulated by human hand. The scientists at the Utsunomiya University Center for Optical Research and Education in Japan used femtosecond laser technology that emits high-frequency laser pulses thus allowing users to manipulate the holograms by hand.

The team invented Fairy Lights, a system that shoots high-frequency laser pulses that last one millionth of one billionth of a second, Reuters reports. These pulses respond to touch, allowing the hologram pixels to be controlled in mid-air.

"You can't actually feel the videos or pictures, and although you can project a video, you can't interact with it by touching it,” said Yoichi Ochiai, lead researcher from Tsukuba University. “If we can project an image in a three dimensional form, and if you can touch it, then you can make something where you'll think that there actually is something there."

Ochiai believes that this technology can have many applications in medicine, architecture and even entertainment. This could possibly change how we interact and feel light.

"People's daily lives would change if we use a bigger laser in a bigger space where people can interact with it,” Ochiai added. “To see how it can be used in situations where three dimensional communication is necessary such as a construction site or in the medical field."

Experts believe that this will allow the creation of computer keyboards beamed onto a user’s lap. This could also pave the way for experiencing virtual touch during a video chat.

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