01 World’s First High Speed Holography
Founded in 1996, Zebra Imaging, Inc. is a leading manufacturer of realistic holographic images. Zebra Imaging and M3 Design teamed up to develop the first on-location high speed holographic imaging machine – the M1 Imager.
02 A Daring Challenge
Zebra Imaging challenged M3 Design to help develop the world’s first high speed holographic imager – in less than 6 months.
The two companies teamed up to work through developing the sub-systems of a highly complex and precise machine: material handling, optics, lasers, and the machine structure.
03 Optics Development
The most challenging part of the M1 Imager development was the unique optics required to create the holograms. As the viewer moves past the hologram, the 3-D effect of the image is visible from side to side or up and down.
In order to develop the optics quickly, M3 Design worked closely with Zebra Imaging optical engineers, with daily interactions between the two teams. Zebra Imaging designed the optical path and elements, while M3 Design developed the custom optics mounts and overall packaging.
The end result was a modular set of optics that could be calibrated off-line and installed into the M1 imager with minimal final setup time.
04 Concepts
M3 Design developed multiple concepts for the M1Imager architecture. Methods of loading raw material, user interactions, and even the effect of gravity were studied.
By generating multiple concepts, stakeholder input was captured and all parties had a “first look” at the final M1 Imager design.
05 Results
The result of Zebra Imaging’s and M3 Design’s partnership was the development of a high-speed holographic imager, with a first product delivered in 6 months. Without such a tight collaboration their daring timeline would not have been possible.