J. Eur. Opt. Society-Rapid Publ. 22, 22( 2026) 213
Table 2. The features of holographic 3D display, optical illusion display, projection stereoscopic display, floating 3D display and light field 3D display [ 23 – 66 ].
Technology Principle Technical Mechanism Advantages Limitations
Holographic 3D Display
Optical Illusion Display
Projection Stereoscopic Display
Floating 3D Display
Light Field 3D Display
Coherent light interference for full optical wavefront recording and reconstruction
Controlled light path manipulation for stereoscopic illusion
Large-scale projection on curved / water / fog screens for binocular parallax Free-standing mid-air volumetric image formation
Light field capture and reconstruction for multiview rendering
Laser-based phase modulation; Digital holography with spatial light modulators( SLMs); Optical wavefront manipulation
Specular optical illusion; Rotating fan; Pepper’ s ghost; Binocular parallax
Projection imaging
Drones; Plasma; Acoustic wave imaging
Light field data acquisition; Optical depth mapping; 3D image reconstruction; light field 3D displays
True 3D depth without eyewear; High spatial resolution
Cost-effective implementation; Simple deployment; Museum / exhibition / signage and stage performance applicability Moderate depth perception; Low-cost and simple implementation; Large-format capability True volumetric 3D display; 360 ° viewing angles
Dynamic viewpoint control; Enhanced interactivity; Crossdomain applications( e. g., art exhibitions, advertising, display, and entertainment)
High computational power requirement; Viewing-angle sensitivity; Coherence noise vulnerability; High hardware costs( highresolution SLMs, lasers); Limited commercialization
Absence of actual depth information; Limited viewing angles; Critical alignment requirements( mirrors / screens)
Low resolution; Brightness and color reproduction issues
High cost and power consumption; Brightness and color reproduction issues
High equipment costs; Data processing complexity; Resolution constraints; Content creation challenges; Limited market acceptance; Lack of standardization
Currently, holographic display technology faces several key challenges. First, the primary challenge is processing large-scale 3D scene data. Complex holographic scenes – especially real-time interactive and immersive applications – involve substantial data loads. This drives the urgent need to develop efficient, high-speed hologram generation algorithms. Second, the performance of spatial light modulators( SLMs) requires further optimization, particularly in terms of modulation capability, processing speed, resolution, and physical size. Third, computational encoding methods featuring high computational efficiency and superior reconstruction accuracy are essential for SLMs. Lastly, both display quality and system scalability still remain suboptimal. Current implementations are largely confined to laboratory settings and are not yet ideal for practical applications. Addressing these challenges requires the development of large-scale, wide-angle, and practical 3D holographic display platforms to improve the applicability of holographic technology in the real world [ 25 – 28 ].
The technologies of recording and reconstruction for static holographic images have become relatively mature and have been successfully applied in settings such as museums. However, strictly defined forms of holography – such as analog holography, digital holography, rainbow holography, and holographic video displays – which require detachment from traditional display media to form 360 °, free-viewpoint images directly in mid-air, are still in the experimental research stage, as shown in Figure 2 and Table 3. These technologies remain at a relatively low level of commercialization, particularly within the context of smart MICE.
3.2 Optical illusion display technology
By employing basic optical principles, such as visual illusion, reflection, and refraction, the optical illusion stereoscopic display technology generates stereoscopic visual effects. While it shares some similarities with holographic 3D display technology, it cannot fully capture or reconstruct all the optical information of an object, especially the phase information [ 23 ]. Optical illusion display technology includes specular optical illusion, rotating fan display,