The world's first "Hologram Zoo" where whales swim in the air (9 photos + 1 video)

In July 2023, Axiom Holographics opened an innovative family attraction - an augmented reality zoo - in Brisbane, Australia. There are dozens of activities to choose from: you can stroll through the African savannah, admire arctic animals, or go back to prehistoric times and meet a Tyrannosaurus rex. There is also a 4D element here: wind, temperature and even smells.





Axiom CEO Bruce Dell says hologram hubs are the future of entertainment. He chose a zoo for his first entertainment project because "it's like licensed intellectual property that you don't pay for. Barbie, Hello Kitty, Transformers cost a ton of money. And no one has copyrights on animals and dinosaurs."



How it works? Axiom has developed a patented "depth" technology recognized by Time magazine as one of the best inventions of 2023.

The zoo projects holograms using laser radiation, and visitors, thanks to special glasses that track the position of their gaze and a powerful graphics engine, perceive the images correctly. It's not at all like a 3D movie, which "squats" when the viewer moves.





Bruce says: "If I'm watching The Lion King in 3D and there's an elephant on the screen, I can't stand up and walk around it, I can't see its little tail."

And in the hologram zoo this is possible.

"Imagine a dinosaur sticking its head through a wall and coming out to eat you. That's when people say, 'Wow, this is way cooler than I thought.' Or a crowd of elephants is approaching, some children scream and dodge. It's terrible, but I want to see their tears! I want them to feel something. One of my nieces calls it Uncle Bruce's house of horrors," explains the creator.



"Holograms have their limitations. If you want to look at them without glasses, the image will be no bigger than a shoebox."



Bruce suggests that small holograms will be part of our future. For example, in fast food restaurants we will be able to see dishes floating above our heads to make it easier to make a choice.



Of course, such zoos are not everyone’s cup of tea. Some reviews say that you need to get acquainted with the natural world, not virtual reality. But Bruce disagrees.

"A lot of zoos really try to preserve wild animals. And I like the idea of people interacting with real animals. But you can't see dinosaurs in a zoo. There's no blue whale in any aquarium. In a zoo, elephants won't attack you. We're more creative." .



The zoo is designed for visitors of all ages.

"The kids just love it. And how the kids look at the penguins. They reach out and touch them. Or the baby dinosaurs hatch... and the kids play with the little brontosaurus."



Seniors also have a great time at the zoo.

“Pensioners who are over 80 come to us and say: “You’re not going to give us an Xbox gamepad. We need to go for a walk." And we send them into the river with the hippos! And when they return, they admit that it was amazing."



The technology has proven incredibly popular. In addition to contracts with Airbus and the US corporation Honeywell, as well as an exhibition at the Sydney Museum, Axiom recently collaborated with Bill Gates. The company designed a hologram aquarium room for his luxury Four Seasons hotel in the Maldives so guests could "swim" with manta rays.

Bruce Dell is going to bring "Hologram Zoo" to the world level - it will be an international franchise.