In The Hague, the city marketing department is so satisfied with the Holoboxes in The Hague Info Store that they are introducing three new people to tell the story of The Hague. This provided us with a great opportunity to take a look at the technology behind the holograms and the possibilities for the leisure sector.
Among those already featured in the holobox was The Hague Mayor Jan van Zanen, who told his story about the city there. Now, the Night Mayor (Lotte Ottevanger), Sander Hanenberg from theaters Diligentia and PePijn, and volunteer 'city host' Frans de Zwart are joining him.
The holobox in The Hague Info Store offers visitors an interactive experience with life-sized holograms. These provide information and personal tips about The Hague and can be visited free of charge daily during the store's opening hours.
“It feels like someone is really standing right in front of you,” says store manager Yannick Bouwhuis. “With the new holograms, we are once again showing how many different stories The Hague has to tell. From culture and comedy to nightlife.”
There is a certain degree of interactivity. For instance, there are a number of pre-programmed questions that you can ask the holograms. The hologram projections can be viewed from various angles, creating the illusion of a 3D image.
The technology behind the holobox
The technology behind the holobox is supplied by the Hague-based company HEREweHOLO, which indicates that there are now many more new developments in holography technology. The filming of the content is also produced in their own studio. Desmond Frencken of the company is happy to provide further explanation regarding the practical applications of his technology.
Can a hologram be made even more interactive?
The Holobox in The Hague currently runs primarily on pre-produced hologram content with various choices/stories. Interaction is certainly possible. We can supply Holoboxes with touch controls, selection menus, QR links, multilingual content, live connections, and even AI avatars where visitors can ask questions. The level of interaction depends mainly on the goal, the location, and the budget.
Frencken
What does the cost structure of a hologram presentation look like?
For a 1:1 scale Holobox, comparable to a type of telephone booth or life-size presentation box, you should expect an indicative sales price starting at approximately €32.500 excluding VAT. This does not include any content production, interactive software, custom finishing, transport, and installation. Basic content can be produced relatively easily, but the investment is naturally higher for high-quality hologram content or interactive applications. Rental is also possible for temporary campaigns, trade shows, or activations.
Frencken
What do you see as trends and developments in hologram technology?
The latest developments lie primarily in the combination of holograms with interaction. Think of digital hosts, virtual guides, multilingual reception, remote live presentations, AI-driven avatars, and connections with touchscreens, QR codes, wayfinding, or ticketing. While holograms were initially mainly for the “wow factor,” they are now increasingly being used as a practical communication tool: welcoming people, providing explanations, presenting products, directing visitors, or telling a brand story.
Frencken
Frencken also sees ample potential for this technology in the leisure, hospitality, tourism, attractions, museum, and visitor center sectors. It is not just about a hologram as a gimmick, but about a new way to inform visitors in a more personal and striking way.
More information:
Holograms have been used in the leisure sector for much longer to create special visual effects. The Peppers' Ghost technique , which uses projection onto a mirror, is the most commonly used for this purpose. In the field of visual innovations, the emphasis in recent years has been primarily on VR, AR, and Mixed Reality (XR) techniques. The development and acceptance of holograms lagged somewhat behind in this regard. A major advantage of holograms over other techniques is that you can view the images as a group without everyone needing their own device to view them.
In 2011, we already wrote about a hologram on stage: Hakune Mitsu . This hologram anime artist has since built a worldwide fanbase ( she performed in Amsterdam as recently as October 2024 ). Nevertheless, it remains a niche market to date. Falling costs and new interactive applications are making hologram technology more widely accessible. During this year's Independent Hotel Show in Amsterdam, for example, we encountered a hologram reception desk ( YaYa Works ) that operated with a live remote receptionist.
Explanation Pretwerk.nl