1. Reimagining the World
with Intelligent Holograms
As we move toward an increasingly digital future, the ability
to blend the virtual with the physical world is not only an
accepted norm, but has utilitarian applications. A case in point
is holographic technology, which is on the cusp of transforming
business in new and heretofore unimagined ways.
October 2017
DIGITAL SYSTEMS & TECHNOLOGY

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Digital Systems & Technology
| Reimagining the World with Intelligent Holograms
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Today, an expectant mother at her doctor’s for a regular check-up can hear the
heartbeat and view an ultrasound image of her developing child. In the very near
future, a combination of holographic technology and artificial intelligence (AI) will
transform this experience into something more intimate and life-like, where a full
360-degree, fully-formed view of the baby can be seen intrauterine by parents and
doctors throughout the gestation cycle. Such a captivating experience would keep
parents informed and help doctors assess fetus development through a real world
view that could better enable them to prescribe care.
Holograms have the potential to upend visualization as we know it. In fact, the
mixed-reality movement of virtual-meets-physical is already emerging around us.
From rudimentary entertainment like Pokémon Go, to politicians who use holograms
to address large dispersed crowds, mixed reality draws people in. The medical
field, having realized the usefulness of this technology, is investing great sums in
its cultivation. With various use cases unfolding, the medical holography market is
expected to reach nearly USD $1 Billion by 2021.1

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Digital Systems & Technology
Numerous holographic use cases have already emerged that illuminate the utility
and allure, which can be applied for real-world benefits such as increasing audience
reach, reducing design costs or planning for disasters with 3-D infrastructure
imaging. Such benefits ensure that holography is a business disrupter that can help
organizations seamlessly merge the real and digital worlds in ways that advance
corporate objectives.
Although holographic technology has existed for decades, recent advances reveal
that the promise of democratization (i.e., making previously “elite” insights and
experiences available to everyday people) is unlocking innovative applications in the
emerging digital world. Even though technological challenges persist, continuous
researchandeffortarebeginningtobridgegapsbetweenusageandfunctionality.This
means that it is time for enterprises to embrace these technological developments
and prepare themselves with the right strategies and approaches as holograms
move from nice-to-have to must-have business tools.
This white paper explores a number of emergent use cases in holographic technology,
how foundational tools can be applied to real-world implementations and what
enterprises should be pondering in today’s digital business context.

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Digital Systems & Technology
| Reimagining the World with Intelligent Holograms
What makes holography alluring
is the ability to mix stagecraft
with usability that can push the
boundaries of experience.
INTELLIGENT HOLOGRAMS IN ACTION
While holographic technology itself emerged many decades ago, the ease with which we can decon-
struct, transmit and reconstruct 3-D images has vastly increased over the past few years. The
advancement of digital cameras, massive increases in network speeds and the ability to implement
AI algorithms that can reconstruct digital signals to render holograms in real time have opened new
business vistas to holographic applications. Numerous use cases are emerging that reveal the impact
this technology could have in fields ranging from visual communication through medicine and product
design to art.
What makes holography alluring is the ability to mix stagecraft with usability that can push the bound-
aries of experience. The potential applications of holography are not restricted to any particular
domain or industry. In this section, we explore a few emerging use cases that can, once perfected,
essentially alter and enhance our daily lives.
Medical Holography
Medical holography can help doctors diagnose and treat patients in a variety of ways. Using digital
scans originating from MRI, CT scans, ultrasound, etc., holography can help recreate the human anat-
omy in an actual 3-D space, allowing doctors to zoom in, manipulate images, and view organs and
tissues from multiple perspectives. This enables doctors not only to view medical images but also to
interact with them as if they are actual live tissue and organs. Already available are products such as
Echopixel and GE’s Vivid E9 with XDclear that allow data sets from CT and MRI scans to be converted
into 3-D visualizations.
Surgical planning is another area where holograms can have a transformational impact by providing
doctors with a virtual preview of what they will see in the operating room. This will enable surgeons to
perceive any unusual or intricate structures in 3-D and plan to operate with heightened clarity.
Holographic technology also offers huge possibilities of improvement in medical training. As opposed
to traditional textbooks explaining and depicting anatomical structures, holograms allow professors
and students to see the entire human body in 3-D, move elements around, resize them, and even

5. Surgical planning is another
area where holograms can have
a transformational impact by
providing doctors with a virtual
preview of what they will see in
the operating room. This will
enable surgeons to perceive any
unusual or intricate structures
in 3-D and plan to operate with
heightened clarity.
Reimagining the World with Intelligent Holograms | 5
Digital Systems & Technology

6. 6 | Reimagining the World with Intelligent Holograms
An idea incorporated in the holographic design
of a product by one designer can be viewed by
and added upon by another located remotely,
thus completely defying the barriers of
physical distance.
remove and replace parts. The technology offers a hands-free mode of studying intricate anatomical
structures, all guided by mere hand gestures.
As holography proliferates, its use clearly will help surgeons, professors and students. But its benefits
also extend to patients in areas such as preventive healthcare, as holograms will impart enhanced and
immersive wellness education.
Product Design & Development
Product companies face challenges moving from drawing boards and screens to actual physical
spaces and objects. Enter the hologram. Holograms can recreate the design in a 3-D virtual world and
help product designers visualize, collaborate, share ideas and make decisions at inception points, thus
accelerating the design process from traditional monitor-based techniques.
Collaboration and brainstorming are critical to the product design process, requiring inspiration from
converging creative minds to conceptualize and create new product models. With holograms, globally
dispersed designers can collaborate seamlessly, without constraints. A 3-D model hosted in a cloud
environment can be worked on by different designers with the same ease at which we play online mul-
tiplayer games today. An idea incorporated in the holographic design of a product by one designer
can be viewed and amended by another located remotely, thus completely defying the barriers of
physical distance.
Holograms for Product Design & Development
Figure 1

7. 7Reimagining the World with Intelligent Holograms |
Product testing can also benefit from holography. It allows designers to ensure their designs conform
to safety standards by performing simulated tests based on what product users would do in certain
situations.
Finally, holograms can allow trainees and field service agents to study and inspect products in 3-D.
That will enable them to conceptualize the working of a product, and understand the steps required
for troubleshooting an issue by creating a lifelike virtual scenario. This will take the mixed reality
experience a step beyond today’s augmented-reality-based applications.
Immersive Interactions
The art of being in multiple places simultaneously is already possible. For example, Narendra Modi,
the Prime Minister of India, used holograms to address crowds at multiple rallies simultaneously, when
running for the post.2
Other immersive holographic experiences include K-Live,3
the world’s first performance hall devoted
to holographic concerts. Here, Korea’s top pop acts perform virtually on the stage through life-sized
projections of the artists, providing the audience with the experience of a live concert. In a similar set-
ting, Ralph Lauren4
put on a holographic fashion show, where models were seen walking the ramp in
virtual 3-D sets. And in an unforgettable instance, Michael Jackson was brought back from the grave
at the Billboard Music Awards.5
With the growing ease of creating and projecting holograms, the already ebbing boundaries between
the physical and the digital world are expected to blur into nonexistence. Now that the image of the
virtual self can alter in sync with the real self, real-time holographic interactions might be the next
commonly adopted mode of communication.
Enhancing Sales Processes
Holograms can provide a product marketing edge by creating visual appeal at points of sale. Eye-catch-
ing and dramatic 3-D holographic displays in the retail space can have a more far-reaching impact
compared with traditional advertising strategies. One such display was used by Altec Lansing6
to
promote its new series of Bluetooth speakers. The speakers were shown in a setting where they were
exposed to extreme conditions such as fire and water, and yet appeared to be indestructible.
In addition to in-store product displays, holograms can be effectively applied to drive customer
experience to a whole new level. Holographic changing rooms, for example, would enable shoppers to

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Digital Systems & Technology
| Reimagining the World with Intelligent Holograms
virtually try on a wide range of clothing. Holograms can provide a virtual, compelling and personalized
display of products, with dynamically changing sale items based on what customers view. For example,
once a woman chooses a dress, a hologram image of an accessory that matches it perfectly would
automatically appear, thus capturing the customer’s attention and aiding the buying decision with a
personalized recommendation.
Real-Time Rendering with Overlays
Holographic technology can help in rendering virtual overlays of real-world scenarios in real time. This
can be a game-changer in areas such as emergency services and calamity management, where real-
time decision-making, integration of resources and collaboration are of utmost significance.
For example, while managing wild fires in wooded areas, drones equipped with holography-compatible
cameras can be navigated to areas rendered inaccessible by humans to create a 3-D holographic map
of the affected region. This can enable firefighters to contain fires quickly by directing resources to
where they are most needed. This can also be used to prevent forest fires in the first place, by identi-
fying – and then mitigating – hot spots.
Holograms can also be used to create simulated environments to train public safety professionals to
visualize and respond to disaster situations. It can also help in conducting emergency drills for the
public by adding hazards to the existing physical world in a mixed-reality scenario. This will enable
officials to better understand hazards and will help to train them in mitigation measures.
Last, but not least, with holographic technology, search and rescue operations can also be made
easier by guiding emergency experts to locations virtually in a more realistic manner so they can
readily navigate through the affected areas.
INTELLIGENT HOLOGRAMS ON THE CUSP OF REALITY
The concept of intelligent holograms is relatively old, but the convergence of the following technology
and usability constructs is bringing its potential to the forefront:
• Portability and democratization: The development of mixed-reality headsets like Microsoft Holo-
Lens makes consumption of holograms more portable and democratic (i.e., imagery can now be
taken to the people). Not long ago, it was expensive to construct and view holograms; inflexible
projection equipment often took days to set up.
• Source capture technology: Another critical facilitator of holographic experiences is better avail-
ability and improved capability of special cameras that can capture three-dimensional information
and recognize depth perception. Such devices can take in different perspectives of a subject that
can then be used to construct a hologram.
• Sensor information streams: The proliferation of sensors across the world capturing environmen-
tal data around us adds yet another important data source. The availability of large and growing
data sets is critical to building AI algorithms that recognize and learn patterns and trends while
improving the accuracy and reality of experiences over time. Also, sensor data captured in real
time can help to calibrate the real-time behavior of holograms.

9. 9Reimagining the World with Intelligent Holograms |
• Intelligent reconstruction: Merging holograms that provide visual depth with AI from sensor
data results in a perfect mix of real and virtual overlays. This can create increasingly innovative
simulations that can be used in the wide number of use cases mentioned above. For example,
while an ultrasound scan can provide one level of data about the heartbeat, position and size of
a baby in the womb, AI algorithms can build upon these signals and create near-real reconstruc-
tions of what the baby looks like.
• Processing power and connectivity: Finally, the growing abundance of processing power and
bandwidth is removing obstacles to enable the rapid exchange of data and insights beyond geo-
graphical boundaries. This will help us transfer digital bytes over media like the cloud or fog
faster, thus allowing holograms to easily reach far-flung places.
Technology and usability convergence (see Figure 2) is helping industry experts innovate from
entirely different dimensions: How to create technology for a particular usability construct, and
how to use a new technology construct.
The Converging Forces of Technology & Usability
Figure 2
Better imagery
with depth
perception
Ability to reach
the masses
Underlying
infrastructure
supporting data
transfers
Variables for
continuous
improvement
and accuracy
Usability
Technology
Source Capture
Technology
Intelligent
Reconstruction
Processing Power
and Connectivity
Sensor Information
Streams
Portability &
Democratization
AI-driven
reconstruction of
signals to realistic
rendering

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| Reimagining the World with Intelligent Holograms
ENTERPRISE ADOPTION: CHALLENGES AND THE WAY AHEAD
While holography has found initial success in a variety of pilot projects (such as those referenced
above), the widespread adoption of hologram-based solutions is contingent on technological advances
that will make greater capabilities available at lower price points. Among the problems enterprises
face in adopting new technologies such as mixed reality is proactively identifying the fit between
technology and user needs. If the technology is not capable of meeting user expectations and require-
ments, this can very quickly lead to disillusionment and abandonment.
Another common challenge is that the user group usually is not willing or able to take responsibility
for the technology. It therefore is important for decision-makers to play the dual role of managing
both the development and the implementation. These two groups – users of the technology, who will
need to accept and manage the change, and developers, who need to implement the solutions in
usable form – must work in parallel to achieve sustainable success.
Technological challenges such as ergonomics, field of view, battery life, etc. must still be overcome
to propel widespread use of holographic headsets. These issues, however, are iterative in nature and
should be solved over time. Enterprises will need to keep pace with developments so they are not left
behind and can also make use of holography’s emerging benefits. Figure 3 reveals a number of helpful
steps to consider for aligning with the technology’s inevitable progression.
Stepping Up to Enterprise Holography
• Identify the right use case. Start with a pilot for a particular business unit before scaling up
the technology. This will serve two purposes. First, it will ensure that the technical feasibility of
holography is proven to all stakeholders. Second, this approach will give other business units the
confidence to adopt it.
• Identify a champion within the business group who understands the need for the technology.
This person can be a “salesperson” for the technology, and a problem-solver who spearheads
adoption. They can also be the sponsor who ensures continued financial and resource support.
Use case
identification
Focus on
business and
innovation
groups
Design and
development
team
Infrastructure
Figure 3

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Digital Systems & Technology
• Assemble the right team. Designing and developing for mixed reality is a true paradigm shift, so
when building your organization’s holographic development team it is important to consider the
roles and capabilities needed. Some projects might need fewer people and others more – it’s the
skill sets that matter.
• Keep abreast of the latest technological developments for overcoming hardware and software
challenges. Deploying holography wide-scale will first require infrastructure – beacons, sensors,
and wireless and cellular technology – to support mixed reality instrumentation and connectivity.
Once all the above capabilities are working in tandem, enterprises can hit go in their journey with
mixed reality. Beyond this, with advances in AI and machine learning, enterprises should consider
combining capabilities such as image recognition with emerging holographic technology to create an
environment of ubiquitous intelligence.
As the technology improves and the cost declines, enterprise adoption of mixed reality will rise. It is
important for both business and IT to devise a strategy now on how to put this technology to best use.
Companies will create new experiences, tapping into a multitude of data sources – private, public or
purchased. For instance, an infrastructure planning company will be able to tap into computer-aided
design (CAD) images and live images of infrastructure, along with weather data from satellite moni-
toring stations, to create holograms that will help both people and agencies to visualize the effects of
various types of inclement weather.
Or the holographic office receptionist will be able to recognize customers and tap into their digital fin-
gerprints (which we call Code Halos7
) to understand their preferences and thus automatically provide
the customer with tailored services or solutions.
With advances in AI and machine learning, enterprises should consider combining capabilities
such as image recognition with emerging holographic technology to create an environment
of ubiquitous intelligence.

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Digital Systems & Technology
QUICK TAKE
Enhancing Customer Experience at the
Point of Sale
We recently developed a prototype that uses Microsoft HoloLens to enhance customers’ buying
experience at a point of sale, by enabling them to interact with product holograms while making
buying decisions.
This application is specifically for helping customers browse through and select car accessories. This
innovative process of selection shifts from a pamphlet-based view of the product to a lifelike holo-
graphic view that the customer can interact with, manipulate and customize.
Users wearing HoloLens start by picking a car model, which appears as a 3-D holographic image on the
display space. They can then select and view different accessories such as wheels, spoilers, floor mats,
etc. that can scale up and down in size, appear in different colors and be rotated for a 360-degree view.
These accessories can be examined individually, and they can be fitted onto the holographic car, to
provide the customer with a realistic visualization of how the car would look with different accessories.
Beyond car-accessory shopping, the concept of holographic product exploration can be deployed wide-
ly, to help customers experience products such as houses, furniture, etc. This capacity will transform
the buying experience by enabling customers to interactively explore objects before making purchases.

13. This innovative process of
selection shifts from a pamphlet-
based view of the product to a
lifelike holographic view that
the customer can interact with,
manipulate and customize.
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Digital Systems & Technology

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Digital Systems & Technology
| Reimagining the World with Intelligent Holograms
Ramesh
Yechangunja
Chief Architect, Cognizant’s
Global Technology Office
Ramesh Yechangunja is a Chief Architect within Cognizant’s Global
Technology Office (GTO), where he heads GTO’s human-computer
interactions discipline. In this role, he researches haptics, virtual
reality, augmented reality and gesture computing, as well as simu-
lation and analysis, and converts these technologies into products
and services for commercial use. Ramesh is responsible for all
aspects of the lab, including strategic planning, engineering and
R&D. Previously, he was the Senior Technology Officer at Yan-
tric, Inc., an R&D firm spun off from the MIT Touchlab, which is a
global leader in the field of haptics. Ramesh has a master’s degree
in electrical engineering from Penn State University and a bach-
elor’s degree in electronics and communication engineering from
Bangalore University. He can be reached at Ramesh.Yechangunja@
cognizant.com | https://www.linkedin.com/in/rameshyg/.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Srinivas TK
Director, Cognizant’s Global
Technology Office
Srinivas TK (TK) is a Director within Cognizant’s Global Technology
Office where he is responsible for thought leadership dissemination,
market messaging and managing GTO’s technology alliances. He is
a deep generalist with 17-plus years of cross-functional experience
in the IT services industry, and he has played a multitude of roles
across consulting, delivery, business development, marketing and
alliance management. TK received a postgraduate degree in busi-
ness management from T.A. Pai Management Institute, Manipal. He
can be reached at Srinivas.TK@cognizant.com | www.linkedin.com/
in/srinivastk.
Preeti Chhaparia
Senior Business Analyst,
Cognizant’s Global Technology
Office
Preeti Chhaparia is a Senior Business Analyst within Cognizant’s
Global Technology Office (GTO). She is responsible for marketing
messaging and knowledge dissemination of emerging technol-
ogy from GTO’s point of view. Preeti’s passion is to create new
and fresh perspectives on technologies of the future as seen
through a prism of business and individual usability. She received
a postgraduate degree in business management from the Indian
Institute of Management, Ranchi. Preeti can be reached at Preeti.
Chhaparia@cognizant.com | https://www.linkedin.com/in/preeti-ch-
haparia-4ba10543.

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| Reimagining the World with Intelligent Holograms
FOOTNOTES
1 www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/medical-holography.asp.
2 www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/india/10803961/Magic-Modi-uses-hologram-to-address-dozens-of-rallies-at-once.
html.
3 http://mashable.com/2016/02/16/k-pop-hologram-concerts-south-korea-singapore/#3osYY3BbT8qF.
4 www.businessinsider.in/Ralph-Lauren-Creates-A-Virtual-Fashion-Show-With-Holograms-In-Central-Park/article-
show/42378867.cms.
5 www.engadget.com/2014/05/18/michael-jackson-hologram/.
6 www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGRW8qT9GzE.
7 Code Halos: How the Digital Lives of People, Things, and Organizations Are Changing the Rules of Business, by Malcolm
Frank, Paul Roehrig and Ben Pring, published by John Wiley & Sons, April 2014, www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/pro-
ductCd-1118862074.html.
REFERENCES
• J. Geng, “Three-dimensional display technologies,” Advances in Optics and Photonics 5, 456 (2013).
• B. C. Kress and P. Meyrueis, Applied Digital Optics (Wiley, 2000).
• M. Lucente, in SMPTE 2nd Annual International Conference on Stereoscopic 3D Media Entertainment, Society of Motion
Picture and Television Engineers (2011).
• www.business2community.com/tech-gadgets/3d-hologram-future-technology-entertainment-01214803#k61cAXLT3bT1H-
7tU.97.
• www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/researchers-develop-real-floating-3d-hologram/.
• http://emag.medicalexpo.com/holograms-for-future-medical-training/.
• Ayres, P. (2006), “Using subjective measures to detect variations of intrinsic cognitive load within problems,” Learning and
Instruction, 16(5), 389-400.
• www.neowin.net/news/sketchup-aims-to-transform-industrial-design-using-holograms-with-new-microsoft-hololens-app.
• http://trikonatech.com/index.php/3d-holography.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors thank Biju Shoolapani, Head of GTO’s Digital Technologies Labs, for his insights and guidance during the writing of this
paper. We also thank the technologists who provided the nuts-and-bolts view of holographic technology in action: Madhu Mohan
Bhukya, Jaideep Takkar, Ashmita Kumari Nandi and Vivekananth Sukumar.
15Reimagining the World with Intelligent Holograms |

16. GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OFFICE
The Global Technology Office (GTO) is a core business unit of Cognizant with a mandate to power technology-driven transformation. GTO’s
mission is to power and accelerate Cognizant’s capability to harness transformative technologies and enable our customers, people and
processes to navigate the shift in the work ahead.
As part of GTO, Cognizant Technology Labs is the specialist group that researches, pilots and prototypes emerging technologies with the
most potential to spark transformative business innovations. Our labs focus on pursuing tomorrow’s technologies to put our clients ahead
and extending our footprint in specific areas where we believe technology trends are headed.
We develop solutions that bring real value to our clients’ businesses, and help them own and embrace emerging technologies in ways that
make sense for their organizations. We also draw on our existing building blocks and emerging technology expertise to accelerate develop-
ment of new applications.
ABOUT COGNIZANT
Cognizant (NASDAQ-100: CTSH) is one of the world’s leading professional services companies, transforming clients’ business, operating and
technology models for the digital era. Our unique industry-based, consultative approach helps clients envision, build and run more innova-
tive and efficient businesses. Headquartered in the U.S., Cognizant is ranked 205 on the Fortune 500 and is consistently listed among the
most admired companies in the world. Learn how Cognizant helps clients lead with digital at www.cognizant.com or follow us @Cognizant.
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