Microsoft Working Toward Star Wars-style Augmented Reality Projectors

Any true Star Wars fan remembers it fondly: That intriguing holographic message from Princess Leia in A New Hope. It raised so many questions: Who is she? Who is Obi Wan Kinobi? And when are we going to be able to send holographic messages?

Surprisingly, that capability may be close at hand. Steve Clayton, the creator of a Microsoft research lab, began working on augmented reality projectors as a way to furniture shop--after all, the best way to decide on a new sofa is to see it holographically displayed in your living room. 

Sure, the technology has a long way to go before we're beaming ourselves into each other's homes for a quick chat. But it's still pretty fascinating: Using Kinect technology, the researchers are able create a virtual version of the real world, with back-and-forth interactions between the two. Check out the video to discover how they're doing it.