Shawn Frayne (Looking Glass) on the Third Pillar of Spatial Computing: Glasses-free Holograms

The Guest

Shawn Frayne is the CEO and co-founder of Looking Glass Factory, a company dedicated to building the holographic future with a glasses-free, directly-viewable 3D display.

Prior to Looking Glass, Shawn worked with conventional laser-interference holograms, and then later developed a number of new technologies in the cleantech field. For this work, he has been awarded dozens of patents around the world and the Popular Mechanics Breakthrough Award. He’s also been named as one of the ‘20 Best Brains Under 40’ by Discover Magazine and listed on Inc Magazine’s ’30 Under 30.’

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The Conversation

In this conversation, Shawn starts by breaking down the hologram – both in its traditional sense and the modern interpretation. (This should not be confused with the marketing term that Microsoft and others liberally apply to the image you see through smartglasses.)

Shawn describes this new type of glasses-free, collaborative, 3D experience as the third pillar of our spatial computing future, sitting alongside VR & AR. He talks about how it works, how it’s used, and some of the trials and errors on the path to creating their current product.

Shawn recognizes the momentousness of what he’s created, and strives to do right by the researchers and others who have poured decades into bringing holograms into everyday use.

Jason McDowallUX, Direct-View 3D, hardware, lightfields