To put it simply Hakoani is just a box, but inside of the box is a pyramid made of semitransparent mirrors which reflect images on a device such as an iPad. When the iPad is placed on top of Hakoani the image on the screen (configured in a specific way) appears 3 dimensionally inside of the pyramid.
Solid objects can also be placed under the pyramid, allowing a skilled animator to interact with the virtual images. The girl in the box used in the demonstration isn’t doing a whole lot, but with a little imagination this box could have many applications such as a home decoration, gaming or business presentations.
Particularly for presentations, it’s compact and rather classy design is a more memorable alternative to bulky projectors and their screens. This should help to justify its rather steep price tag of 36,750 yen (US$470). This may seem like a lot for a glass box, but the reason for it is the high-grade film they use on the mirrors to eliminate any distortions.
I wouldn’t mind getting my hands on one so I can have my own personal deceased rapper music festival with B.I.G., Guru, Big Pun, Big-L, and Sweet Baby Jesus himself Ol’ Dirty Bastard.
Source: Hakoani via IT Media (Japanese)
Although it’s makes a beautiful decoration, it still seems like a waste of a tablet device.
