Lok Sabha polls: BJP's 3D hologram technology makes waves in Himachal

Taking the next step in holographic technology that made waves during Narendra Modi?s campaign in 2014, a group of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) volunteers called ?Team NaMo Again? is using the 3D technology to draw huge crowds in the small towns of Himachal Pradesh.

The principle of this technology is similar to a device developed by Chinese students a couple of years ago, where there is a single-blade fan that generates moving 3D holographic images when switched on. ?We got the idea from multiplexes that often display 3D logos and images from brands. It was developed in-house by the volunteer-led team which added significantly to the fan-based 3D image generation to build an election campaign and generate interest in the message it carries,? said one of the volunteers, who worked on the project.

The device has a three-hour backup and can play 3D quality high-definition holograms, videos, and photos with surround sound audio.

It was conceptualised by Lok Sabha member Anurag Thakur, whose Hamirpur constituency was the first place where the device was used. It is being strategically used by volunteers of Team NaMo Again.

Una district and Bilaspur city are the other two places where the technology was showcased.

The fan in the device is covered with a transparent shield, and displays 3D-images fed in through a laptop. The images could be that of a leader waving or talking in a life-like projection. Hanging the shields around their neck like a ?dhol?, volunteers go to locations like local bus stops, markets, taxi stands, colleges, universities and community centres to take the message of the party.

It also supports portable charging and Bluetooth-based audio that can go for up to three hours in one charge.

?The full set up is not available in the market yet. The battery, fan covering shield, power back-up, data storage and transfer are an example of ?Make in India? by assembling different parts from experts across India,? said a member of the team.

The team claims it has seen interest and appreciation from other countries as well, including from campaign strategists who worked on the US mid-term elections, German Chancellor Angela Merkel?s campaign director and members of Parliament in some European countries. The team plans to patent the technology.

The Chinese 3D hologram display was invented by students of Southeast University in Nanjing. The display gathered a lot of attention online in 2017 after an Australian Instagram account posted a video of a fast revolving fan that generates 3D images. The tech, however, has not found much use except in advertising and marketing.

In 2014, the then BJP prime ministerial candidate Modi made international headlines for addressing public gatherings at 100 locations across the country simultaneously, using the 3D holographic projection technology.

First used by Modi during the 2012 Assembly polls in Gujarat, the 3D projection address was hailed as being the most innovative use of technology during the last general election.

Tech Boost

• BJP held ?Bharat Vijay 3D rallies? across the country in 2014
• Innovative use of tech made the key difference for BJP in the 2014 polls
• The fan-based 3D image devices garner crowds of between 100 and 200 people in small towns
• Devices are WiFi-enabled and volunteers can carry them in a backpack