musubi: the first consumer holographic photo and video frame
- 5 days ago
- 3 min read
Recreate
Imagine looking at a digital photo frame and seeing your memories pop out in true three dimensions, no glasses required. For years, holographic displays were expensive toys reserved for enterprise showrooms and developer labs. Looking Glass is finally bringing this futuristic technology into the home with musubi. It is a sleek, seven inch smart frame that uses advanced light field technology and artificial intelligence to turn your standard photos and videos into lifelike holograms, allowing you to experience your favorite moments with genuine depth.
Project Overview
Name and Creator: musubi: the first consumer holographic photo and video frame by Looking Glass.
What It Is: Musubi is a dedicated, seven inch portrait oriented digital frame designed to display holograms. It uses a proprietary Hololuminescent Display technology that combines a high resolution screen with a fixed holographic background. Users can load their existing two dimensional photos and short video clips onto the device via a local desktop app, which automatically generates depth and spatial effects.
Key Features
True Holographic Display: Unlike standard flat screens or digital frames, musubi provides genuine depth. Multiple people can view the three dimensional effect simultaneously from different angles without needing special glasses or virtual reality headsets.
Local AI Conversion: The frame comes with free Mac and PC desktop software that uses artificial intelligence to convert standard photos and videos into holograms. This processing happens entirely locally on your computer, ensuring your private memories are never sent to a cloud server.
Massive Local Storage: You do not need an ongoing subscription to use the device. The internal storage can hold up to one thousand individual holograms at a time.
Portable Design: While it can stay plugged in via USB C, it also features a built in rechargeable battery. This allows you to pick up the frame and pass it around for up to three hours of wireless playback.
Video and Audio Support: The device is not just for still photos. It supports short video clips up to thirty seconds long and includes an onboard speaker to play the accompanying audio.
Rewards
Kickstarter Pricing: Early backers can secure the musubi frame for 99 dollars during the first twenty four hours of the campaign, which is a significant discount from the planned 149 dollar retail price.
Options: There are various bundle packages available, including a limited rush order tier specifically designed as a gift option.
Delivery: The main production run is expected to ship to backers worldwide in June 2026. However, the special rush order tier is scheduled to ship by air in late April or early May to arrive in time for Mother's Day.
Concept
The core concept is to make spatial media accessible to everyone. Looking Glass believes that as capturing three dimensional media becomes easier, people need a dedicated place to display it. By creating a single purpose, plug and play consumer device, they aim to move holograms out of the lab and onto the living room shelf.
Inspiration
The project was inspired by nearly a decade of developing high end spatial displays for professionals and enterprise clients. The engineering team realized that everyday consumers also craved the magic of holographic presence but were locked out by high prices and complex software. They scaled down their advanced technology into an affordable, user friendly frame, giving everyone the ability to bring their digital memories to life.
