History Main / HolographicTerminal

* In the ''{{Halo}}'' game series, [[ScaryDogmaticAliens Covenant]] and [[{{Precursors}} Forerunner]] control panels are made of light - blue and purple for the Covenant, and aquamarine and orange for the Forerunners. They usually have visible emitters.

* ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneyDualDestinies'' has Athena's Widget, a necklace computer that projects a holographic terminal that the player will use in the psychological profiling sections of the game.

* ''VideoGame/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneyDualDestinies'' has Athena's Widget, a necklace computer that projects a holographic terminal that the player will use in the psychological profiling sections of the game.

* ''VideoGame/PhoenixWrigheAceAttorneyDualDestinies'' has Athena's Widget, a necklace computer that projects a holographic terminal that the player will use in the psychological profiling sections of the game.

* ''WolfsRain'' had controls like this, used at least in the first episode to release an artificial being from her lab tank.
* ''[[SerialExperimentsLain Lain]]'''s CyberPunk computer had this, after she had upgraded it considerably.

* Used in ''CSIMiami''. It's also a OmniscientDatabase, and they don't even have the TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture {{handwave}} to fall back on, as on-screen dates show episodes usually occurring on the week of their transmission. To be fair, the tech they use is loosely based on experimental products, and could arguably be considered [[RuleOfPerception visual shorthand]].

* Oddly, since the later (continuity-wise) ''[[Series/BattlestarGalacticaReimagined Battlestar Galactica]]'' lacks them, ''{{Caprica}}'' has these in spades. The later absence is likely due to the [[ScienceIsBad technology backlash]] that resulted from the [[RobotWar First Cylon War]].
* The Visitors in the 2009 remake of ''[[{{V-2009}} V]]'' use interfaces that can be made to appear and disappear with a wave of a hand.

** Explained in the sequel. Apparently users wear haptic feedback gloves when interacting with holographic displays which both detect the coordinates of the users digits in relation to the holograms and provide resistance for buttons and such. Of course, these are difficult to clean and maintain, so heavy users get the feedback sensors implanted under their skin. Neato.
*** There are some holographic interfaces that don't work with haptic interfaces, however--see, for example, door "locks". At one point in ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'', Shepard hits one with his or her elbow to open a door, indicating that some are just plain holograms (evidently they work by detecting a disruption in the light or something).

* The more recent ''JamesBond'' movies have the holographic wall interfaces, or at least a very translucent touchscreen.

* In ''{{Paycheck}}'', the protagonist is a reverse engineer. He buys a new hologram-projecting TV, plugs it into his lab computer. The TV's specs then appear on the transparent wall behind him, revealing that it is a transparent screen like in MinorityReport. He then manipulates the specs with hand gestures. Pretty much a 2-D version of Stark's gear. RuleOfCool certainly applies, as well as ViewerFriendlyInterface, but it doesn't look implausible for the most part--except the standing-there-waving-your-arms-around-for-hours-on-end part.

** Supposedly, Creator/RobertDowneyJr. improvised the "reach-in-and-fiddle-with-it" interface, which [[JonFavreau the director]] liked so well that he had the FX team design the visuals around it.

** Supposedly, RobertDowneyJr. improvised the "reach-in-and-fiddle-with-it" interface, which [[JonFavreau the director]] liked so well that he had the FX team design the visuals around it.

* The Conjoiners in Creator/AlastairReynolds' ''Revelation Space'' series can see holographic displays, except that they're created in their mind by their cybernetic implants. One character discovers this after being assimilated and finding out why some people were waving their hands in the air and staring at things that were not there.

So you're in the future [[TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture but everything looks pretty much the same.]] No CrystalSpiresAndTogas, no [[IWantMyJetpack jetpacks,]] not even SpaceClothes to make fun of. But just to get the point across that this ''is'' the future, walking up to a random soda machine or computer won't reveal any kind of button or screen, instead a HolographicTerminal will pop up right in front of your nose and suspended in midair!

* The Literature/{{RCN}} series uses holographic displays and keyboards. The argument is that "the volume within a warship was too short to dedicate any of it to uses that could be accomplished by holograms." Daniel realizes he's a bit disturbed on an instinctive level when he meets an RCN civilian official who types on a physical keyboard.

* In the most recent of LarryNiven's ''KnownSpace'' novels (everything from "Ringworld Throne" to present), all computer terminals are one of these.

* Used in ''CSIMiami''. It's also a MagicalDatabase, and they don't even have the TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture {{handwave}} to fall back on, as on-screen dates show episodes usually occurring on the week of their transmission. To be fair, the tech they use is loosely based on experimental products, and could arguably be considered [[RuleOfPerception visual shorthand]].

* While it was controlled by a pretty much normal keyboard and mouse, the opening sequence of the legendary action platformer game ''AnotherWorld'' (''Out of This World'' in some countries) featured a computer whose monitor consisted of a volumetric display, and had cubic windows floating in its confines.

* The Conjoiners in AlastairReynolds' ''Revelation Space'' series can see holographic displays, except that they're created in their mind by their cybernetic implants. One character discovers this after being assimilated and finding out why some people were waving their hands in the air and staring at things that were not there.

* Every single item in ''Franchise/DeadSpace''; even the weapons/power tools have a holographic display which says how much ammo they have left. The projections are not exactly solid, though, since you can move through them at any time. There's also a marked ''lack'' of actual, physical screens, buttons and switches in the setting; anytime the power goes out, it's likely the whole interface just ''disappears'' (as seen on the ''Ishimura'' bridge in ''WesternAnimation/DeadSpaceDownfall'').
** Attention should be drawn to the rather notable diagetic menus. Barring the game's pause menu, everything else is projected as a real holographic object for [[PlayerCharacter Isaac]] to interact with in the game world. As such, you don't get to pause to check your inventory mid-combat, or the like.
*** Also [[FridgeBrilliance amazingly]] ''[[JustifiedTrope justified]]'' in the game world: your inventory is a backpack of sorts, but rather than rooting through it to find what you're looking for, you use the holo-display to select what you want and your suit system makes it available to you. Extremely useful for the engineer on the go.

* In the first issue of ''SupermanUnchained'', Lois Lane controls the Daily Planet layout with a holographic terminal.

[[caption-width-right:350:And when the power fails, [[AwesomeButImpractical the whole thing goes dark]][[hottip:*:Although, if the power goes out on a spaceship, you've got bigger worries.]].]]

[[caption-width-right:350:And when the power fails, [[AwesomeButImpractical the whole thing goes dark]].]]

It doesn't yet float, but the transparent screen part could be TruthInTelevision in the near future. See [[http://gizmodo.com/5465084/samsung-to-release-laptop-with-a-transparent-screen-within-12-months here]]. Also, if Enhanced Reality goggles ever get here, readout menus would probably appear to the user this way.