# HoloFans (DD-630)

> 'Holographic fans' are rotating LED displays. Each blade, or 'ray', carries a strip of LEDs. As the rotor spins, a controller switches every LED on and off at exact angles, so each sweep paints the picture one slice at a time, and the eye blends the flashes into a steady image. In a dark room the blur of the blades nearly disappears, so the picture seems to float. Single fans use hundreds of LEDs rather than thousands. HYPERVSN's Solo M has four rays of 168 LEDs each (672 in all) spinning at about 670 rpm, and its newer SmartV Solo M lists 216 LEDs per ray and a 1080 x 1080 picture. Displays only reach thousands of LEDs when several fans are synced into a wall. Despite the name, these aren't holograms. Holography, which Dennis Gabor invented in 1947 and won the 1971 Nobel Prize in Physics for, records and rebuilds light waves using interference. A fan draws a flat image on the plane of its blades, and the 3D look comes from the artwork's shading. This Reel is Part I of a pair. HoloFans II (DD-700) explains the same mechanism, so this case focuses on hardware numbers and the holography history.

- Department: Tech (also Science)
- First published: 2025-08-02
- Last updated: 2025-08-02
- Permalink: https://detailenjoyer.com/case/holofans/
- Author: Marcus Easterling (DetailEnjoyer), The Detail Department

## On the timeline

- **1947**: Dennis Gabor invents holography
- **1971**: Gabor receives the Nobel Prize in Physics for holography

Full timeline: https://detailenjoyer.com/timeline/?case=holofans

## Quick facts

- **DD-630-F01**: A HYPERVSN Solo M fan has 672 LEDs on four rays. _(Write-up · Exhibit B (Hundreds, not thousands))_
- **DD-630-F02**: Holography was invented by Dennis Gabor in 1947. _(Write-up · Exhibit E (Not holography))_

## Write-up

Pictures painted in midair. Spinning LED blades flash fast enough to fool your eyes.

1. **One slice at a time**: LED strips on a spinning rotor are switched at exact angles, so each turn paints the image slice by slice.
2. **Hundreds, not thousands**: A HYPERVSN Solo M carries 672 LEDs on four rays spinning at about 670 rpm.
3. **Sharper models**: The newer SmartV Solo M lists 216 LEDs per ray and a 1080 x 1080 picture.
4. **Walls of fans**: Several units can be synced into one big display, which is when LED counts reach the thousands.
5. **Not holography**: Dennis Gabor invented holography in 1947 and won the 1971 Nobel Prize in Physics. Fans don't use interference at all.

## Related case files

- [HoloFans II (DD-700)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/holofans-ii/): Part II of this series
- [Static Spray (DD-051)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/static-spray/): Another case about how a familiar technology really works

## Reel vs. record

- **Note**: 'Thousands of LEDs': a single commercial fan uses hundreds. HYPERVSN's Solo M has 672 (4 x 168), and the SmartV Solo M has 864 (4 x 216). Only multi-fan walls reach thousands.
- **Note**: 'Holographic': these are rotating LED (persistence-of-vision) displays, not holograms. Real holography rebuilds light waves using interference, a method Dennis Gabor invented in 1947.
- **Note**: '3D images': a single fan draws a flat image on the plane of its blades. The depth comes from shaded artwork and a dark background.
- **Note**: 'Precisely timed': the timing comes from the controller tracking the rotor's angle and firing each LED at set positions, many times per second (about 670 rpm on HYPERVSN units).
- **Note**: 'Persistence of vision' is the popular name. Vision scientists usually describe the blending as flicker fusion, the eye merging flashes too fast to separate. (HoloFans II makes the same point.)

## Video: HoloFans: Pictures Painted in Midair

- Duration: 20.1 s · Published: 2025-08-02
- File: https://detailenjoyer.com/assets/videos/DM34di4xtrD.mp4

### Transcript

DID YOU KNOW? Holographic fans use rapidly spinning LED blades to create the illusion of floating 3D images in midair by exploiting the persistence of vision, where the human eye perceives a continuous image from fast, sequential light patterns. As the fan blades spin, thousands of LEDs flash in precisely timed sequences, forming detailed visuals that appear to hover in space. NOW YOU KNOW!

## Questions & answers

**Q: How many LEDs does a HYPERVSN Solo M fan carry?**  
A: Four rays of 168 LEDs. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit B (Hundreds, not thousands) · HYPERVSN operating manual)_

**Q: About how fast do HYPERVSN fans spin?**  
A: About 670 revolutions per minute. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit B (Hundreds, not thousands) · HYPERVSN operating manual)_

**Q: Who invented holography?**  
A: Gabor, in 1947. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit E (Not holography) · NobelPrize.org: Dennis Gabor, Nobel Prize in Physics 1971 (facts))_

**Q: When do these displays reach thousands of LEDs?**  
A: Multi-unit walls add up the LEDs. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit D (Walls of fans) · invidis (2018): The tech behind those furiously-spinning LED holograph-ish HYPERVSN walls)_

**Q: What picture size does the SmartV Solo M list?**  
A: It lists 1080 x 1080. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit C (Sharper models) · HYPERVSN knowledge base: What are key features of the SmartV Solo?)_

## Sources

- [HYPERVSN operating manual](https://hypervsn.com/media/AFU/Operating_manual.pdf)
- [HYPERVSN knowledge base: What are key features of the SmartV Solo?](https://hypervsn.com/knowledge/what-are-key-features-of-the-smartv-solo)
- [NobelPrize.org: Dennis Gabor, Nobel Prize in Physics 1971 (facts)](https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physics/1971/gabor/facts/)
- [invidis (2018): The tech behind those furiously-spinning LED holograph-ish HYPERVSN walls](https://invidis.com/sixteen-nine/2018/07/04/the-tech-behind-those-furiously-spinning-led-holograph-ish-hypervsn-walls/)
- [Circuit Cellar: Build a Persistence-of-Vision Display](https://circuitcellar.com/archive-article/build-a-persistence-of-vision-display/)

## Cite this case file

Easterling, Marcus. "HoloFans." The Detail Department (DetailEnjoyer), case file DD-630, last updated Aug 2, 2025. https://detailenjoyer.com/case/holofans/