Holographic accelerometer

The information displayed by a hologram depends on the angle at which you view it. This allows them to produce 3D images, but it also allows them to store a high density of other types of data.Now, Microsoft has found another handy use for the principle. Its patent describes a device in which a hologram sits on a spring and the information is read from it by a sensor at a fixed angle.Moving the device quickly causes the spring to bend and changes the angle at which the sensor reads the hologram. The angle, and hence the acceleration of the device, can then be easily determined form the information picked up by the sensor. Hey presto – a holographic accelerometer.One possible application, Microsoft says, could be adding accelerometer controls to a portable computer. Giving your machine a quick shake could start up a particular program or jump between applications perhaps.