Pocket-Sized Foldable Hologram Projection Stand

Technology & Electronics

Current small-scale holographic projection devices often have bulky designs, awkward viewing angles, and can only work with specific projectors. Many require extra light shielding and are not portable. They’re also expensive to produce, limiting their use to niche markets or specialized products.

Core Features

This invention is a flat-folding projection device made from inexpensive materials like cardboard or paper, with a transparent plastic projection surface. It folds from a flat “greeting card” shape into a stable triangular stand that holds a smartphone or tablet at the correct 45° angle. The projection surface stands vertically—like a regular screen—for comfortable viewing.

Unique Inventive Step

Unlike existing devices that tilt the projection surface or need special projectors, this design allows any phone or tablet to project an image that appears to float in mid-air, thanks to total internal reflection. The clever folding layout makes the stand sturdy while keeping it ultra-thin for storage or mailing. The projection surface can even be stored clamped flat inside the folded base when not in use.

Tangible Benefits

  • Portable & lightweight – folds flat for mailing or carrying.
  • Low-cost production – paper-based with minimal parts.
  • Easy to use – unfolds quickly, with some versions requiring just one movement.
  • Universal compatibility – works with different sizes of smartphones and tablets.
  • Comfortable viewing – vertical screen orientation feels natural.
  • Customizable – can include printed designs, instructions, or even act as a greeting card with a personalized holographic video.

Broader Impact

This device makes holographic-style projection accessible to anyone. It could be used for greeting cards, educational tools, marketing displays, or creative projects, all without expensive hardware. By enabling mass production from recyclable materials, it supports sustainable product design while opening new possibilities for personalized communication and portable visual displays.

Disclaimer

The image and video are AI-generated based on the description of the invention in its patent application and are intended for illustrative purposes only.

It explains the concept and is not the actual product as it still needs to be developed.

Market need

People and brands want eye-catching, low-cost ways to deliver short video “wow moments” without special hardware. Existing pyramid-style hologram toys and DIY rigs either feel fiddly, force awkward viewing angles, or aren’t mail-friendly. A flat-folding, greeting-card-style version solves portability, cost, and ease-of-use for gifting, education kits, and pop-up brand activations.

Technical feasibility

Very high. The device uses paperboard + a thin transparent film and standard folds/tabs. It relies on total internal reflection at ~45°—a well-known effect proven by prior consumer products (e.g., Playmobil’s Playmogram). No electronics, motors, or bespoke optics are required; any phone/tablet supplies the video.

Potential applications (where it could sell)

  • Greeting cards & mailers: personalized video cards, wedding invites, brand mailers. The global greeting cards market is large but slowly declining (~US$16–19B, flat to –2% CAGR to 2030), so novelty formats help stand out.
  • Retail & events (POP displays, giveaways): counter displays and take-home promos for product launches; POP displays are sizable and growing (≈US$12–26B, high-single-digit CAGR).
  • Education & STEM kits / museum gift shops: simple optics lessons + branded content app.
  • Mobile accessories/gadgets: adjacent to a multi-hundred-billion mobile accessories category; phone stands alone are ~US$2.8B (2024), growing ~7% CAGR.
  • Holographic/3D display zeitgeist: While true holography is a separate, fast-growing market (multi-billion and rising), this product offers a “budget hologram” experience that can ride the trend for demos and promotions.

Uniqueness vs. alternatives

  • Key differentiators: ships as a flat card; tool-less, single-motion setup; vertical viewing surface for comfortable angles; clamps/ stores its own screen for mailing; optional dark backdrop. Those design choices target pain points in prior pyramids (bulky, tilt-only, toy-like).
  • IP posture: Prior art exists (pyramids, toy sets). The novelty rests in the blank’s fold geometry, vertical screen orientation with a 45° device stand, and integrated shipping/storage features—meaning defensibility is moderate and will hinge on well-crafted claims plus trade dress/brand.

Market size (addressable slices, directional)

  • Greeting cards/novelty mailers: ~US$14–20B globally (flat to modest decline).
  • POP/retail displays (for B2B promos and kits): ~US$12–27B today; US$17–42B by 2028–2030 (8–10% CAGR).
  • Phone stands (a proxy for giftable gadget market): ~US$2.8B (2024), growing to ~US$4.9B by 2032.

Go-to-market ideas

  • B2B white-label for greeting card publishers, printers, and promotional merch agencies.
  • Co-branded event kits (QR to a short clip that plays the “floating” message).
  • Education bundles (classroom packs + lesson plan).
  • App tie-ins (templates for birthdays/holidays/brand reveals).

Risks

  • Novelty fatigue without compelling content/app support.
  • Ambient-light sensitivity; requires decent contrast (mitigated by optional dark backdrop).
  • Easy to copy; margins depend on scale, printing partnerships, and brand demand.

Bottom line (viability)

Commercially promising as a low-cost, high-impact novelty for B2B promos, experiential mailers, and education kits—less so as a long-term consumer gadget. Success will come from content + distribution (card publishers, promo agencies, museums, EDU) rather than core tech. With the right partnerships and unit costs, this can be a repeatable, profitable specialty product riding large adjacent markets rather than a standalone mass-electronics play.