Nik Karpinsky quickly tapped out a few computer commands until a bust of Zeus, in all his bearded and statuesque glory, appeared in the middle of a holographic glass panel mounted to an office desk.

The marble eyes stared back at Karpinsky. Then a hand appeared and turned the full-size head to the right and to the left. Yes, it was quite clear; Zeus really was pictured in 3D.

And there it was, from one computer work station on the second floor of Iowa State University’s Howe Hall to another down on the first floor: 3D teleconferencing that’s live, real-time, and streaming at 30 frames per second.

“Four years ago, this would not have been possible,” says Karpinsky, an Iowa State doctoral student in human computer interaction who’s been working day and night to make the technology a reality.

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