Cue the carnival music, don the flashy costumes, and let the thrilling acts begin—there is no other entertainment like the circus. But many believe the circus is overdue for an update. For centuries, people have trained animals to perform stunts for circus acts, such as tigers jumping through flaming hoops.
A 42-year-old German circus, called Circus Roncalli, once included horses and dogs in its shows. But last year, it replaced its traditional star attractions with three-dimensional holograms.
To create the technology for the performance, engineers designed lasers to project lifelike holographic animals onto a 360° screen. Artists used digital technology to show depth and wrinkly detail in the elephant figure below. Now, the holographic animals execute impressive stunts too dangerous for a live animal to perform. With the help of engineers and artists, Circus Roncalli has mastered the animal act while banishing the cruelty of the past.