Fermi Estimate: Network Data Rate Behind a Star Wars Holographic Projection

In the Star Wars films, characters send and receive three-dimensional holograms of one another. Estimate how much bandwidth one of these holographic transmissions would use. Lay out how you structure the estimate, label each assumption, and end with a figure and a sense of how confident you are in it. ```hint Size one frame first Decide how you would describe a three-dimensional figure as numbers, estimate how much data one frame of it takes, and only then multiply by how many frames are sent each second. ``` ### Clarifying Questions - Should the estimate match the small, flickering, single-color projections shown on screen, or a convincing full-color, life-size figure? - Is it a recorded message played back from a device or a live two-way call, and do you want a data rate or the total size of a message? - Should the figure be the raw signal, or what remains after compression of the kind used for video today? ### What a Strong Answer Covers - A stated reading of what the hologram shows and how it is used, settled before any arithmetic - A way of representing the three-dimensional figure as data, with a reason for choosing it over the alternatives - Labeled, round assumptions and correct arithmetic, with units kept straight (bits versus bytes, per frame versus per second) - The effect of compression, and a sanity check against familiar data rates - A final range, and how it shifts with fidelity and with live or multi-party use ### Follow-up Questions - How would the answer change for a live meeting in which four participants each appear as a hologram to the other three? - Which assumption moves your answer the most, and how would you narrow it? - If you were the product manager for a holographic calling product, what would your estimate tell you about which networks and devices you could launch on?