Why is Kickstarter letting a hologram “scam” raise $250k?

The makers of Holus, a "holographic display," broke all the rules in the book. They posted fake CGI renderings of what's described elsewhere as a "Pepper's Ghost"-style optical trick, yet claim to "convert any digital content from a computer, tablet or smartphone into a 3D hologram." The viewing angles and qualities depicted are technologically unlikely. They only wanted $40k, but research and manufacturing costs could surely not be so tiny, suggesting crowdfunding as a VC-marketing vehicle. Most oddly, they even used a Kickstarter "Staff Pick" badge; when challenged, Kickstarter disclaimed interest in the unofficial use of the badge. The big question, from Joanie Lemercier, an artist and engineer who specializes in projections and holograms: is Kickstarter covering a scam? Read the rest