Over the years I have seen many attempts to display 3-D, some of them good and some of them not so good. One of the first that I programmed was the Immersadesk using CAVE library software. I have also done a lot of programming using SGI’s OpenGL Performer.
Researchers at Keio University has recently developed a new hardware device for displaying, and interacting with, 3-D images. I am curious to see how it works in real life. Is it simply a mirror that spins around very fast on which images are displayed, or is this some new technology altogether?
Currently, most 3D projection technologies require the viewer to wear special glasses to see the images correctly. The Keio team, led by virtual reality researcher and professor Susumu Tachi, however, devised a projector that uses special reflecting equipment to project an image from 42 different viewpoints simultaneously, creating a floating 3D image in the middle of a case about 50 centimeters square in size. When a person looks at the image through a viewing window on the case, the slight offset between the images going to each eye creates a three-dimensional interpretation of the image in the viewer’s brain.
via 3D-projector viewable with naked eye to be showcased at expo – The Mainichi Daily News.
