Sharp 3D Monitor Next Year

dOxxx writes "Sharp is bringing out a 3D monitor next year that requires no special glasses. It took them one day to convert Quake to work with the monitor. They are already selling cellphones in Japan for the NTT DoCoMo network with scaled-down versions of the screen."

Comments

Old news?

[zebs]

I seem to remember reading about this, or something very similar before.

The image depth relies on the system drawing the image on one of two physical layers and the distance between the two layers and the viewers position creates the 3D image.

Would there be any advantage in using more than two layers?

Re:Old news?

[fferreres]

Independant varibles != Dimension.

Yes, we can think of more variables, as long as the space is 3D. Space, for us, is some kind of instantaneous visualisation. When you add time, you think about it as a path.

You can't really "perceive" the details of you last week experiences without linearly going though them, you can't ... uh (for la of a better generic term) visualize them. But you can easily visualize a very complex shape in 3D with no need to add go linearly on the details.

So yes, I can think of color tone as a variable, radious of dots as a variable, time as a variable, anything as a variable but I can't imagine anything in 4D and sure as hell no in 4D.

Now, I don't know if that is _hardcoded_ problem for humans. Because as we know, we autoteach about 3D when we are born, and that gets burned in neuros structures.

What would happen if we attached a baby to a virtual but 100% consistent 4D world? That would be really hard, because we are 3D in nature ...for ever do in us or elsewhere, there would be infinite other dots in 4D. Anyway, it's my guess he will adapt to it and will be able to come back to "3D" (with a lot of pain, but possible). What you cannot do is go from 3D to 4D once fully trained in 3D.

That would be a nice experiment, maybe with rats or some other mammal. Now, looking at 4D shapes as would be seen in our 3D mind is pretty impressive. Really crazy.

Lower prices?

[gearheadsmp]

Will this lower prices on normal Flat Panel Displays? It appears a 3D display would cost way more, thus making lower-end displays else less desirable, thus lowering their prices.

Interface Futures

[snitty]

Imagine the future to of the interfaces and desktops, You could have true 3D layering of windows. Imagine flippping though folder heirachies in 3D.

I think you could also do some amazing screen savers. Flying Windows that look like they are going to clonk you in the head.

How long till we get OS support for these babies?

Applications

[rjamestaylor]

My first thought was 3D MRI (et al) viewing on handheld devices like the Zaurus in the exam room.

But, perhaps that's because I'm already using the Zaurus as a mobile platform for medical technology. And, I'm married.

Just goes to show that interpretation (and application) is dependent on the interpreter's context. . . (:

DoCoMo?

[AtariDatacenter]

I keep hearing that. Does it actually mean anything, or stand for anything in particular? It is an unusual name.

Re:No additional software?

[Minna Kirai]

Chances are they'll try some hacks in the Direct3d driver to guess at the Z values of onscreen objects in games. (Most likely, just reading the depth-buffer values that games use for hidden surface removal).

There is already a line of 3d glasses which will supposedly work with any game running on an NVidia card.

Given Sharp's emphasis on "3D without special glasses", the effect produced is probably similar to that existing product (but integrated into the monitor, and not as separate glasses)

Re:ASCII Art

[Anonymous Coward]

There already is AA3D.