3D Display, No Glasses Required

Shibatch writes "Hitachi, Ltd has developed a 3D display called Transpost which can be viewed from any direction without wearing special glasses. 3D movies can be seen as floating in the display. Also, 3D movies captured at other places can be shown on the display in realtime. The principle of the device is that 2D images of an object taken from 24 different directions are projected to a special rotating screen. They also developed a camera which can capture images from 24 directions simultaneously." The pictures are interesting, but ... translations, anyone?

Comments

Re:Translation

[benjymous]

Just about readable, but a few untranslated gaps:

--

Developing the stereoscopic vision display technology which can see from with 360 degree anywhere
- Photograph taken on the spot image in real time appreciation possibly -
Hitachi, Ltd. (President execution part: Manor mountain Etuhiko, below: Hitachi), this each time, turning from with 360 degree anywhere, it developed the new model stereoscopic vision display technology which can look at image. With this technology, as for the viewer like wearing and hologram image of the special glasses, it is possible to enjoy the kind of stereoscopic vision which just floats in the sky without processing specially. In addition, jointly using the private photographing system, stereoscopic vision of photograph taken on the spot discrimination/reference also it is possible in real time to praise. Through network, if photograph taken on the spot image is sent, the presentation of the completely new shape that is actualized stereoscopic vision is appreciated simultaneously at the place where it is far. Application in wide field is expected as the new information offer system where this technology used image.

[untranslated] *1)Is known widely. But, with holography, because the process which draws up the interference fringes (hologram) in order to play back stereoscopic vision is necessary, it is not possible to indicate photograph taken on the spot image in real time.
It becomes possible to actualize the scene that, in the actual world if in real time, as stereoscopic vision it becomes possible to indicate for example, in order to appear in the world of the SF movie, stereoscopic vision of the person and the object is projected photograph taken on the spot image in the sky. In addition, it just drew up in Japan even in the foreign country simultaneously appreciating mock-up (prototype), such that the presentation is done it can actualize the form of new business to argument and the customer of the commodity design.

[untranslated]

(1) indication of the stereoscopic vision with simple mechanism
As for basic principle, projecting the image of the subject which is projected from plural directions, simultaneously to the rotary screen which administers uniqueness processing, it is something which indicates three-dimensional image. With trial manufacture display "Transpost", it projects to the mirror of the top board with the liquid crystal projector which first installs image of the subject which is projected from 24 directions, in the pedestal. It is the mechanism that the image which is reflected with the mirror of the top board is projected by 24 mirrors which are arranged around the rotary screen, furthermore, reflects with this mirror and is projected to the rotary screen.
(2) indicating stereoscopic vision of photograph taken on the spot in real time
[untranslated]

As for the stereoscopic vision display technology which this time was developed, both the still picture and animated picture indication of full color is possible from [untranslated] to photograph taken on the spot image. Until recently it is expected to the field of business and entertainment, as a stereoscopic vision expression of the [untranslated] times which are not and a display of information transmission, that it is utilized widely.

3D *movies*?

[JessLeah]

It seems to me like a system such as this would be rather inappropriate for watching movies. For one thing, making a device any much larger than a normal-sized tube TV would start to get really impractical, as the spinny elements would start to generate a lot of noise (and you WOULD NOT want to be there if a large, high-speed spinning element broke off of its axis and started ricocheting about the room...).

Also, unlike conventional holograms, you would not be able to "touch" the image. Reach out to touch these images, and the rotate-o-thingy will lop your hand off.

I shudder to think of the safety (and power consumption, and noise) issues that would be involved in making a movie-screen-sized version of one of these...

Something like this is probably more useful for scientific and military visualization. I know it's corny, but think of the Star Wars-like 3D display in South Park, in the scene where Bill Gates gets shot by the army guy. Something like that display machine...

Re:3D *movies*?

[Anonymous Coward]

Man, can't you see beyhond?! Rembember ENIAC? It was the first digital computer. Let me just copy-paste a little:

By today's standards for electronic computers the ENIAC was a grotesque monster. Its thirty separate units, plus power supply and forced-air cooling, weighed over thirty tons. Its 19,000 vacuum tubes, 1,500 relays, and hundreds of thousands of resistors, capacitors, and inductors consumed almost 200 kilowatts of electrical power.

By your logic computers would never be PERSONAL computers, for gamming, watching videos, etc...

This is awsome, and in 10/20/30 years they can probably build one small enough to put in the livving room.

Insert obligatory porn comment here

[m_dob]

This won't be big until its actually useful for something other than technical visualisation. But it's still cool...

How are these images projected/created in the tube

[huha]

I really wonder how these images you can see in the tube are created.
I could imagine it's a kind of fog where the image is projected by the help of lasers or other strong light sources.
I don't think this technique is very helpful because it requires really bulky "Displays", returning a relatively small picture.
If this does ever want to become generally accepted, the viewing appliances have to shrink and return bigger pictures, perhaps by sacrificing quality over price and bigger pictures.

-huha

Porn is the killer app.

[kiwioddBall]

You may be moderating this as funny but that is the most serious/insightful comment you will see here.

If you think about it, it is going to be really hard to show scenery ie mountain landscapes on this screen - you can only show objects standing in a void - the demo piccies here show a man standing in the middle of nowhere. Think about Star Wars and Princess Leia standing in the middle of nowhere in R2's projection - there are no walls around her...

So if you think about it, the only real use for this are artificial landscapes like Air Traffic Control displays, and people.

Porn is _the_ killer app for this one.

Re:Not 3D, 2.5D stereoscopic

[packeteer]

The number of angles is dependant on the number of projectors since that is all that changes when you see something different. Your simply looking into a different projector.

3D Control?

[cheesethegreat]

If 3D ever become mainstream for computing environments, my big question is how we'll navigate it. You can't exactly move your mouse up and down through the table as it tends to leave big holes. Maybe an orientation-based thing a la Twiddler 1, or a POV button for vertical movement and rotation. It's something I haven't seen addressed at all, and if we want to get support for 3D computing then I think we need to start with some interesting ideas on how we'll use it.

Re:3D Control?

[jeff munkyfaces]

firstly, i can't imagine (true) 3d interfaces being used for "general" use - that is any kind of text-based work, including the majority of internet browsing - i think that while 3d navigation might be useful for some situations (very large quantities of information might benefit), for the most part 2d will be the easiest, and importantly quickest to use (a 3d slashdot would not be a success..)

Of course there could be uses for 3d - the equivilent of flash at present (although i suspect a system designed for low-bandwidth will not continue for too much longer) or games, not to mention 3d modelling software and similar.

Again, while it could be useful for a lot of circumstances, i think the majority of users would get annoyed pretty quickly with their 3d navigation system, and long for their 2d mouse system - the actual process of finding stuff in a 3d world can be slow ("walking", turning, selecting an object over another), especially when compared to a 2d system.

So i personally don't believe we will be using 3d navigation in every-day computing. I can see it being very useful for specific applications - some desk-top but more around the home, where the emphasis is on "coolness" and the navigation/options a lot simpler.

As for the control system, (at last) i think the final-fantasy movie managed to deal with the issue quite well!
The idea of having a holographic spherical control unit (hovering in front of you and controlled with both hands) would offer very accurate/detailed control and could be adapted for many navigation/gaming/creative situations based around the same system - you can twist, stretch, rotate, squash etc.
If it was possible, of course. Presumably the projection system would not allow you to "stick your hands in" without ruining the projection, and how you could tell when you were touching something are problems.. A physical desk-mounted system along the same lines (both hands, "3d" movement) might work..

As for keyboard systems, i liked the idea that the control panel could adapt to the current situation, but again i suspect a physical keyboard would be the best solution (well it seems to have worked fine for this!)

So having spewed my mind and read it back, i agree, i have no idea and we need some ideas ;)

Re:Think of the possibilities...

[Fred IV]

I'm sure cam-whores would love it. They could be the first group to use it commercially as well.

FIV

Re:No glasses?

[Eivind]

Where does this common, but confused, idea come from ? I mean, the idea that straining your eyes, like trying to look at a fast-moving object, or looking in poor ligth or whatever will damage your eyes ?

It's not like people commonly claim that straining your ears, trying to hear a very very soft noise is damaging to your hearing. Or that trying to taste something that's present in very very low concentration will damage your sense of taste

Now, staring at something very brigth, or hearing a very loud noise can indeed be damaging, but that's sorta in the oposite direction, overload if you like.

Still, people persist in this "trying to see in poor ligth will kill your eyes" thing. I've honestly got no idea where that comes from.

Re:Heavy processing workload

[DrWhizBang]

Either your images have to be very simple, or you need extremely powerful hardware, or the resolution sucks, or you're going to have to accept low frame rates.

Well, duh! 24x3d images, given that we can do one image now, Moores law would say that the tech should be mainstream in about 7 years. Not that I think Moore's law is correct, but the point is, of course it's computational expensive, if it weren't it wouldn't be innovative. Eventually, processing power will catch up.

Re:No glasses?

[evilviper]

Where does this common, but confused, idea come from ? I mean, the idea that straining your eyes, like trying to look at a fast-moving object, or looking in poor ligth or whatever will damage your eyes ?

Reality maybe?

Okay, maybe some people misunderstand how the eye works, and use the analogy to apply to things that won't actally damage your eyes. However, your eyes most certainly can be damaged by some activities...

It was recently discovered that the muscles in your ears will atrophy if they are in a completely noiseless environment (but normal, quiet, background noise prevents it) so eyes aren't the only sense that can be damaged due to extra-low conditions.

Your eyes are different entirely. The real problem is that your eyes focus, and different envirnments will influence your eyes to focus differently... For example, if you wear a pair of perscription glasses designed for someone else, your eyes will gradually try to adjust their focus to accomodate. Wear those glasses for several weeks, and when you finally take them off, your eyes won't be able to focus normally again.

Another issue is moisture. When trying to focus on things like a computer screen, you will subconsciously begin to blink less. If you don't blink often enough, this will both cause pain to you, and can cause scratches on your eye's lense, which will damage your vision.

So, yes, there are a number of things that you can do that will damage your eyesight..

That's not all they've been working on.

[Anonymous Coward]

Check out this other interesting or should I say bizarre stuff.

http://hhil.hitachi.co.jp/products.html