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More 3D Displays to Come

Anonymous Writer writes "The first laptop using an autostereo display to show images in 3D without special glasses was the Sharp Mebius PC-RD3D in Japan, later released in the US as the Sharp Actius RD3D. NEC has a line of computers with autostereo displays as well. They are the NEC Valuestar T VT900/8D desktop, the LaVie S LS900/9E laptop, and LaVie RX LR700/8E laptop. The line uses NEC's SoundVu technology that uses the display as a speaker! Autostereo displays are becoming more popular according to Martyn Williams and Tom Krazit from the IDG News Service. In their article in PC World, they claim laptops are just the start of it. A new satellite service by Mobile Broadcasting will be broadcasting 3D content to handheld devices in Japan some time soon. Another player in this market is Dynamic Digital Depth (mentioned in a previous post of mine), whose content services convert 2D video to 3D for display in this medium. Sanyo may be releasing 50-inch Plasma Displays that can display 3D. MIT's Media Laboratory is developing a more advanced 3D display, calling it a full resolution autostereoscopic display, that would allow a viewer to walk around and not lose the 3D effect, which current autostereo displays can't do."

43 of 122 comments (clear)

  1. Re:I'm so excited! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    If only the images could be made solid and warm to the touch!

  2. Tux would like to know... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    if the 3d display makes him look fat

  3. 3D RasMol? by clustercrasher · · Score: 5, Interesting
    Anyone planning to hook this into RasMol or PyMol? I would love to be able to look at my protein structures in 3D.

    http://pymol.sourceforge.net/

    1. Re:3D RasMol? by Anonymous+Writer · · Score: 4, Informative

      Check this out if you want a 3D display for protein structures.

    2. Re:3D RasMol? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

      The drivers for nVidia cards have built-in stereo 3d support for anaglyph (red/blue) and page flip modes. I've herd if you turn the drivers onto page flip mode they work with these fancy new 3d monitors, basically flipping from left to right eye images with every other frame. This is why alot of the laptops coming with these fancy monitors include an nvidia card, as ATI has absolutely no stereographic 3d support.

      The nvidia 3d drivers work fine with most all 3d (opengl or directx) games and applications. I've personally played some games with the nerdy 3d glasses and the nvidia drivers, and they work great. It's kind of a hidden feature most people don't know about.

    3. Re:3D RasMol? by ashot · · Score: 2, Informative

      ICM has built in support for a 3d solution using special glasses and special software to interlace the image, its pretty cool. Beyond that though, ICM has to be the least appreciated and most full featured molecular biology software package out there, and the viewer (ICM-Lite) is free to download.

      --
      -ashot
  4. Are there any brick and mortar stores by Throtex · · Score: 5, Insightful

    ... that carry these 3D display laptops? I'd like to actually see the damned things before I buy one, you know!

    And wow, 1.3 hours of battery life. Looks like I'd need to get a really long extension cord to retain portability. :)

    1. Re:Are there any brick and mortar stores by maja33 · · Score: 2, Informative

      This friendly AC claims that the new autostereoscopic displays will allow us, poor one eyed people, to experience 3D.

      --
      "It wasn't me, I didn't do it, I don't post, the bite marks still haven't healed from last time." Ryan/jrc
  5. 3D Displays by AnomalyConcept · · Score: 5, Interesting

    This would be extremely useful, especially in the CAD community. While I only know a little about the area of CAD and manufacturing, this combined with the inkjet plastics printing (I forget the term for it) or rapid prototyping machines would be really neat. Imagine designing something, and being able to view it in 3D from all angles (instead of a render), and then sending it to be printed off. I've never seen one of these 3D displays before; how are the objects rendered? How much processing power is needed to create such a display, especially from a 3D model? I'm sure it needs to be rendered first, but what about a flat-shading 3D program like Autodesk Inventor? 3D displays would be neat for new GUIs. Instead of having a flat 3D desktop, you could have a true 3D desktop. That would be interesting to see...

  6. NXT, not NEC by Boneburner · · Score: 5, Informative

    I don't want to be an smartass... but the SoundVu technology is not property of NEC, it was developed by NXT... just a word...

    1. Re:NXT, not NEC by Haydn+Fenton · · Score: 5, Funny

      "I don't want to be an smartass..."

      Don't worry, you failed being a smartass within the first six words ;)

  7. Re:3d displays by ikkonoishi · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Traditionally the 3D demo object of choice is a teapot.

  8. 3D autostereoscopic displays from MIT by cgenman · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I'm trying to wrap my mind around what exactly that convoluted mess of an MIT press release is trying to say. If I understand correctly, and someone please correct me if I'm wrong, the system tracks the heads of the people surrounding the display, then projects left-eye right-eye information through an adjustable polarized filter and lense system so that the viewable angle only includes the intended eye. The reason they need such a high refresh-rate is because they want a system that would work with 4 people... 4 people = 8 eyes = 8 times the updates.

    In essence, that's very cool. Why couldn't they just say that?

  9. And I'm assuming... by TheMadPenguin · · Score: 2, Interesting

    This doesn't work with Linux? From what I read, they are assuming I run Windows ;)

    --
    Linux with kernel panic...
    MadPenguin.org
  10. Re:I'm so excited! by Cylix · · Score: 3, Funny

    Well, I guess you could take the thermal elements from a heating pad and stick them in a real doll.

    Best I can do for a 100 quid.

    --
    "You should always go to other people's funerals; otherwise, they won't come to yours." -- Yogi Berra
  11. Small viewing angle by Saeger · · Score: 3, Interesting
    I imagine that the effective viewing angle on these planar 3D displays is very restrictive; move a couple inches to either side and all you'll end up seeing is the half-resolution image meant for one eye.

    The "3D displays to come" that hold the most promise, however, will require that you wear (non-dorky) viewing glasses. These normal looking glasses will use a safe Retinal Scanning laser to directly overlay 3D imagery onto your field of view. Of course, we won't see this tech in BestBuy until the Law of Accelerating Returns has run the course of a few more years.

    It's not too hard to think of several killer apps for augmented vision that make all other conventional displays pale in comparison. Even a wall-sized OLED display would take 2nd.

    --

    --
    Power to the Peaceful
    1. Re:Small viewing angle by cgenman · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Actually, the LCD versions have several viewing angles... move an inch to the side and you're out of phase, move another inch and you're back in phase. It's not perfect, but it works.

      Still, the reason that 3D displays are not currently popular is simply that people won't wear glasses. The SEGA Mastersystem had an excellent 3D effect from a simple pair of shuttered glasses. These are cheap and affordable, the type Kasperov used in his last (completely gimmocky) match against a computer. The 3D effect they produce is also darned good, with the only complaint being that you have to put on glasses. Now, if the only problem for the past 20 years is that you have to put on a pair of glasses, yet 3D has never taken off, why do you think there are so many people working so intently on glasses-free 3D?

      If you look at the MIT site, they're working on what is essentially an eye-specific projection system from a centralized viewing pannel that uses head tracking and approximation instead of glasses. Now this technology has promise.

  12. Does anything actaully use this? by bcmm · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Does/will any software actaully use this?

    It would be very cool for CAD, but this is going to take up to much processor for real-time gaming rendering, isn't it?

    --
    # cat /dev/mem | strings | grep -i llama
    Damn, my RAM is full of llamas.
    1. Re:Does anything actaully use this? by jackbird · · Score: 3, Interesting
      CAD usually end up hitting system resources much harder than games, since games are designed to only render datasets that will provide acceptable performance on the target hardware, while CAD programs, by their very nature, can attempt to render models of arbitrary complexity. Furthermore, with an arbitrary CAD model, you can't get performance boosts from precalculated optimizations like BSP trees.

      Also, speaking as someone who spends much of the workday turning 2D CAD files into 3D models, I don't think a 3D display would really be that useful in CAD, except maybe for client presentations. For starters, leveraging a 3D display to full usefulness would require a good 3D input device, and those just haven't arrived.

      Furthermore, given the limited number of scanlines, It would seem you'd be restricted to a fairly low number of pixels (depth-xels?) of Z resolution, which could quickly become a problem with fine detail.

    2. Re:Does anything actaully use this? by Anonymous+Writer · · Score: 2

      The Sharp Actius RD3D can be used with games. It comes bundled with James Bond 007: Nightfire, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2003, and Need for Speed Hot Pursuit 2.

      As for other uses, Dynamic Digital Depth has photo viewer, movie player, molecular viewer, and PowerPoint plugin that are bundled with the Actius RD3D as well. They can also be used with other autostereo displays.

  13. Reminds me of Looking Glass by XyborX · · Score: 3, Interesting
    Wow.. Imagine this combined with Suns Project Looking Glass..

    1. Perfect the technology
    2. Lower the cost so consumers can afford it
    3. "My laptop is more awesome than yours!"
    4. Profit!
    --
    // Just my few cents
  14. actually, since the first 3-d laptop was announced by way2trivial · · Score: 2, Insightful
    I've been wondering, how long until we have digital cameras that have dual element ccd's

    digital sterescopic imagery... for said laptops...

    I'd love to take some 3-d pictures of my son for example.. esp if I could rotate the shots a few degrees....

    --
    every day http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random
  15. Without autostereo? by mikael · · Score: 2, Funny

    The first laptop using an autostereo display to show images in 3D without special glasses was the Sharp Mebius PC-RD3D in Japan, later released in the US as the Sharp Actius RD3D

    Is the version without this feature, the Sharp Actius R2D2?

    --
    Vintage computer adverts: http://www.vintageadbrowser.com/computers-and-software-ads
  16. Sharp Actius by Throtex · · Score: 5, Informative

    If you click on the Sharp Actius RD3D link and then click "Where to Buy", they show you the direct-from-the-manufacturer cost and allow you to purchase it.

    If it's worth it, I'd buy it. It's running at $2,999.00 at this moment. Can't really tell if it's worth it by looking at a picture of it over the Internet, though.

  17. Re:I'm so excited! by cgenman · · Score: 3, Funny

    You could use one of those 3D pin-cushion displays as a projection screen with a heating element behind it. That way it A: meets all of your requirements and B: stops you from doing with it what you were planning on doing with it.

    Filthy, filthy, filthy.

  18. Build your own rig by MacFury · · Score: 3, Interesting
    Two of my friends have Canon Digital Rebels. We built a small rig using wood and machine screws that allows us to position the cameras side by side, lenses pointing slightly inward.

    It gives us some pretty cool stereo graphic images. The only way I've found to get a true color 3D image is to put both images side by side, then look at their center cross eyed. Is there a better way?

    1. Re:Build your own rig by hugesmile · · Score: 2, Informative
      You can build or buy a stereoscope. See this link for some sample antique stereoscopes. The concept is that you have a card that is about 10 inches from your eyes. On the card is the two pictures, one for each eye. Then the stereoscope separates your vision so that each eye sees a different image. This is the 19th century version of the Viewmaster.

      The antiques might work well if you print your images side-by-side.

  19. Re:I'm so excited! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    I know that 3D pr0n is on the way using dual dv cams and dual webcams.

    Realtime-3d.com makes the driver for the stereo multiplexing. They are even building 3d models in realtime so you could shift your viewing angle without moving the cameras.

    In terms of autostereo displays, I've used a couple and they are very restrictive. DTI makes one for about $1300. You can't move much though.

    For my money, I'm waiting for OLED displays. They'll have faster refresh rates than CRTs (supposedly) so they'll be able to handle shutter glasses. I've heard through the grapevine that the company that makes X3D shutter glasses is on the verge of shutter glasses for LCD monitors, but the refresh rate should really suck.

    Finally, there is one other interesing technology. Micropolarizers overlay your LCD screen. You wear polarized glasses and the monitor is stereo. The overlays are $600-ish for a 15 inch screen though.

  20. As a professional 3D Photographer... by callipygian-showsyst · · Score: 2, Interesting
    ...I am very encouraged with the new LCD autostereo displays.

    3D photo imaging never seems to become mainstream, and not having to wear viewing glasses may help its acceptance, at least in some areas (visualization, gaming).

    And there's nothing like the natural appearance of a good 3D Photo.

    1. Re:As a professional 3D Photographer... by Anonymous+Writer · · Score: 2, Informative

      Have you heard of Big3D.com? They can produce large lenticular prints. However they use Photoshop layers to produce the 3D effect, so although there will be parallax between the layers, each layer will appear flat.

  21. Re:3d displays by OlaL · · Score: 2, Funny

    My personal favourite (a few clicks away from the above link): "Teapotahedron".

  22. Re:3D Displays by NanoGator · · Score: 4, Interesting

    "This would be extremely useful, especially in the CAD community. While I only know a little about the area of CAD and manufacturing, this combined with the inkjet plastics printing (I forget the term for it) or rapid prototyping machines would be really neat. Imagine designing something, and being able to view it in 3D from all angles (instead of a render), and then sending it to be printed off."

    Figured since I'm a 3D artist, you wouldn't mind if I chimed in. Would a stereoscopic display help me? If the display is convincing enough, yes! Right now, while I'm modelling, I'm constantly rotating the model around, sometimes just slightly, just to get a sense of the parallax. This gives me a clue as to what vertices are where. A stereo display could potentially relieve me from needing to rotate it as much. If that's true, I could get more detail on the screen without worrying about the vid card not being powerful enough for what I'm doing.

    I wish I could tell you for a fact that it would or wouldn't work, but I've yet to experience stereoscopic work-flow. I am rather curious, though.

    --
    "Derp de derp."
  23. Re:First thing I noticed... by NanoGator · · Score: 2, Insightful

    "..was that in that hefty 30 line writeup, nowhere is the cost of all of this stuff mentioned. I bet it's still all out of my price range. :-("

    This is typical of new technology. Comes out expensive, gets popular, then gets relatively cheap. Early adopters that pay lots of $$$ for the new stuff help pay for the R&D that goes into it. Don't be discouraged, rather just expect to wait another year or two.

    --
    "Derp de derp."
  24. Re:actually, since the first 3-d laptop was announ by Anonymous+Writer · · Score: 2, Informative

    Canon was going to produce a 3D lens for their XL1 DV cam, but they canned the idea.

  25. SeeReal and other stereo monitor companies by maddugan · · Score: 3, Informative

    SeeReal and other stereo monitor manufactures use a similar technique as the Sharp laptop, but the go one step further and track the viewers position and shift the internal LCD to face the viewer. This improves the small view angle, but make the monitor thicker and wider to accommodate the clearance required for the shifting.

  26. I wonder about people without stereoscopic vision by kaladorn · · Score: 2, Interesting

    There are a number of us out there (yes me...), I think around 1-3%, who have effectively no 3D (stereoscopic) vision. In my case, I can detect a profound shift from eye to eye. When I tested on the fancy opthomalogical(sp?) machine where you try to line up 4 lines into a + sign (roughly), I could only ever see two at a time, which two depending on which eye I 'looked' through. In university geology courses, I could never use a stereoscope to examine stereoscopic pictures (trying to estimate a slide-mass was really fun....).

    So, I wonder which, if any, of these 3D technologies will work for people with these kinds of problems? Or, will we just become another group of 'informationally handicapped' people? (Which would suck, since I'm a programmer!)

    --
    -- Mal: "Well they tell you: never hit a man with a closed fist. But it is, on occasion, hilarious."
  27. Re:First thing I noticed... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    They accept Visa, Mastercard, arms and legs, and kidneys.

  28. Re:Re people without stereoscopic vision by craznar · · Score: 3, Informative

    I'm sort of an expert, in that I have had dual mono-scopic vision for almost 40 years now.

    People without stereoscopic vision who are that way because of large deviations in the angle at which their eyes point will get no 3-D from any form of 3D technology.

    Why, well I have 6 degree vertical separation between my eyes, so when both my eyes are open simultaneously my brain has to ignore one of the images to cope.

    So it will continue to ignore one of the stereo images even if produced artificially.

    --
    EMail: 0110001101100010010000000110001101110010 0110000101111010011011100110000101110010 0010111001100011011011110110
  29. RD3D? by ozbird · · Score: 3, Funny

    I'm not sure about that model, but here's a picture of the R3D3 display in action.

  30. That's pretty sad. by blair1q · · Score: 2, Insightful

    When the MIT Media Lab puts up a webpage about a display, and it's all text, you know there's some suck built right in.

  31. stereo + haptics by rexguo · · Score: 2, Interesting

    That is great and all, but I believe the problem with all that, is that you -still- can't intereact with the 3D object you're seeing, at the place where it -appears-. That is, you're seeing the object in front of you, but your hand is like 30cm away on the mouse (or whatever 3D input device) trying to manipulate it. That's one thing we solved at ReachIn (a company where I used to work for) by projecting the stereo image onto a mirror, and have a 3-DOF force-feedback device installed under the mirror, so that the hand can be -at the same place as the object-!

    --
    www.rexguo.com - Technologist + Designer
    1. Re:stereo + haptics by Anonymous+Writer · · Score: 2, Informative

      That is great and all, but I believe the problem with all that, is that you -still- can't intereact with the 3D object you're seeing, at the place where it -appears-.

      Yes you can. There are 3D input devices such as mice, joysticks, gloves, and haptic devices.

  32. Barking Up The Wrong Tree by jaghatarjankare · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I think they're all barking up the wrong tree.

    This 3D thing is not about making something in 2D 'appear' to be 3D, but about really making it 3D.

    I mean holograms and stuff, but far beyond.

    I mean when you want to save a file, you literally reach out and grab it in your fist and drop it in a folder and whoosh there it goes in the folder and its saved.

    When you want to open a file, you literally pry a folder open with your fingers and then select from the contents within.

    You could also use the 'office cabinet' algorithm. Someone will figure it out.

    But we won't need keyboards and mice much longer. We'll talk to the danged things. And we'll have a manual override so you can 'reach out and touch it' and do it yourself.

    And yes, for the fringe groups, this will mean porn comes to an all-new hi-tech level.