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Sony Demo'ing 360 Degree 3-D Tabletop Display

Posted by timothy on from the must-stand-in-this-position dept.

JoshuaInNippon writes "Sony announced via a Japanese press release that they will be showing off a prototype of a tabletop 360 degree 3-D display that can be seen in any direction without special glasses at the Digital Content Expo 2009 in Tokyo, from October 22-25. The device is quite small, at just over 10 inches tall and 5 inches in diameter. The display, using LEDs, currently supports an image that is 96 pixels wide by 128 pixels tall, with 24-bit full color. Sony also says it could have a number of applications, such as a digital sign, a digital frame, a medical display, or a virtual pet. Looking at the product image, who else wants to bet on the latter?)"

13 of 102 comments (clear)

  1. Hmm... by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · · Score: 5, Funny

    How about an application that, using the webcam, grabs an image of the user's face and then wraps it onto a 3d model of a little head on this display.

    Your own tiny, somewhat distorted face would stare at you for a while, and then begin a high, thin, tormented wailing, smashing itself against the confines of the display tube. It's like a screensaver; but with more sanity damage.

    1. Re:Hmm... by Sponge+Bath · · Score: 4, Funny

      Your own tiny, somewhat distorted face would stare at you for a while, and then begin a high, thin, tormented wailing, smashing itself against the confines of the display tube.

      Just like the old days of reading /. with a reflective CRT screen.

  2. 96 pixels wide by 128 pixels tall by oldspewey · · Score: 5, Insightful

    96 pixels wide by 128 pixels tall

    If this thing is a 3D display, shouldn't there be another pixel dimension quoted here?

    --
    If libertarians are so opposed to effective government, why don't they all move to Somalia?
    1. Re:96 pixels wide by 128 pixels tall by spun · · Score: 4, Insightful

      96 pixels wide by 128 pixels tall

      If this thing is a 3D display, shouldn't there be another pixel dimension quoted here?

      I'd settle for an explanation of how the thing works.

      --
      - None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license. -- John Milton
    2. Re:96 pixels wide by 128 pixels tall by OzPeter · · Score: 4, Insightful

      96 pixels wide by 128 pixels tall

      If this thing is a 3D display, shouldn't there be another pixel dimension quoted here?

      It is probably one of the spinning mirror type displays. They project different 96 x 128 pixel images onto a spinning mirror depending on the angular position of the mirror. So the 3rd dimension that is probably missing is the minimum angular feature within the 360 degrees.

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      I am Slashdot. Are you Slashdot as well?
    3. Re:96 pixels wide by 128 pixels tall by RocketRocketship · · Score: 5, Informative

      I'd guess it uses a spinning mirror. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FiR2rGv7i4

  3. Needs to be bigger by lymond01 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Fun, but kind of useless at that size, unless you're R2D2 and have a vital message for an older Jedi warrior. I can envision floor and ceiling mounted projection units mounted flush that will do this sort of thing to display mannequins, advertisements, and battle station blueprints. I would think with a large enough angle from the floor and ceiling you wouldn't need any side projectors.

    1. Re:Needs to be bigger by Chris+Mattern · · Score: 3, Funny

      Gesundheit!

  4. From FTA: by amicusNYCL · · Score: 5, Funny

    If you had such a 360 degree 3d display, what would you use it for?

    I don't know about anyone else, but I would use mine to project a 3d representation of a crudely drawn penis.

    --
    "Our two-party system is like a bowl of shit looking at itself in a mirror." - Lewis Black
    1. Re:From FTA: by ArsonSmith · · Score: 4, Funny

      I'd use mine to plan an assault on a partially completed Deathstar.

      --
      Paying taxes to buy civilization is like paying a hooker to buy love.
  5. Bigger is not really the issue by fyngyrz · · Score: 3, Insightful

    This, or something else truly 3D (as opposed to stereo tech), will no doubt be scalable. The problem we have, really, is there is no 3D media. No movies, TV shows, etc. Only computer generated imagery is readily available in 3D at this point.

    Making stereo media is almost trivial. 3D is a whole nuther ball of wax. Highly desirable, but no less difficult for that.

    --
    I've fallen off your lawn, and I can't get up.
    1. Re:Bigger is not really the issue by ae1294 · · Score: 3, Interesting

      This, or something else truly 3D (as opposed to stereo tech), will no doubt be scalable. The problem we have, really, is there is no 3D media. No movies, TV shows, etc. Only computer generated imagery is readily available in 3D at this point.

      Making stereo media is almost trivial. 3D is a whole nuther ball of wax. Highly desirable, but no less difficult for that.

      Ahhh I donno I've seen some 3d porn out on the torrent sites and with the way computers are going it won't be to long before someone writes a conversion program for 2d anyhow. You see the Characters from enough angles most of the time.

      Really I'm just waiting for the "make your own" porn I MEAN movie software.

      1. Select the characters & their mental attributes.
      2. Select the outfits, scenes, etc.
      3. Input story/screenplay.
      4. Do some directing when something goes wrong.
      5. Profit... (There is no ??? or spoon)

  6. More reading material... by argent · · Score: 3, Informative

    Endgagdet story from 2007
    Siggraph 2007 video
    Siggraph 2009 demo