Glasses-free 3D technology, working and benefits

different screen views for each of the viewer's eyes, and another enabling multiple views irrespective of the viewer's eye direction. Auto stereoscopic displays include a host of displays like parallax barrier, electro-holographic, lenticular, light field and volumetric displays.

Few autostereoscopic displays also recreate a perception of movement parallax that enables one to see diverse scene images as the head is rolled from side to side or even vertically. The Nintendo 3DS video game system uses this amazing technology.

The evolving technology called HR3D is the latest and the most radical advancement to auto stereoscopy. Brainchild of the MIT Media Lab, this technology claims to substantially improve battery life without affecting screen resolution and brings home many winning features like better viewing angles and assured 3D effect even on screen rotation.

How it works?

glasses-free 3D technology

Glass-free -D TV merges the 3D video codec technology with the plasma/LCD display technology to create the auto stereoscopic 3D

ecosystem.Traditionally, 3D is encoded using Multi-view Video Codec (MVC) which is an extension of MPEG-4 H.264 AVC. MVC creates the 3D perception by fusing, synchronizing and overlaying two almost parallel HD "views", one each for left and right eye with the help of active shutter glasses. The new technology improves the MVC through Multiview Video Depth (MVD) or 3DV that eliminates the need for 3D spectacles by providing additional depth to multi-level stereoscopic images with a dozen-odd multiple views. However, decoding and viewing these multiple images call for substantial signal processing power, better resolution and new methods unlike the traditional ones based on plasma and LCD 3D technology. Among other things, an ultra HD 4K is must, that displays around 8 million pixels as against the HDs display of around 2 million pixels. With the resolution fixed, a 3D HDTV glass is required to project multiple depth views on the screen.

In a nutshell, 3D HDTV is no longer a dream but, a reality. It's only a matter of time before it arrives in style. The disparate pieces have all been brought together at one place, it's only a question of fusing them together to create the amazing demon.

Who are using it? For what?

Intel glasses-free 3D

Intel held a comparison demo setup. The booth's top space showcased spectacle-free 3D while the bottom demonstrated the traditional 3D using glasses. The Intel booth technician acknowledged the fact the "sub-720p" resolution allowed for the glasses-free viewing from eight specific locations alone. But the demo was impressive, no doubt and was an effective trailer of the emerging technology.

2. Toshiba's glasses-free 3DTV

Toshiba's glasses-free 3D TV

3-D TV pioneer Toshiba Corp. has already sold the glasses-free 3D TVs but the sales figure has fallen way short of budgeted estimates. The company sold less than estimated (1000 nos. per month) of both models, viz., the 20-inch set priced at 240,000 yen and the 12-inch set at much cheaper price.

3. Glass-Free 3D from Alioscopy

Glass-Free 3D from Alioscopy

Alioscopy’s technology is not exactly 3D but the system does produce the auto stereoscopic 3D effect using 8 interleaved images. The lenticular lenses of the LCD screen reproduce the same image from shifting perspectives in line with the viewer’s changing

positions. This enables the viewer to perceive the 3D effect of simulated depth and distance without putting on the 3-D spectacles.

Features

• The MIT media Lab claims that the spectacle-free HR3D technology does not adversely affect screen brightness, resolution and viewing angles as the two overlaying LCD panels successfully display slightly skewed images of the same scene to create the illusion of depth.
• HR3D also claims to double the battery life of devices like the 3DS.
• The technique allows for widening 3-D screen viewing angles for compatibility with larger devices such that the 3D effect would be ensured even when on screen rotation – like is the case with handheld devices.
• The resolution HD requirements, is 4 times the normal HD resolution.
• The displays provide true 32bit color quality, high-definition imaging and dramatic true perspective depth. The lens is often a parallax barrier, lenticular sheet or micro-lens array.