1. 3D o life
If the mythological greek Cyclops – the giant with a single eye – had
es t
existed, 3D displays would have been wasted on him, or her. The reason
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we see in 3D at all is because each of our eyes receives a slightly different
image from a given scene, simply because they’re not in the same place.
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3D vision is made possible by the 3 inches or so that separates them.
out the sp
Early 3D gimmicks included book covers Passive polarized glasses, like their early microprocessor developed jointly by Sony
with
and postcards. As you change your counterparts, just rely upon an optical and IBM.
viewing angle by tilting the objects from material to help distinguish between the
side-to-side, the image seems to change. images delivered to each eye and can only At this year’s Consumer Electronics
A ‘lenticular lens’ makes this possible. It’s be used with front-projection systems. Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Toshiba also
an array of very thin, cylindrical magnifying This means that they are easier to use demonstrated a tablet PC with a 15.6-inch
lenses, or lenticules, set out in rows, made with projected images but the technology lenticular display that “when calibrated”
from a sheet of plastic. is difficult to implement in flat screen 3D produces a 3D image without the need
TVs. They do not work with mature display for glasses. The clever part here is that
Stereoscopic 3D effects were introduced technologies such as LCD, plasma or DLP the notebook’s camera detects the angle
in films during the 1950s. Images but Korean manufacturer, LG, is backing at which you are viewing the display then
comprised two superimposed, slightly this technology. dynamically calibrates it to give the best
offset colour layers. By wearing so- 3D experience.
called ‘anaglyph’ spectacles that placed Dropping glasses
a different filter over each eye, usually 3D TVs, electronic games and even Nintendo’s 3DS gaming console, launched
red for one eye and green for the other, mobile phone displays that don’t require earlier this year, allows gamers to watch
it was possible to give the impression users to wear special glasses are now 3D effects without glasses. Its screen
of a 3D image. It was a short-lived fad, beginning to appear. Perhaps surprisingly, is manufactured using parallax-barrier
not least because of the geeky look the many of them rely on the earliest 3D technology developed by Sharp. A parallax
glasses imparted to users. Viewers that technology – lenticular lenses. Dubbed barrier works in a similar way to polarising
wore normal spectacles found additional ‘autostereoscopic’, television screens glasses and directs the light from two
problems using the anaglyph versions. consist of a lenticular-lensed flat screen images slightly differently. The ‘sweet spot’
However, there has been a recent that projects slightly different images for 3D viewing is about 20-inches in from
ressurgence of interest in 3D viewing, at at different angles so that our eyes can the screen. This, and the narrow viewing
least in part due to the highly acclaimed receive offset images that our brains angle, mean that only one person can play
3D movie ‘ vatar’ from James Cameron.
A interpret as 3D images. Philips and LG the game at any one time, but the screen
are both producing TVs with lenticular is switchable between 2D and 3D mode.
Viewing glasses are still normally lenses. A similar technology known as Some UK newspapers have reported
needed to watch television in 3D. They ‘parallax barriers’ is being pioneered by that Nintendo’s using 3DS has caused
come in active and passive versions. Sharp. The challenge for 3D TV designers dizziness, headaches and nausea.
The active ones are battery has been to overcome poor resolution Time will tell if that’s true, or if it’s just
powered and use moving or and narrow viewing angles. Viewing caused by excitement surrounding
switchable elements to angles are determined by the maximum the new technology!
deliver a different image angle at which a ray can leave the image
to each eye. The through the correct lenticule. In 3D TV, It will be interesting to see if 3D display
effective refresh rate 3D TV viewing angles of just 20 degrees technology is now here to stay or if
of the TV image is are typical, outside of which viewers see interest in it will, once again, fade away.
halved, meaning that double images on the screen.
3D-Ready TVs need
a minimum refresh At CEATEC 2011, Asia’s biggest consumer
rate of 120Hz if electronics show, Toshiba unveiled an
viewers are LCD 3D TV capable of 40 degree viewing
angles, an achievement made possible
by using software to optimise light
emission from the centre, right and left
of the screen, according to the company.
Clearly, it is semiconductor processing
power applied to decades-old lenticular
technology enabling 3D TV. In the case of
the Toshiba TVs, which were shown in 12-
inch and 20-inch models, the final image
has a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels but it
takes an LCD panel of 8.29 million pixels to
not to experience image flicker. Active achieve this because nine separate images get more online...
shutter TVs are now in production by both are created and transmitted in the required Share your views at
Sony and Panasonic, some with refresh direction through the lenticular overlay. www.designspark.com/etech
rates of up to 240Hz. The image processing engine is a Cell
18 eTech - ISSUE 7 eTech - ISSUE 7 19

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