Kodak unveils new 3D display

Kodak today showcased a significant innovation that allows video-game players, scientists and many others experience three-dimensional images without glasses or headgear of any type. The new Stereoscopic Imaging Display creates a sensation of actually being a part of the image.

Kodak will introduce a commercial prototype of its Stereoscopic Imaging Display system at the Exhibitor Show 2004 in Las Vegas, Nevada, March 15-17, in Booth #1514 at the Mandalay Bay Exhibition Center. Kodak also plans to demonstrate the Stereoscopic Imaging Display system at the upcoming Game Developers Conference in San Jose, California, March 24-26, in Booth #944 at the San Jose Convention Center.

The Stereoscopic Imaging Display system produces a wide field of view, three-dimensional (3D) stereo image. The superior quality of the Kodak system provides an ideal display for intensive visualization tasks, such as oil and gas exploration, molecular and chemical modeling, computer-aided design, entertainment and gaming, and many other applications.

The system represents the first initiative from Kodak's New Business Ventures Group, which is responsible for commercializing break-through technology developed by the company's Research & Development organization.

"Unlike other 3D imaging systems, which rely on a barrier screen placed over an existing monitor, the Kodak display is an entirely new concept," said Lawrence Henderson, vice president and director, new business ventures, Eastman Kodak Company. "Kodak's Stereoscopic Imaging Display system maintains full image resolution and creates a very wide field of view. The display brings a new level of realism to the 3D visual experience, capitalizing on Kodak's extensive research and development."

Kodak is currently seeking partners and early-stage customers for the system, and will provide licenses to the technology for integration into third-party products and systems.

How it Works

The user sits in front of a system that creates a virtual image of two high-resolution LCD displays, one for each eye. The user looks into two "floating balls of light" that provide each eye a view of a magnified image of a display. The combination of the wide field of view and virtual image eliminates the sources of eyestrain found in other autostereoscopic systems. Kodak's Stereoscopic Imaging Display system also has a unique viewing zone, which makes it easy to see the "sweet spot" of an image while maintaining image quality across the entire viewing zone.

The desktop display has a field of view that measures 45 degrees by 36 degrees, and a resolution of 1280 x 1024 pixels. The user peers through a large, 32 mm viewing pupils that gives the viewer the feeling of floating in a movie theater about 1.5 screen heights away from the screen. Kodak can adjust the scale of this system to increase or reduce the display resolution to meet various applications.

The Kodak autostereoscopic display breaks new technical ground in the field of stereo imaging. The unique Ball Lens Technology behind the display is summarized in a paper presented at the 2003 Stereoscopic Displays and Applications conference. This paper is available upon request.

Via

Fabrizio Pilato