 | This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (June 2011) |
A volumetric display device is a display device that forms a visual representation of an object in three physical dimensions, as opposed to the planar image of traditional screens that simulate depth through a number of different visual effects. One definition offered by pioneers in the field is that volumetric displays create 3D imagery via the emission, scattering, or relaying of illumination from well-defined regions in (x,y,z) space.
A true volumetric display produces in the observer a visual experience of a material object in three-dimensional space, even though no such object is present. The perceived object displays characteristics similar to an actual material object by allowing the observer to view it from any direction, to focus a camera on a specific detail, and to see perspective – meaning that the parts of the image closer to the viewer appear larger than those further away.
Volumetric 3D displays are a type of autostereoscopic display[1], in that they provide a different view to each eye, thus creating three-dimensional imagery that can be viewed by unaided eyes. However, they have the advantage over most flat-screen autostereoscopic displays, that they are able to provide realistic focal depth in addition to providing motion parallax and vergence, thus avoiding vergence-accommodation conflict.
Volumetric displays are one of several kinds of 3D displays. Other types are stereoscopes, view-sequential displays,[2] electro-holographic displays,[3] "two view" displays,[4][5] and panoramagrams.
Although first postulated in 1912, and a staple of science fiction, volumetric displays are not widely used in everyday life. There are numerous potential markets for volumetric displays with use cases including medical imaging, mining, education, advertising, simulation, video games, communication and geophysical visualisation. When compared to other 3D visualisation tools such as virtual reality, volumetric displays offer an inherently different mode of interaction, providing the opportunity for a group of people to gather around the display and interact in a natural manner without having to don 3D glasses or other head gear.
- ^ Holliman, N. S., Dodgson, N. A., Favalora, G. E., & Pockett, L. (2011). Three-dimensional displays: a review and applications analysis. IEEE transactions on Broadcasting 57(2), 362-371.
- ^ Cossairt, Oliver; Moller, Christian; Benton, Steve; Travis, Adrian (January 2004). "Cambridge-MIT View Sequential Display". Northwestern University. Archived from the original on 2 August 2022.
- ^ Lucente, Mark (November 1994). "Electronic Holography: The Newest". Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Archived from the original on 19 September 2006. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
- ^ Habib, Maged S; Lowell, James A; Holliman, Nick S; Hunter, Andrew; Vaideanu, Daniella; Hildreth, Anthony; Steel, David HW (December 2008). "Assessment of stereoscopic optic disc images using an autostereoscopic screen – experimental study". BMC Ophthalmology. 8 (1): 13. doi:10.1186/1471-2415-8-13. PMC 2496897. PMID 18651983.
- ^ Pickering, Mark R. (2014). "Stereoscopic and Multi-View Video Coding". Academic Press Library in signal Processing - Image and Video Compression and Multimedia. Vol. 5. pp. 119–153. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-420149-1.00004-1. ISBN 978-0-12-420149-1.