New 72in 3-D video display viewable with naked eye

Japan’s National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) and the Victor Company of Japan have jointly developed a 72in 3-D display that can be viewed with the naked eye. It was exhibited last week at the CEATEC Japan 2008 show.

The display features 1920 x 1080p HD resolution and allows users to view 3-D images corresponding to the horizontal angle from which it is viewed (within ±20 degrees to right and left).

It uses multiple projectors that project images on the screen from the back to enable the 3-D representation. Each projector reportedly has a resolution of 1920 x 1080p, providing a pixel count of 100 million or higher in total. By optimizing the conditions of the optical system, such as the alignment of the projectors, the light emitted from the screen is controlled so that it looks similar to the light reflected off of real objects.

Images displayed on existing 3-D displays that can be viewed with the naked eye can only be seen from a limited number of viewpoints. And those displays have lower resolutions because they use a parallax barrier or a lenticular lens to reproduce images for right and left eyes.

NICT plans to develop a prototype with an eye on commercialization by 2011. Based on the latest display technology, it is possible to develop a 200in to 300in 3-D display that can be viewed without special glasses, according to the institute.