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3-D Tabletop Display Gets Rid of the Glasses
UBC researcher Sidney Fels is looking to commercialize pCubee to get it into the hands of consumers.
Credit: Wired
University of British Columbia (UBC) researchers have developed a device that offers all the thrills of the three-dimensional (3-D) experience without the annoyance of glasses. The device, called pCubee, arranges five liquid crystal display (LCD) screens into a box-like shape so users can pick it up, watch content, or play with virtual objects inside it. Users can shake the cube, tilt it, or interact with a touchscreen, all while retaining the 3D experience.
The pCubee uses the principle of motion parallax, which is the apparent change in position of an object, depending on the distance from which it is viewed, and is a very effective cue for 3D, says UBC researcher Sidney Fels.
"The fact that it is handheld greatly increases motion parallax," says UBC researcher Ian Stavness.
The pCubee has three graphics pipelines that drive the screens on the sides of the box, while a motion tracker watches the pCubee and the user's head. The novel software that powers the device ensures that the user's view of the box and the rendered perspective on each screen is synchronized.
View a video of pCubee: a Perspective-Corrected Handheld Cubic Display.
From Wired
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