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. 2013;5(4):456-535.
doi: 10.1364/AOP.5.000456.

Three-dimensional display technologies

Jason Geng  1
Affiliations

Three-dimensional display technologies

Jason Geng. Adv Opt Photonics. 2013.

Abstract

The physical world around us is three-dimensional (3D), yet traditional display devices can show only two-dimensional (2D) flat images that lack depth (i.e., the third dimension) information. This fundamental restriction greatly limits our ability to perceive and to understand the complexity of real-world objects. Nearly 50% of the capability of the human brain is devoted to processing visual information [Human Anatomy & Physiology (Pearson, 2012)]. Flat images and 2D displays do not harness the brain's power effectively. With rapid advances in the electronics, optics, laser, and photonics fields, true 3D display technologies are making their way into the marketplace. 3D movies, 3D TV, 3D mobile devices, and 3D games have increasingly demanded true 3D display with no eyeglasses (autostereoscopic). Therefore, it would be very beneficial to readers of this journal to have a systematic review of state-of-the-art 3D display technologies.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
An example of optical illusion that shows how easily a 2D display system can mislead or confuse our visual system.
Figure 2
Figure 2
What is a perfect 3D display? (a) A viewer looks at 3D scene directly. (b) A perfect 3D display should function as a “window to the world” through which viewers can perceive the same 3D scene as if the 3D display screen were a transparent “window” to the real world objects.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Illustration of four major physical depth cues.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Illustration of psychological depth cues from 2D monocular images.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Dependence of depth cues on viewing distance.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Plenoptic function for a single viewer: the spherical coordinate system of the plenoptic function is used to describe the lines of sight between an observer and a scene.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Each element (voxel or hoxel) in a true 3D display should consist of multiple directional emitters: if tiny projectors radiate the captured light, the plenoptic function of the display is an approximation to that of the original scene when seen by an observer.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Classification of 3D display technologies.
Figure 9
Figure 9
Classification of stereoscopic display technology.
Figure 10
Figure 10
Color-interlaced anaglyph stereo.
Figure 11
Figure 11
Color-interlaced display.
Figure 12
Figure 12
Polarization-interlaced stereoscopic display.
Figure 13
Figure 13
Time-multiplexed stereoscopic display.
Figure 14
Figure 14
HMD for stereo 3D display.
Figure 15
Figure 15
Illustration of the accommodation/convergence conflict in stereoscopic displays: convergence and focal distance with real stimuli and stimuli presented on conventional 3D displays.
Figure 16
Figure 16
Two plane representation L(x, y, u, v) of a 4D light field.
Figure 17
Figure 17
Use of a finite number of views (multiple views) to approximate the infinite number of views generated by a continuously distributed light field.
Figure 18
Figure 18
Illustration of a multiview HPO autostereoscopic 3D display system.
Figure 19
Figure 19
Classification of multiview 3D display techniques.
Figure 20
Figure 20
Parallax barrier HPO autostereoscopic 3D display (example with two views).
Figure 21
Figure 21
Parallax barrier HPO autostereoscopic 3D display (multiple views).
Figure 22
Figure 22
Time-sequential aperture 3D display using a high-speed CRT.
Figure 23
Figure 23
Time-sequential aperture 3D display using a switchable LED array.
Figure 24
Figure 24
Moving slit in front of a high-speed display.
Figure 25
Figure 25
Cylindrical parallax barrier display.
Figure 26
Figure 26
Multiview autostereoscopic 3D display using a spatial multiplex design.
Figure 27
Figure 27
Arrangement of a slanted lenticular screen on a LCD array to enhance image quality.
Figure 28
Figure 28
High-resolution multiview 3D display using a specially design LCD and a lenticular array sheet.
Figure 29
Figure 29
Autostereoscopic 3D display using multiple projectors (frontal projection).
Figure 30
Figure 30
Illustration of a prism mask 3D display screen.
Figure 31
Figure 31
Liquid crystal lens for a 2D/3D switchable display.
Figure 32
Figure 32
Optical design of an integral 3D display screen.
Figure 33
Figure 33
3D display design using a moving lenticular sheet module to steer the viewing direction to a wide angle.
Figure 34
Figure 34
Reflection-based autostereoscopic 3D display.
Figure 35
Figure 35
DOE screen-based autostereoscopic 3D display.
Figure 36
Figure 36
Directional backlight based on diffractive optics.
Figure 37
Figure 37
360° multiview 3D display: generating 2D pictures from 360° surrounding directions, each of which is projected in the display device toward the corresponding viewing angles in 360° surrounding directions projected toward the corresponding viewing angles.
Figure 38
Figure 38
Vertical diffuser screen: the horizontal parallax-only nature of the display requires a diffusing element in the image plane. The function of this diffuser is to scatter light along the vertical axis while leaving the horizontal content of the image unaltered. Such a diffuser can be approximated by a finely pitched lenticular array.
Figure 39
Figure 39
Holografika multiview 3D Display: multi-projector + vertical diffuser screen.
Figure 40
Figure 40
TPO 3D display.
Figure 41
Figure 41
3D display with a projector and a lenticular mirror sheet.
Figure 42
Figure 42
Parallax-based autostereoscopic 3D projector.
Figure 43
Figure 43
Frontal projection parallax barrier autostereoscopic 3D display.
Figure 44
Figure 44
SMV condition: light from at least two images from slightly different viewpoints enters the pupil simultaneously.
Figure 45
Figure 45
Eye-tracking-enabled 3D display, with a lens array to steer the direction of light illumination for a LCD panel.
Figure 46
Figure 46
3M directional backlight design, consisting of a specially designed light guide, a sheet of 3D film, a pair of light sources, and a fast switching LCD panel.
Figure 47
Figure 47
Sony 2D/3D switchable backlight design.
Figure 48
Figure 48
Four-view directional backlight design, consisting of a LED matrix switchable light source, a dual directional prism array, a 240 Hz LCD panel, and a multi-view parallax barrier.
Figure 49
Figure 49
Multidirectional backlight design using a LCD panel, a lenticular lens array, and a uniform backlight source.
Figure 50
Figure 50
Classification of volumetric 3D display technologies.
Figure 51
Figure 51
Static screen 3D display based on solid-state upconversion. (a) Energy level diagram of an active ion. (b) Two scanned intersecting laser beams are used to address voxels in transparent glass material doped with such an ion.
Figure 52
Figure 52
Concept of the “3D Cube” volumetric 3D display, which uses a crystal cube as its static screen.
Figure 53
Figure 53
Concept illustration of the optical-fiber-bundle-based static volumetric 3D display.
Figure 54
Figure 54
3D volume visualization display.
Figure 55
Figure 55
Sweeping screen volumetric 3D display system using a CRT.
Figure 56
Figure 56
Perspecta 3D display developed by Actuality.
Figure 57
Figure 57
A “Multi-planar” volumetric 3D display using a high-speed DLP projector and a rotating double helix screen.
Figure 58
Figure 58
Principle of rotating LEDs.
Figure 59
Figure 59
The diffraction angle of a holographic display system is proportional to the size of its pixels. Pixel size close to or below the wavelength of the visible light used is necessary to achieve high diffractive efficiency and wide viewing angles.
Figure 60
Figure 60
Examples of existing digital hologram systems.
Figure 61
Figure 61
MIT’s electroHolography systems: Mark II configuration.
Figure 62
Figure 62
Holographic dynamic hogel light field display.
Figure 63
Figure 63
Module of the dynamic hogel light field display screen and hogel generation optics.
Figure 64
Figure 64
Holographic display prototype developed by QinetiQ. Active tiling modular system uses an electrically addressed SLM as an “image engine” that can display the CGH image elements quickly. Replication optics project multiple demagnified images of the EASLM onto an OASLM, which stores and displays the computer-generated pattern. Readout optics form the holographic image. This modulator system allows multiple channels to be assembled to produce a large screen 3D display.
Figure 65
Figure 65
Eye tracking and reconstruction volume.
Figure 66
Figure 66
3D holographic visualization realized by the holographic display with subwave-length diffractive pixels. A viewing angle of 38° is achieved using 500 nm pixel pitch and 635 nm illumination wavelength.
Figure 67
Figure 67
High-level optical configuration of the PRP holographic imaging system.
Figure 68
Figure 68
Entire chain of the 3D imaging industry.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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