iPad 2, iPhone 4 get glasses-free 3D using head tracking (video)

April 11, 2011 9:14 PM
Devindra Hardawar
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French researchers have managed to develop glasses-free 3D technology for the iPad 2 and iPhone 4 based entirely on how you’re looking at their screens.

The technology is in its early stages now, judging from the video below, but it shows that both the iPhone 4 and iPad 2 (as well as many other devices) can deliver 3D experiences without the need for glasses, and without specialized screens like those found in Nintendo’s new 3DS portable console.

Jeremie Francone and Laurence Nigay from the Engineering Human-Computer Interaction (EHCI) research group at the Grenoble Informatics Laboratory are the mad geniuses behind the video. They say that their head tracking technique relies only on the front-facing cameras in the devices to create a “glasses-free monocular 3D display.” It doesn’t take advantage of the iPad 2 or iPhone 4′s acccelerometer at all — which means that the technique could conceivably be replicated in any device with a camera facing the user.

The two say they were inspired by the work of Johnny Chung Lee, who showed off a similar glasses-free head tracking demonstration on the Nintendo Wii several years ago.

If it manages to make its way outside of the research phase, the technology could open up the door for glasses-free 3D gaming, 3D model viewing and more on standard device screens. It would also accelerate the push to 3D, which is currently limited by clunky glasses and expensive glasses-free 3D screens.

Via Electronista and Macstories

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  • http://twitter.com/R3Evolution Ales Nohel

    This is port of a fairly old tech developed initially by the Wii hacker-become Kinect developer Johny Chung Lee, I believe this one is also using the accelerometers to determine the position of the display relative to the user, app to use this will come very soon once we get investors ;)

  • http://webhostingreview.info/dedicated-hosting/ Dedicated Hosting Reviews

    That's great news, thanks for sharing!!..

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1581638598 Tylor Ray Gallagher

    YA only….not realy 3d so fake story.

  • http://twitter.com/Aashay Aashay Desai

    …so how does this work when there's more than one head to track?

  • http://twitter.com/R3Evolution Ales Nohel

    It does not, it is ego3D only one person can benefit from this (but then again why have people stare around your shoulder ?

  • http://twitter.com/R3Evolution Ales Nohel

    This 3D is more realistic than any other 3D (not counting dual display VR helmet)

  • cyberslammer2

    Apple wins again.

  • http://profiles.google.com/thehungrygiant Brett Redinger

    Its great at a distance. I worked on this for awhile, problem is when a user holds it close (at a natural distance) it can no longer track the head. IF it could switch to tracking the the eyes at close range and head at a distance it would be awesome.-Brett Red

  • http://twitter.com/R3Evolution Ales Nohel

    this version uses also the accelerometers to determine the position relative to users (not just the cam)

  • http://twitter.com/R3Evolution Ales Nohel

    works better on PC or Kinect

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