HELIUM3D: A laser-scanning head-tracked autostereoscopic display

Abstract

A multi-user autostereoscopic display based on laser scanning is described in this paper. It does not require the wearing of special glasses; it can provide 3D to several viewers who have a large degree of freedom of movement; and it requires the display of only a minimum amount of information. The display operates by providing regions in the viewing field, referred to as “exit pupils,” which follow the positions of the viewers’ eyes under the control of a multi-user head tracker. The display incorporates an RGB laser illumination source that illuminates a light engine. The light directions are controlled by a spatial light modulator, and a front screen assembly incorporates a novel Gabor superlens. Its operating principle is explained in this paper, as is the construction of three iterations of the display. Finally, a method of developing the display into one that is suitable for television applications is described. © 2010 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.