Three-Dimensional Imaging and Display through Integral Photography

Abstract

Here, we present a review of the proposals and advances in the field of three-dimensional (3D) imaging acquisition and display made in the last century. The most popular techniques are based on the concept of stereoscopy. However, stereoscopy does not provide real 3D experience, and produces discomfort due to the conflict between convergence and accommodation. For this reason, we focus this paper on integral imaging, which is a technique that permits the codification of 3D information in an array of 2D images obtained from different perspectives. When this array of elemental images is placed in front of an array of microlenses, the perspectives are integrated producing 3D images with full parallax and free of the convergenceaccommodation conflict. In the paper we describe the principles of this technique, together with some new applications of integral imaging.