Compact 3D display using dual LCDs

摘要

Stereo imagery has been a goal in optics research since the invention of the stereoscope in 1834. While the market has been inundated with displays of various types, sizes, and formats, no general purpose, easy to use, inexpensive method for the display of imagery in stereo has been developed. The benefits of stereo vision are numerous and quickly become apparent when attempting to perform simple tasks without the aid of stereo cues. Numerous approaches to the display of stereo imagery have been demonstrated. Stereoscopic displays typically require the user to wear special headgear. Autostereoscopic displays, so named because they do not require the headgear, typically have tight limitations on the position of the viewer's head. The research proposed here will investigate the application of two readily available, inexpensive liquid crystal panels sandwiched together to form a compact, rugged stereoscopic display. The appropriate drive signals are provided to the two stacked panels, which encode in polarization, the left and right images. Standard polarized 3D glasses can then be used to view the image in stereo. The proposed display will provide stereo pairs without loss of resolution or frame rate and without strict limitations on the placement of the viewer's head.