Multi–view Autostereoscopic 3d Display

Autostereoscopic displays provide 3D perception without the need for special glasses or other head gear. Three basic technologies exist to make such displays: spatial multiplex, multi-projector and time-sequential. These can be used to make two types of useful device: two-view, head-tracked displays; and multi-view displays. The former tend to be single-viewer systems while the latter can support multiple viewers. However, the latter tend to require more processing power because they have more views than the former. Both types can be expected to find uses in their own niches. The Cambridge autostereo display is a CRT-based, time-sequential, multi-view device. Recent work has combined multi-projector technology with the basic system to produce both 25", 28 view and 50", 15 view autostereoscopic 3D displays. These are currently undergoing evaluation for entertainment and visualisation applications. INTRODUCTION An autostereoscopic display provides the viewer with a three-dimensional image without the need for special glasses. This paper briefly looks at conventional “3D with glasses” systems before introducing the concept of an autostereo display. It then discusses the types of autostereo display and the mechanisms by which an autostereo display can be implemented. It finally considers the Cambridge display: a multi–view autostereoscopic device.