Light-field generation by several screen types for glasses-free tabletop 3D display

Abstract

We propose a glasses-free 3D display, named fVisiOn, that floats virtual 3D objects on a flat tabletop surface. The approach employs a combination of an optical device and a circularly arranged projector array. It reproduces a light field optimized for a seated condition at a certain volume and forms a ring-shaped viewing area. In this principle, the optical device must control the traveling direction of numerous rays passing the volume. An appropriate algorithm for supplying source images for the projector array should also be considered. This paper introduces several approaches for fabricating a variety of these optical devices in different shapes. Those devices work like a special screen by applying an anisotropic diffusion characteristic. We then propose an algorithm that generates source images and describe an implementation method for the 3D display as a system. The algorithm is confirmed from several 3D images generated by the system.