AUTOSTEREOSCOPIC 3D-IMAGING BY FRONT AND REAR PROJECTION AND ON FLAT-PANEL DISPLAYS

Autostereoscopic photographic and video systems for taking and projecting spatial images onto large lenticular screens in order to create panoramic parallax stereograms have been developed at the Heinrich-Hertz-lnstitut in Berlin, Germany. Camera and projection units were conceived and built, the optical conditions of the screen structure improved, and a 24-channel projection system for slides was installed, leading to a future light-valve type for video projection. The application of the lenticular screen method to rear projection and flat panel displays was also investigated, using the rastered images of video and overhead projectors and an electroluminescence display. Although the resolution of currently available equipment for these systems is only adequate for two-channel systems, the equipment was useful in studying the fundamental problems experimentally. The specially designed lenticular screens also makes the systems suitable for workstation head tracking systems, if two-channel stereoscopic imaging is sufficient.