3D displays were held in the realm of science fiction, such as the iconic scene in Star Wars with R2-D2 displaying a prerecorded 3D video feed. After nearly two decades since the creation of the first Star Wars movie, researchers headed by the graphics lab at USC demonstrate a 3D display system using a rotating mirror.
As the mirror spins at a predetermined speed (measured in Hz, effectively rotations per unit of time), a camera situated above the mirror shoots images onto the rotating mirror in rapid succession, matching the Hz of the mirror. Utilizing the persistence of vision, the rotating mirror effectively tricks the viewer into thinking that he is seeing a floating image in the center of the display. Even more, the viewer can walk around the display and see the image from that perspective, essentially creating a pseudo-three-dimensional representation of the object. The objects can either be cooked up inside the graphics lab, or can be recorded on-the-fly for a live-feed version of the object.
The idea is just as simple inside the black box, as the algorithms developed for the display are tasked with simply displaying the right image at the right time. The complexity of the display is solely in its calibration, which includes the timing of the system and the synchronization of the mirror to the camera. Since the illusion of depth is dependent on the persistence of vision, even a slight glitch in timing may very well prove to be a jarring experience.
Rendering for an Interactive 360ยบ Light Field Display [ICT Graphics Lab, USC]
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