Mirror‐Transcending Aerial Imaging (MiTAi): An optical system that freely crosses the boundary between mirrored and real spaces

Abstract

AbstractMany optical systems for displaying digital information on mirrors have been proposed, but information can only be displayed in either mirrored or real space and cannot move back and forth between the two. We have therefore developed a new optical system called mirror‐transcending aerial imaging (MiTAi) that freely crosses the boundary between mirrored and real spaces. MiTAi is based on an existing aerial‐imaging system consisting of a retro‐reflector, a beam splitter, and a moving display. MiTAi is designed as a space‐saving design by changing the orientation and position of the moving display as the light source. We implemented a prototype MiTAi to evaluate the luminance of the displayed aerial images and found that the aerial image formed by the prototype is able to move freely between both mirrored and real spaces. Moreover, the luminance of the image is not significantly lower than that formed by the existing aerial‐imaging system. MiTAi will enable the creation of a new user experience by integrating smart mirrors and real‐space aerial images.