Next Generation 3D Display Applications using Laser Scanning Pico Projectors

Abstract

This thesis presents four novel 3D display methods and a number of new applications using commercial laser scanning pico projectors that have been developed with major contributions from our laboratory during the last decade. The new methods developed in this thesis are (i) mixed-polarization stereoscopic display using single-projector and passive polarized glasses, (ii) a new type of glasses that can relieve the accommodation and vergence conflict associated with all the stereoscopic displays, (iii) rotating screen based auto-stereoscopic display for a single-viewer using two pico-projectors, and (iv) multi-user multi-view auto-stereoscopic display using an array of pico-projectors. Furthermore, a head-mounted pico-projector is also demonstrated as a new augmented- reality application aimed at motion-capture actors. The first method introduces a new twist on glasses based stereoscopic projection displays as it utilizes polarization and color multiplexing simultaneously and avoids weaknesses associated with previous methods. This new method is named Mixed Polarization 3D. Color imbalance artifacts associated with anaglyph glasses are avoided by alternating the colors presented to each eye. In mixed polarization 3D, flicker is not observed even at 60 Hz since both eyes receive at least one color frame in every single frame. The second method, named Super Stereoscopic 3D Display (SS3D), introduces a major improvement on stereoscopic 3D displays for avoiding accommodation-vergence conflict. Our method provides at least two views to a single eye by using special apertures equipped with selective filters in front of the users’ eye. Our designs can be embedded into conventional stereoscopic glasses or can be developed as special contact lenses. The third method introduces a single viewer multi-view autostereoscopic projection display, which is invented in our laboratory by a co-worker. The technique uses two mobile projectors, a rotating retro-reflective diffuser screen, and a head-tracking camera. As two dynamic viewing slits are created at the viewers position, the slits can track the position of the eyes by rotating the screen. The last method introduces a new modular multi-user multi-view autostereoscopic display architecture based on an array of pico-projectors and a vertical diffuser screen. A single projector provides a portion of the each perspective observed through the vertical diffuser. Unlike similar projector-array based displays, the screen assembly complexity and the size of the projection display hardware have been decreased dramatically. Our proposal has the capability to provide horizontal expansion in the screen size, and an increase in the number of different perspectives as well. Lastly, an augmented reality (AR) system is proposed and developed for supporting motion capture actors. This system allows seeing and exploring the digital environment without occluding the actors visual field. An in-house prototype is built by combining a retro-reflective screen that covers the walls and a headband consisting of a laser scanning projector with a smartphone. Built-in sensors on the smartphone provide navigation capabilities in the digital world.