Three-dimensional electro-floating display system based on integral imaging technique

Abstract

New three-dimensional (3D) display system which combines two different display techniques is proposed. One of the techniques is integral imaging. The integral imaging system consists of a lens array and 2D display device, and the 3D image of the system is integrated by the lens array from the elemental images. The other technique is image floating, which uses a big convex lens or a concave mirror to exhibit the image of a real object to the observer. The electro-floating display system, which does not use the real object, needs the volumetric 3D display part because the floating display system cannot make the 3D image, but only carries the image closer to the observer. The integral imaging system can be adopted in the electro-floating display system, because the integrated image has the characteristics of the volumetric image within the viewing angle. Moreover, the many methods to enhance the viewing angle of the integral imaging system can be applied to the proposed system directly. The optimum value of the focal length of the floating lens is related to the central depth plane and the viewing angle. The proposed system can be successfully applied to many 3D applications such as 3D TV.