Perspecta: the 3D video goldfish bowl
Looking at 3D images on 2D screens is cool and all, but Actuality Systems has an even better idea: a globular 3D display you can actually walk around and view moving 3D images in full volumetric glory. Viewers can see objects from the top or below or from any angle, as well as being able to zoom in and out in real time. Perspecta is made of a circular white polymer screen 25 cm in diameter, mounted atop a 1 meter tall black box for eye-level viewing. Software inside the machine dissects generated 3D models into 198 slices, which get projected onto the screen in rapid succession by an optical system mounted below the screen. The result is a 3-dimensional image that appears to be floating in a white fishbowl. If only this system weren't saddled with a $40,000 pricetag, we would be all about hacking this thing to keep our goldfish entertained.
Filed under: Displays
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Max @ Dec 19th 2005 1:21AM
I NEED ONE.
I have had a similar idea for awhile: A holographic flower that grows over time. The entire thing would be a flower pot for a base that emits to hologram. New flowers could be downloaded, and scent cartidges could be inserted to blow a small scent from the top. It could also look like it was blowing in a breeze and the color could change based on user settings. You could even design and crossbreed your own flowers. Anyone want to build it?
jam @ Dec 19th 2005 1:21AM
That's pretty cool. But have you seen 3D Printers. Uses HP printheads. You can download data from your computer and actually "print" what you downloaded. Kind of like Star Trek.
David Crowe @ Dec 19th 2005 1:21AM
We've had this device (or something extremely similar) at the Envision Center at Purdue for about 2 years now. Ancient news by tech world standards :)
jarrett @ Dec 19th 2005 1:21AM
They were playing with one of these on the Star Wars tech show on Discovery.
The sound of the screen rotating at 900 rpm was so loud, the host had to yell when he was talking about it.
Clint M Chilcott @ Dec 19th 2005 1:21AM
Isn't the Nintendo Revolution using this technology? ;)
David Crowe @ Dec 19th 2005 1:21AM
random footage from a promo video i did:
http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~dpurdue/perspecta.mov