gCubik shows off its good side, and every other while it's at it (video)

Remember gCubik? It's been a few months, but to recap, it's a cube developed by researchers from NICT that features textured surfaces that present you a different view on the "internal" image based on viewing angle, giving the illusion something is physically in the box. Theoretically, at least -- it's pretty low-resolution and in the early stages of development. We stumbled upon the device at the CEATEC showfloor this week and decided to snap some video while there. There were moments when the effect was lost, and getting too close completely blurred what we saw to the point of incomprehension, but again, this shows a whole heap of potential that's fascinating to us. See it for yourself after the break.


See more video at our hub!

[Arran Posted Oct 9th 2009 6:53AM]

It'd be nice to hear him explain it.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 9th 2009 11:09AM]

It's the first good demonstration (i've seen anyway) of a workable plenoptic display.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Integral_imaging

Each 'pixel' here is actually a microlens on top of an underlying microdisplay. From each 'pixel', the light reaching the observer's eyes has been directed by each lens from a unique pixel in each microdisplay. If the observer changes their observation angle, then they receive light from a different micropixel. Thus with a sufficiently high microdisplay resolution, one can cover all possible viewing angles, creating a true 3D display, with far higher 'stereoscopy' than conventional 2-image 3d technologies. An observer can look from any angle or orientation and see an object just as they would in real life (so long as the flat display is still covering their field of vision). The problem is the deceptively 'low' display resolution. For each observed spatial 'pixel' there may be hundreds of underlying real pixels.

When OLED technologies get printable, resolutions might sky rocket, and this particular technology might really become a big deal.

[Benedict Posted Oct 9th 2009 7:00AM]

It looks promising but I don't think the video does it much justice (or it needs tuning).
I checked my speakers about fives times out of confusion for the video's lack of sound heh.

[m1lt0n Posted Oct 9th 2009 7:05AM]

Can't wait till they put a cat in it. "What about now Schrödinger, uh?"

[mex Posted Oct 9th 2009 7:27AM]

lol catz 3d in a box... that will be the end of the internet!

[cashclientel Posted Oct 9th 2009 7:09AM]

"whole heap of potential" - really??

[loocas Posted Oct 9th 2009 7:14AM]

"You did it!

An e-mail has been sent to confirm your e-mail address, as well as a password for you to use if you comment regularly. Click on the link within the e-mail to activate your comment and password!"

MY ASS!!!! >:(

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 9th 2009 7:23AM]

whats the point in it?

[mex Posted Oct 9th 2009 7:32AM]

the same of your question

[neuralien Posted Oct 9th 2009 7:49AM]

Uhm, so it's a cube with 6 lenticular surfaces. How does that have potential?

[Guybrush Threepwood Posted Oct 9th 2009 7:44AM]

TRANSFORMER CUBE

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 9th 2009 10:21AM]

So.... there are 6 screens with poor resolution to mimick something in a box.... i REALLY don't get how this is revolutionary or useful in anyway. Sure a cute toy if the screens are super low cost... but seriously this already looks 5 years outdated... give me some duct tape and 6 ipod touches and i think it would be slightly more impressive

[gsmsosv Posted Oct 9th 2009 8:24PM]

Actually it wouldn't. Do your iPod touches have 3D screens? No? I didn't think they did. This does.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 9th 2009 12:05PM]

They should have put an image of a penis in there, aka, dick in a box.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 10th 2009 11:36AM]

cool !

www.alias3dmedia.com

[DeAthWaGer Posted Oct 12th 2009 11:29PM]

programmable snowglobe FTW