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Light field displays can provide glasses-free 3D images, under the right circumstances. One of their big advantages is they are independent of “sweet spots” and the 3D image can be seen from any location in the viewing area. With proper design, they can show both horizontal and vertical parallax and they have “look around” capability, allowing you to see what is behind a foreground object by moving sideways in the viewing region.

Unfortunately, they are not problem free. One solution involves multiple projectors, up to 40 or more, in a rear projection configuration, and special processing software/hardware to drive the projectors. That is not a hand-held system by any means. Another issue has been their modest image quality, good enough for some digital signage applications, perhaps, but not good enough for TV.

In a paper at SIGGRAPH 2011, which is continuing through tomorrow in Vancouver, British Columbia, Gordon Wetzstein from the University of British Columbia and 3 co-authors from UBC and the MIT Media Lab, presented a paper that may revolutionize 3D displays and bring light field technology into hand-held systems or flat panel TV. Someday-don’t hold your breath, though.

According to the authors, the approach is a “multi-layer generalization of conventional parallax barriers.” Instead of being two-layer, the LCD and the parallax barrier, their demonstration system is 5 layers plus a backlight. These layers, instead of being black and clear like the parallax barrier, are “attenuation layers” that selectively reduce the intensity of the light and produce gray scale from full black to fully transparent.  …

Read the full story here: http://displaydaily.com/2011/08/10/new-approach-to-3d-shown-at-siggraph/