| Last year, New Zealand-based Deep video Imaging (DVI) launched
their R&D 100 Top 100 Technological Innovations Award winning
ActualDepth Display™
A breakthrough in 3-D computer display imaging, this new development
incorporates an idea visual artists have been using for some time.
Previous 3-D computer displays required the use of multi-coloured
"3-D" glasses - similar to those worn at the movies,
or headgear with in-built displays. Neither of these options granted
the user ease or comfort; producing eye duress and dizziness with
prolonged use. Other options for multiple display capability require
spreading several monitors across your work area. This is distracting
as your attention is divided every time you change focus from
one screen to the next; impeding productivity.
How It Works
DVI's new technology places two independently driven LCD's one
atop the other with a 14.0mm - 14.5mm space between them. The
top screen displays white transparently so you can see through
to the opaque base display, giving rise to an impression of depth.
Basically, you are shown different pieces of the whole picture
on each screen. Multi-Level Depth™(MLD™) technology
recognizes focal depth as a key component of everyday visualization
and interaction.
Whereas most forms of non-verbal communication in the world today
are shown in a flat (2-D) format, studies show the dynamics of
attention in multi-element tracking are improved by a division
of attention across two surfaces (or through two surfaces).
Visual artists such as Maxfield Parish may have subconsciously
understood this when he developed an oil painting technique that
gave the observer a sense of 3-D 'realism'. Maxwell used glass
photographic plates and layers of oil glaze between painted images
to create a sense of focal depth. In doing so, the background
images appear to be farther away than the images in the foreground
- leaving the eye to focus on one image without losing sight of
another.
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The future looks 3-D
Multi-dimensional display monitors have far reaching applications:
from medical imaging, to computer gaming, to defense and avionics.
To date, DVI has been given patents covering the basic principles
of multi-dimensional displays; spanning markets in the USA, Korea,
Australia and Singapore. These patents secure DVI's position as
an industry leader in multi-dimensional display technology.
They have since finalized licensing agreements with the American
Panel Corporation (APC) to produce their ActualDepth™ multi-dimensional
display technology for avionics contracts, and with Applied Display
Technology (ADT) to produce MLD™ Monitors for NASA.
"This contract with APC allows us to fill a good part of
the demand that we have already created in the defense and avionics
industries," states Gabriel Engel, Co-Founder and Executive
Vice President of Deep Video Imaging.
GTT of Korea is the latest manufacturer under license to integrate
MLD™ and is actively promoting this technology throughout
Asia.
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What does it do for you?
Your current applications and hardware do not need to be upgraded
in order to work properly with this display technology - support
for dual displays is enough.
If you are in graphics or video editing you can have your images
in the background and your timeline and other editing palettes
in the foreground - potentially, the company claims, increasing
your productivity by 40 percent.
A specialized mouse driver or DVI's now combined ActualDepth™
with IntelliTouch® Z-axis touch screen, enables you to quickly
navigate between screens or move objects from one screen to the
next without losing sight of them. A light touch drags an object
around the screen and a heavier touch drops it to the back of
the screen and visa-versa.
For financial analysts, this technology will give you access
to greater amounts of data visualization - you can have customer
stock trade information on top of real-time market information.
Air traffic controllers can layer radar or weather information
over top of runway schematics. Surgeons will be able to create
life-like representations of tissue and organ systems. Gamers
will have their 3-D "immersion" experience enhanced.
For the average user, adding the 3rd dimension to your PC will
not enhance your web-browsing experience, nor will it increase
productivity in everyday office administrative functions - not
yet anyway.
According to K.Koo, President, GTT Korea, "Depth is definitely
going to replace flat screen technology, just as colour replaced
black and white, and stereo replaced mono." As such, DVI
and GTT are currently developing their first desk top computer
monitor scheduled for release in early 2003.
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