FAQ's
What makes your 3D technology different from other 3D technologies that are currently on the market?
First, 3DIcon’s technology is Volumetric 3D. Volumetric 3D has more real-world benefits and advantages compared to stereoscopic or auto-stereoscopic 3D technologies. Second, 3DIcon is developing several technologies and not just one way of creating a true 3D imaging and display paradigm. Some of specific technology goals that will set us apart are:
- Volumetric technology that renders 3-D images in an actual volumetric space, instead of on a 2-D display screen.
- Scalable image creation
- High color fidelity and brightness
- High refresh rates comparable to commercial video technologies
- Low flicker
- High resolution
We believe that our technologies are unique and favorably designed to create real-world commercial applications. As the 3D eco-system evolves, there will be multiple technologies that will emerge based on the end-users and applications they serve. As in any industry, there will be multiple players. 3DIcon is developing technologies that aim to deliver a flexible and scalable way to create volumetric 3D applications.
What does volumetric mean specific to your technologies?
Volumetric 3D is true 3D because it has true depth. Non-volumetric 3D renderings create perceived depth. Volumetric 3D has the unique ability to display actual spatial relationships between elements of the image, within the image space. Further, volumetric 3D renders voxels as actual voxels. Since non-volumetric technologies render 3D images on 2D screens, these technologies are only capable of rendering the scanned voxels as pixels (a suitable analogy would be seeing a color image on a black and white monitor).
Will your technology allow me to one day see a 3D movie at the theater without the use of those special glasses?
You can do that today with auto-stereoscopic 3D screenings that use polarized screens. Again, all you are seeing is a perception of 3D. With volumetric technology, the image would be true to the angle of viewing, the way it is in real-life. For example viewing a person from the left would show a different profile and perspective than viewing from the right.
Why do you choose to develop technology through your SRA instead of doing it in-house?
3DIcon chose to use the SRA route for the following reasons:
- A highly cost-effective research infrastructure as well as people resources. Specialized labs, equipment and people would have cost us millions of dollars to set up.
- Multi-disciplinary scientific teams are working on creating 3D technologies. Privately, it would have been next to impossible to assemble such skills under one organization. If at all possible, it would have taken several years and several million dollars to find, recruit and operationalize such a team.
Our goal for the CSpace® technology is to produce brightness and optical characteristics that are application dependent. For example, for medical displays the optical requirements would be very different from the requirements for gaming displays.
What is the best angle from which to view the image?
Since our technology is volumetric, our goal is to produce images that are not dependent on “sweet spots”. Since the human eye can only see 180 degrees in the front from a given position, we regard that as a good benchmark for direct viewing. We are designing the technology to be walk-around 360 degrees.
Does your CSpace® technology use nano-dots?
The CSpace® technology uses nano-sized up-conversion materials, in a transparent host volume (image space). The nano-crystals produce visible light when excited by infra-red (invisible) lasers projected into the image space.
What is the expected resolution of the images for CSpace®?
An image in a volumetric 3D display is actually a composite of multiple cross sections or 2D “slices”. As these slices are “stacked” in a successive fashion, a 3D image results. 3DIcon expects to achieve slice resolutions of at least 1024 x 768, with each composite 3D image consisting of hundreds of slices.
What does the SRA between OU and 3DIcon imply in terms of ownership of technology?
Under the terms of the Sponsored Research Agreement between the University of Oklahoma (OU) and 3DIcon, 3DIcon has the exclusive, worldwide marketing, licensing, sub-licensing and development rights to all the technologies developed by OU. As a state institution, OU owns the title to the patents.
Lasers, even bar code scanners commonly carry warnings about not staring directly into them to avoid retina scarring. Do any of 3DIcon’s technologies have similar concerns?
The exterior of CSpace® will likely be coated with a material transparent to visible light, but opaque to infrared light. Hence, the laser light which activates the volume will never leave the volume, and will never pose any danger to system bystanders. In addition, the infrared light which activates the up-conversion materials is far less dangerous to the human eye than other common forms of radiation, such as ultraviolet light. Lastly, the power of the infrared laser will be “spread out” across an entire cross section of the volume, rather than being confined within a narrow beam as is the usual case for a laser. Therefore, even if the device exterior was not coated, and infrared radiation actually penetrated a user’s eye, the amount of exposure would be quite minimal and likely well within safe exposure limits.