Details are given on a novel type of display system based on traditional technology and capable of displaying truly three-dimensional computer-generated images that can be viewed concurrently from practically any orientation without the need for special glasses to be worn. The principle of operation is elucidated, data rate requirements are described, the prototype control system hardware is outlined, and pictures of some simple computer-generated shapes that have been displayed are included.
By the examination of a simple three-level quantum system, the time-dependent rate-equation analysis of the two-step excitation of fluorescence is extended to include the effects of the intermediate state lifetime and of saturation pumping on the total number of fluorescent centers excited to the target state. Further, the results relevant to the implementation of such a process to a volumetric 3-D display device are emphasized, and the performance of a display medium is indicated with respect to brightness and data rate. Restrictions placed on the two-step system by the fact that they are no longer assumed to be pumped in isolation are discussed.
The capability to display three-dimensional (3D) information in a realistic way has long been sought after1, and is particularly useful in scientific visualisation, where the ability to view spatial data can greatly clarify understanding in such fields as medical diagnostics, molecular modelling and computer-aided design. The essence of 3D display systems2 is their ability to provide the viewer's visual system with the information required for a greater number of the depth cues', by which our brains perceive relative spatial relationships within images, than is possible with conventional terminals. Probably the most important of these cues is binocular parallax, where depth is gauged by the brain's interpretation of slight differences in the image received by each eye. This is the impetus behind a wide range of display technologies where each of a viewers eyes is artificially provided with a slightly different view of the same image, often (but not always) via special glasses or headgear. Temporal paralha, where a depth effect is gained through a changing orientation of a 3D object, is also very effective, and has been used extensively to aid the interpretation of 3D images on conventional 2D computer termins.
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