To demonstrate their design, the scientists created a 6-D image of a wine bottle in the display and showed the device at the recent SIGGRAPH (Special Interest Group on GRAPHics and Interactive Techniques) conference. While the small prototype was a success, don't expect to see the technology for a few years. The scientists say the technology is still at least two to three years away from realistic use. It's also expensive. Because they use custom-made parts, the displays currently cost about $30 per pixel. Mass production could lower that cost, but creating even a 100-by-100 pixel image viewable from 10 different angles would take 100 million different pixels, says Alan Sullivan, a research scientist at Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories who also built a sophisticated 3-D DepthCube Display. Sullivan sees 6-D displays first being used by science museums as novelty items. Once the technology matures it could be used for high-end applications, "where a lot of money would go into something and no one wants to make a bad decision during the design phase," said Sullivan. Some of the areas Sullivan envisions for 6-D displays include new cuts for precious stones, vehicles with paints that change color depending on the angle, and buildings whose appearance would change depending on the position of the sun. "I love this technology," said Sullivan. "I think its a cool idea, and even if its ultimate implementation isn't done, it's inspirational. If we don't reach for the stars we can't get off the ground." Related Links: |
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