This paper explores a user interface technique which augments an immersive head tracked display with a hand-held miniature copy of the virtual environment We call this interface technique the Worlds in Miniature (WIM) metaphor By establishing a direct relationship between life-size objects in the virtual world and miniature objects in the WIM, we can use the WIM as a tool for manipulating objects in the virtual environment In addition to describing object manipulation, this paper explores ways in which Worlds in Miniature can act as a single unifying metaphor for such application independent interaction techniques as object selection, navigation, path planning, and visualization The WIM metaphor naturally offers multiple points of view and multiple scales at which the user can operate, all without requiring explicit modes or commands Informal user observation indicates that users adapt to the Worlds in Miniature metaphor quickly and that physical props are helpful in manipulating the WIM and other objects in the environment

Virtual reality on a WIM: interactive worlds in miniature

The physical world around us is three-dimensional (3D), yet traditional display devices can show only two-dimensional (2D) flat images that lack depth (i.e., the third dimension) information. This fundamental restriction greatly limits our ability to perceive and to understand the complexity of real-world objects. Nearly 50% of the capability of the human brain is devoted to processing visual information [Human Anatomy & Physiology (Pearson, 2012)]. Flat images and 2D displays do not harness the brain's power effectively. With rapid advances in the electronics, optics, laser, and photonics fields, true 3D display technologies are making their way into the marketplace. 3D movies, 3D TV, 3D mobile devices, and 3D games have increasingly demanded true 3D display with no eyeglasses (autostereoscopic). Therefore, it would be very beneficial to readers of this journal to have a systematic review of state-of-the-art 3D display technologies.

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Three-dimensional display technologies

Enhanced camera-based input, in which a detection region surrounding a user is defined in an image of the user within a scene, and a position of an object (such as a hand) within the detection region is detected. Additionally, a control (such as a key of a virtual keyboard) in a user interface is interacted with based on the detected position of the object.

Enhanced camera-based input

Three-dimensional (3D) sensing and imaging technologies have been extensively researched for many applications in the fields of entertainment, medicine, robotics, manufacturing, industrial inspection, security, surveillance, and defense due to their diverse and significant benefits. Integral imaging is a passive multiperspective imaging technique, which records multiple two-dimensional images of a scene from different perspectives. Unlike holography, it can capture a scene such as outdoor events with incoherent or ambient light. Integral imaging can display a true 3D color image with full parallax and continuous viewing angles by incoherent light; thus it does not suffer from speckle degradation. Because of its unique properties, integral imaging has been revived over the past decade or so as a promising approach for massive 3D commercialization. A series of key articles on this topic have appeared in the OSA journals, including Applied Optics. Thus, it is fitting that this Commemorative Review presents an overview of literature on physical principles and applications of integral imaging. Several data capture configurations, reconstruction, and display methods are overviewed. In addition, applications including 3D underwater imaging, 3D imaging in photon-starved environments, 3D tracking of occluded objects, 3D optical microscopy, and 3D polarimetric imaging are reviewed.

https://www.uv.es/imaging3/PDFs/2013_AO_52_0546.pdf

Advances in three-dimensional integral imaging: sensing, display, and applications [Invited]

Accurate registration between real and virtual objects is crucial for augmented reality applications. Existing tracking methods are individually inadequate: magnetic trackers are inaccurate, mechanical trackers are cumbersome, and vision-based trackers are computationally problematic. We present a hybrid tracking method that combines the accuracy of vision-based tracking with the robustness of magnetic tracking without compromising real-time performance or usability. We demonstrate excellent registration in three sample applications. CR

/pdf/superior-augmented-reality-registration-by-integrating-1vfaf9o9lk.pdf

Superior augmented reality registration by integrating landmark tracking and magnetic tracking

A three-dimensional sense adjusting unit displays three-dimensional images to a user. If a displayed reaches a limit of parallax, the user responds to the three-dimensional sense adjusting unit. According to acquired appropriate parallax information, a parallax control unit generates parallax images to realize the appropriate parallax in the subsequent stereo display. The control of parallaxes is realized by optimally setting camera parameters by going back to three-dimensional data. Functions to realize the appropriate parallax are made into and presented by a library.

Method and apparatus for processing three-dimensional images

A three-dimensional display comprising a flat light source, a vertical striped filter having slits transmitting light from the light source and barriers screening the light from the light source alternately formed therein for partially transmitting the light from the light source, and an LCD panel arranged on the light emission side of the vertical striped filter and having left eye pixels and right eye pixels alternately formed therein, light passing through the left eye pixels in the LCD panel and light passing through the right eye pixels being emitted toward a observer in a separated state.

Three-dimensional display

An image processing apparatus includes an image obtaining unit and an information adding unit. The image obtaining unit obtains a base image for stereovision in a multiplex format or a side-by-side format, or obtains an original image and then converts it to such a base image. The information adding unit records information to be referred to for stereovision, such as the format of the base image and the number of assumed viewpoints, in a header of the image data.

Stereoscopic image processing and display system

The 2-D/3-D compatible type image display according to the present invention is constructed by arranging a liquid crystal panel which is a display panel, a dispersed type liquid crystal panel which is a diffusing effect on/off panel, a light separating means, a backlight which is a plane light source, so as to be nearer to an observer in this order. It is possible by processing the image signal supplied to the liquid crystal panel to form a first group of pixels lined in longitudinal direction of a picture and a second group of pixels lined in the same direction of the picture alternately formed in horizontal direction, and to make the first group of pixels and the second group of pixels have different observing points respectively as left eye pixels and right eye pixels (when 3-D images are displayed), or to make the first group of pixels and the second group of pixels have the same observing points with each other (when 2-D images are displayed). When 3-D images are displayed, light from the light separating means is transmitted by making diffusing effect off. When 2-D images are displayed, light from the light separating means is diffused by making diffusing effect on.

Two-dimensional/three-dimensional compatible type image display

A vehicle operation system has: a shot image acquisition portion acquiring a shot image from an image shooting device mounted on a vehicle; an input portion to which movement information on the vehicle is input; and a display portion displaying an image based on the movement information in a form superimposed on an image based on the shot image. The vehicle operation system operates the vehicle based on the movement information.

Ken Mashitani

Papers

Method and apparatus for processing three-dimensional images

Three-dimensional display

Stereoscopic image processing and display system

Two-dimensional/three-dimensional compatible type image display

Vehicle Operation System And Vehicle Operation Method