Novel Full-Color High Frame Rate 3D Projector for Multiview 3D Displays

Xigen, Llc, Rockville MD

Investigators

Linked publications, trials & patents

Abstract

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The physical world around us is three-dimensional (3D), yet most existing display systems can handle only two-dimensional (2D) images that lack the third dimension (depth) information. This fundamental restriction greatly limits human being's capability of perceiving and understanding the complexity of real world objects and high dimensional data. Uses of true 3D displays in biomedical research would lead to efficient, effective and accurate visualization and interaction on high dimensional cell structure, molecular, genomic medicine, and image data. Uses of true 3D display to clinical applications, such as image guided radiation therapy (IGRT), could eliminate the directional bias during the diagnosis, planning and interventions. Other examples of 3D applications include ophthalmology, endoscopy, bio-analysis, microscopy, & robotic surgeries. There are three classes of true 3D display technologies, namely multiview, volumetric, and computer generated hologram (CGH) displays. This SBIR project deals with multiview 3D display. Many multiview 3D display systems were developed, but all uses multi projectors. These systems could produce impressive visual results, BUT they are very expensive due to costs of multiple (up to 256) projectors. Xigen team takes an entirely new approach to the multiview 3D display design. Instead of relying on multiple projectors, we use single projector and clever opto-mechanical scanning mechanism to produce multiple virtual projectors for generating multiviews. This revolutionary single projector multiview (SPM) technique promises to reduce cost and complexity of a 3D display to a level comparable with that of existing 2D display. There are many technical challenges in the SPM design and implementation. We are not able to address all the technical issues in a single SBIR project. Instead, in this SBIR, we will focus on a criticl technical challenge for the SPM display, namely the high-frame-rate (HFR) image projector. To achieve high degree of 3D fidelity, large number of views is needed, requiring HFR. For example, at a standard 24Hz of 3D image refreshing rate, a sequential 128-view 3D display would need 128x24=3,072 Hz grey-scale (8-bit) images. To the best of our knowledge, no single projector exists that can achieve such a HFR, at any cost. Therefore, the primary objective of this SBIR proposed herein is to develop the novel HFR projector technology to facilitate the full color HFR multiview 3D display. Phase 1 specific aims are: Aim 1: Design and test a single color high frame rage (HFR) projector 1.1. Design intensity filter wheel (IFW) and explore electronic control technique for LIM. 1.2. Synchronize LIM with DLP's timing to produce 8-bit grey scale image. Aim 2: Design a full-color (24-bit) HFR projector 2.1. Select light source. 2.2. Design the TIR prism and projection optics. 2.3. Integrate three-chip DLPs into the assembly, alignment etc. Aim 3: Build a prototype of the HFR full-color projector 3.1. HFR projector integration. 3.2. Perform tests and evaluations on the prototype. Aim 4: Integrate HFR projector into a multiview 3D display testbed for evaluation 4.1. Integrate the HFR projector into a multiview 3D display testbed available at Xigen. 4.2. Preliminary evaluation of 3D display for clinical applications, prepare Phase 2 plan. HFR projector is a platform technology that can benefit other types of 3D displays as well: both volumetric and holographic 3D display requires HFR projector to achieve high resolution full color 3D display. Thus the success of this SBIR would significantly advance the state-of-the-art of the entire true 3D display field. The true 3D display is a fundamentally new technology platform that facilitates a broad range 3D/4D visualization applications in biomedical research and clinical applications. With the high performance (24-bit full-color with over 3,072Hz frame rate) and low-cost solution proposed in this SBIR, the true 3D display technology could serve as a viable tools to provide a new level of realism and add a new dimension (literally and figuratively) to the visualization tool available for biomedical research and clinical practices. It has broad impact on various aspects of healthcare practices, ranging from 3D/4D image visualization, image guided intervention, telemedicine, surgical replays, microscope/endoscope visualization, education, training, etc.