Archive notice: This article was originally published on March 11, 2009. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
Researchers at Japan’s National Institute of Information and Communications Technology have developed a cube-shaped 3D display called gCubik. The system realises the concept of viewing a handheld 3D image from every side. At the Interaction 2009 symposium, NICT presented a cube with the required display elements on all six faces, technology portal Tech-On reported. The researchers next want to improve interaction so displayed objects respond when the cube is shaken.
While most 3D displays effectively project images outwards, gCubik depicts objects inside itself. Its faces use lens technology that makes the 3D image visible without glasses. The current version uses six 3.5-inch LCD panels, allowing users to view the object from every side for the first time. A prototype shown at SIGGRAPH 2008 offered only three views. Image quality has improved slightly, although effective resolution remains relatively low at 18 × 18 views per face, with the image changing every 6.7 degrees of viewing angle. “If we use panels with Full HD resolution or more, we can achieve a resolution acceptable to users,” said NICT developer Shunsuke Yoshida.
Brightness has also improved. “An image in the earlier gCubik was not clearly visible without placing it in a dark environment, but this has improved considerably,” Yoshida said. Lens changes make the current version three times brighter. Resistive touch panels, six-axis acceleration sensors and loudspeakers have been added to support more interaction. “We want to improve it further so that the image inside gCubik moves, is shaken and makes sounds when the user tries to touch the image or shakes the cube,” Yoshida explained.
