Glasses-Free 3-D TVs Only Three Years Away, Sorta
When 3D TVs first started hitting the market, I yawned. For me, glasses-free was where it was at. Of course, I expected it would still come in the form of a flat screen that simulated the appearance of three dimensional objects. A company named Zebra Imaging has hooked up with DARPA to develop the ultimate in 3D: a hologram TV.
If you think today’s 3-D technology in movies and TV shows is cool, wait until you see your first hologram table. Funded by DARPA, the Defense Department’s research arm, for battle planning, the Urban Photonic Sandtable Display produces a 360°, 3-D image (no glasses needed).
So not exactly a 3D hologram TV, but it will be an interesting bit of technology to keep an eye on. In three years it will be too expensive and limited for mainstream consumer level applications, and it may never be appropriate for traditional movies or television, but it is not hard to imagine this sort of technology supplementing TVs in the living room and making the PlayStation TV look like a cheesy relic.