European researchers are using old 3D methods to create new sophisticated displays. A Eureka project brought together Swiss and German researchers to deliver affordable 3D TV that is claimed to obviate issues with image dimming and viewing angles. The team hopes to sell the Dualplex product into professional markets, such as the medical industry, before pushing into the residential field.
The project has its roots with Infitec, a German company that develops 3D technology for cinemas, and was started by a company consultant, Arnold Simon, and chief executive, Helmut Jorke.
Simon, who is now the company’s chief technical officer, reported on the Eureka website that: “The seed of this project was just three friends chatting on the web”. The trio wanted to develop a 3D LCD flat-screen monitor capable of displaying the full resolution of the new high-definition television formats.
Infitec develops sophisticated technology based on the familiar red and green glasses and, backed by Eureka, it partnered with Optics Balzers, a Swiss company that specialises in 3D filters, to create the Dualplex display.
The companies claim to have created a 23” monitor that provides a quality image that causes less eyestrain than its rivals’ products. Furthermore, the glasses do not darken the ambient light and the screen can be viewed from all angles without distorting the 3D images.
After applying to patent the screen in Germany the partners are now in the process of submitting the patents for other countries. Funding has been secured for further development, largely aimed at brightening the screen’s images.