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From: dale@bcm.tmc.edu (Dale A. Samuelsen)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga,comp.sys.mac.misc
Subject: Re: Murph's VAPORWARE Column for October 1990
Message-ID: <2105@gazette.bcm.tmc.edu>
Date: 2 Oct 90 15:06:25 GMT
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References:<9009280355.AA23389@lilac.berkeley.edu> <3808.2708cdc4@cc.curtin.edu.au>

In article <3808.2708cdc4@cc.curtin.edu.au> North_TJ@cc.curtin.edu.au (Tim 
North) writes:
> In article <9009280355.AA23389@lilac.berkeley.edu>, 
Sewall@UConnVM.BITNET 
> (Murph Sewall) writes:
> > 
> >                          VAPORWARE
> >                        Murphy Sewall
> >               From the October 1990 APPLE PULP
> > 
> > A Real 3-D Display.
> > Texas Instruments has shown a "bubble" display two feet in
> > diameter which "floats" three dimensional images within a
> > volume.  Multiple viewers can see the display from any side
> > without special goggles or eyeshades.  Dubbed "Omniview,"
> > TI's patent application describes the technology as a
> > "real-time, auto-stereoscopic, multiplanar 3-D display
> > system."  Initial commercial applications may appear as
> > early as next year.  - InfoWorld 20 August
> > 
> 
> You've GOT to be kidding! ACKK! Is this for real? Whoa man, what centuru 
is 
> this?! I mean this isn't for reeee-al is it? Quick, what day is it -- 
nope not
> April first...
> 
> Somebody tell me it isn't possible yet -- please!
> 
> Tim North
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
--

Yup, it is indeed real.  It was shown at SIGGraph '90.  It did not appear 
to me to be something to jump up and down about.  The device consisted of 
a plexiglass bubble, rotating vanes set at specific angles &/or , and a computer controlled laser.  The laser projected an image on the rotating vanes 
inside the dome.  Based on where the laser beam struck the vanes, the 
viewer percieved height, width, and depth. Your quote from their patent 
application is accurate. No special goggles were required. I do not recall 
whether the device was monochrome or not - it may have had 3 colors, but 
it certainly did not have the range of color one might expect from a video 
monitor. I suspect that it will have trouble with adequate solid modeling 
because of the length of time it would take the laser to draw a solid on 
the vanes.   In addition, the resolution seemed low and it was noticable 
that the image was projected onto rotating vanes.  The booth was enclosed 
and was a very low light situation.  I do not believe that the technology 
as shown would work well in standard office lighting.  

Hope this helps.  

If anyone can shed further light on the technology, please follow up this post.  I'd like to hear another perspective.

Dale

Dale A. Samuelsen
Baylor College of Medicine
dale@bcm.tmc.edu
--Any opinions expressed are mine alone and do not necessarily represent 
those of Baylor College of Medicine.