Comments
Scientists claim to have developed the world’s first holographic flexible smartphone, HoloFlex, that lets users interact with 3D videos and images without any headgear or glasses.
“HoloFlex offers a completely new way of interacting with your smartphone. It allows glasses-free interactions with 3D video and images in a way that does not encumber the user,” said Roel Vertegaal, from Queen’s University in Canada.
HoloFlex features a high-definition Flexible Organic Light Emitting Diode touch-screen display.
Images are rendered into 12-pixel wide circular blocks rendering the full view of the 3D object from a particular viewpoint. These pixel blocks project through a 3D printed flexible micro lens array consisting of over 16,000 fish-eye lenses. The resulting 160x104 resolution image allows users to inspect a 3D object from any angle simply by rotating the phone.
Bend sensor
HoloFlex is also equipped with a bend sensor, which allows the user to bend the phone as a means of moving objects along the z-axis of the display. Vertegaal envisions a number of applications for the new functionality of the HoloFlex technology.
A first application is the use of bend gestures for Z-Input to facilitate the editing of 3D models, for example, when 3D printing.
Using the touch-screen, a user can swipe to manipulate objects in the x and y axes, while squeezing the display to move objects along the z-axis. Due to the wide view angle, multiple users can examine a 3D model from different points of view. “By employing a depth camera, users can also perform holographic video conferences with one another,” said Vertegaal.
“When bending the display, users literally pop out of the screen and can even look around each other, with their faces rendered correctly from any angle to any onlooker,” he said. HoloFlex also can be used for holographic gaming.
In a game such as Angry Birds, for example, users would be able to bend the side of the display to pull the elastic rubber band that propels the bird. When the bird flies across the screen, the display makes it pop out of the screen in 3D.
Comments
COMMENT NOW
Comments
Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.
We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of TheHindu Businessline and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.