MIT Develops 3D Technology Without Glasses That Works Theatre-Wide

Engineers over at the Michigan Institute of Technology have developed 3D-viewing technology that will allow movies to show in 3D without the need for those annoying glasses. The technology is only in its prototype stage at the moment, but it has already sparked a lot of interest, particularly among those who want to watch movies in 3D, but can’t stand the plastic contraptions required.

As TechCrunch notes, 3D movies are often ruined for a lot of people because of the plastic glasses that are needed in order to watch them in their intended format. Not only can they obstruct a person’s vision if they are scratched or stained, viewers with actual glasses also have to wear the extra ones on top of the lenses they already have, which can then ride up and ruin the experience.

Several devices already feature similar technology as what the MIT Computers Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab has developed, such as Nintendo’s “3DS,” which also offers a glasses-less 3D screen. However, it’s only meant for one person, and others who are watching over the player’s shoulder won’t see the same thing as the one staring directly at the screen.

The most innovative feature of the 3D technology that the MIT engineers created is that it can beam the images to every person in the room, regardless of the angle they are watching from, and maintain the 3D construct. The engineers worked with people from the Weiszmann Institute of Science in Israel in order to bring the technology to life.

According to Gizmag, the technology works by beaming images to set positions in the cinema where concept revolves around the likelihood that the viewers don’t really move their heads all that much when watching the movie. By employing beams that rely on parallax barriers similar to what the 3DS is using and then sending these images to fixed points, the 3D effect could hold up without the glasses and no matter where the viewer is sitting.