3D Controllers

AU Optronics announced it will partner with IDent Technology to develop gesture-controlled 3D displays. AUO integrate Ident's GestIC 3D gesture control chip together with their own 2D multi touch and 3D LCD modules.

The GestIC is based on near-field electric sensing, which means it can be integrated into a standard touch panel, and it's not an expensive solution. The GestIC chip sensing capabilities provide real-time, robust, low-power tracking of free space hand or finger movements in front of a device such as a display. The device senses hand and finger motions and translates it to gesture commands or positional data.

Apple has been granted a patent for a auto-stereoscopic 3D TV system that uses projectors and face-tracking camera to provide 'realistic holographic visual experience". The system also allows for gesture 3D input.

AU Optronics will showcase some new 3D displays in the FPD international exhibition next week (that's in addition to the deadzone-free glasses-free 3D display they announced yesterday). The first is a 71" 21:9 3D LCD panel. It offers 240Hz refresh-rate, LED-backlit and features polarized 3D.

The second display is a 65" 3D touch panel for gaming application, which includes an infrared video camera that detects the player's movements as he or she interacts with the 3D images. Another display is a 65" QFHD 4K2K lenticular lens (glasses-free) 3D LCD TV panel. AUO says they have developed new technology that solved the problem of uneven brightness - this 3D panel has brightness as high as 500 nits with 8 viewpoints.

Finally, AUO is showing a 4" 3D touch panel for smartphones or tablet computers. It uses a light pen so that users can interact in 3D.

Researchers from the Gifu University in Japan have developed a touch (haptic) interface that is combined with a 3D display, that offer a new way to simulate the touching of objects. The haptic interface, called HIRO III is a robot that acn provide kinesthetic sensations to the user's hand and fingers. It is coupled with a 3D display that provides the visual experience.

via Engadget

We have some new information about Nintendo's upcoming 3D portable game console. It will feature a parallax barrier LCD display (made by Sharp). The display will be "smaller than 4-inch", but we don't know the exact size... and whether it'll have one or two displays. The 3DS will also have a 3D controller (control stick).

Via Engadget

A couple of German design studios have introduced a new 3D input device concept, called the Gesture Cube. It uses GestIC electric field sensing technology... and best explained in the following video (via Engadget):

Cambridge Consultant has launched a new low-cost 3D controller called the Suma. Suma offers a full 3D sensitive control for a high degree of interaction. It's basically a squeezable mouse, with a sensor system that reads the 3D deformations. 

Via EETimes