Now see 3D movies without glasses

The huge success of 3D movies like “Avatar”, “Clash of the Titans” and “Alice in Wonderland” has led scientists to explore possibilities of developing 3D technology that does not require glasses. Japanese companies supplying 3D technology and services to Hollywood production houses have said they hope to see their goods having an impact on people’s day-to-day lives within the next few years, and that further development in the technology will lower prices and makes the experience affordable for commoners, Xinhua reported on Saturday.

However, before that happens, there are still a few problems that need to be solved. A ‘glasses-free’ 3D technology produced by a Japanese company has induced headaches, even if they were impressive.

The latest technology sends different signals to each eye, creating the illusion of 3D images, and a company representative has argued that future developments will lead to sharper images and less eye fatigue. “In may be five years, when the technology has further advanced and the price of the hardware has become more affordable, I think you will see 3D sets in households,” Kazuo Kaneyama was quoted as saying.

At present, the technology boasts of a 65-inch set at around 3 million yen ($32,000) - about three times more than the price of a 2D television of the same size.

There are also problems for people with visual impairment. If one eye is stronger than the other, then the 3D image will suffer.

“People with visual impairment will not be able to enjoy 3D using this technology,” Kaneyama said. Over the next few years, television sets are likely to be installed at exhibitions, department stores and on streets that grab our attention like never before, with the images seeming to jump out of the screens and at passers-by.

“I believe 3D is just around the corner,” said Kiyoto Kanda, representative of another company. “Photo frames that use the technology are already available at an affordable price, and other equipment is going to get cheaper in the near future.” With Hollywood already beginning to invest in fully developing 3D entertainment, opportunities to test out the new way of watching movies, sport and other programmes are likely to increase.

In Britain, a recent football game between Manchester United and Chelsea was made available in 3D. Though these experiments have used the glasses technology, people have not looked favourably at the idea of wearing uncomfortable glasses for two or more hours at a time, opening up huge potential for companies offering glasses-free technology.

Replacement fingers offer a touch of hope

Eric Jones sat in a middle seat on a recent flight from the New York area to Florida, but he wasn’t complaining. Instead, he was quietly enjoying actions that many other people might take for granted, like taking a cup of coffee from the flight attendant or changing the channel on his video monitor.
These simple movements were lost to Jones when the fingers and thumb on his right hand were amputated three years ago. But now he has a prosthetic replacement: a set of motorised digits that can clasp cans, flimsy plastic water bottles or even thin slips of paper.
Jones’s prosthesis, called ProDigits, is made by Touch Bionics in Livingston, Scotland. The device can replace any or all fingers on a hand; each replacement digit has a tiny motor and gear box mounted at the base. Movement is controlled by a computer chip in the prosthesis.
ProDigits was released commercially last December, said Stuart Mead, the chief executive of Touch Bionics. About 60 patients have been fitted worldwide, he said, and some have been wearing it for four years. The cost is $60,000 to $75,000, including fitting and occupational therapy.
Prodigits may be opened and closed not only by sensors that pick up muscle contractions, but also by dime-size pads put at the base of the fingers to detect pressure exerted by remnant bone. Jones starts the action by flexing or relaxing a muscle in the palm. Sensors in the prosthesis pick up the signals sent by the muscles and send the message to the computer chip that controls the motor. NYT NEWS SERVICE

Rameswaram2

Tanjore

Rameswaram 2010b