Solving the 3D Problem—The History and Development of Viable Domestic

Domestic television and video display is central to one of the largest consumer electronics markets in the world and the prize for developing a technically capable, and commercially viable domestic-suitable 3D video display system is likely to be great. Producing such a domestic 3D video system places great demands on innovation, research and development, but with recent advances in the enabling technologies such displays are now within our grasp. This paper starts by giving a brief history of the many attempts to produce a viable domestic 3D video display, illustrating the pioneers who first initiated research on 3D domestic displays. This paper then outlines and discusses the essential requirements that would be necessary to fulfil viewer expectations of a viable and usable domestic 3D video display. These demands are then placed in the context of the historical attempts to produce viable 3D displays, showing how these attempts have informed current thinking by outlining the problems of each technology approach. The paper then goes on to describe possible contemporary approaches to producing domestic 3D video displays, discussing the current viability of each, and showing that although there are many current solutions, these are often not suitable for domestic use. The paper then shows the development, based on historical work and contemporary thinking and technology, of viable 3D domestic video displays for both single viewer use and multiple viewer use that are hoped will fulfil the demands of domestic use. The paper summarises with the prediction that within the next 10 years we will see domestic 3D video displays readily available and accepted by the market place.