Virtual rear projection: do shadows matter?

Rear projection of large-scale upright displays is often preferred over front projection because of the lack of shadows that occlude the projected image. However, rear projection is not always a feasible option for space and cost reasons. Recent research suggests that many of the desirable features of rear projection, in particular shadow elimination, can be reproduced using new front projection techniques. We report on the results of an empirical study comparing two new projection techniques with traditional rear projection and front projection.