NASA 1996 SBIR Phase I

PROJECT TITLE : 360 Degree True 3-D Virtual Reality System

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)

Current Virtual Reality (VR) systems cause some health hazards and discomfort to users, especially over extended periods of use. Physical Optics Corporation (POC) proposes to develop a new, fully immersive 3-D system based on six 3-D video projectors for a 360¡ visual field. Four major technologies will be incorporated into the proposed system, including large screen multi-channel 3-D projection to be viewed without special eye wear, high speed multi-view world generators with interactive capabilities, multi-channel body part trackers, and 3-D aural devices. The six projectors will simultaneously illuminate the screens to reinforce the VR illusion. The two projectors in the current primary viewing direction will project the highest resolution, while the side screens will display lower resolution images and the back screens will be blank. At any instant, depending on the direction the user is facing, all the screens will have appropriate resolution, with the highest resolution always being in the direct viewing direction.

VR systems are increasingly used for personalized viewing in both commercial and academic applications. Often opportunities are in telemedicine, product modeling, and entertainment (specifically computer games).

Andrew Kostrzewski, Ph.D.
Physical Optics Corporation, Engineering & Products Division
20600 Gramercy Place, Building 100
Torrance, CA 90501-1821

Physical Optics Corporation, Engineering & Products Division
20600 Gramercy Place, Building 100
Torrance, CA 90501-1821