3d Overdose

3D films are not as common as they can become with the introduction of lightweight digital camera technology. Hollywood studios are hoping that films shot in 3D will boost takings at the box office. The number of US cinemas capable of showing films in 3D is expected to rise to 3,000 by 2009. To view films in 3D viewers will still have to wear glasses although they will not be the cardboard glasses that were used in 1960s. Now the glasses will be trendier and will resemble sunglasses that are usually worn by people. James Cameron, the director of Titanic and Terminator 2, is developing a sci-fi epic called Avatar, in 3D format. He hopes that the film will be released in 2009. Walt Disney will also be releasing a 3D version of their latest animated movie named Meet the Robinsons this week. Hollywood is keen in spending more on developing 3D films as the audience is willing to pay more for viewing a 3D film. Studios have also stated that they have to differentiate cinema from home entertainment and there is no better way than developing 3D films.

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Maryland-based Freewebs has launched a new service dubbed Fotowoosh that will let you turn any image into a 3D model. The image should be preferably an outdoor one. You need to have a VRML reader to view the 3D images as they are created in Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML) format. Well, the company claims that they will allow the users to upload any 2D image in a week or so and will return a 3D image to them. The integrated software checks for the submitted image and then determines the sky, ground and vertical elements within the photo. After that, the software cuts and folds the 2D image into a 3D model. Check out the video here.

Japanese company NTT Comware has came out with some realistic 3D imaging technology in juxtaposition with their sensor-packed glove , which allows you to see and feel images. This touchable 3D arrangement permits you to be connected and transformed into 3D images instantaneously. For example, if you are holding hand via virtual representation of your spouse and if he or she walks away from the screen your hand will feel the haul as he or she leaves your pseudo-grasp. However, developers are also discovering commercialization alternatives and video phones but still there are never ending possibilities for this kind of technology.

A team of researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Computer Science in Saarbrucken, Germany have developed a new kind of 3D animation technique that allows the user to paste a high-resolution 3D scan of his own on to another person’s movements. The process is too simple as it requires a simple body scan and users can use the animated version in the game within a few minutes. Interestingly, the scans can be taken in less than a minute and are precise to millimeters. Other than the flexible applications of this technique, they are most concerned in using it to generate 3D video.

Anyone who has got about $20,000 in his/her account can project floating holograms. Well, IO2 Technology has let loose its third-generation "mid-air display" that boasts superior brightness and resolution, along with the enhancements in image precision and permanence. The device creates an awe-inspiring 3D display that seems to be hovering in the air with an impressive 1024×768 resolution. The upgradations brought in the new M3 model are anticipated to make the projector more saleable and fit for purposes like teleconferencing and high-end displays. Via: DailyTech

Apparently, the year 2007 will be the year of flash. The awe-inspiring flash 3D demo by John Grden demonstrates the potential for the future of 3D and Flash. This will indubitably pave the way for numerous innovations in this field. 7 Xwings, 7 Ties, Death Star, Endor and a fully rendered star field in PV3D and it ran at a staggering 26-30fps on my laptop Yeah, we had a good contrast demo. Then I attached a TargetCamera to the ships as a follow cam and made the ships clickable so you could jump from ship to ship and follow along as they flew back and forth and I finally realized – Flash doesn’t look like flash anymore.

The day is not far when emerging three-dimensional films will soon rule our cinema industry, says Jeffrey Katzenberg, chief executive of independent US studio DreamWorks Animation. Though basic 3D technology is ruling our cinema industry from past many years and now according to Mr. Katzenberg three magical factors are uniting to bring it into the commercial mainstream, those are: increased power of computers which enables crisper images, digital cinemas and affordable 3D eye-wear. Mr Katzenberg told Les Echos, the Financial Times’ French sister paper: It’s the biggest technology advance since the arrival of colour 60 years ago It is also unveiled that from 2009 onwards DreamWorks’ all the planned releases like Monsters Vs Aliens, How To Train Your Dragon, and Shrek 4 will be in 3D. The release of all the films in 3D is based on the readiness of audience to pay some more amount to watch 3D films, and it will also help to stop films piracy because it is noteworthy that 3D films ‘cannot be pirated’. Mr Katzenberg further added: Viewers are willing to pay $5 more per ticket to watch these films,two-dimensional films would not disappear, but of the 500 films released each year, 15 per cent of them accounted for 75 per cent of cinema tickets sold,I believe two-thirds of these blockbusters would benefit from being 3D. The cost of producing an animated feature film in 3D will also add some extra cost to producers that is estimated to rise from $12m-$15m for customary and $5m-$6m extra for action. It will also raise some investment in cinemas technology and for all those who are set with digital projectors, the investment would be only $16,000- $17,000 more. Via: Ft

Your viewing experience has just gone better with the new Phillips 20-inch 3D WoWvx displays. Not only this latest offering from Phillips is stylish and colorful but also rich in terms of features. There is no need of any kind of special 3D glasses as you can view the three dimensional picture with the naked eye. Phillips 20-inch 3D WoWvx displays comes with two versions, one as a frame-mount for the wall (20-3D2W01) and the other one with a bezel and stand for a desktop (20-3D2W04). Though, not much information has been given by the company as yet but there is already a buzz in the market for this product, so expect more information in the coming days. Slipperybrick

To observe close-ups of whirling winds and hurricanes Japanese researchers have developed avant-garde three-dimensional images by feeding stocks of data into computer to view via special goggles. By wearing some special glasses equipped with sensors, scientists steps into a small cube-shaped room in Yokohama, near Tokyo where computer projects data via 3D images that appear across the room. Researchers can also watch images of spinning clouds if they punch some figures to closely analyze some powerful typhoon. Tetsuya Sato, a professor who is directing the project at the state-run Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology asserted: Thanks to this system, we can discover so much more new data – it’s like discovering diamonds! This new innovation also enables researchers to visualize mysteries of deep cores of earth by forming an image of a flat miniature earth that glides across the walls and bounces into mid-air inside the room to facilitate researchers to view streams of zigzag color inside the earth core that signifies the velocity of the molten iron process. Sato further said: Earth simulators up until now used to only produce and stock digital data but we couldn’t fully understand natural phenomena just by looking at numbers The innovation will be also offered to the general public once a year to closely examine the three-dimensional simulations of natural phenomena that also encompass earthquakes, tornadoes and tsunamis. However, this new system will offer excellent weather forecasts but still it has some limitations to observe accurately, complicated phenomenon like global warming. Via: dsc.discovery

A Stereoscope is a simple optical device to allow the perception of a stereoscopic or 3D image from pairs of aerial photographs. But this one being a mod is quite different from the definitions. The developer has taken two clixes that can play video at 15 FPS and with some metal work he was able to attach it to a frame connected with the antique stereoscope. That means this one can play videos and you can view 3D videos without spending too much for 3D eyeglasses. You will be able to complete in a couple of hours without investing too much in the process. Click here for the detailed procedure.