Sony's new Spatial Reality Display (SDR) uses eye-tracking to make images appear three-dimensional without a VR headset. Experts say the technology could eventually be available to consumers.
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While the SDR can create stunning 3D images, it is aimed at business users due to its high price tag and the fact that content using the system is limited. It is one of a growing number of devices that claim to create a glasses-free virtual reality experience. Such displays will likely eventually find their way into living rooms, observers say.
“I’ve used Sony’s displays for 3D product prototyping and at events like CES, and people who had never seen a spatial display before were really blown away by them,” said Adam Rodnitzky, COO of Tangram Vision, an image processing software company, in an email interview.
To produce images that appear three-dimensional, the SDR tracks eye movements and your position as you move across the screen. There's also a micro-optical lens over the LCD that splits the screen between your left and right eyes to create a stereoscopic image. "Content extends deep into the screen from any viewing angle," Sony says on its website. "By simply moving around — up or down, side to side — you get the feeling that you're interacting with the content right in front of you."
