CeBIT shows the way to the 3rd dimension
– Advertising 2.0: premiere for 3D digital signage displays
– Education-plus: making the abstract tangible in the “Cyber Classroom”
– Gesture-controlled 3D urban and building simulations
Digital media are fast becoming an indispensible part of the communication mix. Whether it takes the form of an in-store television set in a supermarket, an architectural model or a multi-media screen at a public event, digital signage is more prominent in everyday urban life than ever before. The latest screens can even show three-dimensional images. From 1 to 5 March 2011, leading manufacturers, such as ACL, Aiptek, Schneider Digital, Tridelity, Vestel and Visenso, will be unveiling their latest 3D products at CeBIT – from large-scale advertising displays through to compact 3D camcorders.
For use in industry, the medical sector and advertising: no-glasses 3D viewing technology
Different autostereoscopic displays may work in different ways, but they all have one thing in common: they enable 3D viewing without the 3D glasses that are still required for most 3D-capable TV sets. Autostereoscopic displays can generate three-dimensional images directly on screen with the help of integrated aperture grills or lenticular grids, which disperse light in different directions. Tridelity AG, from Sankt Georgen in the Black Forest region of Germany, is a leading international manufacturer of these displays. At CeBIT 2011, it will be exhibiting, among other things, the world’s first – and as yet only – 3D screens in portrait format (mainly for the digital signage market) and the first device with medical approval. “Three-dimensional digital signage is a fast-growing segment in the electronic advertising display market,” explained Tridelity’s CEO, Michael Russo. “The superior eye-catching ability of this technology will fuel future sales. We expect that in only a few years, nearly one in ten digital signage panels will be 3D capable.”
ACL and Seefront will also be presenting a world-first at CeBIT 2011. The two companies will be unveiling their new MD2711-3D 17-inch autostereoscopic display, which features a high resolution of 2,560 x 1,440 pixels and is therefore suitable for demanding three-dimensional display applications in the industrial, advertising and medical sectors.
At this year’s CeBIT show, Schneider Digital will be presenting a whole host of 3D-capable hardware for professional use, including graphics cards, workstations, controllers and monitors. Schneider Digital’s products are used in a wide range of areas, from geoinformation systems and the medical sector through to virtual reality applications.
Turkish company Vestel will also be showcasing its latest range of B2B products, including innovative displays, IPTV systems for hotels and hospitals, 3D LED TVs, interactive touchscreens, netbooks, Connected TV and set-top boxes.
3D apps as sales tools for notebooks and tablet PCs
Further bolstering CeBIT 2011’s already impressive lineup of 3D displays will be 3D International Europe (formerly known as VisuMotion). “We have just patented a new technology called CLD, which stands for Chromatic Light Deflector. Our CLD monitors offer excellent value for money and have significantly brighter screens compared with earlier models,” said Martin Treydte, who is responsible for content creation and events. “We are also developing a new software application that will cover the entire 3D image production chain, from 3D content creation and editing through to playback. Ensuring compatibility with the stereoscopic and autostereoscopic displays of the major manufacturers is particularly important to us in this context.”
Three-dimensional models have also become an integral part of industrial design and architecture. A brand new development in this context relates to apps that enable 3D presentations on tablet PCs. Dortmund-based company visualtektur will be presenting such apps at CeBIT 2011. visualtektur’s CEO, Marco Lachmann: “We develop specially designed 3D apps that will, for instance, enable furniture or fashion companies to present photo-realistic, three-dimensional images of their latest models on mobile media. Our ‘3D Konfigurator’ gives sales staff access to their company’s entire product range.”
3D for teaching and urban planning
The futuristic “Cyber Classroom” that Stuttgart-based company Visenso will be showcasing at CeBIT 2011 will demonstrate to impressive effect the enormous potential opened up by combining 3D and virtual reality technologies. Real-time 3D simulations are ideal for conveying complex, hard-to-explain concepts from the realms of physics, mathematics and biology to students. The Cyber Classroom’s multi-media learning modules were jointly designed by teachers, engineers and programmers. They include modules for biology classes that cover the human ear and circulatory system, physics modules that explore magnetism, and mathematics modules that illustrate geometric principles. “To remain competitive, countries need to look beyond conventional teaching methods and tools,” said Visenso’s CEO, Martin Zimmermann. Apart from the specially-designed software, the Cyber Classroom requires a graphics PC, a Wii gaming controller-based VRiiD input device and one of three possible display media: a stereo TV set, Carl Zeiss “Cinemizer” 3D video glasses, or an immersion screen.
The Fraunhofer group pavilion in Hall 9 at CeBIT 2011 will provide visitors with fascinating insights into our 3D future. Here, the Fraunhofer Institute for Visual Computer Graphics (Fraunhofer IGD) and its sister organizations, Fraunhofer Austria and Fraunhofer IDM@NTU, will be demonstrating a multi-touch table with an array of 3D applications. 3D visualizations of cities and buildings, for instance, allow urban project developers and architects to “move” through virtual cities and change their viewing perspective with simple hand gestures. Fraunhofer scientists at the stand will also be presenting their “DeepCity3D” three-dimensional visualization tool, which enables the intelligent integration of urban development models and geological information to minimize potential risks.
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