WATCHING 3D movies and TV shows is a fun and exciting experience, where images leap out of the screen. To get this effect, you usually have to wear a special pair of glasses. But that could soon be a thing of the past as Chinese scientists have developed a new display system that delivers a realistic 3D experience without the need for any eyewear.

The main reason why we’ve waited so long for a screen like this is a tough physics rule called the Space-Bandwidth Product (SBP). To get a perfect 3D image, you need a big screen (the “space”) and a wide viewing area (the “bandwidth”) so the picture looks good even when you turn your head. Unfortunately, according to the rule, you can’t have both at the same time. If you make the screen big, the viewing angle shrinks. If you increase the viewing area, the TV must get smaller. All previous attempts to break this trade-off have failed. But not this time.

The system, called EyeReal, was developed by a team of researchers from Shanghai AI Laboratory and Fudan University led by doctoral candidate Ma Weijie. Details of how it works are in a paper published in the journal Nature. It uses artificial intelligence to create glasses-free 3D visuals on desktop-sized screens. Instead of trying to increase the fixed physical limit, EyeReal uses the limited information more effectively.

“EyeReal maximizes the effective use of available optical information through continuous computational optimization, enabling a practical coexistence of large imaging size and wide viewing angles within existing physical limits,” wrote Ma, the lead author of the paper.

The AI tracks eye movement in real time and only sends the perfect 3D light field directly to a viewer’s eyes. The system does not waste light by sending it everywhere because it adapts to the user’s head position and eye movements in real time. No special optical devices are needed, just a stack of three LCD panels, a sensor to track the viewer’s head and eye position and the AI program, which is a deep learning network that calculates the pattern needed on the screen to emit the correct light field.

To prove their prototype works, the team tested it with detailed computer-generated scenes and real-world photos. They confirmed it provided a viewing angle of more than 100 degrees and a complete 3D experience, meaning the image was clear and adapted perfectly as the user moved their eyes and changed focus.

The next step for the researchers is to refine their AI system and upgrade the technology to handle several viewers at once.(SD-Agencies)