3-D image visualization hw/sw techniques?

What's the current state of the art in creating 3-D image visualization from huge amounts of raw data? Is it better to implement something in FPGAs? This must be fairly common for medical imaging, military, and similar applications.

Thanks for any pointers. Best regards, Spehro Pefhany

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Spehro Pefhany
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Check "The Visualization Toolkit" for a software based approach:

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For hardware oriented, probably the documentation for the latest and greatest GPUs from NVidia and ATI is a good starting point.

Roberto Waltman

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Roberto Waltman

Hardware-wise: LCD glasses and projectors create virtual worlds in rooms.

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Also, something called a CAVE, Computer ? Virtual Envitroment. University of Urbana, Illinois is big in this.

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Veiwing protiens in this room:
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GOOGLE on "CAVE University of Urbana"

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sdeyoreo

Well spent a few years in the field, for realtime video in 3D (mainly medical), so abit of a summary...

PC Gaming - uses mainly VESA standard for synchronising shuttered glasses to graphics o/p and uses frame buffer switching in the graphics adapter. Basically a control signal goes out to open left eye when left eye image displayed. Cheap and cheerful on the glasses front and relies on high end graphics cards with lots of helping hardware. Single monitor works almost any distance/angle

Dual screen These may be two actual screens on a desk or two 'virtual reality' tiny screens mounted on headset in front of your eyes. Works at fixed by headset viewing distance and viewing angle is fixed.

Single screen tricks Various tricks involving how rendered or other assistance methods (even the red/green glasses)

Not always real time often still image and usually only work properly at fixed distance and FIXED viewing angle

Dual Screen with smoke and mirrors Often involves beam splitters and mirrors. Often requires polarised lenses Usually can work at many distances and viewing angles (imax 3D and other 3D film presentations) Good for multiple observers.

Dual screen Glasses free Involves tracking the position of the observers head (i.e. eyes), then projecting the screen images at the right angle to match the position of the eyes for distance and angle.

Note that it is easier to align with LCD screens than projectors or CRTs as sizing and aligning the images correctly is important. Misalignment in position or worse still size gives headaches and even effects like reversed perspective.

There are lots of patents US, EU, Japan on this subject so choose your technology carefully. If you want I can put you in touch with a company that has equipment to do this sort of thing, using some of the methods above. I know because I have worked on the equipment.

Contact me if you want any more pointers.

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