My Cart - When we refer to 3D technology, we are talking about three-dimensional technology. It’s something that is used in TV’s, laptops and in the cinema, enhancing the viewers’ perception of depth and therefore adding a third dimension to the picture. However, it means that special glasses have to be worn to enjoy the experience.
Most people have experienced 3D in the cinema whilst watching films such as Avatar and Alice in Wonderland. These days, more and more people are now enjoying the 3D adventure at home with their own 3D TV.
How Does it Work?
When watching television on a standard TV, we see things only in 2D. This is because despite being able to see the 3D characteristics of the actual TV box, there is no depth to the image on the screen – basically like looking at a static picture. However, TVs can create the illusion of 3D by feeding two different images to each of our eyes. Our brain takes these two images and combines them to make one – just in the way our two eyes sees everything in 3D in reality.
3D technology has come a long way over the years – it’s a lot different to how it began.
3D Beginnings
During the mid 19th Century, English scientist Charles Wheatstone discovered that by taking two similar images, on two different cameras that are slightly separated, then viewing them side by side, you were given the impression of three dimensionality. He believed that this is because it mimicked what one of our two eyes would see – if we were to cross our eyes.
He later developed the stereoscope, so that people didn’t strain their eyes. This used lenses that allowed two images to be seen as one – giving the same 3D effect as mentioned above. It was before the first photographic process was developed, so drawings were used at the time.
Old 3D Technology
In the past, 3D technology used anaglyph images. This was used to take advantage of the way that people are able to see things using binocular vision. It used two coloured layers of one film that were shown from a single projector – one red and one blue. People then wore glasses in which the two lenses were blue and red too. However, this wasn’t nearly as accurate as 3D today and people were forever getting headaches from the glasses.
3D Glasses Today
To enjoy something in 3D you have to wear special glasses, simple referred to as 3D glasses. If you were to watch a 3D film or show without glasses, everything would appear blurry and out of focus. These glasses have lenses that are able to filter and separate images so that each one enters a different eye. They make the images look like they are happening right in front of you – like things are flying off the screen! Pretty neat right?
There are plenty of other changes to 3D entertainment over the years – keep on checking back as we will be delving into the subject in more detail soon!
Until then…
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