Mechdyne Enhances Collaboration with 3D Displays

By DE Editors

Mechdyne Corporation has announced the availability of technology that makes it possible to produce two distinct user perspectives from a single 3D digital projector. 

With the new ACE Dual-View technology, two people working in an immersive stereoscopic environment see a different view of 3D images and, since both viewers are separately motion-tracked, the images they see as they explore and interact are unique to their view.  This enables more natural discussion when viewing virtual prototypes or navigating virtual scenes, according to the company. Furthermore, Mechdyne’s software will allow each user to see the other user’s position and orientation relative to the virtual world and the objects it contains.

Examples of potential applications and end-user benefits of a Dual-View capable system include:

• Engineering review, such as the design of an automobile interior within a CAVE system.  Two designers can view the simulation from different positions within the virtual image.  One view might be from the driver’s perspective, while the second would be from the front or even rear passenger seat.
• Surgical simulations in which an experienced practitioner may be observing or instructing a student in new techniques. Simulation participants might face each other across a virtual surgery table (horizontal 3D system), with both seeing a visually correct image of the operation as it takes place.

“The breakthrough in development of Mechdyne Dual-View technology is a method of driving one high-end DLP projector at higher refresh rates than standard systems to produce two distinct pairs of left and right eye images, synchronizing the different images for viewing with two separate pairs of electronic 3D glasses and integrating the imaging system with motion tracking,” says Kurt Hoffmeister, vice president of R&D at Mechdyne. “We are very excited about the potential for this technology to benefit a wide range of our customers in scientific and commercial fields.” 

Mechdyne implemented its Dual-View technology on its HD ROVR visualization system, using a Digital Projection Titan 3D 1080p projector, an optical motion tracking system, and Mechdyne vGeo software.  A video demonstration is available on Mechdyne’s YouTube channel.

For more information, visit Mechdyne.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company's website.