Depth-fused 3D display by aerial display coated flat-panel display

We propose a novel 3D display by combing an aerial image and an image on a contemporary flat-panel display. We design an optical system to form an aerial image in front of the flat-panel display by utilizing AIRR (aerial imaging by retro-reflection). The aerial image formed with AIRR is floating in mid-air and visible without special equipment like glasses. This paper proposes a new optical design of a two-layered display that consists of an aerial display and a flat-panel display. Our previously reported two-layered display employed a half mirror, which reduced luminance of the aerial image and the flat-panel image. This work improves luminance of both images by use of a reflective polarizer. The luminance of the aerial image and the flat-panel display image is about twice as bright as the previous system. Furthermore, we have performed DFD (depth-fused 3D) display between the aerial image and the flat-panel image. An aerial image is formed in front of an image on the flat-panel display with a little gap so that the aerial image looks overlapping on the flat-panel image at the central viewing position. Then, the two images were fused to a single image between the two layers. Experimental results on DFD perception show that the perceived depth is adjustable with the luminance ratio of the two images. Thus, we have succeeded in showing 3D images between the aerial image and the flat-panel display, which gives a new effect of a 3D image popping out of the flat-panel display.