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November 18, 2005
Coming Soon: Godzilla in 3D!
One of my favorite moments yesterday at WSIS happened while I was exploring the Japan pavilion. They were showing off a whole range of new technologies, including a 3D TV that apparently didn't require those funky disposable glasses.
I was asked to stand directly in front of the TV, about one meter away from it. They had marked off rectangle boxes on the floor so you could see where to position your feet. On the TV, a man was sitting in a chair, pretending to swing punches; a blue-green line flickered across the bottom of the screen. He was a little blurry, and certainly not 3D.
"Rock to the left and right very slowly while looking at the blue-green line," the guy manning the booth said. "When the line turns completely green, stay in that position."
I rocked back and forth for a few moments; nothing seemed to be happening. Then suddenly the line turned blue, and the man's punches started to fly right in front of my nose. I instinctively leaned backwards to avoid the punch; the man next to me laughed.
"You must be seeing the 3D now," he said.
"Oh yes, definitely, I replied. "How does the technology work?"
"It is a little difficult to explain," he said. "If it knows where your eyes are positioned, it can trick you to see 3D."
(punch, punch, swing, punch)
"What about if you want to walk around or slouch on your couch?"
"We will develop a version that can track your face so it can adjust the signal based on the position of your eyes."
(swing, punch, punch, swing)
"But what if you want to watch a football game with a group of friends?"
"Ah, that will not work just yet," he admitted. "More difficult problem to solve."
Ready to leave the pavilion, I thanked him for demonstrating the TV.
"You're welcome," he replied.
"You're welcome," the man on the TV added.
My eyes must have bulged out for a moment, startled by the 3D pugilist talking to me. Now that's a really cool trick, I thought for just a split second.
The whole time I was staring at the TV I managed to pay no attention to the man behind the screen - quite literally. Just behind the guy who was demonstrating the TV, I noticed a curtain. I had assumed it was just part of the pavilion's walls, but suddenly the curtain opened and the virtual slugger appeared in the flesh.
"Hello!" he said, throwing a couple more punches my way. I laughed and took a few swings back at him; he playfully ducked and slipped behind the curtain.
Never doubt the Japanese ability to create bleeding-edge technology. Now if they can only go back and convert all of those Godzilla movies (and perhaps the entire catalogue of Ultra Man episodes) into 3D, now that'll be an important breakthrough.... -andy
Posted by acarvin at November 18, 2005 12:26 PM
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