Now see 3-D movies without glasses

TOKYO - The huge success of 3-D movies like “Avatar”, “Clash of the Titans” and “Alice in Wonderland” has led scientists to explore possibilities of developing 3-D technology that does not require glasses. Japanese companies supplying 3-D technology and services to Hollywood production houses have said they hope to see their goods having an impact on people’s day-to-day lives within the next few years, and that further development in the technology will lower prices and makes the experience affordable for commoners, Xinhua reported Saturday.

However, before that happens, there are still a few problems that need to be solved. A ‘glasses-free’ 3-D technology produced by a Japanese company has induced headaches, even if they were impressive.

The latest technology sends different signals to each eye, creating the illusion of 3-D images, and a company representative has argued that future developments will lead to sharper images and less eye fatigue. “In may be five years, when the technology has further advanced and the price of the hardware has become more affordable, I think you will see 3-D sets in households,” Kazuo Kaneyama was quoted as saying.

At present, the technology boasts of a 65-inch set at around 3 million yen ($32,000) - about three times more than the price of a 2-D television of the same size.

There are also problems for people with visual impairment. If one eye is stronger than the other, then the 3-D image will suffer.

“People with visual impairment will not be able to enjoy 3-D using this technology,” Kaneyama said. Over the next few years, television sets are likely to be installed at exhibitions, department stores and on streets that grab our attention like never before, with the images seeming to jump out of the screens and at passers-by.

“I believe 3-D is just around the corner,” said Kiyoto Kanda, representative of another company. “Photo frames that use the technology are already available at an affordable price, and other equipment is going to get cheaper in the near future.”With Hollywood already beginning to invest in fully developing 3-D entertainment, opportunities to test out the new way of watching movies, sport and other programmes are likely to increase.

In Britain, a recent football game between Manchester United and Chelsea was made available in 3-D. Though these experiments have used the glasses technology, people have not looked favourably at the idea of wearing uncomfortable glasses for two or more hours at a time, opening up huge potential for companies offering glasses-free technology.