Zebra Imagings proposed approach for the HVD Phase II will advance the state-of-the-art Urban Photonic Sandtable Display Program (UPSD) light-field display architecture and incorporate the successful results of the AF131-023 HVD Phase I research. The proof-of-concept HVD Phase II optical stack will consist of a 4K SLM under a planar array of hogel optics. A design for a 90 hogel optical system will be developed comprising of a tightly arranged 2D array of hogels. The drive electronics will be integrated into the optical stack and be located in close proximity to the SLM. The integrated optical stack will represent the base field replaceable unit (FRU). Optical stacks may be tiled together to create large displays with board-to-board interconnects providing data relay. The HVD Phase II effort will use off-the-shelf (OTS) GPUs for hogel radiance image computation which will be connected to the driver board over USB or cabled PCIe. The final program deliverable will be a multi-modulator proof-of-concept light-field display with an active area of ~752mm. The light-field display will project a perspective correct, full-parallax, 3D light-field for all views within the projection frustum and can be used for a variety of collaboration, training or simulation applications.;
Benefit: Like most disruptive technologies, the interactive LFD will bring science fiction 3D visualization into reality. In the future, light-field displays will be in the center of every war room, command center, medical facility, research institute, and entertainment complex; and will provide the ability to collaborate with multidiscipline decision makers and stakeholders, increase their level of understanding and comprehension of complex problems, and allow them to make well informed decisions quicker and with greater confidence. Target Markets The 3D imaging and visualization market is forecasted to be a ~$10 billion dollar industry by 2018 with Defense/Security and Healthcare/Medical representing ~63% of the worldwide market. Industrial, Architecture/ Engineering, Geospatial visualization and Media and Entertainment round out the rest of the market. While the light-field display developed in this effort will be application agnostic and can be used for a variety of purposes, the initial markets will be for battlespace and medical visualization within government and commercial organizations. Since battlefield visualization and sports visualization have similar requirements, visualization of sporting events (such as boxing/basketball) will be the first entertainment market addressed. Medical The largest commercial market is within medical education, surgical simulation, and medical training. Zebra Imaging is currently establishing 3-4 working groups of medical experts to independently evaluate and determine market potential for a number of medical applications. The working groups will determine 3-4 market application and derive requirements for each. The resulting data will help prioritize and guide the LFD development. DoD Applications Applications with the DoD range from medical simulation and training to battlefield visualization. Zebra Imaging has established relationships with a number of large government contractors including Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, and Electric Boat that have been instrumental in providing feedback and support in the development of light-field displays. These companies will continue to advise on the future needs of the military from an integration perspective.
