SAN DIEGO—Sony Electronics has launched a new display technology that enables visual creators from a wide variety of industries to bring their ideas to life in 3D without the need for a headset of virtual reality glasses, the company announced.
Called the Spatial Reality Display, or SR Display, the new display makes it possible for creators to combine the virtual and physical worlds and make them viewable with the naked eye, the company said.
“We’re excited to bring the world’s best technology to bear, moving the design and creation industry forward, particularly as the shift to digital has become so pronounced,” said Mike Fasulo, president and chief operating officer of Sony Electronics North America. “This technology drives new versatility, allowing us to advance an entirely new medium and experience for designers and creators everywhere.”
The SR Display relies on a high-speed vision sensor that follows exact eye position in space on the vertical, horizontal and depth axes at the same time. The display monitors eye movement to the millisecond while rendering the image instantly based on the location and position of the viewer’s eyes.
Doing so makes it possible for creators to interact with their designs in a realistic, virtual 3D environment from any angle.
The SR Display uses an original processing algorithm to display content in real-time, which allows stereoscopic images to appear as smooth as real life, even if the viewer moves around.
A micro optical lens plays a key role in enabling 3D viewing. It is positioned precisely over the 15.6-inch (diagonal) LCD display and divides the image into the left and right eye views, enabling stereoscopic display with the eye alone.
Sony has released a software development kit (SDK) for the SR Display. It is compatible with industry tools like Unity and Unreal Engine, making it possible for designers to work within familiar production environments. The workflow can be used to develop interactive applications in gaming, VR, construction and automotive design.
To highlight what the SR Display can do, Sony Electronics collaborated with Sony Pictures Entertainment and Columbia Pictures subsidiary Ghost Corps for the movie “Ghostbusters: Afterlife,” scheduled for a 2021 release.
SR Display was used to bring familiar and new film characters to life. “We have been working with the Sony team to bring ‘Ghostbusters’ characters and assets to life using Sony’s Spatial Reality Display,” said Eric Reich, brand and franchise executive at Ghost Corps. “Moving forward, we could see potential benefits from pre-visualization to 3D modeling. The display offers a new approach to visualizing concepts and characters, making understanding the finished product that much easier.”
The SR Display has a suggested retail price of $4,999 (U.S.). Sony will begin taking orders on its direct e-commerce website and through other retailers in November.
Sony will host a virtual demo of the SR Display Oct. 22 at noon Pacific Time. Registration is available online.
Information about the SR Display SDK is available online, as is more information about the display.
