iPad Used to Simulate 3D Environment

We recently talked about the possibilities of 3D imagery on the iPad. While we may one day in the future have our minds collectively blown by breakthrough apps, that hasn't stopped some really smart people from achieving similar results today. We take a look at the latest example.

It should be known that three-dimensional imagery is always a trick of the eye. Until we figure out how to create honest-to-goodness holograms (if they are even possible), we continue to look for the latest and greatest ways to fool the eye into thinking something has depth when it does not. TVs are going one route, but that route involves images that move in front of you; they do not allow you to move around the images.

The fine folks at Aircord Lab have come up with a really neat trick to give you a different perspective. The iPad is used to display video (using a multiscreen application); it rests atop a glass pyramid coated with a special film. The results are pretty astounding.

Because the "screen," as it were, is itself three-dimensional, when you move around it, you're viewing the same object from a different angle. Again, this is all just a trick, as the iPod is actually displaying three different images (one for each side of the pyramid). The result is nonetheless breathtaking. Inside the pyramid, it looks as if the object has actual depth.

You need to watch the embedded video below to gain a real appreciation for it. As it stands, this has no real practical application, at least for home use. Furthermore, it's not necessary to use an iPad to make this work; any tablet screen of the same size would work. Still, the iPad's built-in microphone allows for the clapping used in the demo to change how the image reacts, which is really spiffy.

Could we see iPad-powered 3D advertisements in your local mall in the near future?

N-3D DEMO from aircord on Vimeo.