Multi-layer Display Uses Water Instead Of Screen

This multi-layer display uses droplets of water as a projection medium. This way, several different projected areas can be seen for a not-quite-3D layering effect. The trick is in syncing up all aspects of the apparatus. There are three manifolds, each with 50 stainless steel needles for water drop production. A solenoid valve actuates the drops, a camera images them mid-air, and a computer syncs the images of the dots with a projector. In the video after the break you can see the SIGGRAPH 2010 presentation that includes a description of the process as well as action shots including a 3-layer version of Tetris.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0i-uTa4kv4]

[Thanks Mid_Sci via theEngineer]

17 thoughts on “Multi-layer Display Uses Water Instead Of Screen

  1. If anybody’s been to a Disney theme park, they’ve seen water used as a projection screen. This takes it a step further by allowing for multiple layers. It’s fascinating to see how they designed all this and implemented it. Perhaps they have a future as some of Disney’s “Imagineers” :)

  2. @Brennan (silvered) plexiglass. like a 1-way mirror – you can see through and see your reflection at the same time. They either have lit props behind the glass(the glass is mostly unapparent) and projectors on the glass itself as well as you seeing yourself like in the Haunted House.

  3. This would be even cooler if they could add 1 more projector and 2 more “slides” of water. If they could situate the projector perpendicular to the other and have the 2 extra sheets of water form a cube this could be a really cool full 3D cube display type project. Just a thought, but it’s awesome.

  4. if you make a matrix out of the droplets and add both the extra projector and camera at right angels you could setup the display from BONES…or am i missing something?

  5. Yeah, if they had projectors from the other sides as well and scaled it up a little (1000 rows instead of 3 for instance) they could have a very awesome true-3d voxel display. This is amazing.

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