Here’s a simple concept that will let you turn any LCD screen into a multidimensional display (translated). [Herdek] used bits of that impossible to open clear plastic packaging to construct this add-on for the smart phone seen above. Three pieces of the material have been mounted at a 45 degree angle between the screen and viewer. The material is both reflective and transparent, depending on the angle at which light hits it. This allows it to reflect the light from the screen toward the viewer, but let light from the baffles behind it pass through unimpeded. The three baffles allow the LCD to be partitioned into three different sections whose images will appear to be at different depths according to the viewer’s vantage point. After the break we’ve embedded a demonstration video, as well as the how-to that shows the construction technique for the add-on.
This follows the same concept at the pyramidal volumetric display, which is still one of our favorite LCD hacks.
Demo video:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0AksET_XoQ&w=470]
How-to build the add-on:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chgaRH68SVg&w=470]
[Thanks E]
That is amazing! Great use of that horrendous plastic packaging that causes wounding and disfigurement during every end of year holiday celebration.
I know this is going to get loads of ‘Not a hack’ comments, but I for one think it looks really cool.
Something fun to do with the kids on a wet afternoon.
Although, it might be best leaving it to the adults. I dread to think how many times I’ve sliced my fingers open on that type of damn packaging.
I wonder if you can still use substitutes for semisilvered mirrors (expensive!) at angles other than 45deg. That would allow you to use highly angled mirrors with a series of similarly angled displays to create many more layers much more closely spaced. Intereflections and reflective losses might be a big problem for non-45deg angles, though, especially with non-bespoke mirrors.
This is a really cool idea for sure!
Wouldn’t it be slightly better if the front exposed lcd section had a visual occlusion and then the front reflector was polarized as was the second and third lcd sections cover so that you wouldn’t see it? Maybe for the next prototype. I guess a deeper shadow box would work as well to obstruct the bottom lcd.
Isn’t every screen multidimensional?
A ‘two screen’ version of this would be great for 2D platform games, characters & interactive objects in the front screen and the scrolling background in the back screen.
Sent this in weeks ago ;)
Glad it got posted.
Hacking doesn’t mean you have to tear apart a device, still a hack in my books.
Use an ITO sheet and dip in electroless
tin plating compound to make semisilvered
mirror? Worth a try.
Also another possible idea is to
get an old dual layer DVDR and
salvage the reflective outer layer
from this?
Made from trash, including the Samsung phone.
this is not a hologram.
I’d like to see a version of this using a 52″ TV laying on its back! I wonder…….
This is super cool. Wonder if this can be improved using polarisers.
Just my two cents: what about a “depht box” with a screen for each of the 5 sides remaining after saving one for the hole you look into? Also: the LCDs should be covered with some of that “privacy film” that allows you to see the screen only when looking from certain angles: this way you could allow a user to see the reflection but not the screen directly…
looks interesting i will try this out, and if it looks good to me in person i will be trying this out on and old lcd monitor i got laying around. only worry i have is, how bright does it need to be on a larger scale?
I wonder what these guys used as screens? Simple Acrylic or something more optically advanced?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=na-R4rZkzH0
Funny thing, I was JUST THINKING about this same thing, except I wanted to have a photo-reactive semitransparent sheet that creates opacity wherever there is light (If there is such a thing) so that one would see ‘objects’ versus ghosts/transparencies.
On a second note, this would be interesting as a HUD application. Instead of having one fixed distance display, you could have dimensional displays… Just a thought.