Active shutter 3D glasses were all the rage at last year’s CES, but glasses-free was the name of the game this year. At a press event on Tuesday night, Toshiba showed off both a 56-inch glasses-free television and this Qosmio glasses-free 3D laptop.
Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
Caption by: Bill Detwiler
The laptop generate the 3D image using facial tracking software and the machine’s built-in webcam. The demonstration had two visible windows. One showed the webcam image used for tracking the viewer’s eyes, and the other showed the 3D image.
When the software locks onto your face, it places a yellow wire frame around your eyes and chin.
Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
Caption by: Bill Detwiler
Once the facial tracking software locks on, the system begins to generate the stereoscopic 3D image. Toshiba was using the movie Avatar in this demonstration.
Overall, the 3D experience was pretty good. The facial tracking software created a 3D image that you could view even when moving your head. My only complaint was the 3D image’s resolution. According to a Toshiba representative that I talked to, it was about 1/2 the display’s normal resolution.
There’s no official launch date planned for this product.
Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
Caption by: Bill Detwiler
Bill Detwiler is the Editor for Technical Content and Ecosystem at Celonis. He is the former Editor in Chief of TechRepublic and previous host of TechRepublic's Dynamic Developer podcast and Cracking Open, CNET and TechRepublic's popular online show. Previously, Bill was an IT manager in the social research and energy industries. He has bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Louisville, where he has also lectured on computer crime and crime prevention.
