SMV256: Super multi-view display with 256 viewpoints using multiple projections of lenticular displays

A super multi-view (SMV) display is one of the candidates for a natural three-dimensional (3D) display that would eliminate visual fatigue caused by the accommodation-vergence conflict. In this study, a novel SMV display system that increases the number of viewpoints is proposed. The proposed SMV display consists of multiple multi-view flat-panel displays and a multi-projection system. One projection lens is corresponded to one flat-panel 3D display to create one projection system. All of the projection systems are arranged two-dimensionally and all of the 3D images generated by all the flat-panel 3D displays are superimposed on the common image plane. The viewpoints of the flat-panel 3D display are produced in the pupil of the corresponding projection lens. The horizontal positions of the projection lenses are made different to make the lens pupils continuous in the horizontal direction. A lens is placed on the common image plane to image the viewpoints in the lens pupils at a fixed distance to generate continuous viewpoints for viewers. A vertical diffuser is placed in the common image plane to enlarge the vertical viewing zone. Sixteen flat-panel 3D displays having 16 viewpoints were employed to construct a SMV display having 256 viewpoints (SMV256). The 3D resolution was 256x192. The screen size was 10.3". The horizontal interval of viewpoints was 1.3 mm.