Glasses-free 3D heading to TV thanks to MIT

Holographic TVs are a long way off, but a team of researchers in America are working on a way to bring a type of 3D to televisions that is closer to what we see in science fiction.

A team at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is attempting to perfect the glasses-less lenticular display technology by not only splitting up a video into three distinct channels, but to also use a specific algorithm for depth that, when combined, makes up an image that not only pops out of the screen, but also looks more realistic than any other auto-stereoscopic display out there.

Glasses-free 3D displays aren’t entirely new, with Nintendo, HTC, and LG all producing mobile devices supporting the technology, albeit on a small scale.

Other larger screen versions of the technology are gradually coming out, with Toshiba working on consumer friendly versions, even if a customer would currently need very deep pockets to buy the first models sporting this tech.

The technology being developed at MIT, however, could be used by companies as a way of creating more realistic 3D, but at a more economical price.