Apple Patents 3D Projection – no glasses required

Okay, okay, I know what I’m dealing with here. There are huge fans of Apple, and then there are, well, everyone else. Honestly, I’m not a diehard fan either way, I find uses for both a Mac and a PC. I really love the iPad, but I’m no snob, show me something that does more stuff, and I’ll switch in a heartbeat. That being said, I am still excited about Apples jump onto the 3D bandwagon.

Apple has a patent for a 3D display that doesn’t require glasses, this patent was approved only several days ago, even though it was applied for in September of 2006. Of course Apple is not the first company interested in these displays. However, Apple’s patent covers a really amazing technology involving a system that could deliver high-quality 3D images to multiple viewers with no funky glasses required. Yes!

It sort of works like this, the image would be projected onto a reflective, textured surface, that somehow would allow the pixels to be bounced into a viewer’s left and right eye separately, producing the 3D effect. it actually senses the locations of both eyes of each viewer, so multiple people could watch from many different angles. Coolness.

So if I have this correct, someday soon we could be sitting around our living room watching a sort of hologram in front of us… I don’t know about you, but THAT’S what I’ve been waiting for. And somehow, like it or not, Apple is probably just the company to make it happen, just that way. I hope they get it done, they usually do. I’ll bring the popcorn.