3D high dynamic range display system

This paper introduces a new high dynamic range (HDR) display system that generates a physical 3D HDR image without using stereoscopic methods. To boost contrast beyond that obtained using either a hardcopy or a projector, we employ a multiprojection system to superimpose images onto a textured solid hardcopy that is output by a 3D printer or a rapid prototyping machine. We introduce two basic techniques for our 3D HDR display. The first technique computes an optimal placement of projectors so that projected images cover the hardcopy´s entire surface while maximizing image quality. The second technique allows a user to place the projectors near the computed optimal position by projecting from each projector images that act as visual guides. Through proof-of-concept experiments, we were able to modulate luminance and chrominance with a registration error of less than 3 mm. The physical contrast ratio obtained using our method was approximately 5,000:1, while it was 5:1 in the case of viewing the 3D printout under environmental light and 1,000:1 in the case of using the projectors to project the image on regular screens.