Screenless Display

Old School Here you see examples of the current display technology…touch screen. Many of you have smart phones or tablet computer with touch screen displays. We predict that your touch screen displays will soon be as “old school” as chalk boards.

The Bees Knees Screenless display is the emerging display technology. In these examples you see that the user is able to interact with a three dimensional image projected into thin air. <Click for last image> Imagine your desktop floating in the space before your eyes waiting for your interaction! There are three main types of screenless displays that we will share with you today.

Types of Displays Visual Image Retinal Projection Synaptic Interface/Brain Computer Interface

This is a familiar image. “Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi. You’re my only hope This is a familiar image. “Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi. You’re my only hope.” Screenless display technology has been depicted in movies for decades. Let’s watch. <play video link>

Visual Image Hologram Projection on window A screenless display that is visible to anyone who is looking can be projected as a hologram or onto a clear surface like the windshield of a car or aircraft. Visual Image Any screenless image that the eye can perceive. A hologram is the most common example of visual image screenless display. Arguably, virtual reality goggles (which consist of two small screens but are nonetheless sufficiently different from traditional computer screens to be considered screenless­) and Heads-up-display in jet fighters (which display images on the clear cockpit window) also are included in Visual Image category. In all of these cases, light is reflected off some intermediate object (hologram, LCD panel, or cockpit window) before it reaches the retina. In the case of LCD panels the light is refracted from the back of the panel, but is nonetheless a reflected source. Holography—is a technique that allows the light scattered from an object to be recorded and later reconstructed so that it appears as if the object is in the same position relative to the recording medium as it was when recorded. The image changes as the position and orientation of the viewing system changes in exactly the same way as if the object were still present, thus making the recorded image (hologram) appears three dimensional May bring more jobs to the movie business

This photos show how the images you are seeing do not rely on surfaces of any kind. The are images projected threw air molecules. These images are not limited to being just seen indoors but outdoors as well. However the image quality is affected if it is windy or rainy or especially sunny outside. For indoors use you can use controlled lighting to make the image appear better. You wouldn’t feel anything but air blowing from the projector

Retinal Display Light projected directly to retina Prevents snooping Not limited by physical size Another screenless display type is a retinal display. With a retinal display light is not reflected off an immediate object, like in a visual image, but it is projected directly onto the retina. This can be handy in that one is not limited by physical screen size Because there is no immediate object to be viewed, retinal display can be used to keep things such as financial information safe from snooping eyes. The image can take up the entire field of vision. We’ve seen the potential of retinal displays in movies like Terminator. For a flesh-and-blood person the device can be as simple as eyeglasses.

How Vision works Object Image Light Reflected Light We can see things because of reflected light. Light bounces off of an object and enters our eye. This light then focuses on the retina to form an image.

Retinal Projection Projector Image Projected Image In retinal projection, the light does not have to be reflected off of an object. The light is projected directly onto the retina to form an image.

Synaptic Interface Brain Computer Interface or BCI Like cochlear implant for the eyes No light projection Image sent straight to brain Achieved only in horseshoe crabs. Similar to a cochlear implant, which is a device use to give fair hearing to those without, that receives audio signals and bypasses the damaged portions of the ear and send the sound straight to the brain. Could be used to give vision to the impaired in the near future. The Geordie LaForge character (played by LaVar Burton) in Star Trek: The Next Generation wore such a device.

Camera sends images to electrode implant A camera that might be incorporated into eyeglasses picks up images. These images are sent to an electrode implanted in the brain. The brain can then interpret these signals, thus creating artificial sight. This can be used to provide vision who have a defect of the eye by bypassing the damaged eye parts and sending a visual signal straight to the brain.

Predictions Screenless display technology is likely to affect Lighting and projection technologies Software development/design Lifestyles of the visually impaired Career opportunities for the visually impaired Futurist Reto Meier predicts that 10 years from now we will be able to get transparent LCD patches that will adhere to our eyeglasses and 20 years from now we’ll have contact lenses that project images directly onto our retinas and that we will be able to interface with computers through mind control. We don’t know about that but the screenless display technologies are sure to affect related technologies related to lighting and projection. Software will have to be designed to work with the new display technology and output will have to be geared to brighter, more contrasted colors to aid visibility. The most profound effect will come from the development of the synaptic interface technology. This technology will allow people who are visually impaired to see just as the hearing impaired are able to hear through cochlear implants. Imagine a visually impaired person gaining the freedom to drive again! This will also remove occupational limitations of the visually impaired.

Sources Enotes, Screenless, http://www.enotes.com/topic/Screenless Heliodisplay http://www.io2technology.com Technology Review, The Future of Interfaces is Mobile, Screenless, and Invisible http://www.technologyreview.com/blog/mimssbits/25623 Wired Science, Holographic Telecommuting May Soon Be Possible http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/11/holographic-video/#more-41098 How Stuff Works, How Brain-Computer Interfaces Work http://computer.howstuffworks.com/brain-computer-interface3.htm The Future of Things, Heliodisplay Floating Display http://thefutureofthings.com/articles/40/heliodisplay-floating-display.html Kid’s Health, Your Eyes http://kidshealth.org/kid/htbw/eyes.html Holographic Projection Technologies of the Future http://www.worldthinktank.net/pdfs/holographictechnologies.pdf