Abstract
Three dimensional (3D) displays typically rely on stereo disparity, requiring specialized hardware to be worn or embedded in the display. We present a novel 3D graphics display system for volumetric scene visualization using only standard 2D display hardware and a pair of calibrated web cameras. Our computer vision-based system requires no worn or other special hardware. Rather than producing the depth illusion through disparity, we deliver a full volumetric 3D visualization - enabling users to interactively explore 3D scenes by varying their viewing position and angle according to the tracked 3D position of their face and eyes. We incorporate a novel wand-based calibration that allows the cameras to be placed at arbitrary positions and orientations relative to the display. The resulting system operates at real-time speeds (~25 fps) with low latency (120-225 ms) delivering a compelling natural user interface and immersive experience for 3D viewing. In addition to objective evaluation of display stability and responsiveness, we report on user trials comparing users' timings on a spatial orientation task.