Sharp has revealed a glasses-free 3.4in stereoscopic LCD touchscreen display for use in digital cameras, smartphones and other handheld devices. The company claims that the new screen offers the highest brightness in the industry, reduced crosstalk and can easily be switched between 2D and 3D mode.
Perhaps further fueling speculation that Nintendo's 3DS gaming device will feature a display developed by Sharp, the Corporation recently revealed a 3.4in 854 x 480 resolution parallax barrier 3D touchscreen LCD at a press conference in Tokyo. A series of vertical slits incorporated in the display controls the direction of light from the screen so that different images can be directed to the left and right eyes, giving the user the illusion of depth without the need for 3D glasses.
Fujifilm is applying similar glasses-free technology to its Finepix Real 3D camera and standalone 3D LCD Monitor.
Advances in CG-Silicon technology (developed jointly by the Sharp Corporation and Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co Ltd) have resulted in a reduction in the width of the wiring inside an LCD panel, making the module about the same thickness as conventional 2D displays and increasing the brightness up to 500 cd/m². According to Sharp, this, combined with parallax barrier optimization and a contrast ratio of 1000:1, has led to lower crosstalk and the industry's highest brightness to be achieved.
As well as facilitating the display of both landscape and portrait 3D images without the need for special glasses, Sharp says that its new technology is also able to switch between 2D and 3D mode. The company will shortly be starting mass production of a non-touchscreen version of the display.