iPad 2’s Front Facing Camera Makes Glasses-Free 3D Possible

Thanks to its front-facing camera, the iPad 2 is capable of producing a glasses-free 3D effect using head-tracking technology. Jeremie Francone and Laurence Nigay from the Laboratory of Informatics of Grenoble at the EHCI Research Group have used this technology, along with some really basic applications, to show off what the iPad 2 is capable of when it comes to 3D.

We track the head of the user with the front facing camera in order to create a glasses-free monocular display. Such spatially-aware mobile display enables to improve the possibilities of interaction. It do not use the accelerometers and relies only on the front camera.

The video below demonstrates how the concept works, and I think it’s really impressive. I can’t wait to see how developers might use head tracking to create a 3D gaming experience.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBQQEcfkHoE

One of the unique selling points about the Nintendo 3DS – which initially gave it an advantage over Apple’s touchscreen devices – is its new glasses-free 3D technology. If a similar effect can be reproduced on the iPad 2, and it works well, Nintendo may be once again wondering how it gets ahead of the iDevices.

• Via MacStories

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