GelSight Previewed at Siggraph '09

I can imagine multiple uses for MIT's GelSight technology which was domo'ed at Siggraph '09 in New Orleans.

"GelSight measures the texture and geometry of objects that touch its surface. The sensor is made of clear elastomer (a gel-like material) with a painted skin. Viewed from behind, an object pressed into the sensor appears as a shaded surface with a uniform reflectance. These properties allow for 3D reconstruction of the object's surface."

3D Video Stabilization Presented at SIGGRAPH 2009

I've been fascinated with the original Steadycam when I had an opportunity to meet the inventor and try on the vest at Siggraph'95. The quality of precision and engineering to achieve such a fluid and balanced mechanical device is simply amazing.

Fast forward nearly 15 years later, and the same effect can be now be achieved without bulky equipment. The stabilization software demo'ed at Siggraph 2009 is pretty incredible. See for yourself.

Swimming in Augmented Reality

A funny example here of combining real and the virtual environments together. One can only think of the what the future has in store for those who need an escape from reality.

Twin Lens HD-3D Video Camera Set for Release

via engadget.com

You know that 3D bandwagon you're still hesitant to jump on? We get the feeling that this year's NAB show may just push you over the top. Shortly after hearing of Fujifilm's newest P2 memory cards comes this, a conceptual camcorder in which to eventually slot 'em in. Currently, Panasonic's 3D Full HD Camera Recorder is merely a prototype, but it's made clear that the company intends to bring this to market as soon as possible. Essentially, the device will boast a twin-lens system for capturing 3D footage natively in 1080p, and all of the video streams will be stored on Panny's professional P2 cards. It's hard to say if this would even be useful for 2D shooting on the side, but with practically every major studio at least considering (if not committing to) 3D production, we'd say it's a solid investment on Panasonic's part either way.

Beowulf 3D: a case study Rob Engle

I had the privilege of seeing Beowolf3D twice while it played at the theaters some time ago. It was an immersive and engaging experience that left me feeling I was transported into another world - the wild visions of Director Robert Zemeckis.

At any rate, I found this technical talk of Rob Engle, Sony Pictures Imageworks. It was presented 29 January 2008 at the annual Stereoscopic Displays and Applications (SD&A) conference, San Jose, California, USA.

Rob's talk discusses the creative and technical challenges encountered during the production of "Beowulf 3D," director Robert Zemeckis' adaptation of the Old English epic poem and the first film to be simultaneously released in IMAX 3D and digital 3D formats.

Integration of Virtual + Real = Enhanced Experience

via timovirtanen.com "More than just creative marketing, this new advertisement for MINI uses augmented reality (AR) technology to create a truly interactive media piece out of a 2-dimensional magazine ad. “

All you need is a copy of the ad (download), a webcam, and a web browser (Internet Explorer/ActiveX only) to view the 3-D AR (augmented reality) effect.So why don’t you try it yourself.

Huge Potential for 3DTV

An excerpt from IT Broadcast and Digital Cinema is definitely worth the read.

Stereoscopic 3DTV could be the next home entertainment blockbuster, the logical sequel to today's high-definition flat-screen TVs. But the path to 3DTV winds through more twists and turns than the road to the Emerald City, passing through forests of alternative file formats, compression schemes, display technologies and patents.

Market analyst firm Insight Media tracked as many as 22 unique approaches to 3D displays, and it's still early in the technology.

No one has yet figured out a low-cost way to deliver stereo 3D to LCDs. What's more, many CE giants, as well as key technology providers of digital cinema, have yet to announce their products and directions for 3DTV. Others say any approach that necessitates glasses — a requirement for high-resolution 3D images today — will never be more than a niche with consumers at home.

Nevertheless, the hunt for a mainstream standard is on, driven largely by rising interest from Hollywood. At least four major industry groups have formed this year to plough a route forward.

"You are seeing a lot of overlapping activity here because everyone sees this problem," said Chris Chinnock, president of Insight Media, who helped found the 3D@Home Consortium, an ad hoc industry group.

Rising Demand for 3D in Theatres

(story copied from Engadget.com)
Digital Cinema Implementation Partners (DCIP) -- representing AMC, Cinemark and Regal Cinemas -- has worked out a deal to finance the installation of thousands of digital movie screens starting next year in the U.S. with the help of Lion's Gate, Paramount, Fox, Universal and Disney. Not participating, at least for now, are Warner Bros. and Sony Pictures, with the latter expected to announce a separate deal soon involving the installation of Sony 4K SXRD projectors around the world. Key to the deal? "Virtual print" fees, meant to help defray the expect $70,000 cost to switch to 3D-ready digital projection setups, as the studios will kick in the $800 - $1000 they would have spent on old school movie prints to finance the changeover. In the future they save by distributing only digital prints, not to mention having somewhere to show the dozen 3D flicks expected to debut next year. Both sides are betting the $1 billion package will help pull us away from the HDTVs and back into a movie theater, but until they work out a payoff with that one guy who won't stop talking, we're not sure how likely that is.

Read - Wall Street Journal
Read - Reuters
Read - Variety
Link to article in Engadget