An exhibition was held in conjunction with the Service Contents Group meeting and after that, lectures were given by guest speakers, Mr. Ryuichi Sasaki on "the problems of copyright in distribution of contents", Mr. Hideaki Kimata on "the introduction of 3D imaging and audio expression rules in MPEG international standardization- contents to be examined by October 2003." The number of people attending the study session was 50 Consortium members and 90 people all together.

At the exhibition tests were carried out whereby "One Content, Multi Uses" is looked at on a different display in a different size, changing the same 3D content by a different method. An exhibition was also held which introduced the technologies of each company in the group.

Mr. Riku Horikoshi

Trial of "One Content, Multi uses"

As explained at the joint press conference on the activities of the sub-committees on September 11th, an exhibition was held at the same time with the aim of "One Content, Multi Uses". It is a test to see the same contents by a different method, on a different display and in a different size. I would like you to actually see this with your own eyes and experience how it is different.

The contents are 2D video contents but we have been provided with the movies "Tetsujin 28" by Cross Media and Jurassic Park by DDD and using the 2D/3D conversion tools of Interscience, DDD and Mercury Sunday these are displayed as 3D images by displays of different sizes of Arisawa, DDD, Sharp and Sanyo Electrical.

Even if the contents are the same, the impression can change depending on the viewing method so I would be grateful if you could let the office know your impressions and opinions, which I hope will be useful for the future activities of the sub-committee. Thank you to everyone for your cooperation at this "One Content, Multi Uses" exhibition.


Mobile phone 3D experiment with the participation of general users

Next is a report on the state of progress of the 3D experiment. The mobile phone that is becoming most popular on the market at the moment for 3D display is the 505i. This will be the starting point and the platform for experiments of 3D contents. One aim of the experiment is to increase the opportunities for general users to come into contact with 3D. In this way, we can examine what kind of contents will be well received by the user and please him.

A conversion tool is needed to put 3D contents on the mobile phone so we are looking at lending a conversion tool to the 3D creators. Basically we are at the stage of examining a server structure allowing downloading from the mobile phone site. The specifications of the 505i are currently stills and for music MIDI so for one set of contents the data size should be 200kb. Also the viewer can be downloaded to allow the general user to look at 3D contents. We are also thinking of getting the user to press a button and answer a questionnaire.

We would be grateful if all the members could provide 3D contents for mobile phones. Basically we would like about 5 scenes that can be switched based on still images. We would like to make 3D contents such as tourist information and product promotions by having scene changes used effectively and building up a story.

I would like to introduce the system for measuring the format which supports the creation of contents on web 3D (SR method). Sharp has the capability for 3D expression of Web 3D models and is focusing on enabling interactive operation and has proposed an apparatus for measuring the format that creates the stereoscopic contents of the actual object. Modeling of the actual object has conventionally used full CG and the measuring done manually, then the pictures stuck on so it all took a long time. The 3D scanner developed at Fuji Xerox measures the object simply and makes a 3D model allowing the costs to be reduced considerably.

The uses are creation of models for Web3D and e-learning (manuals etc.) It can also be used in museums. In museums, behind the actual exhibits there is a lot of background and items in storage that are not exhibited so if these are measured, it is possible to create them virtually and exhibit them. If any of the members would like to measure the shape of something like this and make a model, please come and talk to me.
We also plan to start a scanning service at Fuji Xerox next year.

Sharp's 3D LC integrated PC has finally been launched and Toshiba, Mitsubishi, Casio have all announced 3D LC. There is now a feeling of expectation that 3D business is starting in earnest. However, from the standpoint of making contents, we cannot make 3D contents on an individual basis compatible with this hardware (to match with the standard to be displayed). It is preferable to make one source and display it as it is on the display of each company (One Content, Multi Uses).

The 3D Consortium and each company is cooperating on this to see if we can, "draft a recommended format", "develop a common library" and "provide functions to adjust stereoscopic view". If there are companies among the members who would like to cooperate, we would like you to offer and Interscience will make arrangements for a study so that provision can be free of charge.

If you want to convert Kurosawa's Seven Samurai to real time and watch it in stereo, 24 frames have to be processed in one second. In the case of TV, this is 30 frames per second. Mercury Sunday cleared this criteria and completed some 2D/3D conversion software two years ago and then by improving the specifications of PC, it has been possible to gradually convert images in real time. Mercury's software can be used as a conversion tool for 3D LC mobile phones. The characteristics of Mercury's 2D/3D conversion software are that it is extremely compact. The overall weight of the software in the mobile phone is only 5kb.

3D images could be called the "final frontier" in the history of imaging but why make 3D? By making 3D, the amount of information dramatically increases. For example in medicine, if the images of the operation or endoscope, even if imitation, are looked at with depth, the amount of information to make a judgement increases. We can enter worlds that conventionally we could not see in 3D such as X-rays, endoscope images, photos of nebulae and realistic pictures.

Our 2D/3D conversion software has the characteristic of taking 2D images and making them stereoscopic view using a terminal with integrated software. To use this in various arenas, we are considering making a chip. By making a chip, images of high vision full spec. pixels can be made in stereo. We have nearly finished making the environment for this and will provide software to integrate in the system. We would appreciate any proposals such as providing 2D/3D conversion software at a low price to help the 3D imaging market mature.

Focus on autostereoscopic 3D display apparatus

Autostereoscopic can be used widely in scientific visual expression and advertising.

Provide software and 2D/3D conversion service

Have 10 years of results in stereoscopic images

The Sapporo TV group has developed a method of digitally processing stereoscopic images of a system that edits stereoscopic images, plays and sends them from stereoscopic image creation in a stereoscopic image method that uses the parallax between the left and right eyes. This is the "stereoscopic image 2 screen rapid fire imaging system". (Patent filed)

This system converts the 2 left and right images to 2 screen continuous images and to edit the images in the form of a computer movie, stereoscopic images are created effectively maintaining high quality. The send display is done on a computer with one added 2 screen video board so the system has the characteristics of being high quality, high resolution and simple. It is called the "stereoscopic image 2 screen rapid fire imaging system" because the performance from creating images to sending and displaying them has improved momentously and the application of stereoscopic images is now smooth.

For Broadband distribution contents we can think of a wide range of genres such as 3D main movies, 3D preview movies, 3D advertising movies, 3D information movies, 3D discussion contents, 3D games.

Mpulse is a product that achieves dynamic, realistic 3D audio via headphones. With Mpulse technology the transfer of sound is limited to from "around here" to "here". This technology was brought about by Be4, an Israeli team involved in developing technology to gather information on noise in a tank. Because you cannot have a large window in a tank, the position of gunfire must be determined accurately using headphones. This technology is used in Mpulse. At the moment it is used in the car audio system of Ford.

Compared to competitors, Mpulse is showing excellent performance. It has the characteristics that "developing applications of 3D audio sound is easy", "the Musicplayer sound is close to real", "3D audio can be added to games and give a sense of realism". There is potential for a large number of solutions involving device manufacturers, contents manufacturers, games developers etc.




The details of "Report of 3D Consortium Study Session" are here.