Planar SD1710 Product User Manual page 6

Introduction to StereoMirror Technology
A StereoMirror™ monitor consists of two AMLCDs (Active Matrix Liquid Crystal
Display) oriented at a 110º angle using a specially designed mounting stand.
A passive beamsplitter mirror bisects the angle formed between the two
monitors mounted on the stand. One side of the glass mirror has a reflective
coating, and the other side has an anti-reflective coating to minimize
secondary reflections. The mirror has a hard top coating to accommodate
cleaning. There is a fine mechanical adjustment for the mirror angle between
the two displays.
In general, the objective of a stereoscopic display is to efficiently present a left
eye image solely to the left eye while the right eye image is directed to the
right eye. This allows the human visual system to merge the two images and
results in the perception of depth, or stereopsis. In the StereoMirror design,
this stereo
separation is
achieved using the
principle of
conservation of
polarization. Liquid
crystal displays
operate based on
the ability of liquid
crystal material to
modulate plane-
polarized light.
The planes of
polarization for light
emitted from the
two AMLCDs in the
SD1710 unit have
the same 45° orientation to start. The image from the lower monitor is seen
through the mirror. (See Figure 2.) The plane of polarization for the light
from this display is unchanged in passing through the mirror. However, the
polarization plane in the light path of the upper monitor is effectively rotated
90° upon reflection. When stereo pair images from the two monitors are
viewed through crossed-polarizing glasses (glasses with polarizing films
mounted on the eyepieces with their planes of polarization at a right angle to
one another), the user only sees the left eye image with the eyepiece having
the 45°-oriented polarizer and the right eye image with the eyepiece having
the 135° polarizer. Light with a perpendicular polarization is not transmitted.
The result is a single, fused stereoscopic image.
2
Bottom Bottom
Monitor Monitor
with Left with Left
Eye Image Eye Image
Figure 2. Operating principle of the StereoMirror monitor.
Right Eye Right Eye
Beamsplitter Beamsplitter
Mirror Mirror
Left Eye Left Eye