Incredible cylindrical video display lets you move around objects



If you thought today's 3D-TV had crossed the final frontier towards visual reality, then you haven't experienced what a true volumetric 3D display can bring you.
In fact to be strictly accurate, the current generation of so called 3D-TVs should really be called stereoscopic TVs, because they can only bring you the perspective seen by the camera used to shoot the event. In other words, if you move over to one side of the room, it won't allow you to see more of the side of the presenter's head.
Sony wants to change that using a volumetric video display, which is basically a cylinder where your perspective changes as you move around or simply rotate the display. The Sony RayModeler doesn't require special glasses, and can be spun to give a different perspectives using a motion sensing gesture controller.
The main catch is that the system only works for relatively static people or objects that can be placed inside the ring of eight cameras, so you're not about to get a baseball game where you can change seats with each inning. What it can do is provide an all-round perspective view of things like gemstones, and you've got to figure that the gaming possibilities should be pretty awesome.
While it's hard to tell from the 2D video what the RayModeler can really do, I think you can get the idea. I particularly like the cylindrical Breakout game.

Via Wired Gadget Lab