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The Perspecta Spatial 3D System
A true 3D display has been a dream of many for years. Although various three-dimensional technologies have been developed in recent years, few are able to display real time 3D images and video from any angle in the same way an object would appear to us in the real world. This article will present one such technology called Perspecta and explore its current and future capabilities and uses.
About four years ago, I reviewed a fascinating display called the Perspecta Spatial 3-D System, which was developed by the Massachusetts-based company Actuality Systems. Perspecta is a true three-dimensional display that allows users to view moving objects from any angle with the unaided eye, simply by walking around them as you would if you were looking at real 3D objects. Perspecta consists of a rotating round white polymer screen resting on box containing software, hardware, and an optical system. Moving images that seemingly float inside a crystal ball-like structure are generated by slices of successive 2D images, rapidly projected one after another onto the screen, creating an illusion of a real 3D image.
Perspecta for medical use
Perspecta was first revealed to the public as a prototype in 2001 when it was only able to display still 3D images. Since then, Perspecta has come a long way and is now capable of full 768 x 768 3D video. Initially Perspecta was very expensive and, although the current version, Perspecta 1.9, still costs tens of thousands of dollars, Actuality Systems found a few specialized markets in which the benefits of real 3D technology justify this price. Among these niche markets is the medical market where the new Perspecta aids in the treatment of cancer patients receiving radiation therapy.
The 3D technology enables doctors to clearly observe the path of focused radiation, thereby minimizing damage to nearby critical organs. Perspecta can also help simulate the 3D structure of complex molecules useful to both chemists and biologists, as well as in drug development. Actuality Systems also claims that it has customers in the gas and oil industry as well as the military, which is interested in Perspecta's ability to display 3D topography.
A CT scan on the Perspecta
The evolution of Perspecta hardware over the past five years has paralleled that of the commercial hardware market. Early Perspecta models used a Texas Instruments 200 MHz processor as CPU, had 16 MB of RAM, and a very early model of DDR SDRAM running at 66 MHz dedicated to graphics. Current Perspecta models are equipped with a modern AMD CPU, high end NVIDIA or ATI GPU, and a Dual Gigabit Ethernet which are used as inputs to connect to a standard PC. This huge jump in hardware capability generated a leap in performance that has made real time 3D animation on Perspecta possible.
When Actuality Systems originally launched its 3D technology, it was suggested that real 3D gaming could be applied to a Perspecta-like screen. Currently the price of the hardware is still too high and the technology remains unsuited for such applications. In an interview TFOT recently conducted with Gregg Favalora, Actuality Systems' CTO and Founder, this question was raised along with others regarding Actuality Systems' 3D technology and vision of the future.
