Imaging and Display Research Group

Imaging and Displays Research Group (IDRG) consists of multidisciplinary academics who have earned an international reputation for excellence in the design, development and evaluation of next-generation three-dimensional (3D) displays and holography for consumer and industrial use. The team’s world-first projects regularly involve collaboration with partners worldwide, leading to new possibilities for innovation and greater interaction.

3D imaging with stereo pairs has been a possibility since photography was invented: print pairs, needing only a simple viewer, have been widely available and high quality plate pairs of archaeological sites first preserved unique data 150 years ago. Over the last few decades there have been times when film makers have attempted to use the technique, using inadequate equipment and, for the most part, trivial content. However, there does now seem to be a genuine renaissance in this area with television equipment, Playstations and compact digital stereo cameras, all provide excellent technical quality at affordable prices.

Crucially, 3D television is now beginning to do what it does best, live coverage, especially of sport. Sales of 3D sets will soon reach a million and DMU’s commercial sponsors, PANASONIC, have generously donated the most up-to-date 3D video broadcast cameras and screens currently available to the group. It is with this background that the Imaging & Display Research Group was launched and we are now looking to the future and have added holography capabilities as a progressive step.

Focus 

The IDRG is concerned primarily with advanced stereoscopic and auto stereoscopic display systems. This involves the design, development, application and characterisation of such displays as well as investigation of their associated human factors. This work encompasses a wide variety of application domains including computer graphics,virtual reality and telepresence, although the current focus is multiple viewer head-tracked 3D-TVsystems. Historically, IDRG has enjoyed wide and diverse support both at home and abroad.

Expertise:

Optoelectronics

Optics

Electronics

Display systems (particularly stereoscopic and 3D displays) and associated human factors

Holography

Holographic imaging

Optical security

Project Highlight

The Royal visit in 3D (3D glasses required)