Japanese company develops new technology to project 3D images

 Japanese electronics equipment maker Omron Corp. has developed a new technology to enable three- dimensional (3D) images to appear if a light-emitting diode (LED) is shone on a transparent plastic board, local media reported Tuesday.
The Kyoto-based company said the technology has practical applications, such as for use in electronic boards at train stations to make it easier for travelers to see which direction arrows are pointing.
It is now weighing how to put it into commercial use and is set to start business negotiations to this end, according to a report posted Tuesday on the website of The Asahi Shimbun.
The technology relies on plastic developed by Omron that has concave and convex surfaces. If LED is shone on the board, the light changes subtly and, as a result, shows 3-D images.
In developing the technology, Omron used a transparent plastic board measuring 10 centimeters by 10 cm. However, bigger boards can be used, it said.
Until now, special lenses and projection equipment have been necessary to create 3-D images. Each system cost several tens of thousands of yen to several hundreds of thousands of yen.
Given that plastic boards can be mass-produced, "costs can be curbed substantially," said Masayuki Shinohara, a technological expert at Omron.